Changes in raw material selection and use at 400,000 years BP: A Novel, symbolic relationship between humans and their world. Discussing technological, social and cognitive arguments

Approximately 400,000 years BP, novel technological behaviours appeared in the archaeological record, attested by evidence of the exploitation of previously unused resources and the production of new tools. I have reviewed such innovations, and I discuss them in the frame of the anthropological, palaeoneurological, genetic and behavioural changes that appeared in the Middle Pleistocene. I propose that at this chronology humans started to see the resources as ‘other-than-human’ sentient co-dwellers. The technological innovations expressed this novel cognitive complexity and the possible new things–things, human–things and environment–things relationships. Artefacts and technologies acquired multiple semiotic meanings that were strongly interconnected with the functional value. Ethnoarchaeological evidence suggested the possible symbolic acting beyond these innovations in material culture. This perspective has relevant implications in the archaeology of the ancient Palaeolithic. It suggests the need for a new view of material culture, one that goes beyond the classical list approach in the definition of modern symbolic mediated behaviour. Further, it allows one to overcome the traditional juxtaposition between ancient cultures and Homo sapiens in terms of complexity. The evidence discussed in this paper suggests that the ontological hypothesis could change our view of Middle Pleistocene hominids and the origin and definition of modern behaviour, and test the archaeological visibility of cognition in prehistoryThis study has been supported by the project ‘Re-definiendo forma, uso y expression cultural en el Paleolítico medio’, ref.: SI1/PJI/2019-00488, funded by Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid and Universidad Autónoma de Madri

Risorse litiche e comportamento tecnico dei Neandertaliani: variabilità culturale e adattamento all'ambiente nel Salento. Grotta del Cavallo, strati L-N e Grotta Mario Bernardini, strato D.// Raw materials and Neanderthal technical behaviour: cultural variability and adaptation to the environment in Salento (South Apulia). Grotta del Cavallo, layers L-N and Grotta Bernardini, layer D.

El Salento (SE de Italia) es un territorio rico de evidencias arqueológicas en cueva de Paleolítico medio. Los yacimientos han sido parcialmente explorados en los años 60 y 70 de 1900. Los materiales líticos han sido divulgado examinando solamente los objetos retocados. Esta tesis se centra en el estudio de los niveles mas antiquos de dos yacimientos cercanos: Grotta del Cavallo y Grotta Mario Bernardini. El obietivo es de analizar la variabilidad tecnica segundo un appoche comportamentale para valuar las estrategias economicas y las capacidades tecnicas de estos grupos humanos. Portanto se ha utilizado el principio teórico de l'análisis tecnológica y el empleo de cadenas operativas como herramienta interpretativa para leer un proceso. Igualmente se han abiertas varias líneas de investigación como el estudio geológico para el aprovisionamiento de materias primas o la anàlisis tecno-morfo-funcional de los retocados. En los últimos quince años habían visto detrás de las industrias líticas de Paleolitico medio una grande riqueza desde el punto de vista de las opciónes técnicas y económicas. Esta tesis mostra esta riqueza en los conjuntos líticos de Grotta del Cavallo, presentando un desconocido cambio técnico en la sequencia y contrinuendo a enriquecer el debate sobre la variabilidad de Paleolítico medio.Salento region (SE Italy) is an area rich in archaeological site concerning Middle Palaeolithic. The caves have been explored during 60's and 70's and are published only partially, using a typological approach focused just on retouched tools. My research concerns the analysis of ancient layers of Grotta del Cavallo and Grotta Mario Bernardini. The goal is to analyze the economic strategies and technical abilities of Neanderthal people in this area. For this reason we use the technological analysis of the manufacturing process based on"chaîne opératoire" and we opened different research-line like geological survey for raw materials or the techno-functional analysis of retouched tools. In the last fifteen years we sow behind Middle Palaeolithic lithic industries a big richness in terms of technical and economical options. This research shows this richness in the assemblages from Grotta del Cavallo, presenting an unknown technical variability and a technical change between layer L and the lower layers. The original data that we propose enrich with our knowledge of technical variability during Middle Palaeolithic showing the existence of a structured system built from human being able to integrate different needs and to adjust to available resources

Combining quantitative approaches to differentiate between backed products from discoidal and Levallois reduction sequences

Backed flakes (core edge flakes and pseudo-Levallois points) represent special products of Middle Paleolithic centripetal flaking strategies. Their peculiarities are due to their roles as both a technological objective and in the management of core convexities to retain its geometric properties during reduction. In Middle Paleolithic contexts, these backed implements are commonly produced during Levallois and discoidal reduction sequences. Backed products from Levallois and discoidal reduction sequences often show common geometric and morphological features that complicate their attribution to one of these methods. This study examines the identification of experimentally produced discoidal and recurrent centripetal Levallois backed products (including all stages of reduction) based on their morphological features. 3D geometric morphometrics are employed to quantify morphological variability among the experimental sample. Dimensionality reduction though principal component analysis is combined with 11 machine learning models for the identification of knapping methods. A supported vector machine with polynomial kernel has been identified as the best model (with a general accuracy of 0.76 and an area under the curve [AUC] of 0.8). This indicates that combining geometric morphometrics, principal component analysis, and machine learning models succeeds in capturing the morphological differences of backed products according to the knapping methodThis research has been supported by the project SI1/PJI/2019-00488 funded by Comunidad Autonoma de Madrid and Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. FR research studies are also supported by the project ID2019-103987GBC33 funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovatio

Plasma and Red Blood Cells Concentration Profiles of Ktamine after Single Intravenous Administration in an Anaesthetic Protocol in Horses

The aim of this study was to describe the concentration profile of ketamine in plasma and red blood cells following an intravenous (IV) bolus in the horse. Ten healthy standardbred horses (two males and height females) 7.7 ± 4.6 (mean value ± SD) years old and weighting 380 ± 21 kg (mean value ± SD) were recruited. The horses were premedicated with acepromazine (0.04 mg·kg-1·IV). Fifteen minutes later they received romifidine (0.08 mg·kg-1·IV), and 5 minutes after they were administered midazolam (0.06 mg·kg-1·IV). Immediately, anaesthesia was induced by ketamine (2.2 mg·kg-1·IV). Venous blood samples were collected at scheduled time points. Plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) concentration of ketamine was assayed using a high performance liquid chromatographic method (HPLC/UV-DAD). The high mean recovery rates, the high sensitivity, the good linearity, suggest a clinical applicability of the analytical method. A bicompartmental model resulted as the most appropriate to describe the ketamine concentration—time profile for both plasma and RBCs. The fitted regression line between ketamine plasma concentrations and RBC concentrations supports the good correlation between ketamine concentrations in plasma and in RBCs. The kinetic parameters of ketamine calculated for RBC are equal or very similar to the plasma ones. The study confirms the kinetic behaviour of ketamine used in the horse as anaesthetic inducers in routine surgery. Finally, the bicompartmental model well describes the ketamine profile also in RBCs, that it is very close to the plasma profile, underlining the great importance of RBCs as blood subcompartment

Equine Bone Marrow and Adipose Tissue Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Cytofluorimetric Characterization, In Vitro Differentiation, and Clinical Application

The aim of the present work was to isolate, cultivate, differentiate, and conduct cellular characterization of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from equine adipose tissue (eAT) and bone marrow (eBM). Isolated and characterized cells were used in racehorses suffering from a superficial flexor tendon injury. Equine adipose tissue collection was performed at the base of the horse tail, whereas eBM was aspirated from iliac crest. Mononuclear cell fraction was isolated and cultured. In vitro differentiation and molecular characterization at P3 of culture were performed. No statistically significant differences in the number of cell doublings were found among different culture passages (P > .05). Doubling time was greater for eBM than eAT (3.2 1.5 vs. 1.3 0.7; P < .05). Positive von Kossa and Alizarin Red staining confirmed osteogenesis. Alcian Blue and Oil Red O staining illustrated chondrogenesis and adipogenesis, respectively. Isolated cells resulted positive for CD90, CD44, and CD105, whereas negative for hematopoietic markers, CD14, CD45, and CD34. Using isolated cells for injured tendon therapy, no adverse reactions were observed, and all inoculated horses returned to race competitions. In vitro results revealed the immunophenotypic characterization of isolated cells similar to that observed in human MSCs from the same sources; furthermore, in the present study, their clinical use proves the safety of eBM-derived and eAT-derived MSCs and a successful outcome for the treated animals that returned to their previous level of sport activity

Agarrar o no agarrar: Una aproximación experimental para comprender el uso de áreas prensiles en útiles Musterienses

The existence of a more or less complex handling technology with the lithic tools during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic is an interesting topic for understanding aspects of the human behavior during these periods. In this work we present a preliminary experimental evaluation of the possible functionality of prehensile area in some of the most representative lithic types of the Mousterian assemblages (dorsal elements and levallois chapeau de gendarme proximal area), in which the morphological comparative analysis of imprints and prehensile tool areas, is compared by 3D analysis procedures. Preliminary results indicate that there is a close relationship between the digital grasp morphologie and the prehensile area of some Mousterian techno-types. We also discussed the relevance and significance of these provisional conclusions in the context of hunter gather communitiesLa existencia de una tecnología más o menos compleja en el manejo de los útiles líticos durante el Paleolítico Inferior y Medio es una clave interesante para conocer, en todas sus facetas, a los grupos humanos de estos periodos. En este trabajos presentamos una evaluación experimental de carácter preliminar sobre el posible funcionamiento de las áreas prensiles de algunos de los tipos líticos más representativos de los conjuntos musterienses (elementos de dorso y talones Levallois de chapeau de gendarme) en la que el análisis morfológico de improntas en masillas y en útiles líticos se compara mediante procedimientos de análisis 3D. Los resultados preliminares indican que existe una estrecha relación entre las morfologías de prensión digital y las áreas prensiles de algunos tecno-tipos musterienses. Igualmente discutimos qué significado pueden tener estas conclusiones provisionale