0000000000531207
AUTHOR
Michael J. Walker
Neanderthal diets in central and southeastern Mediterranean Iberia
During recent decades, Neanderthal diet has been a major research topic in palaeoanthropology. This has been accelerated by the maturation of different techniques, which have produced a plethora of new information. However, this proliferation of data has led to confusing and contradictory results. Furthermore, most of the ecological dietary studies have been carried out on specimens drawn from different time periods and regions, almost exclusively those characterized by cold, open environmental conditions. Subsistence models based on these fragmentary data have been applied to Neanderthals living in a variety of different regions and environments, even though their dietary strategies may ha…
The evolution and changing ecology of the African hominid oral microbiome
Significance The microbiome plays key roles in human health, but little is known about its evolution. We investigate the evolutionary history of the African hominid oral microbiome by analyzing dental biofilms of humans and Neanderthals spanning the past 100,000 years and comparing them with those of chimpanzees, gorillas, and howler monkeys. We identify 10 core bacterial genera that have been maintained within the human lineage and play key biofilm structural roles. However, many remain understudied and unnamed. We find major taxonomic and functional differences between the oral microbiomes of Homo and chimpanzees but a high degree of similarity between Neanderthals and modern humans, incl…
Consideraciones generales sobre el cuaternario continental en Alicante y Murcia
Se describen los cuatro niveles de "glacis-terrazas" localizados hasta ahora en las cuencas fluviales del SE español, desde el río Guadalentín hasta el Serpis. Estos niveles se localizan a alturas medias de 120, 75,35 y 10 metros sobre los cauces actuales. Es dudosa la edad de los dos primeros, aunque hay indicios para situar en el Plioceno final- Pleistoceno inferior el de 120 m, y en el Pleistoceno medio el de 75 m. El siguiente ya se localiza con seguridad en el Weichsel inferior (ca. 75.000-38.000 BP) y el de 10 metros cubre el Pleniglaciar Weichsel superior y el Holoceno entre 32.000 y 3.000 BP ca.
The palaeoecoloical potential of pollen records in caves: the case of Mediterranean Spain
Abstract Important palynological sequences are reviewed from caves with archaeological interest in Mediterranean Spain. Upper Pleistocene sites include Abric Romani and Abric de l’Arbreda in NE Spain, and in SE Spain Cueva de la Carihuela, Cova Beneito, Cueva de Perneras, Cueva del Algarrobo and the Holocene Cova de l’Or and Cova de les Cendres. Carihuela has the longest sequence, starting in the last interglacial and covering most of the last glaciation. A pre-Wurm phase was followed by two glacial maxima separated by an interpleniglacial phase, and in the Lateglacial the Younger Dryas seems present. Whereas at Carihuela harsh pleniglacial conditions caused Mediterranean associations to di…
Dental calculus indicates widespread plant use within the stable Neanderthal dietary niche.
The ecology of Neanderthals is a pressing question in the study of hominin evolution. Diet appears to have played a prominent role in their adaptation to Eurasia. Based on isotope and zooarchaeological studies, Neanderthal diet has been reconstructed as heavily meat-based and generally similar across different environments. This image persists, despite recent studies suggesting more plant use and more variation. However, we have only a fragmentary picture of their dietary ecology, and how it may have varied among habitats, because we lack broad and environmentally representative information about their use of plants and other foods. To address the problem, we examined the plant microremains…