Spotted phenotypes in horses lost attractiveness in the Middle Ages

Horses have been valued for their diversity of coat colour since prehistoric times; this is especially the case since their domestication in the Caspian steppe in ~3,500 BC. Although we can assume that human preferences were not constant, we have only anecdotal information about how domestic horses were influenced by humans. Our results from genotype analyses show a significant increase in spotted coats in early domestic horses (Copper Age to Iron Age). In contrast, medieval horses carried significantly fewer alleles for these phenotypes, whereas solid phenotypes (i.e., chestnut) became dominant. This shift may have been supported because of (i) pleiotropic disadvantages, (ii) a reduced need to separate domestic horses from their wild counterparts, (iii) a lower religious prestige, or (iv) novel developments in weaponry. These scenarios may have acted alone or in combination. However, the dominance of chestnut is a remarkable feature of the medieval horse population.Peer Reviewe

4000 years of human dietary evolution in central Germany, from the first farmers to the first elites

Investigation of human diet during the Neolithic has often been limited to a few archaeological cultures or single sites. In order to provide insight into the development of human food consumption and husbandry strategies, our study explores bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope data from 466 human and 105 faunal individuals from 26 sites in central Germany. It is the most extensive data set to date from an enclosed geographic microregion, covering 4,000 years of agricultural history from the Early Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. The animal data show that a variety of pastures and dietary resources were explored, but that these changed remarkably little over time. In the human δ15N however we found a significant increase with time across the different archaeological cultures. This trend could be observed in all time periods and archaeological cultures (Bell Beaker phenomenon excluded), even on continuously populated sites. Since there was no such trend in faunal isotope values, we were able largely to exclude manuring as the cause of this effect. Based on the rich interdisciplinary data from this region and archaeological period we can argue that meat consumption increased with the increasing duration of farming subsistence. In δ13C, we could not observe any clear increasing or decreasing trends during the archaeological time periods, either for humans or for animals, which would have suggested significant changes in the environment and landscape use. We discovered sex-related dietary differences, with males of all archaeological periods having higher δ15N values than females, and an age-related increasing consumption of animal protein. An initial decrease of δ15N-values at the age of 1-2 years reveals partial weaning, while complete weaning took place at the age of 3-4 years

Stable isotopes show Homo sapiens dispersed into cold steppes ~45,000 years ago at Ilsenhöhle in Ranis, Germany

The spread of Homo sapiens into new habitats across Eurasia ~45,000 years ago and the concurrent disappearance of Neanderthals represents a critical evolutionary turnover in our species' history. 'Transitional' technocomplexes, such as the Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician (LRJ), characterize the European record during this period but their makers and evolutionary significance have long remained unclear. New evidence from Ilsenhöhle in Ranis, Germany, now provides a secure connection of the LRJ to H. sapiens remains dated to ~45,000 years ago, making it one of the earliest forays of our species to central Europe. Using many stable isotope records of climate produced from 16 serially sampled equid teeth spanning ~12,500 years of LRJ and Upper Palaeolithic human occupation at Ranis, we review the ability of early humans to adapt to different climate and habitat conditions. Results show that cold climates prevailed across LRJ occupations, with a temperature decrease culminating in a pronounced cold excursion at ~45,000-43,000 cal BP. Directly dated H. sapiens remains confirm that humans used the site even during this very cold phase. Together with recent evidence from the Initial Upper Palaeolithic, this demonstrates that humans operated in severe cold conditions during many distinct early dispersals into Europe and suggests pronounced adaptability. [Abstract copyright: © 2024. The Author(s).

Élevage et chasse dans le Néolithique d'Allemagne centrale

De nombreux assemblages fauniques de sites néolithiques d\u27Allemagne centrale ont été étudiés ces trente dernières années. La plus grande partie du matériel osseux exhumé et étudié ici appartient à la culture rubannée (Bandkeramik, Néolithique ancien), à la culture des gobelets en entonnoir (Trichterbecherkultur, Néolithique moyen) et à la culture de la céramique cordée (Schnurkeramik, Néolithique final). Dans tous les sites, les restes d\u27animaux domestiques dominent par rapport à ceux des animaux sauvages (plus de 90 %, d\u27après les nombres de restes de mammifères). On peut conclure d\u27après ces résultats obtenus par les restes animaux que les besoins en nourriture carnée pouvaient être satisfaits par les animaux domestiques, en particulier les bovins, durant tout le Néolithique. La représentation toujours faible des animaux sauvages pendant tout le Néolithique d\u27Allemagne centrale est remarquable. C\u27est contraire à ce qui est observé dans d\u27autres régions (et d\u27autres cultures néolithiques) d\u27Europe centrale, comme en Allemagne du Sud où le nombre de restes d\u27animaux sauvages atteint plus de 20 %, en règle générale. Il semble que la proportion entre animaux domestiques et sauvages dépende davantage de facteurs écogéographiques que culturels.During the last three decades, a number of faunal assemblages from Neolithic sites in Central Germany was studied. Most of the bone material excavated and studied here belongs to the Bandkeramik (Bandceramic culture, early Neolithic), the Trichterbecherkultur (Funnel Beaker culture, middle Neolithic), and the Schnurkeramik (Corded Ware culture, late Neolithic ). At all settlement sites, bones of domestic animals dominated over wild ones, amounting to more than 90% (based on the number of bones of mammals only ). It can be concluded from these results that meat requirements could be covered by domestic animals, particularly cattle, throughout the whole Neolithic, as far as animal bones give evidence at all. The consistently low proportion of wild animals bones during the whole Neolithic in Central Germany is, at the very least, remarkable. This is in sharp contrast to other regions (and other Neolithic cultures) in Central Europe, such as Southern Germany where, as a rule, wild mammals bones comprise over 20%. It seems that the relative proportion of domestic and wild animals depends more on ecogeographic factors than on a certain Neolithic culture.</p

Stable isotope values of bone collagen samples from humans and animals from central Germany.

<p>Mesolithic (MESO) = grey; additional Mesolithic samples from Bottendorf, Thuringia [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0194862#pone.0194862.ref072" target="_blank">72</a>]. EN = light green, MN = yellow, YN = pink, LN = red, FN = blue, EBA = orange.</p

Scatter plot of <i>δ</i>¹³C and <i>δ</i>¹⁵N values of faunal samples.

<p>Early Neolithic (EN) = light green, Middle Neolithic (MN) = yellow, Younger Neolithic (YN) = pink, Late Neolithic (LN) = red, Final Neolithic (FN) = blue, Early Bronze Age (EBA) = orange.</p

Overview of investigated sites and archaeological chronology of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age central Germany.

<p>The Stroke Ornamented Culture and Michelsberg Culture are not represented in our sample due to low rate of anthropological findings. Chronology after Schwarz in [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0194862#pone.0194862.ref029" target="_blank">29</a>].</p

Chronological development the distribution of <i>δ</i>¹³C values according to the different archaeological periods.

<p>Numbers of individuals are displayed in parentheses.</p

Site-specific development.

<p>Stable isotope values of bone collagen samples from humans at continually populated sites: Karsdorf with LBK, BAC, BBC, CWC, indet. LN and UC (A), Quedlinburg (B) with LBK, BAC, BBC, CWC and UC, Eulau with GLC, BAC, CWC and UC (C) and Benzingerode with BEC, BBC, UC (D) (infans I exluded). EN = green, YN = pink, LN = red, FN = blue/grey, EBA = orange.</p