This paper reports the results of the study of age and sexual composition of the cave bear (Ursus... more This paper reports the results of the study of age and sexual composition of the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) 'population' of the Zoolithenhöhle, a classic cave site in Bavaria, southern Germany. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the assemblage dates to c. 29-24 ka B P. The osteometrical analysis shows that the great majority (ca. 90%) of the bears denning in the site were females. The tooth eruption and wear reveal the presence of a larg e proportion of young and some mature animals but a marked paucity of very old adults. The reason(s) for this very skewed sex ratio and the almost total absence of senile individuals is unclear.
The fauna from the Große Grotte, a cave site in the Blau valley (southwestern Germany) is present... more The fauna from the Große Grotte, a cave site in the Blau valley (southwestern Germany) is presented. Quantitatively, Ursus spelaeus is by far the main component. Its remains represent individuals – mostly juveniles – which died in the cave during hibernation. The cave was also used by other carnivores as well as by neanderthals. A relatively large proportion of the bones shows gnawing marks, whereas not a single butchering mark was recorded. Thus, the relative contribution of hominids to the accumulation of the carnivores and herbivore remains seems to have been limited at best. In any event, this fauna cannot be used to explore the subsistence practices of Middle Palaeolithic hominids. According to the microand macrofaunal remains, at least the upper layers (IV–II) were deposited under a cold spell within the first half of the Wuermian Glacial.
The rich fossil record of horses has made them a classic example of evolutionary processes. Howev... more The rich fossil record of horses has made them a classic example of evolutionary processes. However, while the overall picture of equid evolution is well known, the details are surprisingly poorly understood, especially for the later Pliocene and Pleistocene, c. 3 million to 0.01 million years (Ma) ago, and nowhere more so than in the Americas. There is no consensus on the number of equid species or even the number of lineages that existed in these continents. Likewise, the origin of the endemic South American genus Hippidion is unresolved, as is the phylogenetic position of the ‘‘stilt-legged’ ’ horses of North America. Using ancient DNA sequences, we show that, in contrast to current models based on morphology and a recent genetic study, Hippidion was phylogenetically close to the caballine (true) horses, with origins considerably more recent than the currently accepted date of c. 10 Ma. Furthermore, we show that stiltlegged horses, commonly regarded as Old World migrants related ...
Recent Advances in Ageing and Sexing Animal Bones, 2015
This volume in the ICAZ series deals with the technical advances made over the last twenty years ... more This volume in the ICAZ series deals with the technical advances made over the last twenty years in the field of ageing and sexing animal bones. The analysis of ancient DNA holds great possibilities for sexing certain faunal assemblages (though by no means all), which is an urgent issue in the study of hunting and animal husbandry. It can be assumed that our forebears used more subtle taxonomic criteria than we do today, and it is important therefore that we are able to recognise traits that will allow for more accurate classification in terms of calendar age or sex. The eighteen papers in this book examine the state of research for various techniques of age/sex determination and assess potential future development.
1 Ancient Biomolecules Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, 2 Ins... more 1 Ancient Biomolecules Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, 2 Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 3 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, United States of America, 4 Government of the Yukon, Cultural Services Branch, Whitehorse, Canada, 5 Quaternary Paleontology Program, Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, 6 Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America, 7 Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biologia Celular (IMBICE), La Plata, Argentina, 8 Instituto de la Patagonia, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile, 9 Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science, University of Alberta, Canada, 10 San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands, California, United States of America, 11 China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
This contribution presents results of a study of the timing of appendicular epiphyseal fusion in ... more This contribution presents results of a study of the timing of appendicular epiphyseal fusion in brown bears (Ursus arctos) based on the visual examination of 86 modern skeletons of grizzlies (U. a. horribilis) of known age and sex from the greater Yellowstone area, in the States of Wyoming and Montana (US). The timing of fusion in brown bears was compared with the (scant) information available for the black bear (Ursus americanus); both similarities and differences were found. It is still inconclusive whether the discrepancies stem from the methods of study (visual examination vs. X-rays) or whether they reflect real difference in fusion ages. It is suggested that data derived from U. arctos can be used profitably to investigate mortality patterns of extinct bears such as the cave bear Ursus spelaeus.
The fauna from the Große Grotte, a cave site in the Blau valley (southwestern Germany) is present... more The fauna from the Große Grotte, a cave site in the Blau valley (southwestern Germany) is presented. Quantitatively, Ursus spelaeus is by far the main component. Its remains represent individuals – mostly juveniles – which died in the cave during hibernation. The cave was also used by other carnivores as well as by neanderthals. A relatively large proportion of the bones shows gnawing marks, whereas not a single butchering mark was recorded. Thus, the relative contribution of hominids to the accumulation of the carnivores and herbivore remains seems to have been limited at best. In any event, this fauna cannot be used to explore the subsistence practices of Middle Palaeolithic hominids. According to the microand macrofaunal remains, at least the upper layers (IV–II) were deposited under a cold spell within the first half of the Wuermian Glacial.
Description detaillee de deux squelettes presques complets de cochons du sud de l'Allemagne, ... more Description detaillee de deux squelettes presques complets de cochons du sud de l'Allemagne, l'un du site neolithique Michelsberg de Buggingen, l'autre de Fribourg probablement medieval. Le calcul de la hauteur au garrot a revele que deja au Neolithique la longueur relative des metapodes du cochon domestique differait de celle du sanglier. Il est suggere que les causes de ces differences resultent de l'effet sur le taux de maturation de l'absence de predation et de competition dans l'environnement du cochon domestique
Hippidions were equids with very distinctive anatomical features. They lived in South America 2.5... more Hippidions were equids with very distinctive anatomical features. They lived in South America 2.5 million years ago (Ma) until their extinction approximately 10 000 years ago. The evolutionary origin of the three known Hippidion morphospecies is still disputed. Based on palaeontological data, Hippidion could have diverged from the lineage leading to modern equids before 10 Ma. In contrast, a much later divergence date, with Hippidion nesting within modern equids, was indicated by partial ancient mitochondrial DNA sequences. Here, we characterized eight Hippidion complete mitochondrial genomes at 3.4-386.3-fold coverage using target-enrichment capture and next-generation sequencing. Our dataset reveals that the two morphospecies sequenced (H. saldiasi and H. principale) formed a monophyletic clade, basal to extant and extinct Equus lineages. This contrasts with previous genetic analyses and supports Hippidion as a distinct genus, in agreement with palaeontological models. We date the...
Current biogeographic models hypothesize that brown bears migrated from Asia to the New World ~10... more Current biogeographic models hypothesize that brown bears migrated from Asia to the New World ~100 to 50 thousand years ago but did not reach areas south of Beringia until ~13 to 12 thousand years ago, after the opening of a mid-continental ice-free corridor. We report a 26-thousand-year-old brown bear fossil from central Alberta, well south of Beringia. Mitochondrial DNA recovered from the specimen shows that it belongs to the same clade of bears inhabiting southern Canada and the northern United States today and that modern brown bears in this region are probably descended from populations that persisted south of the southern glacial margin during the Last Glacial Maximum.
The genus Equus is richly represented in the fossil record, yet our understanding of taxonomic re... more The genus Equus is richly represented in the fossil record, yet our understanding of taxonomic relationships within this genus remains limited. To estimate the phylogenetic relationships among modern horses, zebras, asses and donkeys, we generated the first data set including complete mitochondrial sequences from all seven extant lineages within the genus Equus. Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic inference confirms that zebras are monophyletic within the genus, and the Plains and Grevy's zebras form a well-supported monophyletic group. Using ancient DNA techniques, we further characterize the complete mitochondrial genomes of three extinct equid lineages (the New World stilt-legged horses, NWSLH; the subgenus Sussemionus; and the Quagga, Equus quagga quagga). Comparisons with extant taxa confirm the NWSLH as being part of the caballines, and the Quagga and Plains zebras as being conspecific. However, the evolutionary relationships among the non-caballine lineages, including the now-extinct subgenus Sussemionus, remain unresolved, most likely due to extremely rapid radiation within this group. The closest living outgroups (rhinos and tapirs) were found to be too phylogenetically distant to calibrate reliable molecular clocks. Additional mitochondrial genome sequence data, including radiocarbon dated ancient equids, will be required before revisiting the exact timing of the lineage radiation leading up to modern equids, which for now were found to have possibly shared a common ancestor as far as up to 4 Million years ago (Mya).
This paper reports the results of the study of age and sexual composition of the cave bear (Ursus... more This paper reports the results of the study of age and sexual composition of the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) 'population' of the Zoolithenhöhle, a classic cave site in Bavaria, southern Germany. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the assemblage dates to c. 29-24 ka B P. The osteometrical analysis shows that the great majority (ca. 90%) of the bears denning in the site were females. The tooth eruption and wear reveal the presence of a larg e proportion of young and some mature animals but a marked paucity of very old adults. The reason(s) for this very skewed sex ratio and the almost total absence of senile individuals is unclear.
The fauna from the Große Grotte, a cave site in the Blau valley (southwestern Germany) is present... more The fauna from the Große Grotte, a cave site in the Blau valley (southwestern Germany) is presented. Quantitatively, Ursus spelaeus is by far the main component. Its remains represent individuals – mostly juveniles – which died in the cave during hibernation. The cave was also used by other carnivores as well as by neanderthals. A relatively large proportion of the bones shows gnawing marks, whereas not a single butchering mark was recorded. Thus, the relative contribution of hominids to the accumulation of the carnivores and herbivore remains seems to have been limited at best. In any event, this fauna cannot be used to explore the subsistence practices of Middle Palaeolithic hominids. According to the microand macrofaunal remains, at least the upper layers (IV–II) were deposited under a cold spell within the first half of the Wuermian Glacial.
The rich fossil record of horses has made them a classic example of evolutionary processes. Howev... more The rich fossil record of horses has made them a classic example of evolutionary processes. However, while the overall picture of equid evolution is well known, the details are surprisingly poorly understood, especially for the later Pliocene and Pleistocene, c. 3 million to 0.01 million years (Ma) ago, and nowhere more so than in the Americas. There is no consensus on the number of equid species or even the number of lineages that existed in these continents. Likewise, the origin of the endemic South American genus Hippidion is unresolved, as is the phylogenetic position of the ‘‘stilt-legged’ ’ horses of North America. Using ancient DNA sequences, we show that, in contrast to current models based on morphology and a recent genetic study, Hippidion was phylogenetically close to the caballine (true) horses, with origins considerably more recent than the currently accepted date of c. 10 Ma. Furthermore, we show that stiltlegged horses, commonly regarded as Old World migrants related ...
Recent Advances in Ageing and Sexing Animal Bones, 2015
This volume in the ICAZ series deals with the technical advances made over the last twenty years ... more This volume in the ICAZ series deals with the technical advances made over the last twenty years in the field of ageing and sexing animal bones. The analysis of ancient DNA holds great possibilities for sexing certain faunal assemblages (though by no means all), which is an urgent issue in the study of hunting and animal husbandry. It can be assumed that our forebears used more subtle taxonomic criteria than we do today, and it is important therefore that we are able to recognise traits that will allow for more accurate classification in terms of calendar age or sex. The eighteen papers in this book examine the state of research for various techniques of age/sex determination and assess potential future development.
1 Ancient Biomolecules Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, 2 Ins... more 1 Ancient Biomolecules Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, 2 Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 3 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, United States of America, 4 Government of the Yukon, Cultural Services Branch, Whitehorse, Canada, 5 Quaternary Paleontology Program, Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, 6 Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America, 7 Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biologia Celular (IMBICE), La Plata, Argentina, 8 Instituto de la Patagonia, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile, 9 Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science, University of Alberta, Canada, 10 San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands, California, United States of America, 11 China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
This contribution presents results of a study of the timing of appendicular epiphyseal fusion in ... more This contribution presents results of a study of the timing of appendicular epiphyseal fusion in brown bears (Ursus arctos) based on the visual examination of 86 modern skeletons of grizzlies (U. a. horribilis) of known age and sex from the greater Yellowstone area, in the States of Wyoming and Montana (US). The timing of fusion in brown bears was compared with the (scant) information available for the black bear (Ursus americanus); both similarities and differences were found. It is still inconclusive whether the discrepancies stem from the methods of study (visual examination vs. X-rays) or whether they reflect real difference in fusion ages. It is suggested that data derived from U. arctos can be used profitably to investigate mortality patterns of extinct bears such as the cave bear Ursus spelaeus.
The fauna from the Große Grotte, a cave site in the Blau valley (southwestern Germany) is present... more The fauna from the Große Grotte, a cave site in the Blau valley (southwestern Germany) is presented. Quantitatively, Ursus spelaeus is by far the main component. Its remains represent individuals – mostly juveniles – which died in the cave during hibernation. The cave was also used by other carnivores as well as by neanderthals. A relatively large proportion of the bones shows gnawing marks, whereas not a single butchering mark was recorded. Thus, the relative contribution of hominids to the accumulation of the carnivores and herbivore remains seems to have been limited at best. In any event, this fauna cannot be used to explore the subsistence practices of Middle Palaeolithic hominids. According to the microand macrofaunal remains, at least the upper layers (IV–II) were deposited under a cold spell within the first half of the Wuermian Glacial.
Description detaillee de deux squelettes presques complets de cochons du sud de l'Allemagne, ... more Description detaillee de deux squelettes presques complets de cochons du sud de l'Allemagne, l'un du site neolithique Michelsberg de Buggingen, l'autre de Fribourg probablement medieval. Le calcul de la hauteur au garrot a revele que deja au Neolithique la longueur relative des metapodes du cochon domestique differait de celle du sanglier. Il est suggere que les causes de ces differences resultent de l'effet sur le taux de maturation de l'absence de predation et de competition dans l'environnement du cochon domestique
Hippidions were equids with very distinctive anatomical features. They lived in South America 2.5... more Hippidions were equids with very distinctive anatomical features. They lived in South America 2.5 million years ago (Ma) until their extinction approximately 10 000 years ago. The evolutionary origin of the three known Hippidion morphospecies is still disputed. Based on palaeontological data, Hippidion could have diverged from the lineage leading to modern equids before 10 Ma. In contrast, a much later divergence date, with Hippidion nesting within modern equids, was indicated by partial ancient mitochondrial DNA sequences. Here, we characterized eight Hippidion complete mitochondrial genomes at 3.4-386.3-fold coverage using target-enrichment capture and next-generation sequencing. Our dataset reveals that the two morphospecies sequenced (H. saldiasi and H. principale) formed a monophyletic clade, basal to extant and extinct Equus lineages. This contrasts with previous genetic analyses and supports Hippidion as a distinct genus, in agreement with palaeontological models. We date the...
Current biogeographic models hypothesize that brown bears migrated from Asia to the New World ~10... more Current biogeographic models hypothesize that brown bears migrated from Asia to the New World ~100 to 50 thousand years ago but did not reach areas south of Beringia until ~13 to 12 thousand years ago, after the opening of a mid-continental ice-free corridor. We report a 26-thousand-year-old brown bear fossil from central Alberta, well south of Beringia. Mitochondrial DNA recovered from the specimen shows that it belongs to the same clade of bears inhabiting southern Canada and the northern United States today and that modern brown bears in this region are probably descended from populations that persisted south of the southern glacial margin during the Last Glacial Maximum.
The genus Equus is richly represented in the fossil record, yet our understanding of taxonomic re... more The genus Equus is richly represented in the fossil record, yet our understanding of taxonomic relationships within this genus remains limited. To estimate the phylogenetic relationships among modern horses, zebras, asses and donkeys, we generated the first data set including complete mitochondrial sequences from all seven extant lineages within the genus Equus. Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic inference confirms that zebras are monophyletic within the genus, and the Plains and Grevy's zebras form a well-supported monophyletic group. Using ancient DNA techniques, we further characterize the complete mitochondrial genomes of three extinct equid lineages (the New World stilt-legged horses, NWSLH; the subgenus Sussemionus; and the Quagga, Equus quagga quagga). Comparisons with extant taxa confirm the NWSLH as being part of the caballines, and the Quagga and Plains zebras as being conspecific. However, the evolutionary relationships among the non-caballine lineages, including the now-extinct subgenus Sussemionus, remain unresolved, most likely due to extremely rapid radiation within this group. The closest living outgroups (rhinos and tapirs) were found to be too phylogenetically distant to calibrate reliable molecular clocks. Additional mitochondrial genome sequence data, including radiocarbon dated ancient equids, will be required before revisiting the exact timing of the lineage radiation leading up to modern equids, which for now were found to have possibly shared a common ancestor as far as up to 4 Million years ago (Mya).
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