Elefantes e intervención humana en los yacimientos del Pleistoceno Inferior y Medio de África y Europa

In this paper, we review some African and European sites at which it is claimed that elephants were exploted by humans. The differences between sites with only one individual (type 1) and sites with a large number of elephants (type 2) are related to different formation processes and particular problems which limit the informative potential of sites.En el presente artículo se revisan yacimientos africanos y europeos donde se ha planteado la existencia de una intervención humana sobre elefantes. Se establece una diferencia entre sitios con un sólo individuo (tipo 1) o un número alto de elefantes (tipo 2). Con independencia del carácter de la intervención humana, cuando ésta es evidente, tales diferencias responden a unos procesos de formación distintos con problemáticas singulares que condicionan finalmente la capacidad informativa del yacimiento

Metabolic and Stress Responses in Senegalese Soles (Solea senegalensis Kaup) Fed Tryptophan Supplements: E ects of Concentration and Feeding Period

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of di erent dietary Trp concentrations on the stress and metabolism response of juvenile Senegalese soles (Solea senegalensis). Fish (38.1 1.9 g) were fed di erent Trp-enriched feeds (0%, 1% and 2% Trp added) for two and eight days, and later exposed to air stress for three min. Samples were taken pre- and 1 h post-stress (condition). Plasma cortisol, lactate, glucose and proteins were significantly a ected by the sampling time, showing higher values at 1 h post-stress. Trp concentration in food also had significant e ects on lactate and glucose levels. However, the feeding period did not a ect these parameters. Post-stress values were higher than in the pre-stress condition for every plasma parameter, except for lactate in two days and 1% Trp treatment. Nevertheless, cortisol, glucose and lactate did not vary significantly between pre- and post-stress samplings in fish fed the 1% Trp-enriched diet for two days. The lack of variability in cortisol response was also due to the high pre-stress value, significantly superior to pre-stress control. The exposure time to Trp feeding did not significantly a ect any enzyme activity; however, Trp added and condition influenced protein-related enzyme activities. In spite of decreasing stress markers, Trp-enriched diets altered the protein metabolism

Intervenciones arqueológicas en los valles del Manzanares y Jarama (Madrid): puesta en valor de sus depósitos pleistoncenos.

Pese a que las primeras noticias sobre paleolítico en el Manzanares se remontan al último tercio del siglo XIX, a la intensa labor investigadora hasta la Guerra Civil, e importantes intervenciones a fines de los setenta en el Jarama, que han dejado constancia del gran potencial arqueológico de la zona, el conocimiento sobre las ocupaciones humanas durante el Pleistoceno en estas áreas es muy limitado, debido a que los proyectos de investigación que se han sucedido no han tenido una suficiente continuidad en el tiempo. Por este motivo, y debido al grave y acelerado deterioro que está sufriendo la zona por la explotación, en ocasiones incontrolada, de áridos, venimos trabajando desde septiembre de 1998 en la elaboración de una secuencia estratigráfica de las distintas ocupaciones paleolíticas, mediante la prospección intensiva, localización de yacimientos, y excavación de los potencialmente más importantes

High Stocking Density and Food Deprivation Increase Brain Monoaminergic Activity in Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata)

Simple Summary Farmed fish must cope with different stressors during aquaculture procedures, such as high densities, fasting, transport, or air exposure during handling. The severity and timing of these stressors can produce important imbalances in the overall status of the animals, triggering several endocrine and physiological players. In this study, gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) juveniles were assigned to four experimental conditions: (1) fed at a low stocking density (LSD-F, 4 kg center dot m(-3)); (2) fed at a high stocking density (HSD-F, 40 kg center dot m(-3)); (3) food-deprived at LSD (LSD-FD); and (4) food-deprived at HSD (HSD-FD). This served to evaluate, both at the plasma and central (brain) levels, the role of several hormonal (cortisol and catecholamines) and monoamine (dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmitters) functionalities. Our results evidenced chronic stress exposure (i.e., a high stocking density and food deprivation) fallouts in the enhancement of the parameters related to the stress response, where monoaminergic activities in different brain regions served to reorganize the physiological response depending on the challenge applied. In teleosts, brain monoamines (dopamine and serotonin) participate in the early response to different acute stressors. However, little is known regarding their role during chronic stress. In a 2 x 2 factorial design, the influence of a high stocking density (HSD) and/or food deprivation (FD) on the brain monoaminergic activity in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) was evaluated. Following a 21-day experimental design, samples from the plasma and brain regions (telencephalon, hypothalamus, and optic tectum) were collected. The dopamine (DA), serotonin (5HT), and their main metabolites, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and 5 hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA), contents were HPLC-assessed in brain tissues, and the ratios DOPAC/DA and 5HIAA/5HT were calculated as indicators of enhanced monoaminergic activity. The plasma levels of cortisol and catecholamine were also evaluated. The cortisol levels increased in fish exposed to HSD and normally fed but, also, in all FD groups, whereas the NA levels decreased in LSD-FD animals. Within the brain, the dopaminergic and serotonergic activities in telencephalon and hypothalamus increased in fish subjected to HSD and in the telencephalon of LSD-FD fish. While DA (hypothalamus) and 5HT (telencephalon) increased in the animals submitted to a HSD, food-deprived fish did not show such an increase. Taken together, our results supported the hypothesis of brain monoaminergic activity participating in maintaining and orchestrating the endocrine response to chronic stress in fish.This study was partially funded by the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigacion and European Fund of Regional Development (PID2019-103969RB-C31). J.A.M.-S. and J.M.M. (Juan Miguel Mancera) belong to the Fish Welfare and Stress Network (AGL2016-81808-REDT) supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness. Besides, we acknowledge support of the publication fee by the Instituto Universitario de Investigacion Marina (INMAR, University of Cadiz) Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Special Action

Autopistas, ferrocarriles y bifaces : ¿nuevas perspectivas para la investigación del Paleolítico en los ríos Manzanares y Jarama?

Tal vez la gran aportación tras un siglo de investigación en ios valles Jarama y Manzanares liaya sido dejar constancia de su gran potencial arqueológico. En la actualidad debido al grave y acelerado deterioro que sufre la zona es necesario un esfuerzo para encontrar un marco adecuado en el que la investigación del Paleolítico pueda desarrollarse.After near a century of investigations in ttie Jarama and Manzanares valleys maybe the main conclusión is its vaiuable Archaeological heritage. At present due to thíe serious and accelerated damage that we can see in this área, it's neccesary to find an appropriate framework wtiere the investigation of ttie Paleolittiic can grow

Essential Oils as Stress-Reducing Agents for Fish Aquaculture: A Review

In fish, stressful events initiate a hormone cascade along the hypothalamus-pituitaryinterrenal and hypothalamus-sympathetic-chromaffin (HSC) axis to evoke several physiological reactions in order to orchestrate and maintain homeostasis. Several biotic and abiotic factors, as well as aquaculture procedures (handling, transport, or stocking density), activated stress system inducing negative effects on different physiological processes in fish (growth, reproduction, and immunity). In order to reduce these consequences, the use of essential oils (EOs) derived from plants has been the focus of aquaculture studies due to their diverse properties (e.g., anesthetic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial), which have been shown to reduce biochemical and endocrine alterations and, consequently, to improve the welfare status. Recently, several studies have shown that biogenic compounds isolated from different EOs present excellent biological activities, as well as the nanoencapsulated form of these EOs may potentiate their effects. Overall, EOs presented less side effects than synthetic compounds, but their stress-reducing efficacy is related to their chemical composition, concentration or chemotype used. In addition, their species-specific actions must be clearly established since they can act as stressors by themselves if their concentrations and chemotypes used are not suitable. For this reason, it is necessary to assess the effect of these natural compound mixtures in different fish species, from marine to freshwater, in order to find the ideal concentration range and the way for their administration to obtain the desired biological activity, without any undesired side effects. In this review, the main findings regarding the use of different EOs as stress reducers will be presented to highlight the most important issues related to their use to improve fish welfare in aquaculture

Low dietary inclusion of nutraceuticals from microalgae improves feed efficiency and modifies intermediary metabolisms in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)

The aim of this work was to evaluate two functional feeds for the gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata, containing low inclusion of two microalgae-based products (LB-GREENboost, LBGb; and LB-GUThealth, LBGh). Fish (12-13 g) were fed for 13 weeks a control diet or one of the four diets supplemented with both products at 0.5% or 1%. LBGb and LBGh did not affect specific growth rate or survival, but increased feed efficiency by decreasing feed intake and enlarging the intestines. LBGb increased hepatosomatic index and reduced cortisol levels in plasma, while both products lowered plasma lactate. Extensive metabolite and metabolic enzyme profiling revealed that microalgae supplementations, especially 1% LBGh: (i) decrease plasma lactate and increase hepatic glycogen, (ii) reduce hepatic gluconeogenesis, (iii) enhance hepatic lipogenic activity and lipid secretion, (iv) led fish to double triglyceride content in muscle and to stimulate its lipid oxidative capacity, and (v) increase the content of monounsaturated fatty acids and the omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid in muscle. This study demonstrates that both microalgae-based products are suited to improve feed efficiency and orchestrate significant changes in the intermediary metabolism in gilthead seabream juveniles

Dietary Use of the Microalga Chlorella fusca Improves Growth, Metabolism, and Digestive Functionality in Thick-Lipped Grey Mullet (Chelon labrosus, Risso 1827) Juveniles

In recent years, a clear emphasis has been placed on replacing fishmeal and fish oil in aquafeeds with other alternative ingredients, including algae, particularly in low trophic omnivorous fish species. This work aimed at evaluating the effects of moderate dietary supplementation with the green microalga Chlorella fusca on growth, metabolism, and digestive functionality in juvenile thick-lipped grey mullet (Chelon labrosus). Fish were fed a control diet (CT) or a diet containing 15% C. fusca (C-15) biomass during 90 days. C. labrosus fed with the C-15 diet showed higher growth performance (in terms of final weight and length, weight gain, and specific growth rate) than the control group. Somatic indices and muscle proximate composition were similar at the end of the feeding trial. Regarding fatty acids profile, C. fusca-fed fish showed a selective retention of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the liver, and arachidonic acid (ARA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and DHA in the muscle. Dietary inclusion of this microalga significantly increased intestinal total alkaline protease, leucine aminopeptidase, and alkaline phosphatase activities in specimens fed with C-15 diet. Furthermore, intestine histological analysis revealed the absence of damage signs on gut morphology in fish fed the microalgae supplemented diet. Thick-lipped grey mullets fed the C-15 diet increased plasma glucose and decreased plasma lactate. Overall, the effects observed on liver (lipid metabolism, glycolysis and glycogenolysis) enzyme activities, together with adequate fatty acid profile, metabolic response, and gut morphology, and a significant increase in the intestinal mucosa's digestive and absorptive capacity, could explain the positive effects on growth performance obtained in fish fed the microalgae-supplemented diet. In conclusion, the results obtained showed that C. fusca is suitable as dietary ingredient for feeding thick-lipped grey mullet juveniles

The interaction between large mammals and Acheulean tools during the Middle Pleistocene in the Manzanares valley (Madrid, Spain): new evidence for Santa Elena and Oxígeno sites

The fuvial deposits of the Manzanares and Jarama rivers present one of the largest concentrations of lithic and faunal remains of Pleistocene sites in Europe. In the Manzanares River close to the confuence of the Jarama River, the stepped terrace system disappears and gives way to the Complex Terrace of Butarque (CTB), where the sites of Santa Elena and Oxígeno are located. Diferent numerical dates obtained from the visible CTB’s bottom suggest that it was deposited during the MIS 6 or even MIS 7. This paper provides the frst taphonomic and palaeoecological interpretation of both collections. A total of 445 fossil elements have been recorded in Oxígeno. The most represented are cranial fragments of Elephas sp. About Santa Elena, 130 fossil elements have been recorded. The best represented are fragments of Bos/Bison sp. horns and Elephas sp. tusks. The taphonomic processes identifed at both sites bring to light a complex taphonomic history. The incidence of processes related to fuvial transport is higher in Oxígeno than in Santa Elena. Besides, dismemberment cut marks have been identifed exclusively on the humerus of Bos primigenius in Santa Elena. Several tooth marks from carnivores have been recorded: small pits and scores at Oxígeno as well as pits and furrowing on Bos primigenius and Megaloceros sp. bones from Santa Elena. The faunal association depict an open landscape of wet meadows with herbaceous vegetation adjacent to riparian wood habitats associated with the Manzanares alluvial plain, where hominids and predators competed to some unknown exten