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![Timelines of taxa in a palaeoenvironmental context. Timelines outlining important evolutionary events in the selected taxa in relation to environmental events and the expansion of anatomically modern humans. Climate variability is represented over the past 150 thousand years (ka) including (synthetic) oxygen isotope record from Greenland ice cores [84,85], seawater oxygen isotope record (Uvigerina δ 18 O) [86], and global benthic oxygen isotope stack [87] proxies for global ice volume and relative sea-level [88]. LGM refers to the Last Glacial Maximum, TI-TII represent glacial terminations according to [85], cold events represent Heinrich stadials associated with ice-rafting events of the last climatic cycle (H1-H6, C19-C24) [89,90], and selected volcanic eruptions are represented according to [91]. For the sake of clarity, given that the high number of studies included in our review and the vast majority of events studied relate to the Northern Hemisphere, we present reconstructions for the Northern Hemisphere only.](profile/Beatrice-Simona-Kelemen/publication/353820690/figure/fig2/AS:1055521884868610@1628667436491/Timelines-of-taxa-in-a-palaeoenvironmental-context-Timelines-outlining-important.png)
Timelines of taxa in a palaeoenvironmental context. Timelines outlining important evolutionary events in the selected taxa in relation to environmental events and the expansion of anatomically modern humans. Climate variability is represented over the past 150 thousand years (ka) including (synthetic) oxygen isotope record from Greenland ice cores [84,85], seawater oxygen isotope record (Uvigerina δ 18 O) [86], and global benthic oxygen isotope stack [87] proxies for global ice volume and relative sea-level [88]. LGM refers to the Last Glacial Maximum, TI-TII represent glacial terminations according to [85], cold events represent Heinrich stadials associated with ice-rafting events of the last climatic cycle (H1-H6, C19-C24) [89,90], and selected volcanic eruptions are represented according to [91]. For the sake of clarity, given that the high number of studies included in our review and the vast majority of events studied relate to the Northern Hemisphere, we present reconstructions for the Northern Hemisphere only.
Source publication
Starting four decades ago, studies have examined the ecology and evolutionary dynamics of populations and species using short mitochondrial DNA fragments and stable isotopes. Through technological and analytical advances, the methods and biomolecules at our disposal have increased significantly to now include lipids, whole genomes, proteomes, and e...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... palaeoclimate records indicate harsh conditions contemporaneous to inferred evolutionary events that might have contributed to cave bear population decline that started approximately 50,000-40,000 years ago. For instance, the Heinrich 4 event and Campanian Ignimbrite volcanic eruption were two such major events that dramatically changed the landscape of Europe (Figure 2). Studies have shown that the Heinrich 4 event was exceptionally cold and dry [51]. ...
Context 2
... populations survived into the Holocene, isolated on two small islands: Wrangel Island in northeastern Siberia and St. Paul Island in Alaska [64,65], until the mammoth finally went extinct ca. 4000 years ago (Figure 2). ...
Context 3
... to cave bears and woolly mammoths, the woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) was a megaherbivore that was widespread in Eurasia during the Late Pleistocene. Radiocarbon records suggest that the woolly rhinoceros went extinct around 14,000 years ago, after a range contraction towards northeastern Siberia [112] (Figure 2). Although not as well studied as other prominent Pleistocene megafauna, biomolecules such as stable isotopes and aDNA have contributed to our understanding of the woolly rhinoceros (Figures 1 and 3). ...
Context 4
... other domestic species (e.g., dogs and horses) for which the geographical and temporal (spatio-temporal) origins remain unresolved, for pigs, there is solid evidence from material culture/archaeological material and genetics for the early stages of domestication [246][247][248]. Pigs were domesticated from the wild boar in East Anatolia and China about 10,000-9000 years ago from two divergent wild boar populations [249,250] (Figure 2). Owing to their omnivorous nature, wild boars are hypothesised to initially have been attracted to anthropogenic habitation sites as an easy way to access food, most probably being domesticated following a commensal pathway [251,252]. ...
Context 5
... initial domestication of horses happened at least 5500 years ago, possibly in the Western Eurasian Steppe, with the earliest evidence for harnessing, milking, and corralling belonging to the Botai culture of the Eneolithic period in Central Asia [287][288][289][290] (Fig- ure 2). However, this lineage does not seem to have contributed significantly to modern domestic horses (Equus caballus), but instead gave rise to the feral Equus przewalski [288]. ...
Context 6
... bieii, clade V) [302,303]. For all modern cats, domestication started ~10,000 years ago, during the Neolithic, involving F. s. lybica in the Near East [302,304,307] (Figure 2). The Near East was inhabited by two distinct local populations, one being located in the Fertile Crescent and the other in Egypt [304]. ...
Citations
... Of course one of the most important developments in the analysis of ancient bones and teeth has been the advent of DNA techniques. The application of PCR and next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques have completely revolutionised our understanding of not only our own evolutionary past (Rasmussen et al., 2010;Meyer et al., 2012;Fu et al., 2013;Prüfer et al., 2014;Allentoft et al., 2015) but also the human exploitation of animal and plant resources (Schlumbaum et al., 2007;Latorre et al., 2020, Schwörer et al., 2022 over millennia, as well revealing the genomes of extinct Pleistocene fauna (Dabney et al., 2013;Orlando et al., 2013, Rosengren et al., 2021. ...
The post-mortem changes that take place during the decomposition of corpses are extremely complex and have
been the subject of considerable research because of their obvious importance to forensic scientists. Considerable
advances have been made in understanding the interplay of the various factors that influence decay, and the
timescales over which they operate. Similarly, changes to the chemistry and microstructure of bones, postskeletonisation,
are of intense interest to archaeological scientists and the past few decades has seen tremendous
advances in our understanding of how post-burial diagenesis may impact endogenous evidence within
ancient and fossil bones.
In recent years it has been postulated that the early stages of putrefaction of a body have a profound effect on
the microstructure of bones and that these changes persist over archaeological timescales. One of the most
important mechanisms for post-depositional degradation of bones is bacterial bioerosion. The question of the
origin of the bacteria responsible, and why some archaeological bones are bioeroded while others are not, has
received considerable attention in recent years. The assertion by some that the bacteria originate in the gut, and
infiltrate bone tissues via the vascular network during the putrefactive stages of decay, has led to a number of
claims as to what can be inferred by the presence, or absence, of bacterial tunnelling in bones. These claims
include evidence for human mummification, identification of stillborns and infanticide, and animal sacrifices.
Here we present evidence from SEM histological examinations of bones from field experiments using intact pig
carcasses interred in brick lined tombs; a forensic case of a body exposed on a concrete floor for ten years;
together with de-fleshed bones from freshly slaughtered cows buried in tropical soils for 1-10 years. None of the
decomposing pig carcasses, nor the human corpse, showed any signs of bacterial tunnelling in their bones. By
contrast, the de-fleshed bones buried directly in soils showed evidence of tunnelling after only one year and
considerable tunnelling after ten years. Our results cannot support the “enteric hypothesis” that the bone
tunnelling microorganisms that degrade buried bones originate in the gut microbiota but rather suggest that gut
bacteria play no role in the post-mortem degradation of buried bones. It therefore follows that no conclusions
about post-mortem treatment of human or animal corpses can be deduced from the presence, or absence, of
microbial tunnelling in skeletonised remains from an archaeological (or forensic) context.
... Ancient DNA approaches are a powerful addition to the zooarchaeological toolkit allowing to assign species, ancestry, biological sex and/or certain traits to faunal remains (e.g. [9,10]). However, most studies have focused on domesticated animals instead of wild species that were hunted. ...
Central Asia has been an important region connecting the different parts of Eurasia throughout history and prehistory, with large states developing in this region during the Iron Age. Archaeogenomics is a powerful addition to the zooarchaeological toolkit for understanding the relation of these societies to animals. Here, we present the genetic identification of a goitered gazelle specimen ( Gazella subgutturosa ) at the site Gazimulla-Tepa, in modern-day Uzbekistan, supporting hunting of the species in the region during the Iron Age. The sample was directly radiocarbon dated to 2724–2439 calBP. A phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial genome places the individual into the modern variation of G. subgutturosa . Our data do represent both the first ancient DNA and the first nuclear DNA sequences of this species. The lack of genomic resources available for this gazelle and related species prevented us from performing a more in-depth analysis of the nuclear sequences generated. Therefore, we are making our sequence data available to the research community to facilitate other research of this nowadays threatened species which has been subject to human hunting for several millennia across its entire range on the Asian continent.
... Various organisms which once inhabited the Earth can be identified not only on the basis of their physical remains (bones, shells, seeds) but also in the environment, encapsulated in soils, substances and materials (e.g. Rawlence et al. 2014;Roffet-Salque et al. 2017;Rosengren et al. 2021). A noteworthy example comes from southern Denmark, where a complete human genome, plant and animal DNA (presumably from a meal), and DNA fragments from commensal mouth microbes were sequenced from a piece of birch pitch, chewed by a woman who lived c. 5700 years ago (Jensen et al. 2019). ...
The Anthropocene emerges as an aftermath of the long-held, pervasive belief in human exceptionalism, and a wake-up call to reconsider our being in the world as entangled with a plethora of other living selves. Along with ecological and social challenges facing all life on Earth, the very boundaries between Nature and Culture, biological and social, human and nonhuman are being destabilized. From an archaeological perspective, particularly relevant is the understanding of diachronic change through shifting webs of interspecies relations (sensu Tsing). By engaging with various strands of thought within archaeology, anthropology, ecology and ethology, this paper aims to offer a more inclusive, multispecies view of the past. Ultimately, a consideration of human and nonhuman histories as entangled, bears important implications for multispecies futures.
Central Asia has been an important region connecting the different parts of Eurasia throughout history and prehistory, with large states developing in this region during the Iron Age. Archaeogenomics is a powerful addition to the zooarchaeological toolkit for understanding the relation of these societies to animals. Here, we present the genetic identification of a goitered gazelle specimen (Gazella subgutturosa) at the site Gazimulla-Tepa, in modern-day Uzbekistan, confirming hunting of the species in the region during the Iron Age. The sample was directly radiocarbon dated to 2724-2439 calBP. A phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial genome places the individual into the modern variation of G. subgutturosa. Our data does represent both the first ancient DNA and the first nuclear DNA sequences of this species. The lack of genomic resources available for this gazelle and related species prevented us from performing a more in-depth analysis of the nuclear sequences generated. Therefore, we are making our sequence data available to the research community to facilitate other research of this nowadays threatened species which has been subject to human hunting for several millennia across its entire range on the Asian continent.
At the start of the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030), the restoration of degraded ecosystems is more than ever a global priority. Tree planting will make up a large share of the ambitious restoration commitments made by countries around the world, but careful planning is needed to select species and seed sources that are suitably adapted to present and future restoration site conditions and that meet the restoration objectives.
Here we present a scalable and freely available online tool, Diversity for Restoration (D4R), to identify suitable tree species and seed sources for climate‐resilient tropical forest landscape restoration.
The D4R tool integrates (a) species habitat suitability maps under current and future climatic conditions; (b) analysis of functional trait data, local ecological knowledge and other species characteristics to score how well species match the restoration site conditions and restoration objectives; (c) optimization of species combinations and abundances considering functional trait diversity or phylogenetic diversity, to foster complementarity between species and to ensure ecosystem multifunctionality and stability; and (d) development of seed zone maps to guide sourcing of planting material adapted to present and predicted future environmental conditions. We outline the various elements behind the tool and discuss how it fits within the broader restoration planning process, including a review of other existing tools.
Synthesis and applications. The Diversity for Restoration tool enables non‐expert users to combine species traits, environmental data and climate change models to select tree species and seed sources that best match restoration site conditions and restoration objectives. Originally developed for the tropical dry forests of Colombia, the tool has now been expanded to the tropical dry forests of northwestern Peru–southern Ecuador and the countries of Burkina Faso and Cameroon, and further expansion is underway. Acknowledging that restoration has a wide range of meanings and goals, our tool is intended to support decision making of anyone interested in tree planting and seed sourcing in tropical forest landscapes, regardless of the purpose or restoration approach.
