Ghosts in the Landscape : Challenges and Opportunities in the Search for Scotland’s Palaeolithic People

Non peer reviewedPostprin

Ghosts in the Landscape : Challenges and Opportunities in the Search for Scotland’s Palaeolithic People

Non peer reviewedPostprin

Multi-isotope analysis and the reconstruction of prey species palaeomigrations and palaeoecology

This thesis explores the use of multi-element isotope analysis and intra-tooth sampling to reconstruct prey species ecology and biogeography. Modern caribou (Rangifer tarandus ssp.) and bison (Bison bison) from North America are used to assess the relationship between known lifetime movements and feeding habits, and those reconstructed through the stable isotope analysis of teeth and bone, including strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (d18O), carbon(d13C), nitrogen (d15N) and sulphur (d34S). Teeth (enamel and dentine) were sequentially-sampled in order to reconstruct time-series isotopic profiles at an intra- and inter-individual scale, allowing an assessment of the applicability of these methods to archaeological materials. The 87Sr/86Sr and d18O data indicate the clear potential for these methods to identify faunal movements, and to discern ranging behaviours from true migrations. d34S values of bone collagen compliment enamel 87Sr/86Sr data in the same individuals, and suggest the use of this approach for the identification of geographical origin.d13C and d15N from sequentially-sampled dentinal collagen allows the identification of some seasonal foraging behaviours, most notably winter lichen consumption in the caribou. The same stable isotope and sampling techniques are then applied to fauna from the late Pleistocene site of Jonzac (Chez-Pinaud), France, in order to investigate the biogeography and feeding ecology of Middle Palaeolithic prey-species. The elevated d13C values in reindeer bone collagen compared to the other species indicates lichen feeding and the prevalence of this niche feeding behaviour in this ancestral species. The sequential-sampling and strontium isotope analysis of herbivore enamel from the site clearly demonstrates seasonal migratory behaviour in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus sp.), and allows the identification of a non-migratory taxon, bison (Bison sp.) This is the first such evidence for migration in Pleistocene reindeer, allowing greater insight into the palaeoecology of this prey animal, and the palaeoenvironment in which Neanderthals lived and hunted

Multi-scale, integrated approaches to understanding the nature and impact of past environmental and climatic change in the archaeological record, and the role of isotope zooarchaeology

We would like to thank all our contributors for submitting their work to be part of this special collection of papers. Many thanks to Andy Howard and Chris Hunt for their patience and guidance during preparation and publication, and to the wider production team for their assistance. Thanks also to Charlotta Hillerdal and Joshua Wright (Aberdeen) for taking the time to provide comments on an earlier draft of this introduction.Peer reviewedPostprin

Oxygen isotopes in bioarchaeology : Principles and applications, challenges and opportunities

The Max-Planck-Society and the University of Aberdeen are thanked for professional and financial support during production of this manuscript. Ciara Gigleux of CG editing is thanked for help with copy-editing. Thanks are also due to Matthew Collins (Copenhagen/Cambridge) and Michelle Alexander (York) for contributions to the production of Figure 8. We also thank the Editors and two anonymous reviewers whose comments on an earlier version of this manuscript greatly improved this work.Peer reviewedPostprin

High current and high power superconducting rectifiers

Results on three experimental superconducting rectifiers are reported. Two of them are 1 kA low frequency flux pumps, one thermally and magnetically switched. The third is a low-current high-frequency magnetically switched rectifier which can use the mains directly

Stable carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotope analysis of permafrost preserved human hair from rescue excavations (2009, 2010) at the precontact site of Nunalleq, Alaska

Acknowledgments This work was funded by an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AH/K006029/1) grant awarded to Rick Knecht, Kate Britton and Charlotta Hillerdal (Aberdeen); an AHRC-LabEx award (AH/N504543/1) to KB, RK, Keith Dobney (Liverpool) and Isabelle Sidéra (Nanterre); the Carnegie Trust to the Universities of Scotland (travel grant to KB); and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. The onsite collection of samples was carried out by staff and students from the University of Aberdeen, volunteer excavators and the residents of Quinhagak. We had logistical and planning support for fieldwork by the Qanirtuuq Incorporated, Quinhagak, Alaska, and the people of Quinhagak, who we also thank for sampling permissions. Special thanks to Warren Jones and Qanirtuuq Incorporated (especially Michael Smith and Lynn Church), and to all Nunalleq project team members, in Aberdeen and at other institutions, particularly Charlotta Hillerdal and Edouard Masson-Maclean (Aberdeen) for comments on earlier versions of this manuscript, and also to Véronique Forbes, Ana Jorge, Carly Ameen and Ciara Mannion (Aberdeen) for their inputs. Thanks also to Michelle Alexander (York). Finally, thank you to Ian Scharlotta (Alberta) for inviting us to contribute to this special issue, to the Editor, and to three anonymous reviewers, whose suggestions and recommended changes to an earlier version of this manuscript greatly improved the paper.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Anion exchange resin and slow precipitation preclude the need for pretreatments in silver phosphate preparation for oxygen isotope analysis of bioapatites

The authors would like to thank Wolfram Meier-Augenstein (Robert Gordon University) for advice on TC/EA677 IRMS and to Raquel Maria (Kimmel Center for Archaeological Science, Weizmann Institute of Science) for advice on FTIR-ATR. Thanks to Birke Brumme (MPI EVA) for practical support with sample preparation. Thanks are also due to Sahra Talamo (MPI EVA/University of Bologna) for providing aliquots of the S-EVA-2000 and S-EVA-2001 in-house bone standards and to Klervia Jaouen (MPI EVA/Géosciences Environnment Toulouse) for providing extracted collagen used in the preparation of synthetic bones. This research was funded by the Max-Planck-Society as part of SP’s doctoral research. The authors would also like to thank the Max-Planck-Society, the University of Aberdeen and the Vreije Universiteit Brussels for professional and financial support during the production of this manuscript. CS thanks the Research Foundation - Flanders for his post-doctoral fellowship. We also thank Christophe Lécuyer and an anonymous reviewer for their valuable comments and suggestions.Peer reviewedPostprin

Potential dietary, non-metabolic accumulation of arsenic (As) in seaweed-eating sheep's teeth : Implications for archaeological studies

MB gratefully acknowledges support in form of a PhD stipend from the European Social Fund and Scottish Funding Council as part of Developing Scotland’s Workforce in the Scotland 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Fund Programme. MB would also like to thank Benjamin Blanz for his assistance in creating the diagram of a sheep’s molar, and Ruth Mackay for taking photographic images of the sheep’s teeth. Hoy and North Ronaldsay tooth samples were kindly contributed by Prof Keith Dobney.Peer reviewedPostprin

Increased complexity of Tmem16a/Anoctamin 1 transcript alternative splicing

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>TMEM16A (Anoctamin 1; ANO1) is an eight transmembrane protein that functions as a calcium-activated chloride channel. <it>TMEM16A </it>in human exhibits alternatively spliced exons (6b, 13 and 15), which confer important roles in the regulation of channel function. Mouse <it>Tmem16a </it>is reported to consist of 25 exons that code for a 956 amino acid protein. In this study our aim was to provide details of mouse <it>Tmem16a </it>genomic structure and to investigate if <it>Tmem16a </it>transcript undergoes alternative splicing to generate channel diversity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We identified <it>Tmem16a </it>transcript variants consisting of alternative exons 6b, 10, 13, 14, 15 and 18. Our findings indicate that many of these exons are expressed in various combinations and that these splicing events are mostly conserved between mouse and human. In addition, we confirmed the expression of these exon variants in other mouse tissues. Additional splicing events were identified including a novel conserved exon 13b, tandem splice sites of exon 1 and 21 and two intron retention events.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that <it>Tmem16a </it>gene is significantly more complex than previously described. The complexity is especially evident in the region spanning exons 6 through 16 where a number of the alternative splicing events are thought to affect calcium sensitivity, voltage dependence and the kinetics of activation and deactivation of this calcium-activated chloride channel. The identification of multiple <it>Tmem16a </it>splice variants suggests that alternative splicing is an exquisite mechanism that operates to diversify TMEM16A channel function in both physiological and pathophysiological conditions.</p