407 results on '"Higham T"'
Search Results
202. Staff Reporting.
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Higham, T. M.
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PSYCHOLOGY ,NONFICTION - Abstract
The article reviews the book "Staff Reporting," by Isabel E. P. Menzies and E. Anstey.
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- 1953
203. Occupations and Social Status.
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Higham, T. M.
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SOCIAL status ,NONFICTION - Abstract
The article reviews the book "Occupations and Social Status," by Albert J. Reiss.
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- 1964
204. A chronometric investigation of the initial peopling of the Americas
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Becerra Valdivia, LA, Higham, T, and Douka, K
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Archaeological Science ,Radiocarbon Dating - Abstract
The initial peopling of the American continent marks a major event in the expansion of humans across the planet. For most of the 20th century, it was believed that a group of big-game hunters initially entered North America approximately 13,500 years ago, through the now flooded land bridge of Beringia, between modern day Siberia and Alaska. Once across, they would have moved southward through an ice-free corridor formed between the Laurentide and Cordilleran ice sheets, which began their recession after the last Ice Age. This model, however, was effectively refuted in 1997 when archaeologists found evidence in Chile, South America, which was reliably older than the North American record suggested. Today, questions associated with this dispersal are debated in First American research, and remain largely unanswered. These include the antiquity and origin of the initial arrivals, the number of migrational episodes, and the impact of human expansion in the late Quaternary faunal extinctions. In response, considering that timing is fundamental in the study of human dispersals, this investigation employs radiocarbon dating and Bayesian age modelling to build a robust chronological framework with which to elucidate broad spatio-temporal patterns. This is accomplished by obtaining reliable radiocarbon measurements for key archaeological sites across the continent, resolving dating discrepancies using a single-amino-acid isolation method, and building largescale Bayesian age models to track human presence and frame current evidence. This involved the laboratory processing of dateable material from 18 archaeological sites, the production of 133 radiocarbon dates, and the statistical analysis of archaeo-chronometric data from 41 archaeological sites in North America and Beringia. A widely used method, called ‘14C-dates-asdata’, is assessed from a radiocarbon dating perspective, and the potentially confounding effects introduced by challenges in sample processing in the analysis are demonstrated. This approach is the only other quantitative technique apart from Bayesian age modelling that uses the chronometric record to elucidate large-scale population events. Here, however, it is argued that Bayesian age modelling is the most efficient tool in tackling human dispersals. Results obtained in this thesis have enabled the creation of a new Bayesian age model for the initial peopling of the Americas. This suggests that the earliest arrivals to mid-latitude North America were humans from eastern Asia, who most likely crossed near the end of the LGM. The synchronous commencement of Beringian, Clovis and Western Stemmed cultural traditions is also identified, and their overlap with the last appearance dates for 18 extinct genera suggests that human expansion was a key driver behind animal extinction events. Notably, these findings overturn the widespread notion that North America was first penetrated only after 16-15,000 years ago. It is hoped that, in the future, new evidence in First Americans research will increase the resolution of the models here created, and enhance the conclusions drawn. Particular attention should be paid to Central and South America, regions with more limited archaeo-chronometric data and immediate chronometric potential. Improved chronological control in these regions is key in understanding the pattern of American settlement.
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- 2020
205. Temporal variation in the interhemispheric ¹⁴C offset
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McCormac, F. G., Hogg, A. G., Higham, T. F. G., Lynch Stieglitz, J., Broecker, W. S., Baillie, M. G. L., Palmer, J. G., Xiong, Limin, Pilcher, J. R., Brown, Dalin S., and Hoper, S. T.
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- 1998
206. Ancient Ethiopian genome reveals extensive Eurasian admixture throughout the African continent.
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Gallego Llorente, M., Jones, E. R., Eriksson, A., Siska, V., Arthur, K. W., Arthur, J. W., Curtis, M. C., Stock, J. T., Coltorti, M., Pieruccini, P., Stretton, S., Brock, F., Higham, T., Park, Y., Hofreiter, M., Bradley, D. G., Bhak, J., Pinhasi, R., and Manica, A.
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GENOMES , *HUMAN migrations , *HUMAN evolution , *NEOLITHIC Period , *EURASIANS , *MITOCHONDRIAL DNA - Abstract
Characterizing genetic diversity in Africa is a crucial step for most analyses reconstructing the evolutionary history of anatomically modern humans. However, historic migrations from Eurasia into Africa have affected many contemporary populations, confounding inferences. Here, we present a 12.5x coverage ancient genome of an Ethiopian male ("Mota") who lived approximately 4500 years ago. We use this genome to demonstrate that the Eurasian backflow into Africa came from a population closely related to Early Neolithic farmers, who had colonized Europe 4000 years earlier. The extent of this backflow was much greater than previously reported, reaching all the way to Central, West, and Southern Africa, affecting even populations such as Yoruba and Mbuti, previously thought to be relatively unadmixed, who harbor 6 to 7% Eurasian ancestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
207. A matter of time – towards an absolute chronology for the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic biocultural shift along the Danube fluvial corridor
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Hopkins, RJA and Higham, T
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Recent research has shown the need for a reliable, high-resolution chronology to understand the complexity of the spatio-temporal distribution of Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans (AMH) during the transitional period between the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic. One region that has yet to benefit from the developments in dating sciences and the application of Bayesian modelling approaches is eastern Europe. This dissertation focuses on producing a more robust chronological framework for this region, especially the key area of the Danube fluvial corridor, which has been suggested as one of the conduits for early modern humans on their dispersal route into western Europe (e.g. Conard and Bolus, 2003). The radiocarbon data and models place the chronology for AMH dispersal on more secure footing, thereby refining our understanding of the regional variability and complexity of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic biocultural shift. This work is the result of four years of doctoral research within the University of Oxford’s PalaeoChron ERC project, headed by Prof Tom Higham. This thesis applied recent improvements in radiocarbon dating methodologies and analysis, such as ultrafiltration (Brock et al., 2010b), single amino acid dating (Devièse et al., 2018), and KDE modelling (Bronk Ramsey, 2017). Two strategies were pursued for sample selection. First, key sites with a deep stratigraphic record were targeted. Anthropogenically modified samples were used to initially establish site specific high resolution chronologies using Bayesian and KDE modelling. Second, type fossils, such as ‘Aurignacian’ osseous projectile points and human remains, were directly dated to establish spatio-temporal distributions for diagnostic finds. Furthermore, published dates from the Danube Valley and key European sites were evaluated, and – where deemed sufficiently reliable – used as comparisons and incorporated into larger regional models. The resulting chronology is based on 606 14C measurements (440 published, 166 from this thesis), and paints a picture of complex spatio-temporal biocultural distributions. It demonstrates the validity of the Danube corridor as a conduit for AMH expansion into central Europe, and places the development as early as 50–47k cal BP based on biocultural expressions. At the same time, the results support the Kulturpumpe hypothesis in seeing central Europe as crucial to the development of the Early Aurignacian technocomplex, and date its initial appearance to around 43–41k cal BP. However, rather than innovation, it appears that fusion, adaptation and specialisation drive the formation of the Early Aurignacian. This is best illustrated by split-based points, which first appear further to the east where diagnostic Aurignacian lithics are absent. Consequently, this thesis argues in favour of viewing osseous points as independent chrono-cultural markers, and stresses the importance of selecting anthropogenically modified material for dating human activity. It questions the dominant paradigm of ex oriente lux for explaining cultural innovations and dispersals. Instead, it proposes to further investigate the plains north of the Black Sea as a possible migration trajectory for early AMHs entering Europe. It is argued that in future, when exploring biocultural expression, it should be remembered that not all migrations move east to west, and not all developments are linear in time and space.
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- 2019
208. A late Neanderthal tooth from northeastern Italy
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Thomas Higham, Giulia Marciani, Alessia Nava, Davide Delpiano, Carla Figus, Gregorio Oxilia, Giovanni Di Domenico, Simona Arrighi, Matthias Meyer, Federica Badino, Luca Bondioli, Federico Lugli, Matteo Romandini, Eugenio Bortolini, Jean-Jacques Hublin, Daniele Panetta, Sara Silvestrini, Stefano Benazzi, Marco Peresani, Gabriele Terlato, Stéphane Peyrégne, Petra Martini, Viviane Slon, Jessica C. Menghi Sartorio, Romandini M., Oxilia G., Bortolini E., Peyregne S., Delpiano D., Nava A., Panetta D., Di Domenico G., Martini P., Arrighi S., Badino F., Figus C., Lugli F., Marciani G., Silvestrini S., Menghi Sartorio J.C., Terlato G., Hublin J.-J., Meyer M., Bondioli L., Higham T., Slon V., Peresani M., and Benazzi S.
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Cuspid ,010506 paleontology ,Neanderthal ,Pleistocene ,Neanderthal, Deciduous human canine, Late Middle Paleolithic, Mediterranean Europe, Virtual analysis, 2D and 3D enamel thickness ,Socio-culturale ,Deciduous human canine ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,Sequence (geology) ,law ,biology.animal ,Maxilla ,Animals ,0601 history and archaeology ,Sequence stratigraphy ,Radiocarbon dating ,Tooth, Deciduous ,LS8_5 ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Neanderthals ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Paleodontology ,Late Middle Palaeolithic ,060101 anthropology ,biology ,Fossils ,Late Middle Paleolithic ,Mousterian ,SH6_2 ,06 humanities and the arts ,Archaeology ,Mediterranean Europe ,2D and 3D enamel thickness ,Virtual analysis ,Geography ,Deciduous ,Italy ,Anthropology ,Rock shelter - Abstract
The site of Riparo Broion (Vicenza, northeastern Italy) preserves a stratigraphic sequence documenting the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition, in particular the final Mousterian and the Uluzzian cultures. In 2018, a human tooth was retrieved from a late Mousterian level, representing the first human remain ever found from this rock shelter (Riparo Broion 1). Here, we provide the morphological description and taxonomic assessment of Riparo Broion 1 with the support of classic and virtual morphology, 2D and 3D analysis of the topography of enamel thickness, and DNA analysis. The tooth is an exfoliated right upper deciduous canine, and its general morphology and enamel thickness distribution support attribution to a Neanderthal child. Correspondingly, the mitochondrial DNA sequence from Riparo Broion 1 falls within the known genetic variation of Late Pleistocene Neanderthals, in accordance with newly obtained radiocarbon dates that point to approximately 48 ka cal BP as the most likely minimum age for this specimen. The present work describes novel and direct evidence of the late Neanderthal occupation in northern Italy that preceded the marked cultural and technological shift documented by the Uluzzian layers in the archaeological sequence at Riparo Broion. Here, we provide a new full morphological, morphometric, and taxonomic analysis of Riparo Broion 1, in addition to generating the wider reference sample of Neanderthal and modern human upper deciduous canines. This research contributes to increasing the sample of fossil remains from Italy, as well as the number of currently available upper deciduous canines, which are presently poorly documented in the scientific literature.
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- 2020
209. A comparative study of the lithic technology, subsistence and bioclimatic settlement patterns of neanderthals in the Iberian peninsula (Cantabrian and Betic regions)
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Bernal, M and Higham, T
- Abstract
This thesis investigates Neanderthal lithic technical, subsistence practices and bioclimatic settlement patterns behaviour comparison between two different bioclimatology and biogeografically regions of the Iberian Peninsula - the Cantabrian region to the north, and the Betic region to the south-, during the late Pleistocene Period. The principal aim is to test whether or not hominid groups of the same species (Homo neanderthalensis) behave, exploit and occupy their territory in similar or different ways under different environmental conditions. Three different approaches were undertaken to test the proposition. The first was a technological study of eight lithic assemblages from the latest Mousterian levels in the Cantabrian region: Axlor, Esquilleu, Morin, El Castillo; and the Betic region: Abrigo 3, Carihuela, Zafarraya, Gorham´s Cave, in order to establish whether any distinctive patterns emerge in both areas of study. Subsistence practices, through a study of faunal remains, was the second dataset for this comparative study. A faunal database was constructed from the literature pertaining to Middle Palaeolithic sites in both regions focusing on large and small game, cannibalism practices and evidence for the consumption of plants. The aim is to establish the variability in Neanderthal subsistence behaviour. The third approach was an analysis of settlement patterns through bioclimatic mapping, created by temperature and rainfall climate data from weather stations in both regions. The aim of this work was to explore whether or not Neanderthals inhabited both Cantabrian and Betic regions in different or similar ways. The result of this thesis suggests that Neanderthals reacted to changes in local ecology and climate in similar ways in both study regions, highlighting their great adaptive ability and commonality in their behavioural response
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- 2018
210. The genomic history of Southern Europe
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Richard Cottiaux, Eadaoin Harney, Iain Mathieson, Elizaveta Veselovskaya, Corinne Thevenet, Georgi Ganetsovski, Philipp W. Stockhammer, Petar Stanev, Douglas J. Kennett, Stefan Chohadzhiev, Adina Boroneanţ, Domenico Lo Vetro, Megan Michel, Nicholas J. Conard, Maleen Leppek, Fanica Veljanovska, Harald Meller, Martina Lari, Clive Bonsall, Michael Bolus, Thomas Higham, Andrej Starović, Darko Komšo, Mario Novak, Ivaylo Lozanov, Maja Čuka, Vanya Petrova, Krum Bacvarov, Alicja Budnik, Cosimo Posth, Cristian Virag, Stanislav Iliev, Wolfgang Haak, Francesca Candilio, Iñigo Olalde, Tamás Hajdu, David Caramelli, Raiko Krauß, Ivor Janković, Swapan Mallick, Matthew Ferry, Ben Krause-Kyora, Maria Teschler-Nicola, Kristin Stewardson, Cătălin Lazăr, Anastasia Papathanasiou, Giulio Catalano, Veneta Handzhyiska, Kendra Sirak, Kathrin Nägele, Kurt W. Alt, Bernard Gély, Ivor Karavanić, Svetlana Venelinova, Nedko Elenski, Dragana Antonović, Ron Pinhasi, Maria Malina, Inna Potekhina, Ivan Valchev, Alexey G. Nikitin, Kath McSweeney, Dusan Boric, Alissa Mittnik, Nick Patterson, Saskia Pfrengle, Angela Simalcsik, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Abigail Ash, Malcolm Lillie, Mario Šlaus, Fabio Martini, David Reich, Johannes Krause, Tamás Szeniczey, Bence Viola, Dženi Los, Luca Sineo, Hervé Bocherens, Christophe Cupillard, Yavor Boyadzhiev, Pavel Mirea, Sahra Talamo, Alexandra Kozak, Katerina Harvati, Songül Alpaslan-Roodenberg, Nasreen Broomandkhoshbacht, Marko Menđušić, Gunita Zariņa, Olivia Cheronet, Isil Kucukkalipci, Denise Keating, Dorothée G. Drucker, Stefan Alexandrov, Vladimir Slavchev, Radian Andreescu, Eppie R. Jones, Beatriz Gamarra, Michael Francken, Nadin Rohland, Gloria G. Fortes, Jonas Oppenheimer, Stefania Vai, T. Douglas Price, Sergey Vasilyev, Borislava Galabova, Krassimir Leshtakov, Bisserka Gaydarska, Mende Balázs Gusztáv, Joško Zaninović, Nadezhda Atanassova, Vyacheslav Moiseyev, Josip Burmaz, Daniel Fernandes, Steve Zäuner, Damian Labuda, Frédérique Valentin, Iain Mathieson, Songül Alpaslan-Roodenberg, Cosimo Posth, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Nadin Rohland1, Swapan Mallick, Iigo Olalde, Nasreen Broomandkhoshbacht, Francesca Candilio, Olivia Cheronet, Daniel Fernandes, Matthew Ferry, Beatriz Gamarra, Gloria González Fortes, Wolfgang Haak, Eadaoin Harney, Eppie Jones, Denise Keating, Ben Krause-Kyora, Isil Kucukkalipci, Megan Michel, Alissa Mittnik, Kathrin N.gele, Mario Novak, Jonas Oppenheimer, Nick Patterson, Saskia Pfrengle, Kendra Sirak, Kristin Stewardson, Stefania Vai, Stefan Alexandrov, Kurt W. Alt, Radian Andreescu, Dragana Antonovic′, Abigail Ash, Nadezhda Atanassova, Krum Bacvarov, Mende Balázs Gusztáv, Hervé Bocherens, Michael Bolus, Adina Boroneant., Yavor Boyadzhiev, Alicja Budnik, Josip Burmaz, Stefan Chohadzhiev, Nicholas J. Conard, Richard Cottiaux, Maja Cuka, Christophe Cupillard, Dorothée G. Drucker, Nedko Elenski, Michael Francken, Borislava Galabova, Georgi Ganetsovski, Bernard Gély, Tamás Hajdu, Veneta Handzhyiska, Katerina Harvati, Thomas Higham, Stanislav Iliev, Ivor Jankovic′, Ivor Karavanic, Douglas J. Kennett, Darko Komšo, Alexandra Kozak, Damian Labuda, Martina Lari, Catalin Lazar, Maleen Leppek, Krassimir Leshtakov, Domenico Lo Vetro, Dženi Los, Ivaylo Lozanov, Maria Malina, Fabio Martini, Kath McSweeney, Harald Meller, Marko Mendˉušic, Pavel Mirea, Vyacheslav Moiseyev, Vanya Petrova, T. Douglas Price, Angela Simalcsik, Luca Sineo, Mario Šlaus, Vladimir Slavchev, Petar Stanev, Andrej Starovic′, Tamás Szeniczey, Sahra Talamo, Maria Teschler-Nicola, Corinne Thevenet, Ivan Valchev, Frédérique Valentin, Sergey Vasilyev, Fanica Veljanovska, Svetlana Venelinova, Elizaveta Veselovskaya, Bence Viola, Cristian Virag, Joško Zaninovic′, Steve Zuner, Philipp W. Stockhammer, Giulio Catalano, Raiko Krau, David Caramelli, Gunita Zarin, Bisserka Gaydarska, Malcolm Lillie, Alexey G. Nikitin, Inna Potekhina, Anastasia Papathanasiou, Dušan Boric, Clive Bonsall, Johannes Krause, Ron Pinhasi, David Reich, Laboratoire Chrono-environnement - CNRS - UBFC (UMR 6249) (LCE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Franche-Comté (UFC), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE] (UBFC)-Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE] (UBFC), Mathieson I., Alpaslan-Roodenberg S., Posth C., Szecsenyi-Nagy A., Rohland N., Mallick S., Olalde I., Broomandkhoshbacht N., Candilio F., Cheronet O., Fernandes D., Ferry M., Gamarra B., Fortes G.G., Haak W., Harney E., Jones E., Keating D., Krause-Kyora B., Kucukkalipci I., Michel M., Mittnik A., Nagele K., Novak M., Oppenheimer J., Patterson N., Pfrengle S., Sirak K., Stewardson K., Vai S., Alexandrov S., Alt K.W., Andreescu R., Antonovic D., Ash A., Atanassova N., Bacvarov K., Gusztav M.B., Bocherens H., Bolus M., Boroneant A., Boyadzhiev Y., Budnik A., Burmaz J., Chohadzhiev S., Conard N.J., Cottiaux R., Cuka M., Cupillard C., Drucker D.G., Elenski N., Francken M., Galabova B., Ganetsovski G., Gely B., Hajdu T., Handzhyiska V., Harvati K., Higham T., Iliev S., Jankovic I., Karavanic I., Kennett D.J., Komso D., Kozak A., Labuda D., Lari M., Lazar C., Leppek M., Leshtakov K., Vetro D.L., Los D., Lozanov I., Malina M., Martini F., McSweeney K., Meller H., Mentusic M., Mirea P., Moiseyev V., Petrova V., Douglas Price T., Simalcsik A., Sineo L., Slaus M., Slavchev V., Stanev P., Starovic A., Szeniczey T., Talamo S., Teschler-Nicola M., Thevenet C., Valchev I., Valentin F., Vasilyev S., Veljanovska F., Venelinova S., Veselovskaya E., Viola B., Virag C., Zaninovic J., Zauner S., Stockhammer P.W., Catalano G., Krauss R., Caramelli D., Zarina G., Gaydarska B., Lillie M., Nikitin A.G., Potekhina I., Papathanasiou A., Boric D., Bonsall C., Krause J., Pinhasi R., Reich D., Université de Franche-Comté (UFC), and Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE] (UBFC)-Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE] (UBFC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
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0301 basic medicine ,Male ,History ,Steppe ,01 natural sciences ,genome wide ancient DNA ,0302 clinical medicine ,population dynamics ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS ,History, Ancient ,2. Zero hunger ,0303 health sciences ,education.field_of_study ,Multidisciplinary ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Farmers ,Genome ,Agriculture ,Cline (biology) ,Genomics ,Grassland ,Europe ,Geography ,Western europe ,Ethnology ,Female ,southeastern Europe ,Human ,Archaeogenetics ,010506 paleontology ,Asia ,[SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory ,Human Migration ,Population ,Settore BIO/08 - Antropologia ,Indigenous ,Article ,Ancient ,03 medical and health sciences ,genetic variation ,genomics ,prehistoric Europe ,prehistoric archeology ,bioarchaeology ,Bioarchaeology ,Genetics ,Humans ,HUMANISTIC SCIENCES. Archeology ,Farmer ,DNA, Ancient ,Sex Distribution ,education ,Mesolithic ,030304 developmental biology ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,HUMANISTIČKE ZNANOSTI. Arheologija ,Extramural ,business.industry ,Genome, Human ,Ambientale ,DNA ,Archaeology ,PRIRODNE ZNANOSTI. Biologija. Genetika, evolucija i filogenija ,030104 developmental biology ,Ancient DNA ,Genetics, Population ,Ancient DNA, Genomics, Southeastern Europe, Genetic Variation ,business ,NATURAL SCIENCES. Biology. Genetics, Evolution and Phylogenetics ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Farming was first introduced to southeastern Europe in the mid-7th millennium BCE - brought by migrants from Anatolia who settled in the region before spreading throughout Europe. However, the dynamics of the interaction between the first farmers and the indigenous hunter-gatherers remain poorly understood because of the near absence of ancient DNA from the region. We report new genome-wide ancient DNA data from 204 individuals-65 Paleolithic and Mesolithic, 93 Neolithic, and 46 Copper, Bronze and Iron Age-who lived in southeastern Europe and surrounding regions between about 12,000 and 500 BCE. We document that the hunter-gatherer populations of southeastern Europe, the Baltic, and the North Pontic Steppe were distinctive from those of western Europe, with a West-East cline of ancestry. We show that the people who brought farming to Europe were not part of a single population, as early farmers from southern Greece are not descended from the Neolithic population of northwestern Anatolia that was ancestral to all other European farmers. The ancestors of the first farmers of northern and western Europe passed through southeastern Europe with limited admixture with local hunter-gatherers, but we show that some groups that remained in the region mixed extensively with local hunter-gatherers, with relatively sex-balanced admixture compared to the male-biased hunter-gatherer admixture that we show prevailed later in the North and West. After the spread of farming, southeastern Europe continued to be a nexus between East and West, with intermittent steppe ancestry, including in individuals from the Varna I cemetery and associated with the Cucuteni-Trypillian archaeological complex, up to 2,000 years before the Steppe migration that replaced much of northern Europe9s population.
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- 2018
211. Radiocarbon Dating the Late Upper Paleolithic of Cantabrian Spain: El Mirón Cave Date List IV
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Sahra Talamo, Thomas Higham, Manuel R. González Morales, Michael P. Richards, Lawrence Guy Straus, Straus L.G., Gonzalez Morales M.R., Higham T., Richards M., and Talamo S.
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010506 paleontology ,Archeology ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,060102 archaeology ,Last Glacial Maximum ,06 humanities and the arts ,Solutrean ,01 natural sciences ,Archaeology ,Azilian ,law.invention ,Paleontology ,radiocarbon dating Spain ,Cave ,law ,Upper Paleolithic ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,0601 history and archaeology ,Rock art ,Radiocarbon dating ,Magdalenian ,Geology ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
This fourth date list for the long cultural sequence in El Miron Cave (Cantabria, Spain) reports on 19 new AMS assays for Solutrean, Initial, Lower, and Middle Magdalenian and Azilian levels, ranging from about 19 to 11 uncalibrated kyr. Key results are provision of further precision on the transition between the Solutrean and Magdalenian at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum and the very exact dating of a Magdalenian human burial and its relationship to both major living floors and closely associated rock art in the cave. DOI: 10.2458/azu_rc.57.18109
- Published
- 2015
212. The contribution of new radiocarbon dating pre-treatment techniques to understanding the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Iberia
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Wood, RE and Higham, T
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Archeology ,Dating - Abstract
In the last ten years it has become apparent that the radiocarbon dating method can significantly underestimate the age of samples > 25 ka BP because routine pre-treatment protocols may not remove sufficient contaminants. In response, new pre-treatment protocols have been proposed, and two in particular, ultrafiltration of bone collagen and ABOx-SC of charcoal, show promise. This thesis has tested whether these methods effectively remove contaminants without adding carbon in the laboratory. Subsequently it used them, alongside careful selection of humanly modified material and Bayesian statistical analysis, to test the radiocarbon-based chronology of the Iberian Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition. Both protocols were found to effectively remove environmental contaminants, but add small amounts of laboratory-derived carbon. Using known age standards, a correction has been calculated for the ultrafiltration protocol to counter the effect of the laboratory-derived carbon. A similar correction could not be made for the ABOx-SC protocol due to uncertainties in the age of the standards and underlying chemical processes. However, the effect of such contamination did not have a significant effect on the chronologies developed for the sites examined in this thesis. 96 new radiocarbon dates have been obtained from the Iberian Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition. A further 50 dates recovered from the literature and are regarded as reliable. The most alarming finding of this thesis is that routine pre-treatment protocols may cause dates to be underestimated by more than 10 ka 14C years. The implication of offsets of this magnitude in Iberia is significant: whereas a prolonged survival of Neanderthals south of the Ebro valley has been observed in the published dataset, this study could not replicate such ages. Preservation did not allow the arrival of anatomically modern humans to be dated in the south. However, using typological arguments and the chronology constructed for the north of the Peninsula, it is unlikely that they were present in this region before 38,080 – 36,680 cal BP (95% probability). This implies a temporal gap of at least 4,490 – 12,740 cal years, although it is unclear whether this is due to taphonomic factors or is a real period of abandonment. This pattern contrasts to northern areas of the Peninsula where the Aurignacian appears at 42,330 – 40,980 cal BP, shortly postdating the start of the Châtelperronian and end of the Mousterian. It is hoped that the chronology produced will warn against the use of radiocarbon dates produced using poor pre-treatment protocols and has laid the foundations from which a more accurate and more precise chronology can be built in the future.
- Published
- 2016
213. The mid Upper Palaeolithic of European Russia: chronology, culture history and context: a study of five Gravettian backed lithic assemblages
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Reynolds, N, Barton, N, and Higham, T
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Archaeology ,Upper Palaeolithic archaeology ,Palaeolithic archaeology - Abstract
This thesis examines the Mid Upper Palaeolithic (MUP) of Russia (ca. 30,000–20,000 14C BP). During this time, as in the rest of Europe, the principal archaeological industry is known as the Gravettian. However, in Russia two other industries, the Streletskayan and the Gorodtsovian, are also known from the beginning of the MUP. Historically, there have been significant problems integrating the Russian MUP record with that from the rest of Europe. The research described in this thesis concentrates on backed lithic assemblages (including Gravette points, microgravettes, other backed points and backed bladelets) from five Russian Gravettian sites: Kostenki 8 Layer 2, Kostenki 4, Kostenki 9, Khotylevo 2 and Kostenki 21 Layer 3. These are studied from an explicitly Western European theoretical perspective, using standard techno-typological methods to construct typological groupings and describe the variation between and within sites. Alongside this, new radiocarbon dates from several sites Kostenki 8 Layer 2, Kostenki 4 and Borshchevo 5) were obtained. These radiocarbon dates are critically analysed alongside published dates and unpublished dates made available to this research. The results of the research constitute a new culture history for the Russian MUP. Each stage of the MUP is dated and described, and the uncertainties in our knowledge outlined. One new lithic index fossil is defined and two others are re-assessed. The Russian record is compared with the contemporary archaeological record elsewhere in Europe, in order to describe large-scale synchronic variation and changes through time in the homogeneity and regionalisation of material culture. The relationship between these dynamics and climate change are discussed.
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- 2016
214. Chronometric data and stratigraphic evidence support discontinuity between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens in the Italian Peninsula.
- Author
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Higham T, Frouin M, Douka K, Ronchitelli A, Boscato P, Benazzi S, Crezzini J, Spagnolo V, McCarty M, Marciani G, Falcucci A, Rossini M, Arrighi S, Dominici C, Devièse T, Schwenninger JL, Martini I, Moroni A, and Boschin F
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- Italy, Animals, Humans, Radiometric Dating methods, Archaeology methods, History, Ancient, Neanderthals, Bayes Theorem, Fossils
- Abstract
The process by which Palaeolithic Europe was transformed from a Neanderthal-dominated region to one occupied exclusively by Homo sapiens has proven challenging to diagnose. A blurred chronology has made it difficult to determine when Neanderthals disappeared and whether modern humans overlapped with them. Italy is a crucial region because here we can identify not only Late Mousterian industries, assumed to be associated with Neanderthals, but also early Upper Palaeolithic industries linked with the appearance of early H. sapiens, such as the Uluzzian and the Aurignacian. Here, we present a chronometric dataset of 105 new determinations (74 radiocarbon and 31 luminescence ages) from four key southern Italian sites: Cavallo, Castelcivita, Cala, and Oscurusciuto. We built Bayesian-based chronometric models incorporating these results alongside the relative stratigraphic sequences at each site. The results suggest; 1) that the disappearance of Neanderthals probably pre-dated the appearance of early modern humans in the region and; 2) that there was a partial overlap in the chronology of the Uluzzian and Protoaurignacian, suggesting that these industries may have been produced by different human groups in Europe., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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215. Long genetic and social isolation in Neanderthals before their extinction.
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Slimak L, Vimala T, Seguin-Orlando A, Metz L, Zanolli C, Joannes-Boyau R, Frouin M, Arnold LJ, Demuro M, Devièse T, Comeskey D, Buckley M, Camus H, Muth X, Lewis JE, Bocherens H, Yvorra P, Tenailleau C, Duployer B, Coqueugniot H, Dutour O, Higham T, and Sikora M
- Subjects
- Animals, Social Isolation, Humans, Genome, Extinction, Biological, France, Neanderthals genetics, Fossils
- Abstract
Neanderthal genomes have been recovered from sites across Eurasia, painting an increasingly complex picture of their populations' structure that mostly indicates that late European Neanderthals belonged to a single metapopulation with no significant evidence of population structure. Here, we report the discovery of a late Neanderthal individual, nicknamed "Thorin," from Grotte Mandrin in Mediterranean France, and his genome. These dentognathic fossils, including a rare example of distomolars, are associated with a rich archeological record of Neanderthal final technological traditions in this region ∼50-42 thousand years ago. Thorin's genome reveals a relatively early divergence of ∼105 ka with other late Neanderthals. Thorin belonged to a population with a small group size that showed no genetic introgression with other known late European Neanderthals, revealing some 50 ka of genetic isolation of his lineage despite them living in neighboring regions. These results have important implications for resolving competing hypotheses about causes of the disappearance of the Neanderthals., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)
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- 2024
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216. Ancient Rapanui genomes reveal resilience and pre-European contact with the Americas.
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Moreno-Mayar JV, Sousa da Mota B, Higham T, Klemm S, Gorman Edmunds M, Stenderup J, Iraeta-Orbegozo M, Laborde V, Heyer E, Torres Hochstetter F, Friess M, Allentoft ME, Schroeder H, Delaneau O, and Malaspinas AS
- Subjects
- Female, Humans, Male, Americas ethnology, Bayes Theorem, Europe ethnology, History, 17th Century, History, 18th Century, History, 19th Century, History, 20th Century, History, Ancient, History, Medieval, Phylogeny, Polynesia ethnology, Population Density, Radiometric Dating, Whole Genome Sequencing, American Indian or Alaska Native genetics, American Indian or Alaska Native history, DNA, Ancient analysis, European People genetics, European People history, Genetics, Population, Genome, Human genetics, Human Migration history, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander genetics, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander history
- Abstract
Rapa Nui (also known as Easter Island) is one of the most isolated inhabited places in the world. It has captured the imagination of many owing to its archaeological record, which includes iconic megalithic statues called moai
1 . Two prominent contentions have arisen from the extensive study of Rapa Nui. First, the history of the Rapanui has been presented as a warning tale of resource overexploitation that would have culminated in a major population collapse-the 'ecocide' theory2-4 . Second, the possibility of trans-Pacific voyages to the Americas pre-dating European contact is still debated5-7 . Here, to address these questions, we reconstructed the genomic history of the Rapanui on the basis of 15 ancient Rapanui individuals that we radiocarbon dated (1670-1950 CE) and whole-genome sequenced (0.4-25.6×). We find that these individuals are Polynesian in origin and most closely related to present-day Rapanui, a finding that will contribute to repatriation efforts. Through effective population size reconstructions and extensive population genetics simulations, we reject a scenario involving a severe population bottleneck during the 1600s, as proposed by the ecocide theory. Furthermore, the ancient and present-day Rapanui carry similar proportions of Native American admixture (about 10%). Using a Bayesian approach integrating genetic and radiocarbon dates, we estimate that this admixture event occurred about 1250-1430 CE., (© 2024. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2024
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217. Temporal dynamics of woolly mammoth genome erosion prior to extinction.
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Dehasque M, Morales HE, Díez-Del-Molino D, Pečnerová P, Chacón-Duque JC, Kanellidou F, Muller H, Plotnikov V, Protopopov A, Tikhonov A, Nikolskiy P, Danilov GK, Giannì M, van der Sluis L, Higham T, Heintzman PD, Oskolkov N, Gilbert MTP, Götherström A, van der Valk T, Vartanyan S, and Dalén L
- Subjects
- Animals, Siberia, Phylogeny, Evolution, Molecular, Time Factors, Mammoths genetics, Extinction, Biological, Genome genetics, Mutation
- Abstract
A number of species have recently recovered from near-extinction. Although these species have avoided the immediate extinction threat, their long-term viability remains precarious due to the potential genetic consequences of population declines, which are poorly understood on a timescale beyond a few generations. Woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) became isolated on Wrangel Island around 10,000 years ago and persisted for over 200 generations before becoming extinct around 4,000 years ago. To study the evolutionary processes leading up to the mammoths' extinction, we analyzed 21 Siberian woolly mammoth genomes. Our results show that the population recovered quickly from a severe bottleneck and remained demographically stable during the ensuing six millennia. We find that mildly deleterious mutations gradually accumulated, whereas highly deleterious mutations were purged, suggesting ongoing inbreeding depression that lasted for hundreds of generations. The time-lag between demographic and genetic recovery has wide-ranging implications for conservation management of recently bottlenecked populations., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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218. Environmental conditions associated with initial northern expansion of anatomically modern humans.
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Saltré F, Chadœuf J, Higham T, Ochocki M, Block S, Bunney E, Llamas B, and Bradshaw CJA
- Subjects
- Humans, Environment, Europe, Americas, History, Ancient, Temperature, Asia, Rivers, Forests, Grassland, Human Migration history, Archaeology
- Abstract
The ability of our ancestors to switch food sources and to migrate to more favourable environments enabled the rapid global expansion of anatomically modern humans beyond Africa as early as 120,000 years ago. Whether this versatility was largely the result of environmentally determined processes or was instead dominated by cultural drivers, social structures, and interactions among different groups, is unclear. We develop a statistical approach that combines both archaeological and genetic data to infer the more-likely initial expansion routes in northern Eurasia and the Americas. We then quantify the main differences in past environmental conditions between the more-likely routes and other potential (less-likely) routes of expansion. We establish that, even though cultural drivers remain plausible at finer scales, the emergent migration corridors were predominantly constrained by a combination of regional environmental conditions, including the presence of a forest-grassland ecotone, changes in temperature and precipitation, and proximity to rivers., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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219. The Genetic Origin of the Indo-Europeans.
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Lazaridis I, Patterson N, Anthony D, Vyazov L, Fournier R, Ringbauer H, Olalde I, Khokhlov AA, Kitov EP, Shishlina NI, Ailincăi SC, Agapov DS, Agapov SA, Batieva E, Bauyrzhan B, Bereczki Z, Buzhilova A, Changmai P, Chizhevsky AA, Ciobanu I, Constantinescu M, Csányi M, Dani J, Dashkovskiy PK, Évinger S, Faifert A, Flegontov PN, Frînculeasa A, Frînculeasa MN, Hajdu T, Higham T, Jarosz P, Jelínek P, Khartanovich VI, Kirginekov EN, Kiss V, Kitova A, Kiyashko AV, Koledin J, Korolev A, Kosintsev P, Kulcsár G, Kuznetsov P, Magomedov R, Malikovich MA, Melis E, Moiseyev V, Molnár E, Monge J, Negrea O, Nikolaeva NA, Novak M, Ochir-Goryaeva M, Pálfi G, Popovici S, Rykun MP, Savenkova TM, Semibratov VP, Seregin NN, Šefčáková A, Serikovna MR, Shingiray I, Shirokov VN, Simalcsik A, Sirak K, Solodovnikov KN, Tárnoki J, Tishkin AA, Trifonov V, Vasilyev S, Akbari A, Brielle ES, Callan K, Candilio F, Cheronet O, Curtis E, Flegontova O, Iliev L, Kearns A, Keating D, Lawson AM, Mah M, Micco A, Michel M, Oppenheimer J, Qiu L, Noah Workman J, Zalzala F, Szécsényi-Nagy A, Palamara PF, Mallick S, Rohland N, Pinhasi R, and Reich D
- Abstract
The Yamnaya archaeological complex appeared around 3300BCE across the steppes north of the Black and Caspian Seas, and by 3000BCE reached its maximal extent from Hungary in the west to Kazakhstan in the east. To localize the ancestral and geographical origins of the Yamnaya among the diverse Eneolithic people that preceded them, we studied ancient DNA data from 428 individuals of which 299 are reported for the first time, demonstrating three previously unknown Eneolithic genetic clines. First, a "Caucasus-Lower Volga" (CLV) Cline suffused with Caucasus hunter-gatherer (CHG) ancestry extended between a Caucasus Neolithic southern end in Neolithic Armenia, and a steppe northern end in Berezhnovka in the Lower Volga. Bidirectional gene flow across the CLV cline created admixed intermediate populations in both the north Caucasus, such as the Maikop people, and on the steppe, such as those at the site of Remontnoye north of the Manych depression. CLV people also helped form two major riverine clines by admixing with distinct groups of European hunter-gatherers. A "Volga Cline" was formed as Lower Volga people mixed with upriver populations that had more Eastern hunter-gatherer (EHG) ancestry, creating genetically hyper-variable populations as at Khvalynsk in the Middle Volga. A "Dnipro Cline" was formed as CLV people bearing both Caucasus Neolithic and Lower Volga ancestry moved west and acquired Ukraine Neolithic hunter-gatherer (UNHG) ancestry to establish the population of the Serednii Stih culture from which the direct ancestors of the Yamnaya themselves were formed around 4000BCE. This population grew rapidly after 3750-3350BCE, precipitating the expansion of people of the Yamnaya culture who totally displaced previous groups on the Volga and further east, while admixing with more sedentary groups in the west. CLV cline people with Lower Volga ancestry contributed four fifths of the ancestry of the Yamnaya, but also, entering Anatolia from the east, contributed at least a tenth of the ancestry of Bronze Age Central Anatolians, where the Hittite language, related to the Indo-European languages spread by the Yamnaya, was spoken. We thus propose that the final unity of the speakers of the "Proto-Indo-Anatolian" ancestral language of both Anatolian and Indo-European languages can be traced to CLV cline people sometime between 4400-4000 BCE., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement The authors declare no competing interests.
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- 2024
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220. Investigating the co-occurrence of Neanderthals and modern humans in Belgium through direct radiocarbon dating of bone implements.
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Abrams G, Devièse T, Pirson S, De Groote I, Flas D, Jungels C, Jadin I, Cattelain P, Bonjean D, Mathys A, Semal P, Higham T, and Di Modica K
- Subjects
- Animals, Humans, Belgium, Radiometric Dating, Fossils, Archaeology, Neanderthals, Hominidae
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- 2024
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221. The Initial Upper Paleolithic of the Altai: New radiocarbon determinations for the Kara-Bom site.
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Rybin EP, Belousova NE, Derevianko AP, Douka K, and Higham T
- Subjects
- Humans, Animals, Bayes Theorem, Balkan Peninsula, Siberia, Technology, Archaeology, Fossils, Hominidae
- Abstract
The Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) is one of the most important phases in the recent period of the evolution of humans. During a narrow period in the first half of Marine Isotope Stage 3 laminar industries, accompanied by developed symbolism and specific blade technology, emerged over a vast area, replacing different variants of the Middle Paleolithic. In western Eurasia, the earliest appearance of IUP technology is seen at the Boker Tachtit site, dated ca. 50 ka cal BP. The earliest evidence of IUP industries in the Balkans and Central Europe, linked to the spread of Homo sapiens, has been dated to around 48 ka cal BP. A key area of IUP dispersals are the mountains and piedmont of southern Siberia and eastern Central Asia. One of the reference assemblages here is Kara-Bom, an open-air site in the Siberian Altai. Three major settlement phases are distinguished in the sediment sequence. In this paper, we present the results of new radiocarbon determinations and Bayesian models. We find that the latest phase of the IUP, Upper Paleolithic 1 ('UP1') is bracketed between 43 and 35 ka cal BP (at 95.4% probability). The earliest IUP phase, 'UP2', begins to accumulate from ca. 49 ka cal BP and ends by ca. 45 ka cal BP. The Middle Paleolithic 'MP2' assemblages all fall prior to 50 ka cal BP. We can detect a spatial distribution of dates from the geographic core of the IUP beyond the Altai where it appears around 47-45 ka cal BP. The current distribution of dates suggests a west-east dispersal of the IUP technocomplex along the mountain belts of Central Asia and South Siberia., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2023
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222. Variation in claw morphology among the digits of Bent-toed geckos (Cyrtodactylus: Gekkota: Gekkonidae).
- Author
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Riedel J, Klemm M, Higham T, Grismer LL, Ziegler T, Russell A, Rödder D, and Reinhold K
- Abstract
Background: Ecomorphological studies of lizards have increasingly employed comparison of claw morphology among species in relation to spatial niche use. Typically, such studies focus on digit IV of the autopodia, especially the pes. Uniformity of claw morphology among digits is more often implicitly assumed than tested., Results: Using four species of Cyrtodactylus, comprising two generalist and two scansorial taxa that use different substrates, we examined whether claw morphology is uniform among digits and among species. We found that, within each species, ventral claw curvature is uniform across all digits whereas there are small but insignificant differences in ventral claw length and claw depth. The claws of the pes of each species are longer and deeper than those of the corresponding digits of the manus. The claw of digit I of each species is significantly shorter and shallower on both autopodia compared to those on digits IV and V (digit I, including its claw, is idiosyncratically variable among lizards in general)., Conclusions: We conclude that digit IV is an adequate representative of claw form in each species and exhibits variation among species, thereby serving as an exemplar for use in studies of potential discrimination between ecomorphological types in studies of Cyrtodactylus., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)
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- 2023
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223. Author Correction: A symbolic Neanderthal accumulation of large herbivore crania.
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Baquedano E, Arsuaga JL, Pérez-González A, Laplana C, Márquez B, Huguet R, Gómez-Soler S, Villaescusa L, Galindo-Pellicena MÁ, Rodríguez L, García-González R, Ortega MC, Martín-Perea DM, Ortega AI, Hernández-Vivanco L, Ruiz-Liso G, Gómez-Hernanz J, Alonso-Martín JI, Abrunhosa A, Moclán A, Casado AI, Vegara-Riquelme M, Álvarez-Fernández A, Domínguez-García ÁC, Álvarez-Lao DJ, García N, Sevilla P, Blain HA, Ruiz-Zapata B, Gil-García MJ, Álvarez-Vena A, Sanz T, Quam R, and Higham T
- Published
- 2023
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224. A symbolic Neanderthal accumulation of large herbivore crania.
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Baquedano E, Arsuaga JL, Pérez-González A, Laplana C, Márquez B, Huguet R, Gómez-Soler S, Villaescusa L, Galindo-Pellicena MÁ, Rodríguez L, García-González R, Ortega MC, Martín-Perea DM, Ortega AI, Hernández-Vivanco L, Ruiz-Liso G, Gómez-Hernanz J, Alonso-Martín JI, Abrunhosa A, Moclán A, Casado AI, Vegara-Riquelme M, Álvarez-Fernández A, Domínguez-García ÁC, Álvarez-Lao DJ, García N, Sevilla P, Blain HA, Ruiz-Zapata B, Gil-García MJ, Álvarez-Vena A, Sanz T, Quam R, and Higham T
- Subjects
- Animals, Herbivory, Skull, Archaeology, Spain, Mammals, Neanderthals
- Abstract
This work examines the possible behaviour of Neanderthal groups at the Cueva Des-Cubierta (central Spain) via the analysis of the latter's archaeological assemblage. Alongside evidence of Mousterian lithic industry, Level 3 of the cave infill was found to contain an assemblage of mammalian bone remains dominated by the crania of large ungulates, some associated with small hearths. The scarcity of post-cranial elements, teeth, mandibles and maxillae, along with evidence of anthropogenic modification of the crania (cut and percussion marks), indicates that the carcasses of the corresponding animals were initially processed outside the cave, and the crania were later brought inside. A second round of processing then took place, possibly related to the removal of the brain. The continued presence of crania throughout Level 3 indicates that this behaviour was recurrent during this level's formation. This behaviour seems to have no subsistence-related purpose but to be more symbolic in its intent., (© 2023. The Author(s).)
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- 2023
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225. Dating of a large tool assemblage at the Cooper's Ferry site (Idaho, USA) to ~15,785 cal yr B.P. extends the age of stemmed points in the Americas.
- Author
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Davis LG, Madsen DB, Sisson DA, Becerra-Valdivia L, Higham T, Stueber D, Bean DW, Nyers AJ, Carroll A, Ryder C, Sponheimer M, Izuho M, Iizuka F, Li G, Epps CW, and Halford FK
- Abstract
The timing and character of the Pleistocene peopling of the Americas are measured by the discovery of unequivocal artifacts from well-dated contexts. We report the discovery of a well-dated artifact assemblage containing 14 stemmed projectile points from the Cooper's Ferry site in western North America, dating to ~16,000 years ago. These stemmed points are several thousand years older than Clovis fluted points (~13,000 cal yr B.P.) and are ~2300 years older than stemmed points found previously at the site. These points date to the end of Marine Isotope Stage 2 when glaciers had closed off an interior land route into the Americas. This assemblage includes an array of stemmed projectile points that resemble pre-Jomon Late Upper Paleolithic tools from the northwestern Pacific Rim dating to ~20,000 to 19,000 years ago, leading us to hypothesize that some of the first technological traditions in the Americas may have originated in the region.
- Published
- 2022
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226. Dual ancestries and ecologies of the Late Glacial Palaeolithic in Britain.
- Author
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Charlton S, Brace S, Hajdinjak M, Kearney R, Booth T, Reade H, Tripp JA, Sayle KL, Grimm SB, Bello SM, Walker EA, Gilardet A, East P, Glocke I, Larson G, Higham T, Stringer C, Skoglund P, Barnes I, and Stevens RE
- Subjects
- Humans, United Kingdom, Europe, Cefotaxime, Caves, Ecology
- Abstract
Genetic investigations of Upper Palaeolithic Europe have revealed a complex and transformative history of human population movements and ancestries, with evidence of several instances of genetic change across the European continent in the period following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Concurrent with these genetic shifts, the post-LGM period is characterized by a series of significant climatic changes, population expansions and cultural diversification. Britain lies at the extreme northwest corner of post-LGM expansion and its earliest Late Glacial human occupation remains unclear. Here we present genetic data from Palaeolithic human individuals in the United Kingdom and the oldest human DNA thus far obtained from Britain or Ireland. We determine that a Late Upper Palaeolithic individual from Gough's Cave probably traced all its ancestry to Magdalenian-associated individuals closely related to those from sites such as El Mirón Cave, Spain, and Troisième Caverne in Goyet, Belgium. However, an individual from Kendrick's Cave shows no evidence of having ancestry related to the Gough's Cave individual. Instead, the Kendrick's Cave individual traces its ancestry to groups who expanded across Europe during the Late Glacial and are represented at sites such as Villabruna, Italy. Furthermore, the individuals differ not only in their genetic ancestry profiles but also in their mortuary practices and their diets and ecologies, as evidenced through stable isotope analyses. This finding mirrors patterns of dual genetic ancestry and admixture previously detected in Iberia but may suggest a more drastic genetic turnover in northwestern Europe than in the southwest., (© 2022. The Author(s).)
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- 2022
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227. Genetic insights into the social organization of Neanderthals.
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Skov L, Peyrégne S, Popli D, Iasi LNM, Devièse T, Slon V, Zavala EI, Hajdinjak M, Sümer AP, Grote S, Bossoms Mesa A, López Herráez D, Nickel B, Nagel S, Richter J, Essel E, Gansauge M, Schmidt A, Korlević P, Comeskey D, Derevianko AP, Kharevich A, Markin SV, Talamo S, Douka K, Krajcarz MT, Roberts RG, Higham T, Viola B, Krivoshapkin AI, Kolobova KA, Kelso J, Meyer M, Pääbo S, and Peter BM
- Subjects
- Animals, Female, Humans, Caves, Genome genetics, Hybridization, Genetic, Siberia, DNA, Mitochondrial genetics, Y Chromosome genetics, Male, Family, Homozygote, Neanderthals genetics
- Abstract
Genomic analyses of Neanderthals have previously provided insights into their population history and relationship to modern humans
1-8 , but the social organization of Neanderthal communities remains poorly understood. Here we present genetic data for 13 Neanderthals from two Middle Palaeolithic sites in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia: 11 from Chagyrskaya Cave9,10 and 2 from Okladnikov Cave11 -making this one of the largest genetic studies of a Neanderthal population to date. We used hybridization capture to obtain genome-wide nuclear data, as well as mitochondrial and Y-chromosome sequences. Some Chagyrskaya individuals were closely related, including a father-daughter pair and a pair of second-degree relatives, indicating that at least some of the individuals lived at the same time. Up to one-third of these individuals' genomes had long segments of homozygosity, suggesting that the Chagyrskaya Neanderthals were part of a small community. In addition, the Y-chromosome diversity is an order of magnitude lower than the mitochondrial diversity, a pattern that we found is best explained by female migration between communities. Thus, the genetic data presented here provide a detailed documentation of the social organization of an isolated Neanderthal community at the easternmost extent of their known range., (© 2022. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2022
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228. A refined chronology for the Middle and early Upper Paleolithic sequence of Riparo Mochi (Liguria, Italy).
- Author
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Frouin M, Douka K, Dave AK, Schwenninger JL, Mercier N, Murray AS, Santaniello F, Boschian G, Grimaldi S, and Higham T
- Subjects
- Archaeology, Bayes Theorem, Fossils, Humans, Italy, Luminescent Measurements, Radiometric Dating methods
- Abstract
The Riparo Mochi rock shelter, located on the Ligurian coast of Italy, is one of the most important early Upper Paleolithic sites on the Mediterranean rim. Its ∼10-m-deep stratigraphy comprises a Mousterian sequence, followed by various development stages of the Upper Paleolithic. A series of radiometric dates on marine shells bearing traces of human modification has provided a chronological framework for the final Mousterian and the Proto-Aurignacian of the site. Based on modeling results, the end of the Mousterian was dated between 44.0 and 41.8 ka cal BP (68% probability) and the beginning of the Proto-Aurignacian between 42.7 and 41.6 ka cal BP (68% probability). However, these estimates were based on a limited number of radiocarbon ages in the Mousterian levels. Here, we report new dating of the Mochi sequence using luminescence techniques, along with new radiocarbon measurements. The combination of these results using a Bayesian modeling approach allows for the first time the establishment of a more precise timing for the Mousterian occupation at the site. We show that Mousterian groups were already present at Riparo Mochi by at least 65 ka and continued to occupy the site for another 20 ka. The transition to the earliest Upper Paleolithic at the site is centered around 44.3-41.1 ka (95.4% probability), providing our best age estimate for the beginning of the Early Upper Paleolithic and the establishment of modern human groups in the Balzi Rossi. The sequence continues upward with a more evolved Aurignacian phase and a Gravettian phase starting at ∼26 ka or earlier., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2022
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229. Ancient genomes from the last three millennia support multiple human dispersals into Wallacea.
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Oliveira S, Nägele K, Carlhoff S, Pugach I, Koesbardiati T, Hübner A, Meyer M, Oktaviana AA, Takenaka M, Katagiri C, Murti DB, Putri RS, Mahirta, Petchey F, Higham T, Higham CFW, O'Connor S, Hawkins S, Kinaston R, Bellwood P, Ono R, Powell A, Krause J, Posth C, and Stoneking M
- Subjects
- Asia, Southeastern, Humans, Indonesia, Asian People
- Abstract
Previous research indicates that human genetic diversity in Wallacea-islands in present-day Eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste that were never part of the Sunda or Sahul continental shelves-has been shaped by complex interactions between migrating Austronesian farmers and indigenous hunter-gatherer communities. Yet, inferences based on present-day groups proved insufficient to disentangle this region's demographic movements and admixture timings. Here, we investigate the spatio-temporal patterns of variation in Wallacea based on genome-wide data from 16 ancient individuals (2600-250 years BP) from the North Moluccas, Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara. While ancestry in the northern islands primarily reflects contact between Austronesian- and Papuan-related groups, ancestry in the southern islands reveals additional contributions from Mainland Southeast Asia that seem to predate the arrival of Austronesians. Admixture time estimates further support multiple and/or continuous admixture involving Papuan- and Asian-related groups throughout Wallacea. Our results clarify previously debated times of admixture and suggest that the Neolithic dispersals into Island Southeast Asia are associated with the spread of multiple genetic ancestries., (© 2022. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2022
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230. Modern human incursion into Neanderthal territories 54,000 years ago at Mandrin, France.
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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, and Metz L
- 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.
- Published
- 2022
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231. Radiocarbon dating from Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov cemetery reveals complex human responses to socio-ecological stress during the 8.2 ka cooling event.
- Author
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Schulting RJ, Mannermaa K, Tarasov PE, Higham T, Ramsey CB, Khartanovich V, Moiseyev V, Gerasimov D, O'Shea J, and Weber A
- Subjects
- Animals, Archaeology, Cold Temperature, Humans, Russia, Cemeteries, Radiometric Dating methods
- Abstract
Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov in Karelia, northwest Russia, is one of the largest Early Holocene cemeteries in northern Eurasia, with 177 burials recovered in excavations in the 1930s; originally, more than 400 graves may have been present. A new radiocarbon dating programme, taking into account a correction for freshwater reservoir effects, suggests that the main use of the cemetery spanned only some 100-300 years, centring on ca. 8250 to 8000 cal BP. This coincides remarkably closely with the 8.2 ka cooling event, the most dramatic climatic downturn in the Holocene in the northern hemisphere, inviting an interpretation in terms of human response to a climate-driven environmental change. Rather than suggesting a simple deterministic relationship, we draw on a body of anthropological and archaeological theory to argue that the burial of the dead at this location served to demarcate and negotiate rights of access to a favoured locality with particularly rich and resilient fish and game stocks during a period of regional resource depression. This resulted in increased social stress in human communities that exceeded and subverted the 'normal' commitment of many hunter-gatherers to egalitarianism and widespread resource sharing, and gave rise to greater mortuary complexity. However, this seems to have lasted only for the duration of the climate downturn. Our results have implications for understanding the context of the emergence-and dissolution-of socio-economic inequality and territoriality under conditions of socio-ecological stress., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)
- Published
- 2022
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232. The earliest Denisovans and their cultural adaptation.
- Author
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Brown S, Massilani D, Kozlikin MB, Shunkov MV, Derevianko AP, Stoessel A, Jope-Street B, Meyer M, Kelso J, Pääbo S, Higham T, and Douka K
- Subjects
- Animals, Archaeology, Caves, DNA, Mitochondrial genetics, Hominidae genetics, Neanderthals genetics
- Abstract
Since the initial identification of the Denisovans a decade ago, only a handful of their physical remains have been discovered. Here we analysed ~3,800 non-diagnostic bone fragments using collagen peptide mass fingerprinting to locate new hominin remains from Denisova Cave (Siberia, Russia). We identified five new hominin bones, four of which contained sufficient DNA for mitochondrial analysis. Three carry mitochondrial DNA of the Denisovan type and one was found to carry mtDNA of the Neanderthal type. The former come from the same archaeological layer near the base of the cave's sequence and are the oldest securely dated evidence of Denisovans at 200 ka (thousand years ago) (205-192 ka at 68.2% or 217-187 ka at 95% probability). The stratigraphic context in which they were located contains a wealth of archaeological material in the form of lithics and faunal remains, allowing us to determine the material culture associated with these early hominins and explore their behavioural and environmental adaptations. The combination of bone collagen fingerprinting and genetic analyses has so far more-than-doubled the number of hominin bones at Denisova Cave and has expanded our understanding of Denisovan and Neanderthal interactions, as well as their archaeological signatures., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)
- Published
- 2022
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233. Zooarchaeology through the lens of collagen fingerprinting at Denisova Cave.
- Author
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Brown S, Wang N, Oertle A, Kozlikin MB, Shunkov MV, Derevianko AP, Comeskey D, Jope-Street B, Harvey VL, Chowdhury MP, Buckley M, Higham T, and Douka K
- Subjects
- Animals, Bone and Bones pathology, Carnivora, Caves, Fossils, Hominidae, Humans, Siberia, Archaeology methods, Collagen chemistry, Paleontology methods
- Abstract
Denisova Cave, a Pleistocene site in the Altai Mountains of Russian Siberia, has yielded significant fossil and lithic evidence for the Pleistocene in Northern Asia. Abundant animal and human bones have been discovered at the site, however, these tend to be highly fragmented, necessitating new approaches to identifying important hominin and faunal fossils. Here we report the results for 8253 bone fragments using ZooMS. Through the integration of this new ZooMS-based data with the previously published macroscopically-identified fauna we aim to create a holistic picture of the zooarchaeological record of the site. We identify trends associated with climate variability throughout the Middle and Upper Pleistocene as well as patterns explaining the process of bone fragmentation. Where morphological analysis of bones from the site have identified a high proportion of carnivore bones (30.2%), we find that these account for only 7.6% of the ZooMS assemblage, with large mammals between 3 and 5 more abundant overall. Our analysis suggests a cyclical pattern in fragmentation of bones which sees initial fragmentation by hominins using percussive tools and secondary carnivore action, such as gnawing and digestion, likely furthering the initial human-induced fragmentation., (© 2021. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2021
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234. Dating the last Middle Palaeolithic of the Crimean Peninsula: New hydroxyproline AMS dates from the site of Kabazi II.
- Author
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Spindler L, Comeskey D, Chabai V, Uthmeier T, Buckley M, Devièse T, and Higham T
- Subjects
- Animals, History, Ancient, Neanderthals, Radiometric Dating, Archaeology, Fossils, Hydroxyproline analysis
- Abstract
Radiocarbon dating of bone and charcoal from sites dating to the Middle and Upper Paleolithic is challenging due to low residual levels of radiocarbon. This means that small amounts of contaminating carbon can wield a great influence over accuracy unless they are fully removed. The site of Kabazi II in the Crimea is important because radiocarbon dates previously obtained from bones in archaeological horizons that date to the Western Crimean Mousterian (WCM) are surprisingly young. We redated the same samples using a single compound dating method that focuses on extracting and dating the amino acid hydroxyproline. We show that single amino acid dates produce significantly older determinations than those that use bulk collagen pretreatment procedures. Our results suggest that instead of dating to 35,000-40,000 cal BP, the bones actually date to >50,000 cal BP. This implies that the WCM at this site is much older than previously thought. In light of these current findings, we considered the dates of other key Crimean sites and concluded that in the absence of reliable pretreatment methods, it would be wise to consider many of them minimum ages. We conclude that there is little robust evidence to suggest Neanderthals were present in the Crimea after 40,000 cal BP., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare there is no conflict of interest., (Crown Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2021
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235. Reply to Van Peer: Direct radiocarbon dating and ancient genomic analysis reveal the true age of the Neanderthals at Spy Cave.
- Author
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Devièse T, Abrams G, Hajdinjak M, Pirson S, De Groote I, Di Modica K, Toussaint M, Fischer V, Comeskey D, Spindler L, Meyer M, Semal P, and Higham T
- Subjects
- Animals, Caves, Fossils, Genomics, Radiometric Dating, Neanderthals genetics
- Abstract
Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest.
- Published
- 2021
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236. A genome sequence from a modern human skull over 45,000 years old from Zlatý kůň in Czechia.
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Prüfer K, Posth C, Yu H, Stoessel A, Spyrou MA, Deviese T, Mattonai M, Ribechini E, Higham T, Velemínský P, Brůžek J, and Krause J
- Subjects
- Africa, Czech Republic, Europe, Female, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Middle East, Siberia, Skull
- Abstract
Modern humans expanded into Eurasia more than 40,000 years ago following their dispersal out of Africa. These Eurasians carried ~2-3% Neanderthal ancestry in their genomes, originating from admixture with Neanderthals that took place sometime between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago, probably in the Middle East. In Europe, the modern human expansion preceded the disappearance of Neanderthals from the fossil record by 3,000-5,000 years. The genetic makeup of the first Europeans who colonized the continent more than 40,000 years ago remains poorly understood since few specimens have been studied. Here, we analyse a genome generated from the skull of a female individual from Zlatý kůň, Czechia. We found that she belonged to a population that appears to have contributed genetically neither to later Europeans nor to Asians. Her genome carries ~3% Neanderthal ancestry, similar to those of other Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers. However, the lengths of the Neanderthal segments are longer than those observed in the currently oldest modern human genome of the ~45,000-year-old Ust'-Ishim individual from Siberia, suggesting that this individual from Zlatý kůň is one of the earliest Eurasian inhabitants following the expansion out of Africa.
- Published
- 2021
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237. The reliability of late radiocarbon dates from the Paleolithic of southern China.
- Author
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Higham TFG and Douka K
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- Animals, China, Reproducibility of Results, Neanderthals, Radiometric Dating
- Abstract
Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest.
- Published
- 2021
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238. Reevaluating the timing of Neanderthal disappearance in Northwest Europe.
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Devièse T, Abrams G, Hajdinjak M, Pirson S, De Groote I, Di Modica K, Toussaint M, Fischer V, Comeskey D, Spindler L, Meyer M, Semal P, and Higham T
- Subjects
- Animals, Archaeology, Europe, Fossils, Genomics methods, Humans, Radiometric Dating, Anthropology, Extinction, Biological, Neanderthals
- Abstract
Elucidating when Neanderthal populations disappeared from Eurasia is a key question in paleoanthropology, and Belgium is one of the key regions for studying the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition. Previous radiocarbon dating placed the Spy Neanderthals among the latest surviving Neanderthals in Northwest Europe with reported dates as young as 23,880 ± 240 B.P. (OxA-8912). Questions were raised, however, regarding the reliability of these dates. Soil contamination and carbon-based conservation products are known to cause problems during the radiocarbon dating of bulk collagen samples. Employing a compound-specific approach that is today the most efficient in removing contamination and ancient genomic analysis, we demonstrate here that previous dates produced on Neanderthal specimens from Spy were inaccurately young by up to 10,000 y due to the presence of unremoved contamination. Our compound-specific radiocarbon dates on the Neanderthals from Spy and those from Engis and Fonds-de-Forêt demonstrate that they disappeared from Northwest Europe at 44,200 to 40,600 cal B.P. (at 95.4% probability), much earlier than previously suggested. Our data contribute significantly to refining models for Neanderthal disappearance in Europe and, more broadly, show that chronometric models regarding the appearance or disappearance of animal or hominin groups should be based only on radiocarbon dates obtained using robust pretreatment methods., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest.
- Published
- 2021
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239. Denisovan ancestry and population history of early East Asians.
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Massilani D, Skov L, Hajdinjak M, Gunchinsuren B, Tseveendorj D, Yi S, Lee J, Nagel S, Nickel B, Devièse T, Higham T, Meyer M, Kelso J, Peter BM, and Pääbo S
- Subjects
- Animals, DNA, Ancient, Female, Humans, Mongolia, Population, Skull, Asian People genetics, Evolution, Molecular, Hominidae genetics
- Abstract
We present analyses of the genome of a ~34,000-year-old hominin skull cap discovered in the Salkhit Valley in northeastern Mongolia. We show that this individual was a female member of a modern human population that, following the split between East and West Eurasians, experienced substantial gene flow from West Eurasians. Both she and a 40,000-year-old individual from Tianyuan outside Beijing carried genomic segments of Denisovan ancestry. These segments derive from the same Denisovan admixture event(s) that contributed to present-day mainland Asians but are distinct from the Denisovan DNA segments in present-day Papuans and Aboriginal Australians., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.)
- Published
- 2020
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240. The Effects of Temperature on the Kinematics of Rattlesnake Predatory Strikes in Both Captive and Field Environments.
- Author
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Whitford MD, Freymiller GA, Higham TE, and Clark RW
- Abstract
The outcomes of predator-prey interactions between endotherms and ectotherms can be heavily influenced by environmental temperature, owing to the difference in how body temperature affects locomotor performance. However, as elastic energy storage mechanisms can allow ectotherms to maintain high levels of performance at cooler body temperatures, detailed analyses of kinematics are necessary to fully understand how changes in temperature might alter endotherm-ectotherm predator-prey interactions. Viperid snakes are widely distributed ectothermic mesopredators that interact with endotherms both as predator and prey. Although there are numerous studies on the kinematics of viper strikes, surprisingly few have analyzed how this rapid movement is affected by temperature. Here we studied the effects of temperature on the predatory strike performance of rattlesnakes ( Crotalus spp.), abundant new world vipers, using both field and captive experimental contexts. We found that the effects of temperature on predatory strike performance are limited, with warmer snakes achieving slightly higher maximum strike acceleration, but similar maximum velocity. Our results suggest that, unlike defensive strikes to predators, rattlesnakes may not attempt to maximize strike speed when attacking prey, and thus the outcomes of predatory strikes may not be heavily influenced by changes in temperature., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.)
- Published
- 2020
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241. A late Neanderthal tooth from northeastern Italy.
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Romandini M, Oxilia G, Bortolini E, Peyrégne S, Delpiano D, Nava A, Panetta D, Di Domenico G, Martini P, Arrighi S, Badino F, Figus C, Lugli F, Marciani G, Silvestrini S, Menghi Sartorio JC, Terlato G, Hublin JJ, Meyer M, Bondioli L, Higham T, Slon V, Peresani M, and Benazzi S
- Subjects
- Animals, Italy, Maxilla, Paleodontology, Cuspid anatomy & histology, Fossils anatomy & histology, Neanderthals anatomy & histology, Tooth, Deciduous anatomy & histology
- Abstract
The site of Riparo Broion (Vicenza, northeastern Italy) preserves a stratigraphic sequence documenting the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition, in particular the final Mousterian and the Uluzzian cultures. In 2018, a human tooth was retrieved from a late Mousterian level, representing the first human remain ever found from this rock shelter (Riparo Broion 1). Here, we provide the morphological description and taxonomic assessment of Riparo Broion 1 with the support of classic and virtual morphology, 2D and 3D analysis of the topography of enamel thickness, and DNA analysis. The tooth is an exfoliated right upper deciduous canine, and its general morphology and enamel thickness distribution support attribution to a Neanderthal child. Correspondingly, the mitochondrial DNA sequence from Riparo Broion 1 falls within the known genetic variation of Late Pleistocene Neanderthals, in accordance with newly obtained radiocarbon dates that point to approximately 48 ka cal BP as the most likely minimum age for this specimen. The present work describes novel and direct evidence of the late Neanderthal occupation in northern Italy that preceded the marked cultural and technological shift documented by the Uluzzian layers in the archaeological sequence at Riparo Broion. Here, we provide a new full morphological, morphometric, and taxonomic analysis of Riparo Broion 1, in addition to generating the wider reference sample of Neanderthal and modern human upper deciduous canines. This research contributes to increasing the sample of fossil remains from Italy, as well as the number of currently available upper deciduous canines, which are presently poorly documented in the scientific literature., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2020
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242. Evidence of human occupation in Mexico around the Last Glacial Maximum.
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Ardelean CF, Becerra-Valdivia L, Pedersen MW, Schwenninger JL, Oviatt CG, Macías-Quintero JI, Arroyo-Cabrales J, Sikora M, Ocampo-Díaz YZE, Rubio-Cisneros II, Watling JG, de Medeiros VB, De Oliveira PE, Barba-Pingarón L, Ortiz-Butrón A, Blancas-Vázquez J, Rivera-González I, Solís-Rosales C, Rodríguez-Ceja M, Gandy DA, Navarro-Gutierrez Z, De La Rosa-Díaz JJ, Huerta-Arellano V, Marroquín-Fernández MB, Martínez-Riojas LM, López-Jiménez A, Higham T, and Willerslev E
- Subjects
- Altitude, Archaeology, Bayes Theorem, Caves, Cultural Diversity, DNA, Ancient analysis, History, Ancient, Humans, Mexico, Human Migration history, Ice Cover
- Abstract
The initial colonization of the Americas remains a highly debated topic
1 , and the exact timing of the first arrivals is unknown. The earliest archaeological record of Mexico-which holds a key geographical position in the Americas-is poorly known and understudied. Historically, the region has remained on the periphery of research focused on the first American populations2 . However, recent investigations provide reliable evidence of a human presence in the northwest region of Mexico3,4 , the Chiapas Highlands5 , Central Mexico6 and the Caribbean coast7-9 during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs. Here we present results of recent excavations at Chiquihuite Cave-a high-altitude site in central-northern Mexico-that corroborate previous findings in the Americas10-17 of cultural evidence that dates to the Last Glacial Maximum (26,500-19,000 years ago)18 , and which push back dates for human dispersal to the region possibly as early as 33,000-31,000 years ago. The site yielded about 1,900 stone artefacts within a 3-m-deep stratified sequence, revealing a previously unknown lithic industry that underwent only minor changes over millennia. More than 50 radiocarbon and luminescence dates provide chronological control, and genetic, palaeoenvironmental and chemical data document the changing environments in which the occupants lived. Our results provide new evidence for the antiquity of humans in the Americas, illustrate the cultural diversity of the earliest dispersal groups (which predate those of the Clovis culture) and open new directions of research.- Published
- 2020
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243. The timing and effect of the earliest human arrivals in North America.
- Author
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Becerra-Valdivia L and Higham T
- Subjects
- Animals, Archaeology, Bayes Theorem, Geographic Mapping, History, Ancient, Humans, North America, Time Factors, Extinction, Biological, Human Migration history, Mammals classification
- Abstract
The peopling of the Americas marks a major expansion of humans across the planet. However, questions regarding the timing and mechanisms of this dispersal remain, and the previously accepted model (termed 'Clovis-first')-suggesting that the first inhabitants of the Americas were linked with the Clovis tradition, a complex marked by distinctive fluted lithic points
1 -has been effectively refuted. Here we analyse chronometric data from 42 North American and Beringian archaeological sites using a Bayesian age modelling approach, and use the resulting chronological framework to elucidate spatiotemporal patterns of human dispersal. We then integrate these patterns with the available genetic and climatic evidence. The data obtained show that humans were probably present before, during and immediately after the Last Glacial Maximum (about 26.5-19 thousand years ago)2,3 but that more widespread occupation began during a period of abrupt warming, Greenland Interstadial 1 (about 14.7-12.9 thousand years before AD 2000)4 . We also identify the near-synchronous commencement of Beringian, Clovis and Western Stemmed cultural traditions, and an overlap of each with the last dates for the appearance of 18 now-extinct faunal genera. Our analysis suggests that the widespread expansion of humans through North America was a key factor in the extinction of large terrestrial mammals.- Published
- 2020
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244. Response to Comment on "Late Upper Paleolithic occupation at Cooper's Ferry, Idaho, USA, ~16,000 years ago".
- Author
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Davis LG, Becerra-Valdivia L, Madsen DB, and Higham T
- Subjects
- Archaeology, Bayes Theorem, Humans, Idaho, Occupations
- Abstract
Manning builds an inappropriate Bayesian age model to assert that the initial occupation at Cooper's Ferry began only ~15,935 ± 75 to 15,130 ± 20 cal yr B.P., suggesting that our estimation of ~16,560 to 15,280 cal yr B.P. is unsupported. However, this analysis both ignores evidence of human occupation from the earliest undated cultural deposits and reflects a misapplication of Bayesian age-modeling techniques. Consequently, his results are unreliable., (Copyright © 2020, American Association for the Advancement of Science.)
- Published
- 2020
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245. A refined chronology for the Gravettian sequence of Abri Pataud.
- Author
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Douka K, Chiotti L, Nespoulet R, and Higham T
- Subjects
- Animals, Archaeology, Bayes Theorem, Bone and Bones chemistry, France, Humans, Radiometric Dating, Technology
- Abstract
Abri Pataud (France) is the type site in studies focusing on the appearance of modern humans and the development of classic Upper Paleolithic technocomplexes in Europe. It contains important evidence of successful adaptation strategies of modern humans to new territories and in response to sharply changing climatic conditions that characterized Marine Isotope Stages 3 and 2. Despite being for decades one of the best excavated and most studied Paleolithic sites, the chronology of Abri Pataud has lacked precision and revealed large discrepancies. The chronology of the lowermost part of the sequence (Levels 14-5) was refined in 2011 with the publication of 32 new radiocarbon determinations, mainly from the Aurignacian levels. In contrast, the Gravettian levels (Levels 5-2) remained poorly dated until now. Here, we present 18 new radiocarbon dates on cut-marked animal bones from the Gravettian part of the site, which complete the dating of this important sequence. The determinations are analyzed using Bayesian statistical modeling, and the results allow us to place the start of the Gravettian at the site between ∼33,000 and 32,000 cal BP (∼29,000-28,000 BP). We discuss the succession of the Gravettian facies across the sequence (Bayacian, Noaillian, Rayssian), as well as the likely duration of each archaeological level. With a total of more than 50 radiocarbon determinations, Abri Pataud offers secure information for the appearance and development of the technocomplexes linked with early modern humans and their establishment in western Europe. Based on published genetic data, it appears that it is the Gravettian hunter-gatherers and subsequent human groups, rather than the earlier Aurignacian and pre-Aurignacian groups, that contributed to the genetic signature of later and living Europeans. Hence, elucidating the precise timing of the Gravettian appearance has broad implications in our understanding of late human evolution across Europe., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors disclose no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2020
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246. The Gravettian child mandible from El Castillo Cave (Puente Viesgo, Cantabria, Spain).
- Author
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Garralda MD, Maíllo-Fernández JM, Higham T, Neira A, and Bernaldo de Quirós F
- Subjects
- Anthropology, Physical, Caves, Child, Preschool, History, Ancient, Humans, Male, Radiometric Dating, Spain, Tooth anatomy & histology, Tooth chemistry, Fossils, Mandible anatomy & histology, Mandible chemistry
- Abstract
Objectives: This article documents an incomplete child's mandible found in H. Obermaier's excavation campaign (in 1912) in El Castillo Cave, Spain. This fossil was assigned to what was then considered a phase of the "Aurignacian-delta"., Materials and Methods: We exhaustively analyzed the original Obermaier documents, with particular attention to those corresponding to the year of the discovery. We extracted a bone sample to radiocarbon date the fossil directly. We also followed established methods to measure, describe and compare the mandible with other human remains., Results: The analysis of Obermaier's documents and new data derived from modern excavations, show that the mandible was discovered in an interior area of the cave. Direct radiocarbon dating yielded a result of 24,720 ± 210 BP and 29,300 - 28,300 cal BP, a date similar to those known for the Gravettian technocomplex both in the El Castillo site and across Europe. The jaw corresponded to a child aged 4-5 years, with modern morphology, but with a certain robustness, especially in the symphyseal region. Comparisons were made with several modern children (Granada, Spitalfields, and Black series) and with immature fossils (European Aurignacian and Gravettian). The few differences between the modern and the fossil children are related to the symphysis and mandibular corpus thickness and height, and to the symphyseal morphology and larger teeth dimensions. Paleoisotopic data for Castillo C correspond with a varied diet. Numerous cutmarks were identified in the midline internal symphyseal region., Discussion and Conclusions: The results agree with those published for other fossils of similar age and chronology (e.g., the mandible of the Lagar Velho child) and show clear differences from the jaws of the young Neanderthals. The interpretation of the original data on the mandible discovery may indicate the destruction of a burial and the displacement, by percolation or by a den, at least of part of the skeleton. The perimortem manipulations in the child's mandible are the first described in the Gravettian world of Western Europe., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)
- Published
- 2019
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247. Assessing the efficiency of supercritical fluid extraction for the decontamination of archaeological bones prior to radiocarbon dating.
- Author
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Devièse T, Ribechini E, Querci D, and Higham T
- Subjects
- Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Humans, Radiometric Dating, Archaeology, Bone and Bones chemistry, Carbon Dioxide chemistry, Carbon Radioisotopes analysis, Collagen isolation & purification, Decontamination methods, Nitrogen analysis
- Abstract
Bone is one of the main sample types used for building chronologies in archaeology. It is also used in other research areas such as palaeodiet and palaeoenvironmental studies. However, for results to be accurate, samples must be free of exogenous carbon. Contamination can originate from a wide range of sources in the post-depositional environment but may also occur during excavation and post excavation activities (i.e. with the application of conservation materials) or during laboratory handling. Efficient procedures to remove contamination are therefore crucial prior to radiocarbon or stable isotope measurements. This work describes the development of an innovative sample pretreatment for bones, based on using supercritical CO2, which shows unique solvation properties. The effectiveness of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) to remove conservation materials was compared with that obtained when applying a routine extraction based on the use of organic solvents (methanol, acetone and chloroform). The chemical composition of the bone samples before and after the two pre-treatments was then investigated using analytical pyrolysis-based techniques: EGA-MS (Evolved Gas Analysis-Mass Spectrometry) and Py-GC/MS (Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry). Collagen samples extracted from the same bones, prepared with the two cleaning protocols, were also radiocarbon dated by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). The results of this study show that SFE is an efficient alternative method because it was as effective as the established treatment protocol. It removes contaminants such as conservation materials from bone samples with a minimum of handling and can be used routinely in radiocarbon dating laboratories. This work also demonstrates that analytical pyrolysis is not only a very efficient method to identify contaminants in bones but also to assess the effectiveness of the pretreatment prior to the radiocarbon measurement of the samples.
- Published
- 2019
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248. Late Upper Paleolithic occupation at Cooper's Ferry, Idaho, USA, ~16,000 years ago.
- Author
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Davis LG, Madsen DB, Becerra-Valdivia L, Higham T, Sisson DA, Skinner SM, Stueber D, Nyers AJ, Keen-Zebert A, Neudorf C, Cheyney M, Izuho M, Iizuka F, Burns SR, Epps CW, Willis SC, and Buvit I
- Subjects
- History, Ancient, Humans, Idaho, Pacific Ocean, Radiometric Dating, Human Migration history, Indians, North American history, Occupations history, Technology history
- Abstract
Radiocarbon dating of the earliest occupational phases at the Cooper's Ferry site in western Idaho indicates that people repeatedly occupied the Columbia River basin, starting between 16,560 and 15,280 calibrated years before the present (cal yr B.P.). Artifacts from these early occupations indicate the use of unfluted stemmed projectile point technologies before the appearance of the Clovis Paleoindian tradition and support early cultural connections with northeastern Asian Upper Paleolithic archaeological traditions. The Cooper's Ferry site was initially occupied during a time that predates the opening of an ice-free corridor (≤14,800 cal yr B.P.), which supports the hypothesis that initial human migration into the Americas occurred via a Pacific coastal route., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.)
- Published
- 2019
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249. Genetic turnovers and northern survival during the last glacial maximum in European brown bears.
- Author
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Ersmark E, Baryshnikov G, Higham T, Argant A, Castaños P, Döppes D, Gasparik M, Germonpré M, Lidén K, Lipecki G, Marciszak A, Miller R, Moreno-García M, Pacher M, Robu M, Rodriguez-Varela R, Rojo Guerra M, Sabol M, Spassov N, Storå J, Valdiosera C, Villaluenga A, Stewart JR, and Dalén L
- Abstract
The current phylogeographic pattern of European brown bears ( Ursus arctos ) has commonly been explained by postglacial recolonization out of geographically distinct refugia in southern Europe, a pattern well in accordance with the expansion/contraction model. Studies of ancient DNA from brown bear remains have questioned this pattern, but have failed to explain the glacial distribution of mitochondrial brown bear clades and their subsequent expansion across the European continent. We here present 136 new mitochondrial sequences generated from 346 remains from Europe, ranging in age between the Late Pleistocene and historical times. The genetic data show a high Late Pleistocene diversity across the continent and challenge the strict confinement of bears to traditional southern refugia during the last glacial maximum (LGM). The mitochondrial data further suggest a genetic turnover just before this time, as well as a steep demographic decline starting in the mid-Holocene. Levels of stable nitrogen isotopes from the remains confirm a previously proposed shift toward increasing herbivory around the LGM in Europe. Overall, these results suggest that in addition to climate, anthropogenic impact and inter-specific competition may have had more important effects on the brown bear's ecology, demography, and genetic structure than previously thought., Competing Interests: None declared.
- Published
- 2019
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250. Ancient human genome-wide data from a 3000-year interval in the Caucasus corresponds with eco-geographic regions.
- Author
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Wang CC, Reinhold S, Kalmykov A, Wissgott A, Brandt G, Jeong C, Cheronet O, Ferry M, Harney E, Keating D, Mallick S, Rohland N, Stewardson K, Kantorovich AR, Maslov VE, Petrenko VG, Erlikh VR, Atabiev BC, Magomedov RG, Kohl PL, Alt KW, Pichler SL, Gerling C, Meller H, Vardanyan B, Yeganyan L, Rezepkin AD, Mariaschk D, Berezina N, Gresky J, Fuchs K, Knipper C, Schiffels S, Balanovska E, Balanovsky O, Mathieson I, Higham T, Berezin YB, Buzhilova A, Trifonov V, Pinhasi R, Belinskij AB, Reich D, Hansen S, Krause J, and Haak W
- Abstract
Archaeogenetic studies have described the formation of Eurasian 'steppe ancestry' as a mixture of Eastern and Caucasus hunter-gatherers. However, it remains unclear when and where this ancestry arose and whether it was related to a horizon of cultural innovations in the 4
th millennium BCE that subsequently facilitated the advance of pastoral societies in Eurasia. Here we generated genome-wide SNP data from 45 prehistoric individuals along a 3000-year temporal transect in the North Caucasus. We observe a genetic separation between the groups of the Caucasus and those of the adjacent steppe. The northern Caucasus groups are genetically similar to contemporaneous populations south of it, suggesting human movement across the mountain range during the Bronze Age. The steppe groups from Yamnaya and subsequent pastoralist cultures show evidence for previously undetected farmer-related ancestry from different contact zones, while Steppe Maykop individuals harbour additional Upper Palaeolithic Siberian and Native American related ancestry.- Published
- 2019
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