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International audience; Au cours de l’âge du Fer en Provence, les techniques agricoles et d’élevage vont connaître des changements importants notamment grâce au développement de la métallurgie, l’arrivée des colons grecs et romains et l’expansion du commerce maritime. Cependant, si depuis le Néolithique l’élevage des petits ruminants constitue une des composantes fondamentales des systèmes socio-économiques dans cette région, nos connaissances sur les modalités d’exploitation de ces animaux et leur évolution durant le dernier millénaire avant notre ère restent encore très fragmentaires et limitées. Cette communication présentera les avancées d’une recherche archéozoologique en cours qui combine plusieurs approches méthodologiques appliquées ici à quatre sites majeurs occupés durant cette période-clé : trois sites d’habitat, Place Mariéjol (Antibes), Entremont (Aix-en-Provence) et Tholon Maritima (Martigues), et un sanctuaire monumental d’altitude, la Cime de la Tournerie (Roubion). Parmi les approches privilégiées, l’étude des profils de mortalité à partir des restes dentaires permet d’appréhender la composition des cheptels et de comprendre les stratégies d’élevage développées. Les profils de mortalité obtenus semblent indiquer une exploitation mixte des différents produits primaires et secondaires (viande, lait) mais avec des variations liées aux statuts des sites. Par ailleurs, la morphométrie géométrique a été développée à partir de l’analyse d’images 3D de deux éléments du squelette postcrânien (talus et humérus). En complément des données ostéométriques classiques et en s’appuyant sur une large série de référentiels archéologiques et actuels, cette approche permet de mettre en évidence l’existence de plusieurs morphotypes au sein des populations ovines en fonction de la période chronologique. Ces premiers résultats encourageant offrent de nouvelles perspectives d’étude sur l’évolution et la diversité des variétés ovines anciennes.

International audience

International audience; The Rattini tribe comprises some of the most specious genera in the mammalian kingdom. Many of these species are also highly morphologically conserved. As a result, identifying Rattini tribe animals, particularly those of the Rattus genus, to species level is extremely difficult. Problems with identification of conservative morphologies, particularly of the skeleton, have led to difficulties in understanding the fossil remains and as a result the systematics of this group. Here, we apply geometric morphometrics to the first lower molar of 14 species of the Rattini tribe. We find that the morphological data present a strong phylogenetic signal. However, within Rattus, this signal is rather complex and possibly hints at rapid evolutionary shape and size changes. In modern species, it is possible to identify specimens to species level with a good degree of confidence. We find that using both size and shape together affords further confidence with identification. However, we caution against the over-reliance on size in environments with unknown species composition and climate, particularly in archaeological contexts. This approach should prove to be a useful tool for identifying fossil and sub-fossil remains, particularly where biomolecular markers are absent in circumstances of poor preservation.

Table S3. Module disparity and integration values calculated separately for domesticated and wild horses. Modules are, anterior oral-nasal (AON), cranial base (CB), cranial vault (CV), molar (MR), orbital (ORB), and zygomatic-pterygoid (ZP), as recovered by Goswami (2006) (see Materials and Methods for further details). (DOCX 14 kb)

International audience; Pig husbandry was one of the key components of Swiss Bronze Age communities. However, the extent of diversity within husbandry practices across these communities remains unclear, particularly for the Alpine and Swiss Central Plateau regions. Differences in tooth size and shape provide valuable proxies for exploring the history of pig populations and inferring changes to cultural and socio-economic behaviours. Thus, to explore geographical and chronological changes in pig husbandry in Bronze Age Switzerland, we tracked the phenotypic diversification of pig populations using the geometric morphometrics of the second and third lower molars as proxies. Our results confirmed the phenotypic homogeneity of Alpine pig populations during the Bronze Age, both in size and shape. Thus, strong homogeneity appeared to exist in the genetic make-up of pig herds in this area, which can probably be attributed to interactions among the local communities. Conversely, pig populations from the Swiss Central Plateau exhibited a greater diversification in shape between the eastern and western populations, indicating a lack of genetic interaction. In parallel, we observed a significant decline in the size of the east Central Plateau pig population during the Late Bronze Age, possibly due to shifts in husbandry practices induced by changes in forest management. Based on our findings, we hypothesise that geographical, topographical, environmental, and cultural factors influenced local pig husbandry practices and the phenotypic diversity of pig molars between regions in Bronze Age Switzerland. However, further investigations comparing Bronze Age pig populations over a broader scale are required, using genetic and isotopic markers to further test changes in husbandry practices and the genetic diversity.

Past sheep and goat husbandry can be analyzed using various approaches in zooarchaeology. However, with classical osteometric studies, some limitations are generally reached for describing more precisely the phenotypical patterns of the animal breeds. In order to better understand the evolution of pastoral economies in the Bronze and Iron Age Provence (southern France) which underwent a number of economic and socio-political changes at the regional and local scales such as the emergence of complex societies, the development of colonial settlements and later the impact of Romanization, our research focuses on the characterization of the small livestock diversity exploited during this period. For this purpose, we developed a 3D geometric morphometric (GMM) approach based on the analysis of two sheep and goat postcranial bones, the humerus and the astragalus. For this comparative study, a total sample of 50 modern and 150 archaeological specimens have been collected and recorded in 3D models. The GMM and statistical analyses were performed on landmarks and curves using ‘3DReshaper’ and ‘R’ software. The results are finally compared with those obtained from osteometric studies based on standard and additional bone measurements to test and assess the degree of reliability and efficiency for discriminating different animal populations.

Table S2. Results from EMMLi analyses, showing the best (highlighted) supported model of modularity for the cranial landmark data set. Details show the model parameters (K), maximum and log-likelihood values for each tested model, as well as the corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc), and the difference between the AICc for a model and the overall minimum AICc (dAICc). The number of between-trait correlations considered in calculating the model likelihood for the sample is 1891, which is equal to the number of unique subdiagonal values of the matrix. Model ID values correspond to those provided in the Material and Methods text. (DOCX 15 kb)

Table S1. List of cranial landmarks and their placement within the module configurations tested in this study. Four modularity hypotheses were tested, see text for further details. Modules for each hypothesis are as follows; 1. Tissue origin – neural crest (NC), paraxial mesoderm (PM); 2. Mammalian modules – anterior oral-nasal (AON), cranial base (CB), cranial vault (CV), molar (M), orbital (ORB), zygomatic pterygoid (ZP); 3. Functional modules – basicranium (B), frontal (F), masticatory (M), nasal (N), oral (O), orbital (OB); 4. Horse-specific – brain (BR), teeth (TE). (DOCX 15 kb)

The overall similarity of the skull shape of some dog breeds with that of juvenile wolves begs the question if and how ontogenetic changes such as paedomorphosis (evolutionary juvenilisation) played a role in domestication. Here we test for changes in patterns of development and growth during dog domestication. We present the first geometric morphometric study using ontogenetic series of dog and wolf crania, and samples of dogs with relatively ancestral morphology and from different time periods. We show that patterns of juvenile-to-adult morphological change are largely similar in wolves and domestic dogs, but differ in two ways. First, dog skulls show unique (neomorphic) features already shortly after birth, and these features persist throughout postnatal ontogeny. Second, at any given age, juvenile dogs exhibit skull shapes that resemble those of consistently younger wolves, even in dog breeds that do not exhibit a ‘juvenilized’ morphology as adults. These patterns exemplify the complex nature of evolutionary changes during dog domestication: the cranial morphology of adult dogs cannot simply be explained as either neomorphic or paedomorphic. The key to our understanding of dog domestication may lie in a closer comparative examination of developmental phases.

International audience; The process of domestication increases the variety of phenotypes expressed in animals. Zooarchaeolo-gists have attempted to study these changes osteologically in their search for the geographic and temporal origins of initial animal domestication during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Traditional biometric approaches have explored broad changes in body size over time, but this approach provides poor resolution. Here we investigate whether geometric morphometric (GMM) analyses of cranial shape can be used to provide better resolution between wild and domestic pigs (Sus scrofa), since shape is less affected by environmental factors than size. GMM combined with traditional multivariate statistics were applied to the crania of 42 modern domestic pigs (representing 6 breeds), 10 wild  domestic first generation hybrid pigs and 55 adult wild boar. Further analyses were carried out on morphologically discrete portions of the crania to simulate the fragmented nature of archaeological mammal remains. We found highly significant discrimination between wild and domestic pigs, both on the whole crania, and subsets including the parietal, the basicranium, the angle of the nasal and the zygomatic. We also demonstrate that it is possible to discriminate different domestic breeds on the basis of cranial morphology, and that 1st generation hybrid wild  domestic pig morphology more closely resembles wild pigs than domestic, suggesting that a wild phenotype (here represented by morphology) is dominant over a recessive domestic one. Our data demonstrate that GMM techniques can provide a quantifiable, clear classification between wild and domestic Sus (even using partial cranial remains) which has significant implications for zooarchaeological research.

Butterflies in the genus Heliconius have undergone rapid adaptive radiation for warning patterns and mimicry, and are excellent models to study the mechanisms underlying diversification. In Heliconius, mimicry rings typically involve distantly related species, whereas closely related species often join different mimicry rings. Genetic and behavioural studies have n how reproductive isolation in many pairs of Heliconius taxa is largely mediated by natural and sexual selection on wing colour patterns. However, recent studies have uncovered new cases in which pairs of closely related species are near-perfect mimics of each other. Here, we provide morphometric and genetic evidence for the coexistence of two closely related, hybridizing co-mimetic species on the eastern slopes of the Andes, H. melpomene amaryllis and H. timareta ssp. nov., which is described here as H. timareta thelxinoe. A joint analysis of multilocus genotyping and geometric morphometrics of wing shape shows a high level of differentiation between the two species, with only limited gene flow and mixing. Some degree of genetic mixing can be detected, but putative hybrids were rare, only one of 175 specimens being a clear hybrid. In contrast, we found phenotypic differentiation between populations of H. timareta thelxinoe, possibly indicative of strong selection for local mimicry in different communities. In this pair of species, the absence of breakdown of genetic isolation despite near-identical wing patterns implies that factors other than wing patterns keep the two taxa apart, such as chemical or behavioural signals, or ecological adaptation along a strong altitudinal gradient. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 109, 830–847.

Ethnographical, historical and archaeological evidence suggests that a great diversity in pig husbandry may have existed in the past. However, such diversity remains difficult to document from traditional zooarchaeological methods and its study may necessitate the implementation of combined methodological approaches. An integrated dental analysis, combining kill-off patterns, traditional and geometric morphometrics, linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH), microwear and stable isotope (δ18O,δ13C, δ15N) data, has been performed on assemblages from the neighbouring sites of Düzen Tepe and Sagalassos (SW Turkey) dated to Classical-Hellenistic to Byzantine time periods. Results indicate a diachronic evolution in slaughter practices, and a gradual decrease in pig mean size from the Early-Middle Imperial to the Byzantine. The seasonality of physiological stressing events remains the same, although their intensity varies through time. During the Early Byzantine period (CE 450–700), pig demographic management is characterized by two birth seasons, and a great diversity in diet and scale of management occurred, from free-ranging pigs – whether or not given food supplement - to closely confined wellwatered and more omnivorous pigs. ispartof: Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports vol:11 pages:38-52 status: published

Transcaucasia comprises a key region for understanding the history of both the hybrid zone between house mouse lineages and the dispersal of the Neolithic way of life outside its Near Eastern cradle. The opportunity to document the colonization history of both men and mice in Transcaucasia was made possible by the discovery of mouse remains accumulated in pits from a 6000-year-old farming village in the Nakhchivan (Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan). The present study investigated their taxonomy and most likely dispersal path through the identification of the Mus lineage to which they might belong using a geometric morphometric approach of dental traits distances between archaeological and modern populations of the different Mus lineages of South-West Asia. We demonstrate that the mouse remains trapped in the deep storage pits of the dwelling belong to the Mus musculus domesticus from the Near East, with dental shapes similar to current populations in Northern Syria. These results strongly suggest that the domesticus lineage was dispersed into Transcaucasia from the upper Euphrates valley by Neolithic migration, some time between the 7th and 5th millennium BC, providing substantial evidence to back up the scenario featuring near-eastern stimuli in the emergence of agriculture in the South Caucasus. The domesticus mitochondrial DNA signature of the current house mouse in the same location 5000 years later, as well as their turnover towards a subspecies musculus/castaneus phenotype, suggests that early domesticus colonizers hybridized with a later musculus (and maybe castaneus) dispersal originating from south of the Caspian Sea and/or Northern Caucasia. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 108, 917-928.

The ability to document the effects of domestication from archaeological remains of animals and plants is essential for reconstructing the history of one of the most important transitions in human prehistory – the shift from hunting and gathering to farming. In mammals, teeth are well preserved in archaeological remains and are known to be taxonomically informative. In this study, we compare three sets of dental morphometric descriptors in wild and domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) – maximum length, size and shape variables from 2D geometric morphometrics – in order to assess which of the three provides the best ability to correctly distinguish current wild and domestic West Palaearctic pigs. For this purpose, we used predictive linear discriminant analysis with cross-validation taking into account potential bias due to heterogeneous sample sizes and important number of predictors. Classification accuracy of wild and domestic status ranged between 77.3 and 93% depending of the tooth and the descriptor analyzed. However, individual posterior probabilities of correct classification were appreciably smaller when using tooth length and centroid size compared to shape variables. Size appeared to be a poor indicator of wild and domestic status, contrary to shape which in addition provides a high degree of confidence in the wild versus domestic predictions. Our results indicate that geometric morphometrics offers an extremely powerful alternative to more traditional biometric approaches of length and width measurements to capture the elusive morphological changes induced by the domestication process in archaeological remains.

In recent years, new cryptic mammalian species have been discovered in Europe, many of which belong to the order Chiroptera. Within this order, some species such as Myotis nattereri contain several cryptic lineages/species, especially in the Mediterranean region. Here we present genetic, phylogenetic and morphological analysis on the Myotis nattereri species complex, focusing on France which is thought to be a contact zone for the different lineages/species. We sequenced the full Cytochrome b gene from individuals from 23 localities and investigated diagnostic morphological characteristics. Our results reveal new phylogenetic relationships within the Myotis nattereri species complex and among closely related species. We discuss morphological characters which are synapomorphic to each lineage and can be used to differentiate them. Our results also demonstrate the presence of a new lineage within the Myotis nattereri species complex. This lineage, endemic to Corsica, possibly represents a new cryptic species for which we present preliminary ecological data. We further identify the presence of three lineages/species in France and detail their distribution with potential contact zones.

Aim The Mediterranean Basin is a centre of radiation for numerous species groups. To increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying speciation and radiation events in this region, we assessed the phenotypic variability within the Pipistrellus pipistrellus–pygmaeus–hanaki species complex. Although bats form the second largest mammalian order, studies of insular evolution in this group are scarce. We approached this problem from a microevolutionary perspective and tested for the recurrence of the insular syndrome. Location The Mediterranean Basin, with a special focus on isolated populations from Corsica, the Maghreb, Cyprus, Cyrenaica and Crete. Methods Phenotypic variability was assessed by cranial morphometrics using the coordinates of 41 3D landmarks and associated geometric-morphometric methods. We analysed 125 specimens representing all of the lineages in the species complex. Differences between taxa and between insular and continental populations in cranial size, shape, form and allometries were tested using analyses of variance and visualized using boxplots and canonical variate analysis. Relationships between molecular data from a previous study (cytochrome b sequences) and morphometric data were tested with co-inertia analyses (RV test) and multivariate regressions. Results The three species were relatively well differentiated in cranial size and shape, and each species showed a significant amount of inter-population variability. Comparisons of pairs of insular versus continental populations revealed heterogeneities in cranial patterns among island phenotypes, suggesting no recurrent insular syndrome. Molecular and phenotypic traits were correlated, except for molecular and lateral cranium shape. Main conclusions The Pipistrellus pipistrellus–pygmaeus–hanaki species complex exhibits phenotypic variability as a result of the fragmentation of its distribution (especially on islands), its phylogenetic and phylogeographic history and, most probably, other evolutionary factors that were not investigated in this study. We found no recurrent pattern of evolution on islands, indicating that site-specific factors play a prevailing role on Mediterranean islands. The correlation between molecular and phenotypic data is incomplete, suggesting that factors other than phylogenetic relationships, potentially connected with feeding ecology, have played a role in shaping cranial morphology in this species complex.

Previous genetic analyses have demonstrated that two divergent lineages of Pipistrellus kuhlii are spread over Europe and North Africa, and it has been proposed that Pipistrellus maderensis, a taxon endemic to the Canary Archipelago and Madeira, was its sister species. In this study, we used mitochondrial DNA sequences to investigate the level of endemism achieved by Corsican lineages with regard to their continental counterparts and to propose hypotheses about the geographical origin of Corsican bats. Our results suggest that Corsican Kuhl's pipistrelles are not endemic. Such a lack of genetic endemism in Corsica can result from current gene flow with French and Italian populations and/or recent colonization of this island. Additionally, our results demonstrate that Corsica was colonized independently from Europe by two divergent lineages (genetic distance=5.8%) widespread in the western Palaearctic and clearly suggest that North Africa probably does not play any significant role in the colonization of Corsica by the Kuhl's Pipistrelle. Additional morphometric, acoustic and ecological studies are needed to soundly ascertain the respective taxonomic status of these two divergent lineages and the level of distinctiveness achieved by Corsican bats.

Here, we present a study of the Pipistrellus pipistrellus species complex, a highly diversified bat group with a radiation centre in the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot. The study sample comprised 583 animals from 118 localities representatively covering the bats' range in the western Palearctic. We used fast-evolving markers (the mitochondrial D-loop sequence and 11 nuclear microsatellites) to describe the phylogeography, demography and population structure of this model taxon and address details of its diversification. The overall pattern within this group includes a mosaic of phylogenetically basal, often morphologically distant, relatively small and mostly allopatric demes in the Mediterranean Basin, as well as two sympatric sibling species in the large continental part of the range. The southern populations exhibit constant size, whereas northern populations show a demographic trend of growth associated with range expansion during the Pleistocene climate oscillations. There is evidence of isolation by distance and female philopatry in P. pipistrellus sensu stricto. Although the northern populations are reproductively isolated, we detected introgression events among several Mediterranean lineages. This pattern implies incomplete establishment of reproductive isolating mechanisms in these populations as well as the existence of a past reinforcement stage in the continental siblings. The occurrence of reticulations in the radiation centre among morphologically and ecologically derived relict demes suggests that adaptive unequal gene exchange within hybridizing populations could play a role in speciation and adaptive radiation within this group.

Phylogenetic relationships between taxa are not necessarily reflected by morphological data due to widespread homoplasy and convergence. However, combining morphological and molecular data provides insights into the evolution of biological forms and into the potential factors involved. Here we focus on a complex of three taxa of bats with unclear taxonomic affinities: Myotis myotis, Myotis blythii and Myotis punicus. Traditional morphometric methods failed to separate them, whereas recent molecular-based studies suggested that they constitute separate biological species. In the present study, landmark-based geometric morphometrics methods have been used to analyse the skull variability of 218 specimens belonging to this species complex. Patterns of size and shape delimitate three morphological groups that are congruent with the proposed taxonomic assignments, and therefore support species rank for all three major groups. These morphometrics results, however, suggest that M. myotis and M. punicus share shape characteristics in the rostrum and in the posterior part of the skull that differ from M. blythii. Because previous molecular phylogenetic analyses suggested that M. myotis and M. blythii are sister species, we interpret the similitude in skull morphology between M. myotis and M. punicus as a convergence probably related to their similar feeding habits. Within the taxon M. punicus, the skull of Corsican and Sardinian populations significantly differs from that of Maghrebian ones, suggesting the existence of further cryptic taxonomic diversity. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 95, 529–538.

The commensal rodent Mastomys natalensis is the natural reservoir of Lassa arenavirus (LASV), which causes hemorrhagic fever in West Africa. To study a possible effect of the virus on phenotypic and genotypic variation of its persistently infected host, we compared LASV-positive and non-infected wild-caught M. natalensis. The LASV effects on the phenotypic variation were explored using standard external morphometric measurements, geometric morphometric analyses of the cranial size and shape, and brain case volume. The genetic variability of M. natalensis specimens was assessed using 9 polymorphic microsatellite markers. Independent of sex and age, LASV-infected animals had smaller external body measurements, reproductive organs, skull size and brain case volume. Cranial shape differences between the 2 groups are represented by a lateral constriction of the entire skull. The genetic variability revealed consanguinity only among the LASV-positive rodents. We hypothesize that growth impairment may result in a selective disadvantage for LASV-infected M. natalensis, leading to a preferably commensal lifestyle in areas where the LAVS is endemic and, thereby, increasing the risk of LASV transmission to humans.

Current evidence suggests that pigs were first domesticated in Eastern Anatolia during the ninth millennium cal BC before dispersing into Europe with Early Neolithic farmers from the beginning of the seventh millennium. Recent ancient DNA (aDNA) research also indicates the incorporation of European wild boar into domestic stock during the Neolithization process. In order to establish the timing of the arrival of domestic pigs into Europe, and to test hypotheses regarding the role European wild boar played in the domestication process, we combined a geometric morphometric analysis (allowing us to combine tooth size and shape) of 449 Romanian ancient teeth with aDNA analysis. Our results firstly substantiate claims that the first domestic pigs in Romania possessed the same mtDNA signatures found in Neolithic pigs in west and central Anatolia. Second, we identified a significant proportion of individuals with large molars whose tooth shape matched that of archaeological (likely) domestic pigs. These large 'domestic shape' specimens were present from the outset of the Romanian Neolithic (6100-5500 cal BC) through to later prehistory, suggesting a long history of admixture between introduced domestic pigs and local wild boar. Finally, we confirmed a turnover in mitochondrial lineages found in domestic pigs, possibly coincident with human migration into Anatolia and the Levant that occurred in later prehistory.

International audience; In their critique of our paper (Krause-Kyora et al. 2013), Rowley-Conwy and Zeder focus on two primary issues. Firstly, they discuss issues associated with the terminology and definitions of animal domestication. Secondly, they question the techniques we employed to explore it. While we completely agree with their points related to terminology, we feel they have misunderstood both the principals and application of shape analyses using geometric morphometrics, and that this misunderstanding undermines their criticism. Having said that, and though our differences are easily overstated, our respective interpretations of the data presented in Krause-Kyora et al. (2013) overlap significantly.

Traditionally, the separation of domestic pig remains from those of wild boar in zooarchaeological assemblages has been based on the comparison of simple size measurements with those from limited numbers of modern or archaeological reference specimens and then applying poorly defined cut-off values to make the identification calls. This study provides a new statistical framework for the identification of both domestic and wild Sus scrofa using standard molar tooth lengths and widths from a large modern comparative collection consisting of 407 West Palearctic wild boar and domestic pigs. Our study continues to rely upon so-called ‘cut-off’ values that correspond to the optimal separation between the two groups, but based upon a measure and visualisation of the error risk curves for erroneous identifications. On average, wild boar have larger teeth than domestic pigs and cut-off values were established for maximum tooth length and width, respectively as follows: 2.39 cm and 1.85 cm for second upper molar, 3.69 cm and 2.13 cm for third upper molar, 2.26 cm and 1.50 cm for second lower molar, 3.79 cm and 1.75 cm for third lower molar. Specimens below and above these cut-offs are most likely to be, respectively, domestic pig and wild boar and the risk of providing a wrong identification will depend on the distance to the cut-off value following a relative risk curve. Although likely containing high risk of inherent statistical error, nonetheless this basic metrical identification-tool (based only on recent specimens), is here shown to correctly re-identify 94% of the Neolithic pigs from Durrington Walls (England) as domestic pig. This tool could be employed not only to systematically re-evaluate previous identifications of wild or domestic Sus scrofa, but also to establish new identifications where more powerful and reliable approaches such as Geometric Morphometrics cannot be applied.

Hulled barley is one of the most frequently recovered cereals in European archaeological sites from Roman and medieval periods. In southern France this cereal is common in carbonized contexts such as cultural layers, ditches, pits, hearths, etc. The distinction between the two subspecies, two-rowed (Hordeum vulgare subsp. distichum L.) and six-rowed barley (H. vulgare subsp. vulgare L.) is usually based on morphological characters. The following criteria can be used to discriminate both subspecies from archaeological remains: the number of fertile spikelets per rachis segments, the linear or horseshoe shape depression of the lemma base, the maximum width of the caryopses and the proportion of twisted grains. The recovery of thousands of caryopses, some clearly twisted, and of rachis segments with sterile spikelets from the site of Petit Clos (Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales, France) dating to the Roman period suggests that both subspecies were cultivated during this time in southern Gaul. However evidence for two-rowed barley is usually scarce in archaeobotanical reports from Roman and medieval sites. To confirm the presence of two-rowed barley in the carbonized assemblage from Petit Clos and its cultivation, we developed a new method for analysing caryopses shape using geometric morphometrics with landmarks and sliding semi-landmarks. We compared modern reference specimens to the archaeological grains from several excavations from southern France dating from the 1st to the 11th century AD. Several varieties of both subspecies were correctly identified in the modern reference sample using GMM, both before and after carbonization. Archaeological specimens could then be accurately identified. The results confirm that both subspecies of barley were cultivated in southern France during the Roman period.

Nouvelles données sur les cochons néolithiques du Sud de la France : les apports de l’ADN ancien et de la morphométrie géométrique

Mesolithic populations throughout Europe used diverse resource exploitation strategies that focused heavily on collecting and hunting wild prey. Between 5500 and 4200 cal BC, agriculturalists migrated into northwestern Europe bringing a suite of Neolithic technologies including domesticated animals. Here we investigate to what extent Mesolithic Ertebølle communities in northern Germany had access to domestic pigs, possibly through contact with neighbouring Neolithic agricultural groups. We employ a multidisciplinary approach, applying sequencing of ancient mitochondrial and nuclear DNA (coat colour-coding gene MC1R) as well as traditional and geometric morphometric (molar size and shape) analyses in Sus specimens from 17 Neolithic and Ertebølle sites. Our data from 63 ancient pig specimens show that Ertebølle hunter-gatherers acquired domestic pigs of varying size and coat colour that had both Near Eastern and European mitochondrial DNA ancestry. Our results also reveal that domestic pigs were present in the region ~500 years earlier than previously demonstrated., It is still not clear when the introduction of animal domestication in northwestern Europe occurred. Here the authors provide evidence that Mesolithic hunter-gatherers in Northern Germany already possessed domestic pigs, and pigs were present in the region ~500 years earlier than previously thought.

In this study, we investigate skull size and shape differentiation between sibling species of Mastomys with the aim to characterize and discriminate three sympatric species found in West Africa: M. huberti, M. erythroleucus and M. natalensis. A total of 133 genetically determined specimens were used for the morphometric analyses. Statistical analyses clearly demonstrated that the three species largely overlapped in centroid size (M. erythroleucus tends to be larger on average than the M. huberti and M. natalensis) but they exhibited large differences in skull shape. The current study focused on skull shape, and allowed us to discriminate three morphological groups that are congruent with the three species suggested by molecular identification (90% of the individuals are correctly assigned by cross-validated classifications). In the Mastomys, the evolution of cranial length and shape may be influenced by competitive pressure between closely related species separated by ecological segregation. This source of variability could possibly induce character displacement between species of Mastomys. To cite this article: A. Lalis et al., C. R. Biologies 332 (2009).

’’, not for-mally described, found in mountains of Northern Iberia(Iba´n˜ez et al. 2006), the Alps (Mayer et al. 2007), Austriaand Northern Italy (Garci´a-Mudarra et al. 2009) which hasa sister relationship with the European lineage andshould be ranked at species level according to Garci´a-Mudarra et al. (2009); (3)

Current evidence suggests that pigs were first domesticated in Eastern Anatolia during the ninth millennium cal BC before dispersing into Europe with Early Neolithic farmers from the beginning of the seventh millennium. Recent ancient DNA (aDNA) research also indicates the incorporation of European wild boar into domestic stock during the Neolithization process. In order to establish the timing of the arrival of domestic pigs into Europe, and to test hypotheses regarding the role European wild boar played in the domestication process, we combined a geometric morphometric analysis (allowing us to combine tooth size and shape) of 449 Romanian ancient teeth with aDNA analysis. Our results firstly substantiate claims that the first domestic pigs in Romania possessed the same mtDNA signatures found in Neolithic pigs in west and central Anatolia. Second, we identified a significant proportion of individuals with large molars whose tooth shape matched that of archaeological (likely) domestic pigs. These large ‘domestic shape’ specimens were present from the outset of the Romanian Neolithic (6100–5500 cal BC) through to later prehistory, suggesting a long history of admixture between introduced domestic pigs and local wild boar. Finally, we confirmed a turnover in mitochondrial lineages found in domestic pigs, possibly coincident with human migration into Anatolia and the Levant that occurred in later prehistory.

The high degree of endemism on Sulawesi has previously been suggested to have vicariant origins, dating back 40 Ma. Recent studies, however, suggest that much of Sulawesi's fauna assembled over the last 15 Myr. Here, we test the hypothesis that more recent uplift of previously submerged portions of land on Sulawesi promoted diversification and that much of its faunal assemblage is much younger than the island itself. To do so, we combined palaeogeographical reconstructions with genetic and morphometric datasets derived from Sulawesi's three largest mammals: the Babirusa, Anoa and Sulawesi warty pig. Our results indicate that although these species most likely colonized the area that is now Sulawesi at different times (14 Ma to 2–3 Ma), they experienced an almost synchronous expansion from the central part of the island. Geological reconstructions indicate that this area was above sea level for most of the last 4 Myr, unlike most parts of the island. We conclude that emergence of land on Sulawesi (approx. 1–2 Myr) may have allowed species to expand synchronously. Altogether, our results indicate that the establishment of the highly endemic faunal assemblage on Sulawesi was driven by geological events over the last few million years.

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International audience

The high degree of endemism on Sulawesi has previously been suggested to have vicariant origins, dating back 40 Ma. Recent studies, however, suggest that much of Sulawesi's fauna assembled over the last 15 Myr. Here, we test the hypothesis that more recent uplift of previously submerged portions of land on Sulawesi promoted diversification and that much of its faunal assemblage is much younger than the island itself. To do so, we combined palaeogeographical reconstructions with genetic and morphometric datasets derived from Sulawesi's three largest mammals: the Babirusa, Anoa and Sulawesi warty pig. Our results indicate that although these species most likely colonized the area that is now Sulawesi at different times (14 Ma to 2–3 Ma), they experienced an almost synchronous expansion from the central part of the island. Geological reconstructions indicate that this area was above sea level for most of the last 4 Myr, unlike most parts of the island. We conclude that emergence of land on Sulawesi (approx. 1–2 Myr) may have allowed species to expand synchronously. Altogether, our results indicate that the establishment of the highly endemic faunal assemblage on Sulawesi was driven by geological events over the last few million years.

International audience; Following its domestication in the Fertile Crescent, barley spreads into the west of the Mediterranean basin during the Neolithic period and represents today a major cereal in many agrarian systems. Geometric morphometrics, a series of quantitative approaches for studying the size and shape variation of objects, has provided encouraging results for studying barley seed diversity. In that vein, the first aim of this study was to document the current barley morphometric diversity using 2950 modern barley seeds belonging to 64 varieties. We demonstrate that barley grains record morphological diversity of the ear (2-row/6-row, naked/hulled), winter and spring varieties and environmental factors during its cultivation. Using these results, the second aim was to document barley diversity at the archaeological site of the Gallo-Roman port of Lattara (Lattes, France) dated from the Iron Age to the Middle-Ages as an example of morphometric perspectives in archaeology. The large sampling carried out at the site allowed to analyse of 2000 archaeological seeds from 40 samples. Morphometric diversity from various sectors of the city and various periods (500 BC – 900 AD) can thus be contrasted and characterized in comparison to our modern reference collection. Its opens interesting perspectives for studying barley diversity over the eight millennia since the onset of agriculture in the whole of the northwest Mediterranean basin in the framework of the DEMETER project (ERC Starting Grant; PI A. Evin).

During the Ceramic Age (500 BCE–1500 CE), Lesser Antilles rice rats (Tribe Oryzomyini) made up a significant portion of the diet of Caribbean islanders. Archaeological excavations across the archipelago resulted to the discovery of large quantities of remains from to these now extinct taxa. It offers a unique opportunity to investigate the past biogeography of this taxon of high cultural and ecological importance. We have studied 1140 first lower molars originating from 40 archaeological sites across eleven islands of the Lesser Antilles archipelago using two-dimensional geometric morphometric approaches to establish spatiotemporal patterns relying on phenotypic variations. This study identified three morphological groups, present in all chrono-cultural periods, that were geographically restricted and consistent with published ancient mitochondrial DNA clusters. These three geographically-separate groups likely represent three distinct genera of rice rats. The first group includes specimens from the North of the archipelago (Saint-Martin, Saba, Saint-Eustatius, Saint-Kitts, and Nevis) and likely referable to as Pennatomys sp.; the second, occurring in the South (Martinique), is assigned to Megalomys desmarestii; and the third corresponds to specimens from the center of the Lesser Antilles (Antigua, Barbuda, Marie-Galante, and Guadeloupe) and likely corresponds to Antillomys sp. These oryzomyine morphotypes are present during all studied periods and support an older presence of these rodents in the region. Our results are congruent with ancient DNA studies that favor the hypothesis of a natural introduction of the group in the archipelago before settlement of human populations. Moreover, the observed phenotypic homogeneity and stability over the 2000 years of Pre-Columbian occupation suggests that rice rats were not part of long-distance inter-island exchanges by humans. Instead, rice rat human consumption was likely based on in-situ hunting of local populations.

International audience

The high degree of endemism on Sulawesi has previously been suggested to have vicariant origins, dating back 40 Ma. Recent studies, however, suggest that much of Sulawesi's fauna assembled over the last 15 Myr. Here, we test the hypothesis that more recent uplift of previously submerged portions of land on Sulawesi promoted diversification and that much of its faunal assemblage is much younger than the island itself. To do so, we combined palaeogeographical reconstructions with genetic and morphometric datasets derived from Sulawesi's three largest mammals: the Babirusa, Anoa and Sulawesi warty pig. Our results indicate that although these species most likely colonized the area that is now Sulawesi at different times (14 Ma to 2–3 Ma), they experienced an almost synchronous expansion from the central part of the island. Geological reconstructions indicate that this area was above sea level for most of the last 4 Myr, unlike most parts of the island. We conclude that emergence of land on Sulawesi (approx. 1–2 Myr) may have allowed species to expand synchronously. Altogether, our results indicate that the establishment of the highly endemic faunal assemblage on Sulawesi was driven by geological events over the last few million years.

International audience

International audience; The vestibular system of the inner ear, highly involved in maintaining balance during activities and positional behaviour of animals, has been deeply studied in order to link its morphology with the specific type of locomotion. Previous studies (e.g. Perier et al. 2016, Gonzales et al. 2018) have shown that, in primates, the amount of morphological variation is higher in slow-moving species than in fast-moving ones. These results indicate a lower selective pressure and a reduced functional demand for postural adjustments in the former group, and a higher selective pressure for balance and postural capabilities in the latter. In this study, we assessed if the difference in selective pressure are also linked to the fuctuating asymmetry levels of the vestibular system, and to which extent. Fluctuating asymmetry is defined as a non-directional variation between left and right sides of a bilateral character, and it may rise as a result of an inability to control development under genetic or environmental stress. There are very few analyses of the interspecific variation of the asymmetry levels of this organ in mammals in general (Berlin et al. 2013), and to our knowledge none so far at the intraspecific level. Here we analyzed the intraspecific variation of the bony labyrinth (inner ear) morphology and of the fuctuating asymmetry levels of left and right labyrinths among six species of lorisiform primates differing in their activities and positional behaviours of their locomotor repertoires: three being slow-moving (Loris tardigradus, Nycticebus coucang, and Perodicticus potto), and three being fast-moving taxa (Paragalago granti, Galago moholi, and Otolemur crassicaudatus). Our results highlight the difference in amount of intraspecific variation between slow-moving and fast-moving taxa. Furthermore, fuctuating asymmetry levels of slow-moving taxa also tend to be higher than in fast-moving taxa. Based on these results, it may be expected that relaxation of the selective pressure applied to the morphology of the bony labyrinth is the likely reason for this higher amount of intraspecific variation and asymmetry levels in slow-moving taxa, and that it may be related to a decreased demand for rapid postural changes.

Most animals have a body plan that is bilaterally symmetric, at least externally. In some species, however, directional asymmetry (DA) occurs, where there is a preferential ‐ 32 ‐ direction of asymmetries, with one side that differs systematically from the other. Although it was first thought tat DA is relatively rare, subtle DA has been found in all studies that examined asymmetries with geometric morphometric techniques. Until now all the studies have looked at only one structure or at the comparison between modules. Here we analysed directional asymmetries of several different parts showing matching and object symmetries in Paussus favieri (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Paussini). Because beetles of the tribe Paussini are parasites of ants they are of great interest because of the striking myrmecophilous adaptations. Most of the species are extremely rare and localized, and their biology and systematics are still poorly known. We used geometric morphometric techniques to analyze the variation of antennae (both left and right), head, pronotum and abdomen in P. favieri (a relatively common species) from different European and Maghrebian localities. A clear and high evidence of a pattern of directional asymmetry emerged from the analyses in all parts examined. In particular principal component analysis revealed a pattern of variation associated with DA, higher in the antennae, but still present in all other body parts except of the abdomen. In all analyses differences between populations emerged as well. Finally, Procrustes ANOVA provides similar results. For size DA was statistically significant in all body parts except the abdomen. For shape DA was significant only in the antennae. From our analyses antennae have emerged as the part most under the DA, with a high shape and size variability. Moreover differences between populations emerged, with Moroccan population showing the highest differences. We conclude that multiple body parts have directional asymmetry, and the differences find between populations show that directional asymmetry is evolving.