A new approach to profiling taphonomic history through bone fracture analysis, with an example application to the Linearbandkeramik site of Ludwinowo 7.

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.This paper presents a new method of assessing and displaying taphonomic history through detailed bone fracture analysis. Bone is a particularly useful indicator of taphonomic processes as it is sensitive to when it is broken based on degradation over time. Our proposed ‘fracture history profiles’ show the sequences of fracture and fragmentation that have affected assemblages of bone specimens from the death of the animal to recovery by archaeologists. The method provides an assessment of the carcass processing traditions of past people, relating specifically to bone marrow and bone grease extraction. In addition, by analysing post-deposition fracture and bone modifications caused by burning, gnawing and other taphonomic agents, it is possible to reconstruct a comprehensive taphonomic history for each archaeological context. This has implications for understanding effects on other artefacts that have no equivalent diagnostic features for determining timing of breakage, and also for establishing the nature of events such as secondary disturbance of deposits. This method will be demonstrated using a case study from the Neolithic Linearbandkeramik culture.This work was supported by the European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant ERC324202

Horse domestication as a multi-centered, multi-stage process: Botai and the role of specialized Eneolithic horse pastoralism in the development of human-equine relationships

This is the final version. Available on open access from Frontiers Media via the DOI in this recordData availability statement: The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material; further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.For over a decade there has been general, but not universal, consensus that the earliest known evidence for horse husbandry was at Eneolithic Botai, Kazakhstan, circa 3,500 BCE. Recent ancient genomic analyses, however, indicate that Botai is not the source of modern domestic horse stock (DOM2 lineage), but is instead related to the Przewalski clade of horses. DOM2 appears to instead to have emerged in early Bronze Age (mid 3rd Mill. BCE) in the Pontic-Caspian steppe, and spread quickly replacing other horse lineages after approximately 2,000 BCE. Whilst the specific evidence for earlier husbandry at Botai is not diminished by this evidence, it has broken the consensus regarding the early stages of horse domestication, with some now viewing it as a later event. This paper argues that domestication is rarely an event, but instead a process that is ongoing. The case is made for a “prey pathway” initial phase of domestication in multiple localities during the Eneolithic, which was based around local subsistence pastoralist niche construction. This took different forms due to the presence or absence of ruminant domestic stock in the Eastern European or Central Asian steppes, respectively. Whilst “push” factors likely played a part in the development of horse specialist pastoralism at Botai, it is suggested that “pull” factors accelerated the spread of DOM2 lineages, replacing others, in the later Bronze Age. The DOM2 spread was principally driven, not by local subsistence needs, but wider social, economic and military desirability of equestrianism. The long-term process of horse domestication continues in modernity with major breed changes caused first by the post-medieval agricultural revolution and, more currently, the desire for sporting achievement

A new zooarchaeological application for geometric morphometric methods: Distinguishing Ovis aries morphotypes to address connectivity and mobility of prehistoric Central Asian pastoralists.

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.Geometric morphometric methods (GMM), which were developed to characterize the shape and size of biological organisms, have been applied within zooarchaeology over the past decade to address animal domestication processes and to refine morphological criteria to differentiate between taxa. However, there has been limited utilization of these methods to discriminate between populations of the same taxa to challenge and refine other key archaeological issues, such as migration and connectivity in prehistory. Presented here is a novel application of a three-dimensional landmark based geometric morphometric approach to address the nature of long distance trade and connectivity on the prehistoric Silk Road. The similarity of Bronze and Iron Age archaeological cultures along this steppe route has encouraged characterisations of these people as nomads, with highly mobile, integrated, and connected human and animal populations. However, the interconnectedness of domestic animal populations, in particular sheep (Ovis aries), the foundation of this prehistoric pastoral economy, has never been examined. This study utilized geometric morphometric methods to quantify geometric morphometric variance of O. aries astragali between three geographically disparate settlement sites within a single Final Bronze age cultural and chronological context. Significant differences between morphotypes revealed that protracted mobility patterns were unlikely and that while animal exchange may have occurred, it was not pervasive enough to produce a uniform sheep morphotype across central and southeastern Kazakhstan. The result of this new application of geometric morphometric methods challenges models of uniform and undifferentiated long distance mobility and economic connectivity between the peoples of the Silk Road.Fulbright scholarshipFrances Mary Hazen fellowshi

Bone Fractures under the Microscope. An Experimental Approach to Mid-Upper Paleolithic Faunal Remains

This is the final version. Available on open access from the Slovenská Akadémia Vied via the DOI in this recordBone fragmentation results from different natural processes or various activities employed by several taphonomic agents. However, it may also represent direct evidence of deliberate human activity connected to the exploitation of animal resources throughout the Paleolithic period. Extensive long mammal bone fragmentation research resulted in last decades into description of individual fracture characteristics reflecting the background of fragmentation process (Johnson 1985; Outram 2001). The features combine macroscopic traits such as angle, an outline, and surface texture of the fracture. However, as the experimental works show, the response of bone on a gross scale is in great extent given by microstructure and its state of preservation directly correlating with the biomechanical properties (Currey 2012; Gifford-Gonzales 2018). The paper aims on testing (1) whether the microscopic features correlate with described macroscale differences or even (2) are able to distinguish features with macroscopic overlaps but of different origin. We have thus tested and applied two microscopic methods on two experimental assemblages with documented fragmentation conditions. By the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) we observed irregularities and micro-fractures in bone fracture surface (FS). They proved to be in certain aspect specific for a given state of bone preservation. Transmitted light microscopy mapped the abundance of micro-cracking, its characteristic features in relation to bone preservation and specific way of fragmentation. The histological thin-sections (HTS) revealed a variety of micro-cracking penetrating the FS, but they did not prove any differentiating pattern among observed experimental sets. A range of different surface profiles was documented, the profile morphology seems to be characteristic for individual bone preservation states. If compared to macroscopic method (FFI), the study of microscopic features in their presented extent did not allow us to differentiate further between fractures. Finally, we undertook an example application of the macroscopic fracture analysis on settlement areas from the Gravettian site Pavlov I (Czech Republic) and we discuss the potential of suggested micro-methods in taphonomic analysis dealing with animal body manipulation and exploitation.Faculty of Arts of the University of Hradec Králov

Archaeological supplement B to Damgaard et al. 2018: discussion of the archaeology of Central Asian and East Asian Neolithic to Bronze Age hunter-gatherers and early pastoralists, including consideration of horse domestication

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Zenodo via the DOI in this recordThis is part of the additional supplementary material for Damgaard et al., The first horse herders and the impact of early Bronze Age steppe expansions into Asia. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.aar7711. Note that the author accepted manuscript version of the article plus supplementary material and additional supplementary material is in ORE at http://hdl.handle.net/10871/32791The archaeological evidence relating to selected key cultures from Central and East Asia from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age is summarized. These cultures include the Eneolithic (Copper Age) Botai culture of northern Kazakhstan, the Bronze Age Okunevo culture from the Minusinsk Basin in Russia and Neolithic to Bronze Age cultures of the Baikal Region in East Siberia. Special consideration is given to the debate surrounding horse domestication within the Botai Culture, and the key lines of evidence are summarized

EquiFACS: the Equine Facial Action Coding System

Although previous studies of horses have investigated their facial expressions in specific contexts, e.g. pain, until now there has been no methodology available that documents all the possible facial movements of the horse and provides a way to record all potential facial configurations. This is essential for an objective description of horse facial expressions across a range of contexts that reflect different emotional states. Facial Action Coding Systems (FACS) provide a systematic methodology of identifying and coding facial expressions on the basis of underlying facial musculature and muscle movement. FACS are anatomically based and document all possible facial movements rather than a configuration of movements associated with a particular situation. Consequently, FACS can be applied as a tool for a wide range of research questions. We developed FACS for the domestic horse (Equus caballus) through anatomical investigation of the underlying musculature and subsequent analysis of naturally occurring behaviour captured on high quality video. Discrete facial movements were identified and described in terms of the underlying muscle contractions, in correspondence with previous FACS systems. The reliability of others to be able to learn this system (EquiFACS) and consistently code behavioural sequences was high—and this included people with no previous experience of horses. A wide range of facial movements were identified, including many that are also seen in primates and other domestic animals (dogs and cats). EquiFACS provides a method that can now be used to document the facial movements associated with different social contexts and thus to address questions relevant to understanding social cognition and comparative psychology, as well as informing current veterinary and animal welfare practices

Hedgehog pathway mutations drive oncogenic transformation in high-risk T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The role of Hedgehog signaling in normal and malignant T-cell development is controversial. Recently, Hedgehog pathway mutations have been described in T-ALL, but whether mutational activation of Hedgehog signaling drives T-cell transformation is unknown, hindering the rationale for therapeutic intervention. Here, we show that Hedgehog pathway mutations predict chemotherapy resistance in human T-ALL, and drive oncogenic transformation in a zebrafish model of the disease. We found Hedgehog pathway mutations in 16% of 109 childhood T-ALL cases, most commonly affecting its negative regulator PTCH1. Hedgehog mutations were associated with resistance to induction chemotherapy (P = 0.009). Transduction of wild-type PTCH1 into PTCH1-mutant T-ALL cells induced apoptosis (P = 0.005), a phenotype that was reversed by downstream Hedgehog pathway activation (P = 0.007). Transduction of most mutant PTCH1, SUFU, and GLI alleles into mammalian cells induced aberrant regulation of Hedgehog signaling, indicating that these mutations are pathogenic. Using a CRISPR/Cas9 system for lineage-restricted gene disruption in transgenic zebrafish, we found that ptch1 mutations accelerated the onset of notch1-induced T-ALL (P = 0.0001), and pharmacologic Hedgehog pathway inhibition had therapeutic activity. Thus, Hedgehog-activating mutations are driver oncogenic alterations in high-risk T-ALL, providing a molecular rationale for targeted therapy in this disease

Evidence of fatal skeletal injuries on Malapa Hominins 1 and 2

Malapa is one of the richest early hominin sites in Africa and the discovery site of the hominin species, Australopithecus sediba. The holotype and paratype (Malapa Hominin 1 and 2, or MH1 and MH2, respectively) skeletons are among the most complete in the early hominin record. Dating to approximately two million years BP, MH1 and MH2 are hypothesized to have fallen into a natural pit trap. All fractures evident on MH1 and MH2 skeletons were evaluated and separated based on wet and dry bone fracture morphology/characteristics. Most observed fractures are post-depositional, but those in the right upper limb of the adult hominin strongly indicate active resistance to an impact, while those in the juvenile hominin mandible are consistent with a blow to the face. The presence of skeletal trauma independently supports the falling hypothesis and supplies the first evidence for the manner of death of an australopith in the fossil record that is not attributed to predation or natural death

Origin and History of Mitochondrial DNA Lineages in Domestic Horses

Domestic horses represent a genetic paradox: although they have the greatest number of maternal lineages (mtDNA) of all domestic species, their paternal lineages are extremely homogeneous on the Y-chromosome. In order to address their huge mtDNA variation and the origin and history of maternal lineages in domestic horses, we analyzed 1961 partial d-loop sequences from 207 ancient remains and 1754 modern horses. The sample set ranged from Alaska and North East Siberia to the Iberian Peninsula and from the Late Pleistocene to modern times. We found a panmictic Late Pleistocene horse population ranging from Alaska to the Pyrenees. Later, during the Early Holocene and the Copper Age, more or less separated sub-populations are indicated for the Eurasian steppe region and Iberia. Our data suggest multiple domestications and introgressions of females especially during the Iron Age. Although all Eurasian regions contributed to the genetic pedigree of modern breeds, most haplotypes had their roots in Eastern Europe and Siberia. We found 87 ancient haplotypes (Pleistocene to Mediaeval Times); 56 of these haplotypes were also observed in domestic horses, although thus far only 39 haplotypes have been confirmed to survive in modern breeds. Thus, at least seventeen haplotypes of early domestic horses have become extinct during the last 5,500 years. It is concluded that the large diversity of mtDNA lineages is not a product of animal breeding but, in fact, represents ancestral variability