1
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Herrera-Herrera AV, Padrón-Herrera H, Iriarte E, Alberto-Barroso V, Moreno-Benítez MA, Mallol C. Fecal biomarkers and micromorphological indicators of sheep penning and flooring at La Fortaleza pre-Hispanic site (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands). iScience 2024; 27:109171. [PMID: 38414849 PMCID: PMC10897890 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
This study explores the lipid content and micromorphological features of sediment samples from two dwelling structures at the pre-Hispanic site of La Fortaleza in Santa Lucía de Tirajana (Gran Canaria, Spain). Previous field identification of possible sedimentary excrements inside the dwellings motivated chromatographic fecal biomarker analysis and micromorphology. The micromorphological samples reveal a complex dung-rich stratified sequence involving different layers of mixed composition, including reworked dung, clay, wood ash, and domestic refuse. The results of the lipid analysis corroborate the fecal nature of the sample and indicate the source animal: sheep. Coupled with the field evidence, the data suggest that the deposit is anthropogenic and represents a sequence of floor foundations, dung floors, and domestic and architectural refuse. This study provides valuable taxonomic and site use data for the understanding of the aboriginal societies of the Canary Islands and shows the efficacy of combining field observations with high-resolution geoarchaeological methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio V Herrera-Herrera
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, 2, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, s/nº., 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Tenerife), Spain
| | - Héctor Padrón-Herrera
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, 2, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Eneko Iriarte
- Laboratory of Human Evolution-IsoTOPIK Stable Isotope Laboratory, Department of History, Geography & Communication, Edificio de I+D+i, Universidad de Burgos, Pl. Misael Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
| | - Verónica Alberto-Barroso
- Tibicena. Arqueología y Patrimonio, C/ Arco, 6, 35004 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Gran Canaria), Spain
| | | | - Carolina Mallol
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, 2, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Guajara, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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Jambrina-Enríquez M, Mallol C, Herrera Herrera AV, Gonzalez-Urquijo J, Lazuen T. Microstratigraphic, lipid biomarker and stable isotope study of a middle Palaeolithic combustion feature from Axlor, Spain. iScience 2024; 27:108755. [PMID: 38269094 PMCID: PMC10805663 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Archaeological research has increasingly focused on studying combustion features as valuable sources of information regarding past technological and cultural aspects. The use of microstratigraphic and biomolecular techniques enables the identification of combustion residues and substrate components, and infer about past fire-related activities and the environments. Our study conducted on a combustion feature (Level N, ∼100 Ka) at the Axlor cave, a Middle Paleolithic site in northern Iberia, exemplifies the interdisciplinary approach to combustion features. Micromorphological features revealed depositional activities associated with occupations such as hearth rake-out and trampling. Through molecular (n-alkanes, n-alcohols, and n-fatty acids) and isotopic analysis (δ13C16:0 and δ13C18:0), we infer the good preservation of organic matter, the contributions of non-ruminant fats, and the dead-wood gathering strategies by Neanderthal groups. By combining microstratigraphic and biomolecular approaches, our study significantly contributes to the advancement of our current understanding of Neanderthal pyrotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Jambrina-Enríquez
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Unidad Departamental de Petrología y Geoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Unidad Departamental de Prehistoria, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- ICArEHB - Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Antonio V. Herrera Herrera
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Química, Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Jesús Gonzalez-Urquijo
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria-IIIPC (UC, Santander, Gobierno de Cantabria), Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Talía Lazuen
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria-IIIPC (UC, Santander, Gobierno de Cantabria), Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, UMR 5199 - PACEA, Pessac, France
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Jambrina-Enríquez M, de Vera CR, Davara J, Herrera-Herrera AV, Mallol C. Compound-specific carbon isotope analysis of short-chain fatty acids from Pine tissues: characterizing paleo-fire residues and plant exudates. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 2023; 15:114. [PMID: 37441360 PMCID: PMC10333141 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-023-01815-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Different types of plant tissues and resin can account for the wax lipids found in sedimentary contexts and archaeological samples. Consequently, there is increasing research to characterize the fatty acid carbon isotope ratios of different plant anatomical parts and their plant exudates (resin). With the aim to explore isotopic differences between plant tissues, state of the fine organic matter, effect of thermal degradation, and to identify plant residues we measured the δ13C values of short-chain fatty acids (δ13C16:0 and δ13C18:0) in: i) dead and fresh (collected and immediately dried) pine needles and branches (Pinus canariensis) and pine resin from laboratory-controlled heating experiments and ii) sediment and charred pine tissue samples from a wild pine forest fire. Our results are compared to previously published experimental open-air fire experiments and pine-fuelled archaeological combustion features. We found that for both fatty acid types, there are differences in δ13C signatures among anatomical parts and initial moisture content. These data allow us to characterize the isotopic signature of pine tissue and the effect of degradation on isotopic biomarkers, as well as to estimate combustion temperatures in pine-fuelled anthropogenic fires. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12520-023-01815-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Jambrina-Enríquez
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
| | - Caterina Rodríguez de Vera
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
| | - Javier Davara
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
| | - Antonio V. Herrera-Herrera
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- ICArEHB - Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, Universidade Do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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Sossa-Ríos S, Mayor A, Hernández CM, Bencomo M, Pérez L, Galván B, Mallol C, Vaquero M. Multidisciplinary evidence of an isolated Neanderthal occupation in Abric del Pastor (Alcoi, Iberian Peninsula). Sci Rep 2022; 12:15883. [PMID: 36151242 PMCID: PMC9508120 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20200-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Testing Neanderthal behavioural hypotheses requires a spatial–temporal resolution to the level of a human single occupation episode. Yet, most of the behavioural data on Neanderthals has been obtained from coarsely dated, time-averaged contexts affected by the archaeological palimpsest effect and a diversity of postdepositional processes. This implies that time-resolved Neanderthal behaviour remains largely unknown. In this study, we performed archaeostratigraphic analysis on stratigraphic units ive, ivf, ivg, va, vb and vc from Abric del Pastor (Alcoi, Iberian Peninsula). Further, we isolated the archaeological remains associated with the resulting archaeostratigraphic unit and applied raw material, technological, use-wear, archaeozoological and spatial analyses. Our results show a low-density accumulation of remains from flintknapping, flint tool-use and animal processing around a hearth. These data provide a time-resolved human dimension to previous high-resolution environmental and pyrotechnological data on the same hearth, representing the first comprehensive characterisation of a Neanderthal single occupation episode. Our integrated, multidisciplinary method also contributes to advance our understanding of archaeological record formation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Sossa-Ríos
- Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia i Història Antiga, Universitat de València, Avinguda Blasco Ibáñez 28, 46010, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Alejandro Mayor
- Àrea de Prehistòria; Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia, Història Antiga, Filologia Llatina i Filologia Grega, Facultat de Filosofia i Lletres, Universitat d'Alacant, Sant Vicent del Raspeig campus, Sant Vicent del Raspeig, 03690, Alicante, Spain
| | - Cristo M Hernández
- Área de Prehistoria; Unidad de Docencia e Investigación de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia; Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, Guajara campus, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38205, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.,Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory; Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, Anchieta campus, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38206, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Mariel Bencomo
- Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia i Història Antiga, Universitat de València, Avinguda Blasco Ibáñez 28, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Leopoldo Pérez
- Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia i Història Antiga, Universitat de València, Avinguda Blasco Ibáñez 28, 46010, Valencia, Spain.,Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Bertila Galván
- Área de Prehistoria; Unidad de Docencia e Investigación de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia; Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, Guajara campus, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38205, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Área de Prehistoria; Unidad de Docencia e Investigación de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia; Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, Guajara campus, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38205, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.,Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory; Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, Anchieta campus, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38206, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Manuel Vaquero
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain.,Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain
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5
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Frahm E, Adler DS, Gasparyan B, Luo B, Mallol C, Pajović G, Tostevin GB, Yeritsyan B, Monnier G. Every contact leaves a trace: Documenting contamination in lithic residue studies at the Middle Palaeolithic sites of Lusakert Cave 1 (Armenia) and Crvena Stijena (Montenegro). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266362. [PMID: 35390045 PMCID: PMC8989205 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigations of organic lithic micro-residues have, over the last decade, shifted from entirely morphological observations using visible-light microscopy to compositional ones using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy, providing a seemingly objective chemical basis for residue identifications. Contamination, though, remains a problem that can affect these results. Modern contaminants, accumulated during the post-excavation lives of artifacts, are pervasive, subtle, and even “invisible” (unlisted ingredients in common lab products). Ancient contamination is a second issue. The aim of residue analysis is to recognize residues related to use, but other types of residues can also accumulate on artifacts. Caves are subject to various taphonomic forces and organic inputs, and use-related residues can degrade into secondary compounds. This organic “background noise” must be taken into consideration. Here we show that residue contamination is more pervasive than is often appreciated, as revealed by our studies of Middle Palaeolithic artifacts from two sites: Lusakert Cave 1 in Armenia and Crvena Stijena in Montenegro. First, we explain how artifacts from Lusakert Cave 1, despite being handled following specialized protocols, were tainted by a modern-day contaminant from an unanticipated source: a release agent used inside the zip-top bags that are ubiquitous in the field and lab. Second, we document that, when non-artifact “controls” are studied alongside artifacts from Crvena Stijena, comparisons reveal that organic residues are adhered to both, indicating that they are prevalent throughout the sediments and not necessarily related to use. We provide suggestions for reducing contamination and increasing the reliability of residue studies. Ultimately, we propose that archaeologists working in the field of residue studies must start with the null hypothesis that miniscule organic residues reflect contamination, either ancient or modern, and systematically proceed to rule out all possible contaminants before interpreting them as evidence of an artifact’s use in the distant past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellery Frahm
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Daniel S. Adler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Boris Gasparyan
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Bing Luo
- Characterization Facility, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Departamento de Prehistoria, Antropología e Historia Antigua, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | | | - Gilbert B. Tostevin
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Benik Yeritsyan
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Gilliane Monnier
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
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Slimak L, Zanolli C, Higham T, Frouin M, Schwenninger JL, Arnold LJ, Demuro M, Douka K, Mercier N, Guérin G, Valladas H, Yvorra P, Giraud Y, Seguin-Orlando A, Orlando L, Lewis JE, Muth X, Camus H, Vandevelde S, Buckley M, Mallol C, Stringer C, Metz L. Modern human incursion into Neanderthal territories 54,000 years ago at Mandrin, France. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabj9496. [PMID: 35138885 PMCID: PMC8827661 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj9496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Determining the extent of overlap between modern humans and other hominins in Eurasia, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, is fundamental to understanding the nature of their interactions and what led to the disappearance of archaic hominins. Apart from a possible sporadic pulse recorded in Greece during the Middle Pleistocene, the first settlements of modern humans in Europe have been constrained to ~45,000 to 43,000 years ago. Here, we report hominin fossils from Grotte Mandrin in France that reveal the earliest known presence of modern humans in Europe between 56,800 and 51,700 years ago. This early modern human incursion in the Rhône Valley is associated with technologies unknown in any industry of that age outside Africa or the Levant. Mandrin documents the first alternating occupation of Neanderthals and modern humans, with a modern human fossil and associated Neronian lithic industry found stratigraphically between layers containing Neanderthal remains associated with Mousterian industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Slimak
- CNRS, UMR 5608, TRACES, Université de Toulouse Jean Jaurès, 5 Allées Antonio Machado, 31058 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
- Corresponding author. (L.S.); (C.Z.)
| | - Clément Zanolli
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33600 Pessac, France
- Corresponding author. (L.S.); (C.Z.)
| | - Tom Higham
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, University Biology Building, Djerassiplatz 1, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marine Frouin
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, 255 Earth and Space Sciences Building, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
- Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
| | - Jean-Luc Schwenninger
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Lee J. Arnold
- School of Physical Sciences, Environment Institute, Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Martina Demuro
- School of Physical Sciences, Environment Institute, Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Katerina Douka
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, University Biology Building, Djerassiplatz 1, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische, Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Norbert Mercier
- CNRS, UMR 5060, Institut de Recherche sur les Archéomatériaux and Centre de Recherche en Physique Appliquée à l’Archéologie (CRP2A), Maison de l’Archéologie, Université Bordeaux Montaigne, 33607 Pessac, France
| | - Gilles Guérin
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, UMR 8212 CEA CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hélène Valladas
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, UMR 8212 CEA CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pascale Yvorra
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Min. Culture, UMR 7269, LAMPEA, Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l’Homme, BP 647, 5 rue du Château de l’Horloge, F-13094, Aix-en-Provence Cedex 2, France
| | - Yves Giraud
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Min. Culture, UMR 7269, LAMPEA, Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l’Homme, BP 647, 5 rue du Château de l’Horloge, F-13094, Aix-en-Provence Cedex 2, France
| | | | - Ludovic Orlando
- CNRS, UMR 5288, CAGT, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Jason E. Lewis
- Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
| | | | - Hubert Camus
- PROTEE-EXPERT, 4 rue des Aspholdèles, 34750 Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, France
| | - Ségolène Vandevelde
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, UMR 8212 CEA CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Université Paris 1–Panthéon-Sorbonne, Équipe Archéologies Environnementales, UMR 7041, ArScAn, Équipe Archéologies Environnementales, 21 allée de l’Université, 92023 Nanterre Cedex, France
| | - Mike Buckley
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Departamento de Geografía e Historia, UDI Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Chris Stringer
- Centre for Human Evolution Research (CHER), Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Laure Metz
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Min. Culture, UMR 7269, LAMPEA, Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l’Homme, BP 647, 5 rue du Château de l’Horloge, F-13094, Aix-en-Provence Cedex 2, France
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut, 215 Glenbrook Road, U-4098, Storrs, CT 06269-4098, USA
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Connolly R, Jambrina-Enríquez M, Herrera-Herrera AV, Mallol C. Investigating Hydrogen Isotope Variation during Heating of n-Alkanes under Limited Oxygen Conditions: Implications for Palaeoclimate Reconstruction in Archaeological Settings. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26071830. [PMID: 33805066 PMCID: PMC8037755 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26071830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reports on a series of heating experiments that focus on n-alkanes extracted from leaf, bark, and xylem tissues of the Celtis australis plant. These lipid biomarkers were analysed for their compound-specific hydrogen isotopic composition (δ2Hwax) under limited oxygen conditions at 150, 250, 350, and 450 °C. Our results reveal isotopic variations in wax lipids of different plant organs during short-term low-temperature combustion. We conclude that, in the absence of a detailed characterisation of the depositional environment in advance of sampling, δ2Hwax values in archaeological or otherwise highly anthropogenic environments should be interpreted cautiously. In addition, we observed that variation in δ2Hwax of leaves is minimal at temperatures ≤ 350 °C, highlighting the potential for δ2Hwax in thermally altered combustion substrates to yield palaeoclimate information, which could allow researchers to investigate links between archaeological and climatic records at a high spatial and temporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory Connolly
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Organica Antonio Gonzalez (IUBO), Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 Canary Islands, Spain; (R.C.); (M.J.-E.); (A.V.H.-H.)
- Departmento de Geografia e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Margarita Jambrina-Enríquez
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Organica Antonio Gonzalez (IUBO), Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 Canary Islands, Spain; (R.C.); (M.J.-E.); (A.V.H.-H.)
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Antonio V. Herrera-Herrera
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Organica Antonio Gonzalez (IUBO), Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 Canary Islands, Spain; (R.C.); (M.J.-E.); (A.V.H.-H.)
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Organica Antonio Gonzalez (IUBO), Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 Canary Islands, Spain; (R.C.); (M.J.-E.); (A.V.H.-H.)
- Departmento de Geografia e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 Canary Islands, Spain
- Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Edificio 1, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Correspondence:
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8
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Rampelli S, Turroni S, Mallol C, Hernandez C, Galván B, Sistiaga A, Biagi E, Astolfi A, Brigidi P, Benazzi S, Lewis CM, Warinner C, Hofman CA, Schnorr SL, Candela M. Components of a Neanderthal gut microbiome recovered from fecal sediments from El Salt. Commun Biol 2021; 4:169. [PMID: 33547403 PMCID: PMC7864912 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01689-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive view of our evolutionary history cannot ignore the ancestral features of our gut microbiota. To provide some glimpse into the past, we searched for human gut microbiome components in ancient DNA from 14 archeological sediments spanning four stratigraphic units of El Salt Middle Paleolithic site (Spain), including layers of unit X, which has yielded well-preserved Neanderthal occupation deposits dating around 50 kya. According to our findings, bacterial genera belonging to families known to be part of the modern human gut microbiome are abundantly represented only across unit X samples, showing that well-known beneficial gut commensals, such as Blautia, Dorea, Roseburia, Ruminococcus, Faecalibacterium and Bifidobacterium already populated the intestinal microbiome of Homo since as far back as the last common ancestor between humans and Neanderthals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Rampelli
- Unit of Microbiome Science and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, Bologna, Italy
| | - Silvia Turroni
- Unit of Microbiome Science and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, Bologna, Italy
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Department of Geography and History, University of La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.,Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab, University of La Laguna, Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.,ICArEHB - Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Edificio 1, Faro, Portugal
| | - Cristo Hernandez
- Department of Geography and History, University of La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Bertila Galván
- Department of Geography and History, University of La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Ainara Sistiaga
- Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA, USA.,GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Oester Voldgade 5-7, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Elena Biagi
- Unit of Microbiome Science and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, Bologna, Italy
| | - Annalisa Astolfi
- "Giorgio Prodi" Cancer Research Center, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 11, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 70, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Patrizia Brigidi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, Ravenna, Italy.,Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Cecil M Lewis
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research, University of Oklahoma, 101 David L. Boren Blvd, Norman, OK, USA.,Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, 455W Lindsey St, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Christina Warinner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, 455W Lindsey St, Norman, OK, USA.,Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, Jena, Germany
| | - Courtney A Hofman
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research, University of Oklahoma, 101 David L. Boren Blvd, Norman, OK, USA.,Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, 455W Lindsey St, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Stephanie L Schnorr
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Martinstraße 12, Klosterneuburg, Austria. .,Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, 4505S. Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
| | - Marco Candela
- Unit of Microbiome Science and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, Bologna, Italy.
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9
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Lambrecht G, Rodríguez de Vera C, Jambrina-Enríquez M, Crevecoeur I, Gonzalez-Urquijo J, Lazuen T, Monnier G, Pajović G, Tostevin G, Mallol C. Characterisation of charred organic matter in micromorphological thin sections by means of Raman spectroscopy. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 2021; 13:13. [PMID: 33456618 PMCID: PMC7788033 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-020-01263-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Burned or charred organic matter in anthropogenic combustion features may provide important clues about past human activities related to fire. To interpret archaeological hearths, a correct identification of the organic source material is key. In the present work, Raman spectroscopy is applied to characterise the structural properties of char produced in laboratory heating- and open-fire experiments. This reference data set is compared to analyses of three different archaeological sites with Middle Palaeolithic combustion contexts. The results show that it is possible to determine whether a charred fragment is the product of burning animal-derived matter (e.g. meat) or plant-derived matter (e.g. wood) by plotting a few Raman spectral parameters (i.e. position of G and D bands, and intensity ratios H D/H G and H V/H G) against one another. The most effective parameters for discriminating animal- from plant-derived matter are the position of the G band and the H V/H G intensity ratio. This method can be applied on raw sample material and on uncovered micromorphological thin sections. The latter greatly compliments micromorphology by providing information about char fragments without any clear morphological characteristics. This study is the first of its kind and may provide archaeologists with a robust new method to distinguish animal- from plant-derived char in thin sections. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12520-020-01263-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn Lambrecht
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO), Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Caterina Rodríguez de Vera
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO), Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Margarita Jambrina-Enríquez
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO), Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | | | - Jesus Gonzalez-Urquijo
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria (IIIPC), Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Talía Lazuen
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, UMR 5199 - PACEA, Pessac, France
| | - Gilliane Monnier
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | | | - Gilbert Tostevin
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO), Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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10
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Cullen VL, Smith VC, Tushabramishvili N, Mallol C, Dee M, Wilkinson KN, Adler DS. A revised AMS and tephra chronology for the Late Middle to Early Upper Paleolithic occupations of Ortvale Klde, Republic of Georgia. J Hum Evol 2020; 151:102908. [PMID: 33370643 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The nature and timing of the shift from the Late Middle Paleolithic (LMP) to the Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) varied geographically, temporally, and substantively across the Near East and Eurasia; however, the result of this process was the archaeological disappearance of Middle Paleolithic technologies across the length and breadth of their geographic distribution. Ortvale Klde rockshelter (Republic of Georgia) contains the most detailed LMP-EUP archaeological sequence in the Caucasus, an environmentally and topographically diverse region situated between southwest Asia and Europe. Tephrochronological investigations at the site reveal volcanic ash (tephra) from various volcanic sources and provide a tephrostratigraphy for the site that will facilitate future correlations in the region. We correlate one of the cryptotephra layers to the large, caldera-forming Nemrut Formation eruption (30,000 years ago) from Nemrut volcano in Turkey. We integrate this tephrochronological constraint with new radiocarbon dates and published ages in an OxCal Bayesian age model to produce a revised chronology for the site. This model increases the ages for the end of the LMP (∼47.5-44.2 ka cal BP) and appearance of the EUP (∼46.7-43.6 ka cal BP) at Ortvale Klde, which are earlier than those currently reported for other sites in the Caucasus but similar to estimates for specific sites in southwest Asia and eastern Europe. These data, coupled with archaeological, stratigraphic, and taphonomic observations, suggest that at Ortvale Klde, (1) the appearance of EUP technologies of bone and stone has no technological roots in the preceding LMP, (2) a LMP population vacuum likely preceded the appearance of these EUP technologies, and (3) the systematic combination of tephra correlations and absolute dating chronologies promises to substantially improve our inter-regional understanding of this critical time interval of human evolution and the potential interconnectedness of hominins at different sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L Cullen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria C Smith
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Carolina Mallol
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab, Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna Campus de Guajara, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Michael Dee
- Centre for Isotope Research, ESRIG, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Keith N Wilkinson
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Winchester, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel S Adler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, CT, USA.
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11
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Rodríguez de Vera C, Herrera-Herrera AV, Jambrina-Enríquez M, Sossa-Ríos S, González-Urquijo J, Lazuen T, Vanlandeghem M, Alix C, Monnier G, Pajović G, Tostevin G, Mallol C. Micro-contextual identification of archaeological lipid biomarkers using resin-impregnated sediment slabs. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20574. [PMID: 33239666 PMCID: PMC7689525 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77257-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterizing organic matter preserved in archaeological sediment is crucial to behavioral and paleoenvironmental investigations. This task becomes particularly challenging when considering microstratigraphic complexity. Most of the current analytical methods rely on loose sediment samples lacking spatial and temporal resolution at a microstratigraphic scale, adding uncertainty to the results. Here, we explore the potential of targeted molecular and isotopic biomarker analysis on polyester resin-impregnated sediment slabs from archaeological micromorphology, a technique that provides microstratigraphic control. We performed gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectromety (GC-IRMS) analyses on a set of samples including drill dust from resin-impregnated experimental and archaeological samples, loose samples from the same locations and resin control samples to assess the degree of interference of polyester resin in the GC-MS and Carbon-IRMS signals of different lipid fractions (n-alkanes, aromatics, n-ketones, alcohols, fatty acids and other high polarity lipids). The results show that biomarkers within the n-alkane, aromatic, n-ketone, and alcohol fractions can be identified. Further work is needed to expand the range of identifiable lipid biomarkers. This study represents the first micro-contextual approach to archaeological lipid biomarkers and contributes to the advance of archaeological science by adding a new method to obtain behavioral or paleoenvironmental proxies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Rodríguez de Vera
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica "Antonio González", Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Antonio V Herrera-Herrera
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica "Antonio González", Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Margarita Jambrina-Enríquez
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica "Antonio González", Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Santiago Sossa-Ríos
- Departamento de Historia e Historia del Arte, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avenida de Cataluña, 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecología Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades Universitat Rovira I Virgili (Edificio W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Jesús González-Urquijo
- Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria, IIIPC-University of Cantabria, Edificio Interfacultativo, Universidad de Cantabria, Avenida de Los Castros, 52, 39005, Santander, Spain
| | - Talia Lazuen
- CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, Université de Bordeaux, 33600, Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Marine Vanlandeghem
- UMR 7041 ArScAn, Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, 21 allée de l'université, 92023, Nanterre Cedex, France
| | - Claire Alix
- Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, 8096 ArchAm, 21 allée de l'université, 92023, Nanterre Cedex, France
| | - Gilliane Monnier
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Goran Pajović
- National Museum of Montenegro, Novice Cerovića, 7, 81250, Cetinje, Montenegro
| | - Gilbert Tostevin
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica "Antonio González", Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, UDI Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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12
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Herrera-Herrera AV, Mohamed-Rodríguez N, Socas-Rodríguez B, Mallol C. Development of a QuEChERS-based method combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the analysis of alkanes in sediments. Microchem J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2020.104774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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13
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Mallol C, Hernández C, Mercier N, Falguères C, Carrancho Á, Cabanes D, Vidal-Matutano P, Connolly R, Pérez L, Mayor A, Ben Arous E, Galván B. Fire and brief human occupations in Iberia during MIS 4: Evidence from Abric del Pastor (Alcoy, Spain). Sci Rep 2019; 9:18281. [PMID: 31797875 PMCID: PMC6892787 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a relatively low amount of Middle Paleolithic sites in Europe dating to MIS 4. Of the few that exist, several of them lack evidence for anthropogenic fire, raising the question of how this period of global cooling may have affected the Neanderthal population. The Iberian Peninsula is a key area to explore this issue, as it has been considered as a glacial refugium during critical periods of the Neanderthal timeline and might therefore yield archaeological contexts in which we can explore possible changes in the behaviour and settlement patterns of Neanderthal groups during MIS 4. Here we report recent data from Abric del Pastor, a small rock shelter in Alcoy (Alicante, Spain) with a stratified deposit containing Middle Palaeolithic remains. We present absolute dates that frame the sequence within MIS 4 and multi-proxy geoarchaeological evidence of in situ anthropogenic fire, including microscopic evidence of in situ combustion residues and thermally altered sediment. We also present archaeostratigraphic evidence of recurrent, functionally diverse, brief human occupation of the rock shelter. Our results suggest that Neanderthals occupied the Central Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula during MIS 4, that these Neanderthals were not undergoing climatic stress and they were habitual fire users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Mallol
- UDI de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain. .,Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarker Research Lab, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Cristo Hernández
- UDI de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
| | - Norbert Mercier
- Institute of Archaeomaterials Research, Université Bordeaux Montaigne, Pessac, France
| | - Christophe Falguères
- UMR 7194, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Ángel Carrancho
- Área de Prehistoria, Departamento de Historia, Geografía y Comunicación, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
| | - Dan Cabanes
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA
| | - Paloma Vidal-Matutano
- Departamento de Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain.,Université Côte-d'Azur, CEPAM, CNRS, Nice, France
| | - Rory Connolly
- UDI de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
| | - Leopoldo Pérez
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Tarragona, Spain.,Área de Prehistoria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Alejandro Mayor
- Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia, Història Antiga, Filologia Grega i Filologia Llatina; Facultat de Filosofia i Lletres, Universitat d'Alacant, Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Spain
| | - Eslem Ben Arous
- UMR 7194, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Bertila Galván
- UDI de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
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14
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Brittingham A, Hren MT, Hartman G, Wilkinson KN, Mallol C, Gasparyan B, Adler DS. Geochemical Evidence for the Control of Fire by Middle Palaeolithic Hominins. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15368. [PMID: 31653870 PMCID: PMC6814844 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51433-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of fire played an important role in the social and technological development of the genus Homo. Most archaeologists agree that this was a multi-stage process, beginning with the exploitation of natural fires and ending with the ability to create fire from scratch. Some have argued that in the Middle Palaeolithic (MP) hominin fire use was limited by the availability of fire in the landscape. Here, we present a record of the abundance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organic compounds that are produced during the combustion of organic material, from Lusakert Cave, a MP site in Armenia. We find no correlation between the abundance of light PAHs (3-4 rings), which are a major component of wildfire PAH emissions and are shown to disperse widely during fire events, and heavy PAHs (5-6 rings), which are a major component of particulate emissions of burned wood. Instead, we find heavy PAHs correlate with MP artifact density at the site. Given that hPAH abundance correlates with occupation intensity rather than lPAH abundance, we argue that MP hominins were able to control fire and utilize it regardless of the variability of fires in the environment. Together with other studies on MP fire use, these results suggest that the ability of hominins to manipulate fire independent of exploitation of wildfires was spatially variable in the MP and may have developed multiple times in the genus Homo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Brittingham
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
| | - Michael T Hren
- Department of Geoscience, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Gideon Hartman
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Center for Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Keith N Wilkinson
- Department of Archaeology, Anthropology and Geography, University of Winchester, Winchester, SO22 4NR, United Kingdom
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Palaeolithic Hunter-Gatherer Societies Research Group, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- U.D.I. de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Hª Antigua (Dpto. Geografía e Historia), Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Boris Gasparyan
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Charents 15, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Daniel S Adler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
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15
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Herrejón Lagunilla Á, Carrancho Á, Villalaín JJ, Mallol C, Hernández CM. An experimental approach to the preservation potential of magnetic signatures in anthropogenic fires. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221592. [PMID: 31465517 PMCID: PMC6715203 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Archaeomagnetic and rock-magnetic methods are of great value in the identification of archaeological fire, especially in Palaeolithic sites where evidence is usually scarce, ambiguous or poorly preserved. Although taphonomic processes can significantly modify Palaeolithic combustion structures, the extent to which such processes affect the magnetic record remains unknown. Here we report the results of an archaeomagnetic study involving five, two-to-five-year-old experimental combustion structures in open-air and cave settings. Some of these combustion structures involved post-combustion human actions such as trampling and relighting. Our results show pseudo-single domain (PSD) magnetite as the main magnetic carrier. Wood ash layers of combustion structures are the most magnetic facies followed by thermally altered sediments constituting the combustion substrates. A decreasing magnetic concentration pattern in depth was observed as a function of temperature. Positive correlation was found between good-quality directional data and macroscopically well-preserved combustion structures. Partial thermoremanent magnetization (pTRM) was the main magnetization mechanism identified in the combustion substrate facies. These data coupled with partial thermomagnetic curve experiments show the potential of these methods to estimate maximum temperatures of the last combustion event. Relightings show very good directional results, but they cannot be identified because the time between them is not enough to statistically distinguish directional variations of the local Earth´s magnetic field. The substrate sediment of an intensively trampled combustion structure yielded reliable archaeomagnetic directions. The results are discussed in terms of magnetization preservation potential and the effects of taphonomic processes on the archaeomagnetic record.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ángel Carrancho
- Área de Prehistoria, Departamento de Historia, Geografía y Comunicación, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
| | | | - Carolina Mallol
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Área de Prehistoria (Facultad de Humanidades), Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Cristo Manuel Hernández
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Área de Prehistoria (Facultad de Humanidades), Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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16
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Leierer L, Jambrina-Enríquez M, Herrera-Herrera AV, Connolly R, Hernández CM, Galván B, Mallol C. Insights into the timing, intensity and natural setting of Neanderthal occupation from the geoarchaeological study of combustion structures: A micromorphological and biomarker investigation of El Salt, unit Xb, Alcoy, Spain. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214955. [PMID: 31017917 PMCID: PMC6481795 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Middle Paleolithic lithic and faunal assemblages throughout Eurasia reflect short-term Neanderthal occupations, which suggest high group mobility. However, the timing of these short-term occupations, a key factor to assess group mobility and territorial range, remains unresolved. Anthropogenic combustion structures are prominent in the Middle Paleolithic record and conceal information on the timing and intensity and natural setting of their associated human occupations. This paper examines a concentration of eleven combustion structures from unit Xb of El Salt, a Middle Paleolithic site in Spain through a geoarchaeological approach, in search of temporal, human impact and paleoenvironmental indicators to assess the timing, intensity and natural setting of the associated human occupations. The study was conducted using micromorphology, lipid biomarker analysis and compound specific isotope analysis. Results show in situ hearths built on different diachronic topsoils rich in herbivore excrements and angiosperm plant residues with rare anthropogenic remains. These data are suggestive of low impact, short-term human occupations separated by relatively long periods of time, with possible indicators of seasonality. Results also show an absence of conifer biomarkers in the mentioned topsoils and presence of conifer charcoal among the fuel residues (ash), indicating that fire wood was brought to the site from elsewhere. A microscopic and molecular approach in the study of combustion structures allows us to narrow down the timescale of archaeological analysis and contributes valuable information towards an understanding of Neanderthal group mobility and settlement patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Leierer
- Instituto Universitario de Biorgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Área de Prehistoria (Facultad de Humanidades), Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Margarita Jambrina-Enríquez
- Instituto Universitario de Biorgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Antonio V Herrera-Herrera
- Instituto Universitario de Biorgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Rory Connolly
- Instituto Universitario de Biorgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Área de Prehistoria (Facultad de Humanidades), Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Cristo M Hernández
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Área de Prehistoria (Facultad de Humanidades), Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Bertila Galván
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Área de Prehistoria (Facultad de Humanidades), Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Instituto Universitario de Biorgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Área de Prehistoria (Facultad de Humanidades), Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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Vila A, Movilla R, Castro J, Mallol C, Novellas R, Espada Y, Roura X. Successful medical management of pseudomembranous cystitis in three cats with lower urinary tract obstruction. Aust Vet J 2017; 96:33-38. [PMID: 29226304 DOI: 10.1111/avj.12657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 06/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
CASE REPORT The present case series describes the clinical course and outcome of three cats diagnosed with pseudomembranous cystitis. This is an uncommon presentation of lower urinary tract obstruction but can be easily be identified by ultrasonography, revealing severe bladder wall thickening and thin hyperechoic luminal strips. The condition can be secondary to severe bacterial urinary tract infection. All cats were successfully treated with medical management only, mainly based on antimicrobials and individualised supportive therapy. CONCLUSION Further evaluation of this condition is necessary in order to determine potential underlying aetiologies, pathophysiological mechanisms and the most appropriate standardised treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Vila
- Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - R Movilla
- Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Castro
- Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Mallol
- Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - R Novellas
- Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Y Espada
- Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - X Roura
- Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
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18
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Mallol C, Séguret F, Schved JF, Biron-Andréani C. Plastic versus Siliconized Glass Tubes: Evaluation in Current Laboratory Practice. Thromb Haemost 2017. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1613908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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19
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Adler DS, Wilkinson KN, Blockley S, Mark DF, Pinhasi R, Schmidt-Magee BA, Nahapetyan S, Mallol C, Berna F, Glauberman PJ, Raczynski-Henk Y, Wales N, Frahm E, Jöris O, MacLeod A, Smith VC, Cullen VL, Gasparian B. Early Levallois technology and the Lower to Middle Paleolithic transition in the Southern Caucasus. Science 2014; 345:1609-13. [PMID: 25258079 DOI: 10.1126/science.1256484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The Lower to Middle Paleolithic transition (~400,000 to 200,000 years ago) is marked by technical, behavioral, and anatomical changes among hominin populations throughout Africa and Eurasia. The replacement of bifacial stone tools, such as handaxes, by tools made on flakes detached from Levallois cores documents the most important conceptual shift in stone tool production strategies since the advent of bifacial technology more than one million years earlier and has been argued to result from the expansion of archaic Homo sapiens out of Africa. Our data from Nor Geghi 1, Armenia, record the earliest synchronic use of bifacial and Levallois technology outside Africa and are consistent with the hypothesis that this transition occurred independently within geographically dispersed, technologically precocious hominin populations with a shared technological ancestry.
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Affiliation(s)
- D S Adler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, 354 Mansfield Road, Unit 1176, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
| | - K N Wilkinson
- Department of Archaeology, University of Winchester, Winchester, SO22 4NR, UK
| | - S Blockley
- Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - D F Mark
- Natural Environmental Research Council Argon Isotope Facility, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Scottish Enterprise and Technology Park, Rankine Avenue, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, UK
| | - R Pinhasi
- School of Archaeology, University College Dublin, Newman Building, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - B A Schmidt-Magee
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, 354 Mansfield Road, Unit 1176, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - S Nahapetyan
- Department of Cartography and Geomorphology, Yerevan State University, Alek Manukyan 1, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia
| | - C Mallol
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - F Berna
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - P J Glauberman
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, 354 Mansfield Road, Unit 1176, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | | | - N Wales
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, 354 Mansfield Road, Unit 1176, Storrs, CT 06269, USA. Centre for GeoGenetics, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - E Frahm
- Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, Northgate House, West Street, Sheffield, S1 4ET, UK
| | - O Jöris
- MONREPOS Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution, Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz, Schloss Monrepos, D-56567 Neuwied, Germany
| | - A MacLeod
- Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - V C Smith
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - V L Cullen
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - B Gasparian
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Charents 15, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia
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Garralda MD, Galván B, Hernández CM, Mallol C, Gómez JA, Maureille B. Neanderthals from El Salt (Alcoy, Spain) in the context of the latest Middle Palaeolithic populations from the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. J Hum Evol 2014; 75:1-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2012] [Revised: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Galván B, Hernández CM, Mallol C, Mercier N, Sistiaga A, Soler V. New evidence of early Neanderthal disappearance in the Iberian Peninsula. J Hum Evol 2014; 75:16-27. [PMID: 25016565 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2013] [Revised: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The timing of the end of the Middle Palaeolithic and the disappearance of Neanderthals continue to be strongly debated. Current chronometric evidence from different European sites pushes the end of the Middle Palaeolithic throughout the continent back to around 42 thousand years ago (ka). This has called into question some of the dates from the Iberian Peninsula, previously considered as one of the last refuge zones of the Neanderthals. Evidence of Neanderthal occupation in Iberia after 42 ka is now very scarce and open to debate on chronological and technological grounds. Here we report thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates from El Salt, a Middle Palaeolithic site in Alicante, Spain, the archaeological sequence of which shows a transition from recurrent to sporadic human occupation culminating in the abandonment of the site. The new dates place this sequence within MIS 3, between ca. 60 and 45 ka. An abrupt sedimentary change towards the top of the sequence suggests a strong aridification episode coinciding with the last Neanderthal occupation of the site. These results are in agreement with current chronometric data from other sites in the Iberian Peninsula and point towards possible breakdown and disappearance of the Neanderthal local population around the time of the Heinrich 5 event. Iberian sites with recent dates (<40 ka) attributed to the Middle Palaeolithic should be revised in the light of these data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertila Galván
- U.D.I. de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, 38071 La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Cristo M Hernández
- U.D.I. de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, 38071 La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Carolina Mallol
- U.D.I. de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, 38071 La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Biorgánica Antonio González, Av. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez n.° 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Norbert Mercier
- Institut de Recherche sur les Archéomatériaux, UMR 5060 CNRS-Université de Bordeaux, Centre de Recherche en PhysiqueAppliquée à l'Archéologie (CRP2A), Maison de l'Archéologie, 33607 PESSAC Cedex, France
| | - Ainara Sistiaga
- U.D.I. de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Guajara, 38071 La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Biorgánica Antonio González, Av. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez n.° 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Vicente Soler
- Estación Volcanológica de Canarias, IPNA-CSIC, Av. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez n.° 3, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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Abstract
Neanderthal dietary reconstructions have, to date, been based on indirect evidence and may underestimate the significance of plants as a food source. While zooarchaeological and stable isotope data have conveyed an image of Neanderthals as largely carnivorous, studies on dental calculus and scattered palaeobotanical evidence suggest some degree of contribution of plants to their diet. However, both views remain plausible and there is no categorical indication of an omnivorous diet. Here we present direct evidence of Neanderthal diet using faecal biomarkers, a valuable analytical tool for identifying dietary provenance. Our gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results from El Salt (Spain), a Middle Palaeolithic site dating to ca. 50,000 yr. BP, represents the oldest positive identification of human faecal matter. We show that Neanderthals, like anatomically modern humans, have a high rate of conversion of cholesterol to coprostanol related to the presence of required bacteria in their guts. Analysis of five sediment samples from different occupation floors suggests that Neanderthals predominantly consumed meat, as indicated by high coprostanol proportions, but also had significant plant intake, as shown by the presence of 5β-stigmastanol. This study highlights the applicability of the biomarker approach in Pleistocene contexts as a provider of direct palaeodietary information and supports the opportunity for further research into cholesterol metabolism throughout human evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainara Sistiaga
- Department of Geography and History, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Carolina Mallol
- Department of Geography and History, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Bertila Galván
- Department of Geography and History, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Roger Everett Summons
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Jimenez V, Ayuso E, Mallol C, Agudo J, Casellas A, Obach M, Muñoz S, Salavert A, Bosch F. In vivo genetic engineering of murine pancreatic beta cells mediated by single-stranded adeno-associated viral vectors of serotypes 6, 8 and 9. Diabetologia 2011; 54:1075-86. [PMID: 21311856 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-011-2070-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2010] [Accepted: 01/02/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS The genetic engineering of pancreatic beta cells could be a powerful tool for examining the role of key genes in the cause and treatment of diabetes. Here we performed a comparative study of the ability of single-stranded (ss) adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV) of serotypes 6, 8 and 9 to transduce the pancreas in vivo. METHODS AAV6, AAV8 and AAV9 vectors encoding marker genes were delivered to the pancreas via intraductal or systemic administration. Transduced cells were analysed by immunostaining. AAV9 vectors encoding hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were delivered intraductally to a transgenic mouse model of type 1 diabetes and glycaemia was monitored. RESULTS AAV6, AAV8 and AAV9 mediated efficient and long-term transduction of beta cells, with AAV6 and AAV8 showing the highest efficiency. However, alpha cells were poorly transduced. Acinar cells were transduced by the three serotypes tested and ductal cells only by AAV6. In addition, intraductal delivery resulted in higher AAV-mediated transduction of the pancreas than did systemic administration. As proof of concept, intraductal delivery of AAV9 vectors encoding for the beta cell anti-apoptotic and mitogenic HGF preserved beta cell mass, diminished lymphocytic infiltration of the islets and protected mice from autoimmune diabetes. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION Intraductal administration of AAV6, AAV8 and AAV9 is an efficient way to genetically manipulate the pancreas in vivo. This technology may prove useful in the study of islet physiopathology and in assessment of new gene therapy approaches designed to regenerate beta cell mass during diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Jimenez
- Center of Animal Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Edifici H, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
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Mallol C. What's in a beach? Soil micromorphology of sediments from the Lower Paleolithic site of ‘Ubeidiya, Israel. J Hum Evol 2006; 51:185-206. [PMID: 16697031 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2005] [Revised: 03/16/2006] [Accepted: 03/18/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
A micromorphological study of archaeological sediments from the early Pleistocene site of 'Ubeidiya (Jordan Valley, Israel) was conducted to provide microenvironmental detail for the hominin occupation contexts and investigate site formation issues. Previous research shows that the hominin groups occupied the marshes and pebbly beaches at the shores of a lake during a regressive period, but given that some portions of the lithic and faunal assemblages are abraded and others fresh, there remains a question of whether the archaeological assemblages are in situ or reworked, and if reworked, by what mechanisms and from where. The rates of sedimentation within the regressive cycle, by which we can learn about the frequency and duration of exposed surfaces amenable for hominin occupation is also unknown. Finally, the artificial nature of some of the pebbly layers has been questioned. The micromorphological analysis yielded the identification of twelve microfacies; the majority of these represent fluvially derived floodplain soils or distal mudflow deposits, and a minor number are sediments of lacustrine origin: mudflats and shallow subaqueous sediments. These represent the natural habitats of the 'Ubeidiya hominins and might serve as a reference to similar contexts of other early hominin sites. The sedimentary model proposed here entails the rapid deposition of fluvially derived low-energy sediments at and around the shoreline, followed by prolonged periods of exposure, during which surfaces stabilized within a relatively wet, marshy environment. This interpretation suggests that the abraded portions of the archaeological assemblages are a result of prolonged surface exposure rather than high-energy transport from a distant source or to wave reworking at the shoreline, and supports the consideration of these assemblages as archaeological palimpsests, with locally reworked fresh and abraded elements. No micromorphological evidence supporting anthropogenic agency in the formation of the pebbly layers was found. The entire regressive cycle entailed unvarying climatic conditions with seasonal fluctuations and episodic lacustrine incursions, and with a trend towards arid conditions in the end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Mallol
- ESEP, Economies, Sociétés et Environnements Préhistoriques, UMR 6636 du CNRS, Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l'Homme, 5, rue du Château de l'Horloge, B.P.647, 13094 Aix-en-Provence Cedex 2, France.
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Marks A, Brugal JP, Chabai V, Monigal K, Goldberg P, Hockett B, Peman E, Elorza M, Mallol C. Le gisement pléistocène moyen de Galeria Pesada (Estrémadure, Portugal) : premiers résultats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2002. [DOI: 10.4000/paleo.1408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Biron-Andréani C, Mallol C, Vergnes C, Benattar N, Schved JF. Thrombosis and antiphospholipid antibodies in non-SLE patients: predictive value of antiphosphatidylserine antibodies. Pathophysiol Haemost Thromb 2002; 32:194. [PMID: 12759522 DOI: 10.1159/000070427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Biron-Andréani C, Mallol C, Séguret F, Schved JF. Plastic versus siliconized glass tubes: evaluation in current laboratory practice. Thromb Haemost 2000; 83:800-1. [PMID: 10823290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
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Mallol C. The Selection of Lithic Raw Materials in the Lower and Middle Pleistocene Levels TD6 and TD10A of Gran Dolina (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). Journal of Anthropological Research 1999. [DOI: 10.1086/jar.55.3.3631392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Carbonell E, García-Antón MD, Mallol C, Mosquera M, Ollé A, Rodríguez XP, Sahnouni M, Sala R, Vergès JM. The TD6 level lithic industry from Gran Dolina, Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain): production and use. J Hum Evol 1999; 37:653-93. [PMID: 10497003 DOI: 10.1006/jhev.1999.0336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Technological analysis of lithic artefacts recovered at the Aurora stratum of Atapuerca-TD6 shows that this Lower Pleistocene assemblage is similar to Mode I Technology (=Oldowan tradition) documented at many African sites. Diachronic comparison of the different levels of Gran Dolina allows us to conclude that this particular form of early European technology lacks the production of big flakes to manufacture large tools such as bifaces and cleavers. Rather, it is characterized by the presence of small artefacts, including flakes, denticulates, notches, and side-scrapers, many of which bear use-wear traces of butchery and woodworking. The dominant production technique is orthogonal, which is also reflected in the core recovered at the slightly older level of TD4. The raw materials also found in the Middle Pleistocene occupations at Atapuerca, though with significant proportion differences, have a local origin and include varieties of flint, quartzite and sandstone as well as limestone and quartz. TD6 small artefacts were made from most of these, although the retouched pieces seem to have been preferentially made of the best quality flint, i.e., Cretaceous flint, pointing to the existence of differential use of lithic material, and therefore, some degree of planned knapping behaviour. Most of the "chaînes opératoires" or reduction sequences took place inside the cave, although some artefacts, elaborated on Cretaceous flint, seem to have been retouched off site, possibly near the supply sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Carbonell
- Area de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Unidad de Investigación Asociada al CSIC), Plaza Imperial Tarraco, 1, Tarragona, 43005, Spain
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André P, Faucherre V, Portales P, Mallol C, Oziol E, Riviere S, Perney P, Blanc F, Janbon F, Reynes J, Clot J. Superantigène et immunodépression liée au VIH. Rev Med Interne 1996. [DOI: 10.1016/s0248-8663(97)80988-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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