Paleoamerican diet, migration and morphology in Brazil

During the early Holocene two main paleoamerican cultures thrived in Brazil: the Tradição Nordeste in the semi-desertic Sertão and the Tradição Itaparica in the high plains of the Planalto Central. Here we report on paleodietary singals of a Paleoamerican found in a third Brazilian ecological setting--a riverine shellmound, or sambaqui, located in the Atlantic forest. Most sambaquis are found along the coast. The peoples associated with them subsisted on marine resources. We are reporting a different situation from the oldest recorded riverine sambaqui, called Capelinha. Capelinha is a relatively small sambaqui established along a river 60 km from the Atlantic Ocean coast. It contained the well-preserved remains of a Paleoamerican known as Luzio dated to 9,945±235 years ago; the oldest sambaqui dweller so far. Luzio's bones were remarkably well preserved and allowed for stable isotopic analysis of diet. Although artifacts found at this riverine site show connections with the Atlantic coast, we show that he represents a population that was dependent on inland resources as opposed to marine coastal resources. After comparing Luzio's paleodietary data with that of other extant and prehistoric groups, we discuss where his group could have come from, if terrestrial diet persisted in riverine sambaquis and how Luzio fits within the discussion of the replacement of paleamerican by amerindian morphology. This study adds to the evidence that shows a greater complexity in the prehistory of the colonization of and the adaptations to the New World

What influences the implementation of natural climate solutions? A systematic map and review of the evidence

Emergingresearch points to large greenhouse gas mitigation opportunities for activities that are focused on the preservation and maintenance of ecosystems, also known as natural climate solutions (NCS). Despite large quantifications of the potential biophysical and carbon benefits of these activities, these estimates hold large uncertainties and few capture the socio-economic bounds. Furthermore, the uptake of NCS remains slow and information on the enabling factors needed for successful implementation, co-benefits, and trade-offs of these activities remain underrepresented at scale. As such, we present a systematic review that synthesizes and maps the bottom-up evidence on the contextual factors that influence the implementation of NCS in the peer-reviewed literature. Drawing from a large global collection of (primarily case study-based, N = 211) research, this study (1) clarifies the definition of NCS, including in the context of nature-based solutions and other ecosystem-based approaches to addressing climate change; (2) provides an overview of the current state of literature, including research trends, opportunities, gaps, and biases; and (3) critically reflects on factors that may affect implementation in different geographies. We find that the content of the reviewed studies overwhelmingly focuses on tropical regions and activities in forest landscapes. We observe that implementation of NCS rely, not on one factor, but a suite of interlinked enabling factors. Specifically, engagement of indigenous peoples and local communities, performance-based finance, and technical assistance are important drivers of NCS implementation. While the broad categories of factors mentioned in the literature are similar across regions, the combination of factors and how and for whom they are taken up remains heterogeneous globally, and even within countries. Thus our results highlight the need to better understand what trends may be generalizable to inform best practices in policy discussions and where more nuance may be needed for interpreting research findings and applying them outside of their study contexts.Elsa-Neumann-Scholarship of the State of BerlinRESTORE+ project (http://www.restoreplus.org/), part of the International Climate Initiative, supported by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) on the basis of a decision adopted by the German BundestagPeer Reviewe

What biology cannot explain: affinity groups from the shellmound Jabuticabeira II (Jaguaruna, SC)

A partir da análise da escavação do Locus 2 no sambaqui Jabuticabeira II, no sul de Santa Catarina, foi proposta a existência de um grupo de afinidade composto pelos indivíduos sepultados nesse local em um intervalo de tempo circunscrito. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi testar a hipótese de que os indivíduos do Locus 2 apresentam uma afinidade biológica maior entre si do que em relação aos demais indivíduos exumados de outros loci. Para tanto, dados craniométricos de 26 indivíduos foram analisados usando testes estatísticos. Nossos resultados não apoiam a hipótese de que os indivíduos do Locus 2 apresentem maior afinidade biológica entre si. À luz de dados da literatura, outros fatores biológicos também não corroboram a existência do grupo de afinidade. É possível que outros fatores, como os culturais, tenham influenciado a decisão de quem seria sepultado nesse Locus.The excavation of Locus 2 in the shellmound Jabuticabeira II, south of Santa Catarina resulted in the proposal of the existence of an affinity group made up of individuals buried in this place in a limited time interval.The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that individuals from Locus 2 are more closely related in biological terms than in relation to individuals exhumed from other loci. Craniometric data from 26 individuals were studied using statistical analysis. Our results do not support the hypothesis that individuals from Locus 2 have a greater biological affinity between them. Since other biological criteria were also excluded, it is possible that other factors (possibly cultural ones) would have influenced the criteria of who would be buried at this locus

Distância biológica entre sambaquieiros fluviais (Moraes – Vale do Ribeira-SP) e construtores de sítios litorâneos (Piaçaguera e Tenório-SP e Jabuticabeira IISC)

Traços não-métricos cranianos foram utilizados para testar se os indivíduos do sambaqui fluvial Moraes assemelham-se ou não morfologicamente aos habitantes de sítios costeiros do sul-sudeste do Brasil. Vinte e sete traços de 52 crânios pertencentes a quatro sitios arqueológicos foram usados em comparações intra- (Jaccard) e inter-sítio (Medida Média de Divergência, Distância de Sanghvi, Análise de Cluster). Os resultados indicam homogeneidade morfológica intragrupo, permitindo comparações intergrupo. Essas revelam que os indivíduos de Moraes possuem uma morfologia significativamente distinta da dos construtores de sítios costeiros.Non-metrical cranial traits were used to test the biological distance between pre-historical fluvial and coastal shellmound dwellers from South-Southeastern Brazil. Twenty seven traits were used in inter- (Jaccard index) and intra-group comparisons (Mean Measure of Divergence, Sanghvi distance, cluster analysis) from 52 crania originating from four different sites. The results show morphological intragroup homogeneity, allowing inter-group comparisons. These revealed that the fluvial series differed significantly from the coastal series

Paleoamerican Diet, Migration and Morphology in Brazil: Archaeological Complexity of the Earliest Americans

During the early Holocene two main paleoamerican cultures thrived in Brazil: the Tradição Nordeste in the semi-desertic Sertão and the Tradição Itaparica in the high plains of the Planalto Central. Here we report on paleodietary singals of a Paleoamerican found in a third Brazilian ecological setting – a riverine shellmound, or sambaqui, located in the Atlantic forest. Most sambaquis are found along the coast. The peoples associated with them subsisted on marine resources. We are reporting a different situation from the oldest recorded riverine sambaqui, called Capelinha. Capelinha is a relatively small sambaqui established along a river 60 km from the Atlantic Ocean coast. It contained the well-preserved remains of a Paleoamerican known as Luzio dated to 9,945±235 years ago; the oldest sambaqui dweller so far. Luzio's bones were remarkably well preserved and allowed for stable isotopic analysis of diet. Although artifacts found at this riverine site show connections with the Atlantic coast, we show that he represents a population that was dependent on inland resources as opposed to marine coastal resources. After comparing Luzio's paleodietary data with that of other extant and prehistoric groups, we discuss where his group could have come from, if terrestrial diet persisted in riverine sambaquis and how Luzio fits within the discussion of the replacement of paleamerican by amerindian morphology. This study adds to the evidence that shows a greater complexity in the prehistory of the colonization of and the adaptations to the New World

Lifestyle of Shellmound Builders in Brazil (galley proofs)

The contact of inland and coastal prehistoric groups in Brazil is believed to have been restricted to regions with no geographical barrier, as is the case in the Ribeira de Iguape valley. The inland osteological collection from the riverine shellmound Moraes (5800–4500 BP) represents a unique opportunity to test this assumption for this region. Despite cultural similarities between riverine and coastal shellmounds, important ecological and site distribution differences are expected to impact on lifestyle. The purpose of this study is thus to document and interpret health and lifestyle indicators in Moraes in comparison to coastal shellmound groups. Specifically we test if the rare evidence of fish and mollusc remains in the riverine shellmound led to (a) higher caries rates and (b) lower auditory exostosis frequency and (c) if the small size of the riverine shellmound translates into reduced demographic density and thus rarity of communicable infectious diseases. Of the three hypotheses, (a) was confirmed, (b) was rejected and (c) was partly rejected. Bioanthropological similarities between Moraes and coastal shellmounds include auditory exostoses with equally high frequencies; significantly more frequent osteoarthritis in upper than in lower limbs; cranial and dental morphological affinities and low frequencies of violent trauma. However, there are also important differences: Moraes subsisted on a much broader protein diet and consumed more cariogenic food, but showed a stature even shorter than coastal groups. Thus, despite the contact also suggested by treponematoses in both site types, there was enough time for the people at the riverine site to adapt to local conditions

P relim in ary p a laeo p ath o lo g y study in the Jaboticabeira II shellmound population: Jaguaruna, SC.

O presente trabalho é um estudo preliminar em paleopatologia da amostra de esqueletos humanos recuperada durante a primeira campanha de pesquisas no sambaqui Jaboticabeira II (SC), em 1997. Padrões metodológicos internacionalmente aceitos foram utilizados para a obtenção de parâmetros de composição demográfica, aspectos de saúde e modo de vida. A ausência de cáries, a grande ocorrência de infecções e a baixa prevalência de artrite foram alguns dos resultados obtidos.This is a preliminary palaeopathology study of a sample of human skeletal remains from the first research field season at the Jaboticabeira II shellmound, in Santa Catarina, Brazil. Internationally accepted methods were used to obtain information about their demography, health status, and way of life. The absence of caries, high infection rates and low arthritis prevalence were some of our findings