On the ecological scenario of the first hominin dispersal out of Africa

The archaeopaleontological site of Dmanisi in Georgia, dated to ～1.8 Ma, provides evidence on the first hominin dispersal out of Africa, while the sites of Barranco León and Fuente Nueva-3 in Spain, dated to ～1.4 Ma, record the earliest hominin settlements in Europe. However, a number of issues related to the dispersal route, the climatic conditions and the ecological scenario of this dispersal event are subject to debate. In a recent paper in L’anthropologie, Agustí and Lordkipanidze (2019) proposed an alternative scenario for the arrival of hominins in the Caucasus, which they conceived as a forest refugium area during the Early Pleistocene, and discarded that their dispersal coincided with that of other members of the Ethiopian and Asian faunas, like the sabertooth Megantereon whitei or the giant hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris. Our review of these issues suggests that: (i) the elongated sabers and reduced postcanine teeth of African M. whitei limited the ability of this predator to process the prey carcass, which resulted in scavengeable resources for the Dmanisi hominins; (ii) the mass estimate in excess of 100 kg obtained for the trochlear perimeter of the distal humerus of the hyena from Dmanisi shows that it can be confidently ascribed to the genus Pachycrocuta; (iii) the postcranial anatomy of the Dmanisi hominins was not advantageous for scavenging tree-stored prey; (iv) the laterally flattened upper canines of M. whitei could not withstand the loads that would result from climbing a prey carcass into a tree; (v) paleobotanical analyses suggest a temperate grassland ecosystem in Dmanisi, not dominant forest conditions, with enhanced aridity in the level of hominin occupation; (vi) similarly, the low frequency of arboreal pollen in the Levantine Corridor at ～1.8 Ma points to more arid conditions than today in this area; (vii) many archaeopaleontological sites of the Rift Valley and its extension towards the Red Sea, the Levant and the Caucasus show evidence of tectonic, volcanic and/or hydrothermal events; and (viii) the delay of 400 ka in the arrival of hominins in Western Europe did not result from a lower availability of scavengeable resources.     

Le Paléolithique ancien de l’Europe orientale et du Caucase

Currently, only Tréhougol’naya Cave has reliably dated evidence for human settlement in Eastern Europe and Caucasus, from the beginning through the middle of the Middle Pleistocene. In Eastern Europe, assemblages from Khriatchi and Mikhailovskoé, and possibly Darvagchai I, appear to be the only stratified locations that tentatively can be compared (despite problems with these materials) with Tréhougol’naya. In the eastern limits of Central Europe, layer VI in Korolevo I is the only stratified assemblage that may be compared with Tréhougol’naya. All these Lower Paleolithic occupations yielded the Pre-Mousterian small tool industries with some pebble tools, but without Acheulean bifaces and Levallois technique. These data suggest that Eastern Europe lies outside the distribution range of the Acheulean techno-complex demarcated with the “Movius Line”. In the Southern Caucasus, the Dmanissi hominine and lithic records document the fact that the earliest small-brained humans – probably later H. habilis-rudolfensis or earlier H. ergaster-erectus hominids bearing Pre-Oldowan technology – initially left Africa and appeared in Western Asia as early as 1.8 Ma ago. However, in the Southern Caucasus, the available chronological data indicate that the Acheulean complex has a later temporal appearance here compared to the Upper Acheulean or Acheulo-Yabrudian in Western Asia. Two main Upper Acheulean industrial variants currently can be recognized in the Southern Caucasus. The first, called the Kudarian by the author (from the caves of Kudaro I, Kudaro III, and Azyk), is characterized by lithics made from mostly siliceous rocks, rare Acheulean bifaces, and non-Levallois flaking technique. The second variant is characterized by lithics made from volcanic rocks, numerous Acheulean bifaces, and often more laminar or Levallois debitage. It can be suggested that there are independent origins for these Southern Caucasus Upper Acheulean industrial variants. Possible roots of the Acheulean assemblages of Kudarian variant might be in the local earlier Lower Paleolithic small tool assemblages with some pebble tools but without Acheulean bifaces. The other Caucasus variant of the Upper Acheulean appears to be related to the Levantine Upper Acheulean.     

An in silico target identification using Boolean network attractors: Avoiding pathological phenotypes

Target identification aims at identifying biomolecules whose function should be therapeutically altered to cure the considered pathology. An algorithm for in silico target identification using Boolean network attractors is proposed. It assumes that attractors correspond to phenotypes produced by the modeled biological network. It identifies target combinations which allow disturbed networks to avoid attractors associated with pathological phenotypes. The algorithm is tested on a Boolean model of the mammalian cell cycle and its applications are illustrated on a Boolean model of Fanconi anemia. Results show that the algorithm returns target combinations able to remove attractors associated with pathological phenotypes and then succeeds in performing the proposed in silico target identification. However, as with any in silico evidence, there is a bridge to cross between theory and practice. Nevertheless, it is expected that the algorithm is of interest for target identification.     

两个水稻抗源与其育成新品种对褐飞虱生物学特性的影响

本试验对褐飞虱若虫生存率、发育进度、体重、种群建立以及成虫全氨基酸含量进行测定分析．结果表明,抗源品种上取食的褐0飞虱若虫存活率降低20%～40％;发育进度慢了1—2个龄期,体重轻13．2—17mg/10头,群体增长数量减少4倍以上。反映出抗源品种对褐飞虱的生存率、体重、发育进度及群体增长数量等生物学特性存在不良的影响,其育成品种也表观出相似的特点。成虫取食后全氨基酸测定结果表明,取食抗性品种后,虫体内氨基酸总含量偏低．与感虫品种相比相差2倍。     

A new Early Miocene genus of the family Sciaenidae (Teleostei, Perciformes) from the eastern Paratethys

A new genus of sciaenid fish Caucasisciaena is erected to accommodate the Early Miocene eastern Paratethys species Perca ignota Smirnov, 1936, which, subsequently, was variously attributed to the modern genera, either Larimus or Otolithoides. The materials examined include 32 specimens from four Caucasian and Crimean localities of Sakaraulian age (Lower Burdigalian). The new genus is based on a unique combination of features, including: parasphenoid with a dorsal rounded bony flange; basisphenoid present; premaxilla with short ascending process forming obtuse angle with alveolar process and ascending/alveolar process ratio about 0.17; anterior premaxillary teeth enlarged; posttemporal with few robust spines along its posterior margin; presence of 25 vertebrae; presence of three tiny supraneurals; dorsal fin with 11 spines plus 22–24 soft rays; anal fin with two spines and 7–8 soft rays; second anal-fin spine long and massive; pectoral fin elongate; scales ctenoid on body and cycloid on head (except for one or two rows of ctenoid scales on the cheek). Paleoecological considerations suggest that Caucasisciaena probably was a predatory fish that inhabited the coastal waters of the eastern sector of the Paratethyan basin.     

濒危植物秦岭冷杉生殖生态学特征

为了探索秦岭冷杉种群生殖生态学主要特征,通过样地调查、固定样地观测和室内实验分析,系统研究了秦岭地区5个秦岭冷杉（Abies chensiensis）种群生殖特性及其与环境因素的关系,结果表明,5个不同生境的种群都具有结实能力,海拔1500～1600m之间,秦岭冷杉球果的产量较高;各种群球果主要分布在树冠中上部和东、南、西方向;球果以中部产生饱满种子比率最高;秦岭冷杉种子千粒重为43．2g,其中具有生活力者占44．8％,种子的平均含水量为5．7％左右;在天然林散落条件下,种子库的萌发率仅为6．1％,霉坏、搬迁率93．9％;人工播种条件下,种子发芽率在苗圃内高于天然条件下,中低海拔高于高海拔地区。天然条件下,由种子转化成幼苗的过程是秦岭冷杉种群生活史的脆弱环节。秦岭冷杉林经营管理要以就地保护为主,促进种群生殖;要通过森林经营措施,为林下种子萌发和幼苗创造条件;种子脱落后,要及时扰动林下灌木、草本,使种子能够顺利落地,促其发芽成苗;种子大年要注意采种、育苗,扩大人工种群;速生丰产林培育应该以中低海拔的阴坡为主。     

晚期肿瘤患者下呼吸道感染临床分析

目的：探讨晚期肿瘤患者下呼吸道感染的细菌学分类情况及抗生素耐药性特点。方法：采用回顾性调查107例晚期肿瘤患者并下呼吸道感染痰菌分离的病原菌并分析其特点,药敏试验采用K—B纸片法。结果：137株病原菌,G杆菌67株(48．9％)．G^ 球菌44株(32．1%),真菌26株(19．0％)。主要致病细菌依次为铜绿假单胞菌19．7％．金黄色葡萄球菌13．9％,肺炎克雷伯菌10．9％。万古霉素、新霉素、环丙沙星对G^ 球菌较敏感;环丙沙星、阿米卡星、头孢哌酮对G杆菌作用较强．其他抗菌药物对各种病原菌均呈现不同程度的耐药。结论：晚期恶性肿瘤并下呼吸道感染的病原菌多为条件致病菌,耐药率高。应加强病原菌培养及药敏监测,以指导临床科学使用抗生素。     

Average height of adolescents in the Dinaric Alps

This study contributes to an update of average heights among European populations. Our investigation covering 2705 boys and 2842 girls aged 17 years, shows that, contrary to the general belief, adolescents of the Dinaric Alps are, on average, the tallest in Europe. With an average height of 185,6 cm, they are taller than Dutch adolescents (184 cm on average). Above all, the density of very tall subjects appears to be characteristic of the Dinaric Alps, since 28% measure 190 cm or more in height, as opposed to only 20% in Holland and 1.5% in France. Although our information is not complete, adolescent girls in the Dinaric Alps, with an average height of 171 cm come a close second to girls in Holland.     

Handaxe shape variation in a relative context

The nature, extent and causes of shape variation within and between Acheulean handaxe assemblages represent one of the most heavily theorised aspects of Lower Palaeolithic archaeology. To date, however, handaxe shape variation has only ever been studied within an artefact-based comparative context. Here, the 2D and 3D shape of 698 Acheulean handaxes, selected from ten assemblages, is contextualised within a theoretically possible range of forms defined by two intentionally highly diverse modern replica biface sets. Results demonstrate that handaxe artefacts are highly diverse in their 2D plan-view shape, displaying near complete overlap with the shape space of the intentionally diverse replica tools, along with similar levels of variation. The 3D shape of handaxe artefacts, however, displays much stronger form limitations, occupying under 50% of the shape space created by the replica bifaces. Principally, flat and more ‘tabular’ handaxe forms that display low thickness to width ratios were revealed as absent from the archaeological record. It is argued that while there is considerable diversity and variability in the shape of Acheulean handaxe artefacts, their form is nonetheless restricted by strong material volume and ‘refinement’ limits.