Paleoanthropogy

The Middle Stone Age (MSA) of Africa encompasses the archaeological background for the origin, early evolution and global dispersal of Homo sapiens. This dissertation project used behavioral information attained from the analysis of MSA stone artifacts, in concert with additional archaeological data and new theoretical concepts, to assess research questions pertaining to key issues in current MSA archaeology and human evolution: What is the nature of coastal adaptations during the MSA and how did they affect the evolution and dispersal of Homo sapiens? Did modern humans in southern Africa possess a less complex behavioral repertoire and inferior cultural abilities before and after the Still Bay (SB) and Howiesons Poort (HP) as suggested by the influential “Synthetic Model”? To what extent can analyses of stone tools from the late MSA inform early migrations of Homo sapiens out of Africa? Lithic assemblages from six southern African MSA sites, dating to MIS 5 and MIS 3, provide the principle empirical basis to answer these questions. Concerning the first research topic, based on analyses on the site (Hoedjiespunt 1), regional (sub-Saharan Africa) and continental levels (Africa), the findings of this dissertation demonstrate the systematic, stable and long-term character of MSA coastal adaptations by at least MIS 5e. These behavioral adaptations had ample potential to affect the biological and cultural evolution of Homo sapiens. The ability to thrive in variable coastal ecosystems, and a general increase in behavior flexibility, constituted necessary prerequisites to disperse out of Africa along a mainly coastal route in a rapid and successful manner after ~130 ka. Lithic analyses at the main study site of Sibudu revealed the presence of distinctive, sophisticated and structured stone artifact assemblages during MIS 3 which are used to refine the concept of the “Sibudan” as a new cultural-taxonomic unit of the MSA. Comparative analyses suggest increased regionalization of lithic technology in southern Africa during MIS 3, the maintenance of advanced lithic technology and complex cultural repertoires, as well as dense populations in some areas. These findings reject the dominant Synthetic Model by showing that complex behaviors were well-established in human populations before and after the HP and SB. The results also falsify ideas of cultural regression and demographic collapses after the HP. Regarding the third major topic, the thesis shows how the phenomenon of convergence can confound the common approach by Paleolithic archaeologists to track large-scale dispersals of modern humans out of Africa by means of stone artifacts. The demonstration of an independent innovation of “Nubian” core technology during MIS 3 in southern Africa, with these artifact types having recently been used to monitor the earliest migrations of modern humans from north-eastern Africa to Arabia, provides a cautionary example that single core or tool types cannot adequately trace such dispersals on large temporal and spatial scales. Apart from providing new insights into the evolution and dispersal of modern humans, the thesis highlights the need for novel approaches in lithic analyses and a holistic bio-cultural perspective on human evolution.

1. Yaşam Alanı Değişimleri: Ekolojik çevre değişikliği, iklim değişikliği ve beslenme koşulları değişikliği (besinlerin elde edilme yolları ve besinlerin türleri) 2. İki ayaklılığın başlattığı iskelet (kemik yapıları) değişimi 3. Bilgi birikimi: alet kullanımı, ateşin kullanımı ve yönetimi, dilin geliştirilmesi YAŞAM ALANI DEĞİŞİMLERİ Evrimi özet olarak açıklamak gerekirse; evrim yeni bir türün oluşumu demektir diyebiliriz. Biyoloji bilimi yeni bir türün oluşumunu anagenesis, cladogenesis ve allopatric ya da sympatric yollarla açıklamaktadır. Yeni bir türün oluşumunun ana mekanizması, değişen yaşam koşullarının baskısı sonucu bir türün başka bir türe dönüşmesidir. Genel olarak bütün türlerin oluşmasını bu yolla açıklayabiliyoruz. İnsan türü hariç… Özet olarak mekanizma şöyledir: değişen yaşam koşulları popülasyona bir seçilim baskısı uygulamaya başlar. Popülasyon bu baskılara uyumsal yanıt verir ve yeni yaşam koşullarına uygun olarak değişmeye başlar.Bu değişimler belirli bir nicel birikimi tamamladığında, bu değişimlere iyi uyum sağlayanlar seçilim mekanizması tarafından seçilmeye başlanır. Bu seçilenler, yeni duruma genetik yatkınlığı olan bireylerdir. Sonuçta popülasyonun gen havuzunda zaten genetik yatkınlığı olan bu bireylerin genomu yaygınlaşır ve bu yaygınlaşma belirli bir nicel birikimi tamamladığında o popülasyonu yeni bir türe dönüştürür. Bütün evrim süreçlerinde ve bütün canlılarda olduğu gibi günümüzde de yaşam koşulları değişikliği, insan türünde coğrafi adaptasyonlara neden olmaktadır. Bu adaptasyonlar sonucu oluşan biyolojik farklılıklar, yanlış bir şekilde ırk diye yorumlanabilmektedir. İKI AYAKLILIĞIN BAŞLATTIĞI İSKELET (KEMİK YAPILARI) DEĞİŞİMİ Günümüzden 6-7 milyon yıl önce doğu Afrika'daki Rift vadisinin oluşumu nedeniyle oluşan büyük volkanik hareketler, yer kabuğu yarılmaları, ciddi orman yangınları, yeraltı sularının yeryüzüne çıkması, yer yarılmalarında oluşan uzun rift gölleri gibi olağanüstü yaşam koşullarının zorlaması sonucu sadece sığ sularda yiyecek bulabilen (çünkü lavlar ve volkanik küllerin karasal alandaki yiyecek stoklarını yakıp, yok ettiği düşünülmelidir.Yoğun kar yağışı gibi düşünebiliriz.Yoğun kar karasal alandaki yiyecek kaynaklarını bir şekilde sınırlar ama göl ve nehirlerdeki yiyecek kaynaklarını o derece etkileyemez.) ağaç canlısı primat, sığ sularda yiyecek ararken iki ayağı üzerine kalkmak zorunda kalmıştır. Günümüzdeki şempanze ve diğer maymunlar suya girer girmez ayağa kalkarlar. Yani iki ayaklılığa yaşam alanındaki olağanüstü değişiklikler yol açmıştır. Bu mekanizma genel türleşme mekanizmasıdır zaten… Antropoloji dünyası insan evrimini (insanın türleşmesini) anlayabilmek ve açıklayabilmek için klasik ve genel evrim mekanizmalarından yararlanmaya çalışmaktadır. Halbuki bir kere iki ayaklı olunduktan sonra iki ayaklılığın doğal ve fiziksel sonucu olarak 7 milyon yıl sürecek olan iskelet (kemik) yapısındaki değişiklikler başlamıştır. İşte konvansiyonel antropolojinin fark edemediği şey budur ve bu nedenle de üstünde konsensüs oluşturulabilen bir insan evrimi modeli geliştirememektedir. İnsan evriminin ana devindirici gücü, iki ayaklılığa zorladığı için yaşam koşullarındaki değişmedir diyebiliriz. Ama tayin edici devindirici güç yani insanı

The Black Sea is located within a complex of high folded mountain chains of the Alpine system. This is a back-arc marginal extensional basin. Large-scale sea level changes and consequently reshaping of morphology, considerable accumulation of sediments and changes in environmental settings occurred all along the Black Sea geologic history. During these changes the Black Sea level behavior was influenced due to restricted connection with the Mediterranean Sea. One of the main consequences of the low stands was the interruption of the Mediterranean water income into the Black Sea, which became an almost freshwater giant lake. The main goal of our research is to learn more about the geological history, structure, and evolution of the Black Sea basin (namely its eastern part, Georgia) and the coastal area. We plan detail investigation of the seafloor bathymetry and sediment layers using side scan sonar and bottom profiler equipment. The study of marine geology will be integrated with study of chemical, physical and biological processes, also, with archaeological, underwater archaeological, ethnological and historical researches.
Georgia is one of the oldest states with extremely rich and almost countless cultural heritage sites dating from prehistoric times till the XX century. Natural characteristics and denominations of geographic regions where they are located are determined by their mountain scenery – these are Caucasus Mountains. The state is located on the eastern coasts of the Black Sea in which the rivers flow rising from the mountains. Georgia and especially it's western marine regions and some European regions have had much in common in terms of historical-cultural, geographical and geological past (since the Paleolithic). The littoral territories are distinguished by the oldest human civilizations. All kinds of activities evidence the above – numerous immovable and movable cultural sites, monuments, folklore, lore and legends, customs and traditions that are the means of determining and preserving their
cultural identity and relationship between Georgia and other nations and civilizations throughout their historical development and at present. In our days, given the geographical, historical and cultural proximity, Georgia has the possibility to continue their traditional contacts through implementation of joint projects with the financial support of the European Union, national structures, as well as international governmental and non-governmental foundations.

The Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic burials documented at the site of El Hundido provide interesting new information concerning funerary rituals at the beginning of the Age of Metals in Iberia and the cultural connections between the Meseta and the upper and middle Ebro Valley. The collective burial of nearly a hundred individuals is an exceptional funerary monument in terms of both its structure and its complex ritual practices. These culminated in the deliberate destruction of the monument by fire.

Course name: Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Spain - an Introduction

Saint Louis University, Madrid Campus, Faculty: Science and Engineering
Semester:  Spring 2005.

Course description: This course gives an introduction into the Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Spain. Basic principles and methods of Paleontology and Paleoanthropology will be outlined. Especially presented will be the origins of life and human beings, evolution, and extinctions. The paleontological part will concentrate on some interesting Spanish case studies (reefs of the Devonian period, swamp forests of the Carboniferous period, shallow sea of the Jurassic period, dinosaurs from the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous, and mammals and insects of the Tertiary period). In the center of the paleoanthropological part will be the famous findings of Homo antecessor and Homo heidelbergensis in the caves of Atapuerca and their importance for our knowledge about Human evolution.

Course Calendar:
Monday, Jan. 17: 1. Introduction – What are Fossils?
Wednesday, Jan. 19: 2. The Geologic Time Scale
Monday, Jan. 24, & Wednesday, Jan. 26: 3. Evolution and Taxonomy – Biology and Paleontology in Dialogue (I)
Thursday, Jan. 27: End of DROP/ADD period
Monday, Jan. 31, & Wednesday, Feb. 2: 3. Evolution and Taxonomy – Biology and Paleontology in Dialogue (II) & 4. Biogeography and Mass Extinctions (I)
Monday, Feb. 7: 4. Biogeography and Mass Extinctions (II)
Wednesday, Feb. 9: 5. From the Origins of Life to the Silurian
Monday, Feb. 14: Review & Preparation of first mid-term exam
Monday, Feb. 14: Deadline for the submission of the title of the paper
Wednesday, Feb. 16: First mid-term exam.
Monday, Feb. 21: 6. Reefs of the Devonian Period
Wednesday, Feb. 23: 7. Swamp Forests of the Carboniferous Period (I)
Monday, Feb. 28: 7. Swamp Forests of the Carboniferous Period (II) & 8. Reptiles of the Triassic Period
Wednesday, Mar. 2: 9. Life of the Shallow Sea of the Jurassic Period (I)
Saturday, Mar. 5, to Sunday, Mar. 13: SPRING BREAK
Monday, Mar. 14: 9. Life of the Shallow Sea of the Jurassic Period (II)
Wednesday, Mar. 16: 10. Dinosaurs and Other Reptiles of the Cretaceous Period (I)
Monday, Mar. 21: 10. Dinosaurs and Other Reptiles of the Cretaceous Period (II)
Wednesday, Mar. 23: 11. Fossils of the Tertiary Period
Thursday, Mar. 24, to Sunday, Mar. 27: Easter
Monday, Mar. 28: Review & Preparation of second mid-term exam
Wednesday, Mar. 30: Second mid-term exam
Monday, Apr. 4: Deadline for the submission of papers and PowerPoint presentations
Monday, Apr. 4, & Wednesday, Apr. 6: 12. Outline of Human evolution.
Friday, Apr. 8: Last day to drop a class and receive a grade of "W"
Monday, Apr. 11, & Wednesday, Apr. 13: 13. The Earliest Man in Spain – the Homo from Orce. & 14. Homo antecessor and Homo heidelbergensis from the Caves of Atapuerca (Prov. Burgos) (I)
Saturday, Apr. 16: Field trip to Guadalajara
Monday, Apr. 18: 14. Homo antecessor and Homo heidelbergensis from the Caves of Atapuerca (Prov. Burgos) (II)
Wednesday, Apr. 20: 15. The Humans after Homo heidelbergensis in Spain.
Monday, Apr. 25, & Wednesday, Apr. 27: Presentation of papers

Course name: Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Spain - an Introduction

Saint Louis University, Madrid Campus, Faculty: Science and Engineering
Semester:  Spring 2005.

Course description: This course gives an introduction into the Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Spain. Basic principles and methods of Paleontology and Paleoanthropology will be outlined. Especially presented will be the origins of life and human beings, evolution, and extinctions. The paleontological part will concentrate on some interesting Spanish case studies (reefs of the Devonian period, swamp forests of the Carboniferous period, shallow sea of the Jurassic period, dinosaurs from the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous, and mammals and insects of the Tertiary period). In the center of the paleoanthropological part will be the famous findings of Homo antecessor and Homo heidelbergensis in the caves of Atapuerca and their importance for our knowledge about Human evolution.

Course Calendar:
Monday, Jan. 17: 1. Introduction – What are Fossils?
Wednesday, Jan. 19: 2. The Geologic Time Scale
Monday, Jan. 24, & Wednesday, Jan. 26: 3. Evolution and Taxonomy – Biology and Paleontology in Dialogue (I)
Thursday, Jan. 27: End of DROP/ADD period
Monday, Jan. 31, & Wednesday, Feb. 2: 3. Evolution and Taxonomy – Biology and Paleontology in Dialogue (II) & 4. Biogeography and Mass Extinctions (I)
Monday, Feb. 7: 4. Biogeography and Mass Extinctions (II)
Wednesday, Feb. 9: 5. From the Origins of Life to the Silurian
Monday, Feb. 14: Review & Preparation of first mid-term exam
Monday, Feb. 14: Deadline for the submission of the title of the paper
Wednesday, Feb. 16: First mid-term exam.
Monday, Feb. 21: 6. Reefs of the Devonian Period
Wednesday, Feb. 23: 7. Swamp Forests of the Carboniferous Period (I)
Monday, Feb. 28: 7. Swamp Forests of the Carboniferous Period (II) & 8. Reptiles of the Triassic Period
Wednesday, Mar. 2: 9. Life of the Shallow Sea of the Jurassic Period (I)
Saturday, Mar. 5, to Sunday, Mar. 13: SPRING BREAK
Monday, Mar. 14: 9. Life of the Shallow Sea of the Jurassic Period (II)
Wednesday, Mar. 16: 10. Dinosaurs and Other Reptiles of the Cretaceous Period (I)
Monday, Mar. 21: 10. Dinosaurs and Other Reptiles of the Cretaceous Period (II)
Wednesday, Mar. 23: 11. Fossils of the Tertiary Period
Thursday, Mar. 24, to Sunday, Mar. 27: Easter
Monday, Mar. 28: Review & Preparation of second mid-term exam
Wednesday, Mar. 30: Second mid-term exam
Monday, Apr. 4: Deadline for the submission of papers and PowerPoint presentations
Monday, Apr. 4, & Wednesday, Apr. 6: 12. Outline of Human evolution.
Friday, Apr. 8: Last day to drop a class and receive a grade of "W"
Monday, Apr. 11, & Wednesday, Apr. 13: 13. The Earliest Man in Spain – the Homo from Orce. & 14. Homo antecessor and Homo heidelbergensis from the Caves of Atapuerca (Prov. Burgos) (I)
Saturday, Apr. 16: Field trip to Guadalajara
Monday, Apr. 18: 14. Homo antecessor and Homo heidelbergensis from the Caves of Atapuerca (Prov. Burgos) (II)
Wednesday, Apr. 20: 15. The Humans after Homo heidelbergensis in Spain.
Monday, Apr. 25, & Wednesday, Apr. 27: Presentation of papers

inVEstiGación Y tUtEla En El 150 aniVErsario dEl dEscUBrimiEnto dE la pastora serie: Historia y Geografía núm.: 243 Motivo de cubierta: Dibujo realizado por Tubino y entregado junto con la memoria sobre La Pastora, cuando hizo la primera donación al Museo Arqueológico Nacional en 1868. Fuente: Belén Deamos, 1991.

This paper introduces some of the invaluable aspects of, and new perspectives arising in, the field of zooarchaeology. Studying archaeological animal remains provides clear evidence of past human diet, but the contributions zooarchaeology can make to archaeological research have a much broader scope. Zooarchaeological research provides an interesting insight into the study of past environments, animal domestication, biostratigraphy, the social side of food, animal remains as clothing or even as building materials and art manifestations, amongst others. Zooarchaeology is subdivided here into environmental or physical zooarchaeology, which mainly deals with climate, seasonality and dating of a site, and social zooarchaeology, which deals with hunting techniques, animal management, social hierarchy and symbolism. This array of possibilities is illustrated through examples drawn from diverse periods and places. Some of the issues concerning zooarchaeology are analysed in more depth through the site of Cueva Negra del Estrecho del Río Quípar (Murcia, Spain). This case study provides a practical application of zooarchaeological perspectives in the study of human evolution.

The field of zooarchaeology is therefore not limited to the study of past dietary habits. Rather the study of animal remains allows a deeper understanding of complex human-animal interactions and a greater comprehension of archaeological societies and cultures.

The western coastal zone of the Red Sea basin occupies a pivotal place in current discussions regarding hominin dispersal routes out of Africa. Its long coastal niche, which once extended into the Danakil Depression, as well as its proximity to prominent paleoanthropological sites in the Main Ethiopian and Afar rift basins, make the region a plausible destination for hominins dispersing from the interior landscapes of eastern Africa. Unfortunately, compared to other parts of East Africa, the region has not seen adequate paleoanthropological research, hindering detailed assessment of its contribution to hominin adaptations. A recent archeological reconnaissance in the Red Sea coastal region of the Republic of Sudan documented two characteristic Acheulean sites, named Hayna 01 and 02, as well as numerous isolated scatters of stone artifacts representing diverse technotypological features. The launching of this pioneering project was aimed at finding Paleolithic (Stone Age) sites that can inform us about Pleistocene hominin adaptations in the western peripheries of the Red Sea. The recovered evidence will be subsequently used to assess the role of the region in early hominin survival and dispersal. Of the two Acheulean-bearing sites documented by the survey, Hayna 01 (HY01) is discussed here. It has a surface lithic assemblage characterized by a classic bifacial technology referable to the Acheulean Technocomplex.

CLASE-CONFERENCIA SOBRE LA EVOLUCIÓN

Materia: Filosofía de la Naturaleza
Ponente: Dr. Andreas May
Lugar: Instituto Teológico Verbum Dei San Pablo Apóstol
Fecha, 26 de abril de 2008, 16h-19:30h


Os invitamos a tres Conferencias que nos ofrecerá, dentro de la asignatura de Filosofía de la Naturaleza, el Dr. Andreas May, el próximo 26 de abril, sábado, a partir de las 4:00 p.m, en las instalaciones del ITVD.

La temática es muy interesante, como podéis ver y será desarrollada por medio de Powers Points, exposición y diálogo. Se puede asistir a todos o a algunos de los temas, y para ello os enviamos la planificación de las sesiones con su horario.

4:00 - 5:05  Tema I: “La teoría de la evolución y sus fundamentos”
                        5:05 - 5:20    Diálogo
                        5:20 - 5:30    Descanso
5:30 - 6:05  Tema II: “La historia de la vida desde el origen de la sistema solar hasta la colonización de la tierra firme”.
                        6:05 - 6:20    Diálogo
                        6:20 - 6:30  Descanso
6:30 - 7:05  Tema III: “La evolución de los seres humanos”
                        7:05 - 7:30  Diálogo
                        8:00: Eucaristía
NB: La dirección es: Centro Misionero Verbum Dei

Neandertals disappeared from Europe just after 40,000 years ago. Some hypotheses ascribe this to numerous population crashes associated with glacial cycles in the late Pleistocene. The goal of this paper is to test the hypothesis that glacial periods stressed Neandertal populations. If cold climates stressed Neandertals, their subsistence behaviors may have changeddrequiring intensified use of prey through more extensive nutrient extraction from faunal carcasses. To test this, an analysis of Neandertal butchering was conducted on medium sized bovid/cervid remains composed of predominately red deer (Cervus elaphus), reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), and roe deer (Capreolus caprelous) deposited during global warm and cold phases from two French sites: Pech de l'Az e IV (Pech IV, Bordes' excavation) and Roc de Marsal (RDM). Analysis of surface modification on high survival long bones and proximal and middle phalanges demonstrates that skeletal elements excavated from the cold levels (RDM Level 4, Pech IV Level I2) at each cave have more cut marks and percussion marks than elements from the warm levels (RDM Level 9, Pech IV Level Y-Z) after controlling for fragment size. At both sites, epiphyseal fragments are rare, and although this pattern can result from carnivore consumption, carnivore tooth marks are almost nonexistent (<0.1%). Alternatively, processing epiphyseal ends for bone grease may have been a Neandertal survival strategy, and epiphyses were more intensively percussed in cold levels than in warm levels at both RDM and Pech IV. The exploitation of low marrow yield elements such as phalanges does not show a consistent pattern relating to climate, but may have been a general Neandertal behavioral characteristic, suggesting that these hominids were regularly on the edge of sufficient nutrient availability even during interglacials. Overall, the faunal assemblages from Roc de Marsal and Pech IV provide some support for the hypothesis that Neandertals were processing faunal remains more heavily during glacial periods, suggesting a response to increased nutritional stress during colder time periods.

At the end of the 1980s, Héctor Pucciarelli and Walter Neves published the first studies analyzing the morphological affinities of early American skulls through modern multivariate statistics. Their results corroborated observations made in the previous centuries that the early inhabitants of the continent presented a distinct morphology from the one that characterizes most of the modern Native Americans and groups from East Asia. Based on this, they proposed a model that considered two dispersion waves into the continent: the earliest one would have brought the Paleoamerican morphology, which characterizes the early groups; while the second one brought into the continent the morphology that characterizes most of late native Americans, replacing the early morphology in most regions on the continent. Significant advances in different fields, especially in morphometrics and genetics, complemented by the excavation of new early skeletons in the continent, resulted in hundreds of studies that directly or indirectly discussed, challenged, and refined the dual model in the last couple of decades. These studies have shown above all else that the process of human
dispersion into the continent was complex and hard to be reconstructed. Here, we present a short revision of the long trajectory of studies dedicated to the study of the human occupation of the New World, with the goal of demonstrating the profound impact that Hector Pucciarelli’s work had and still has in the debates about the origins of the first Americans.

ÖZ Miyosen döneme tarihlendirilen Anadolu'da 22, Yunanistan'da 30 ve İran'da 2 formasyondan ele geçen bovidlere ait taksonomik bilgiler paleobiyocoğrafik ve paleoekolojik dinamiklerle birlikte bu çalışmada analiz edilmiştir. Anadolu-İran-Yunanistan biyocoğrafik bölgesindeki lokalitelerde ortak bulunan sekiz farklı bovid türü (Gazella cf. capricornis, Gazella sp., Miotragoceros sp.,Oioceros rothi, Palaeoreas sp., Prostrepsiceros houtumschindleri, Prostrepsiceros rotundicornis ve Tragoportax amalthea) bu bölgeler arasında büyük ölçüde paleoekolojik ve paleobiyocoğrafik benzerlikler bulunduğunu göstermektedir. Aynı zamanda Anadolu'nun kıtalar arası geçişte bir köprü görevini gördüğü ve bunun sonucunda da söz konusu türlerin Anadolu'da ve Avrupa'da temsil edildikleri seviyelerden daha yukarı seviyelerde olduğu görülmüştür. Anadolu'da Vallesian döneme kadar sınırlı sayıda bovidae ailesine ait cins ve türler mevcutken, Geç Vallesian ve Erken Turolian ile birlikte bir artış söz konusudur. Birçok bovidae türünün açık otlak habitatlara daha iyi adapte olması Geç Miyosen dönemde bovidlerin hızlı bir şekilde çeşitlenmesine ve yetmiş yeni türün evrilmesine yol açmıştır. Anadolu'da bovidae cinslerinin ve türlerinin adapte olduğu paleoekolojik koşullar dikkate alınırsa, yer yer nemli ve yer yer kurak karakterdeki subtropik orman örtüsünün yanında yazın yeşil savanaların ve bazen de tamamen kuruyan step otlaklıkların yaygın olduğu anlaşılmaktadır. Geç Miyosen dönemde ise daha çok açık savana-mozaik tipi ekolojik ortamın yaygın olduğu bir coğrafya söz konusudur. Ancak bu dönem İran-Anadolu-Yunanistan arasınadaki biyocoğrafik bölgenin düşünülenin aksine daha kompleks bir yapıya sahip olduğuna işaret etmektedir.

According to the raise process of primates’ generation (supreme mammals referring to the monkeys and humans, in Latin means “perfect”, “original”) i.e emerged at the Eocene period, about 46 years ago, the primitive Hominoidaes in Africa were formed at the Oligocene – Miocene period (33 million years ago) and they started to spread in Euroasia since the Middle Miocene (16 years ago). Hominoidaes had widely been spread in a good environmental condition at the Middle and Late Miocene periods, they were especially spread to modern terri-tories of Tutkey and Greece. Analogical samples discovered in the Southern Caucasus, Late Miocene period (Dryopithecus garedziensis referring to the 9.098 – 8.769 millions ago), it shows that the territory was an initial settlement zone and an important point in the evolution process.

Proconsul is one of the best-known catarrhine primates from the Miocene of eastern Africa. Most authorities consider it to be an early hominoid, but others contend that it might be a stem catarrhine (i.e., the sister group to Old World monkeys and apes) or a stem hominid (i.e., the sister group to great apes and humans) (Harrison 2010). Regardless of its precise phylogenetic affinities, it is evident from its cranio-dental and postcranial anatomy that Proconsul occupies an evolutionary grade close to the initial divergence of the apes and Old World monkeys, and that it provides a good model for the ancestral hominoid.

The wide bodies of Neandertals, characterized by broad, voluminous chests, and medio-laterally (M-L) wide pelves, are commonly considered a derived condition that arose primarily as an adaptation to a strenuous lifestyle in cold, high-latitude environments. The designation of a morphological pattern as apomorphic relies on a correct assessment of the character states of hominins that came before and those that came after; i.e., other archaic hominins and modern humans. Given recent fossil hominin discoveries, the autapomorphic status of the Neandertal body pattern perhaps requires some revision. The present study first examined the degree to which Plio-Pleistocene hominins, including Neandertals, possess body plans that consist of trunks and pelves that were both absolutely wide (i.e., the dimensions of the trunk and pelvis scaled together tightly). Then, a sample of modern humans (n=98) was used to investigate the relationships and patterns of scaling between body size and variables related to the size and shape of the chest and pelvis, in order to determine whether the modern human pattern differs from that of fossil hominins.  Results suggest that modern humans, instead of Neandertals, possess a derived pattern that is more variable in terms of how the dimensions of the upper and lower trunk scale with one another, as well as with body size. Finally, the current study explored possible adaptive scenarios that contextualize the development of the derived modern human morphological pattern.

Neandertals disappeared from Europe just after 40,000 years ago, and some hypotheses ascribe this to an end result of numerous population crashes associated with glacial cycles in the late Pleistocene. The goal of this paper is to test the hypothesis that glacial periods stressed Neandertal populations. If cold climates stressed Neandertals, their subsistence behaviors may have changed-requiring intensified use of prey through more extensive nutrient extraction from faunal carcasses. To test this, an analysis of Neandertal butchering was conducted on medium sized bovid/cervid remains composed of predominately red deer (Cervus elaphus), reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), and roe deer (Capreolus caprelous) deposited during global warm and cold phases from two French sites: Pech de l'Azé IV (Pech IV, Bordes' excavation) and Roc de Marsal (RDM). Analysis of surface modification on high survival long bones and proximal and middle phalanges, demonstrates that skeletal elements excavated from the cold levels (RDM Level 4, Pech IV Level I2) at each cave have more cut marks and percussion marks than elements from the warm levels (RDM Level 9, Pech IV Level Y-Z) after controlling for fragment size. At both sites, epiphyseal fragments are rare, and although this pattern can result from carnivore consumption, carnivore tooth marks are almost nonexistent (< 0.1%). Alternatively, processing epiphyseal ends for bone grease may have been a Neandertal survival strategy, and epiphyses were more intensively percussed in cold levels than in warm levels at both RDM and Pech IV. The exploitation of low marrow yield elements such as phalanges does not show a consistent pattern relating to climate, but may have been a general Neandertal behavioral characteristic, suggesting that these hominids were regularly on the edge of sufficient nutrient availability even during interglacials. Overall, the faunal assemblages from Roc de Marsal and 3 Pech IV provide some support for the hypothesis that Neandertals were processing faunal remains more heavily during glacial periods, suggesting a response to increased nutritional stress during colder time periods.

Middle Stone Age South Africa GIS model Archaeology Ungulate paleoecology Migration Fossils Greater Cape Floristic Region Intra-tooth a b s t r a c t Middle Stone Age sites located within the Greater Cape Floristic Region on the South African southern coast have material culture with early evidence for key modern human behaviors such as projectile weaponry, large animal hunting, and symbolic behavior. In order to interpret how and why these changes evolved, it is necessary to understand their ecological context as it has direct relevance to foraging behavior. During periods of lowered sea level, a largely flat and vast expanse of land existed south of the modern coastline, but it is now submerged by higher sea levels. This exposed area, the Paleo-Agulhas Plain, likely created an ecological context unlike anything in the region today, as evidenced by fossil assemblages dominated by migratory ungulates. One hypothesis is that the Paleo-Agulhas Plain supported a migration ecosystem of ...