The bears from Dmanisi and the first dispersal of early Homo out of Africa

We report on the taxonomy and paleodiet of the bear population that inhabited the emblematic palaeoanthropological Early Pleistocene (1.8 Ma) site of Dmanisi (Georgia), based on a dual approach combining morphometrics and microwear of upper and lower teeth. Given that the teeth of Ursus etruscus Cuvier, 1823 from Dmanisi show considerable size variability, their systematic position has been debated. However, a comparative study of the coefficients of variation for tooth size measurements in several modern bear species shows that the variability in tooth size of the ursid population from Dmanisi could result from sexual dimorphism. The analysis of tooth microwear indicates that these bears inhabited a mixed environment of open plain with forest patches, where they had a browsing diet with a substantial contribution of meat and/or fish. Comparative tooth morphometric analyses of modern ursids and fossil U. etruscus indicate that this extinct species had an omnivorous behavior similar to that of extant brown bears. The ecological interactions of the Dmanisi bears with other members of the large mammals community, including the first hominins that dispersed out of Africa, are discussed in the light of this new evidence

The organic residues of lining in transport vessels from the Red Sea coast of Eritrea: a further element to understand past commercial relations

AbstractThe archaeological site of Adulis lays on the Red Sea Coast of Eritrea and during Late antiquity played a significant role in interregional commerce among the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean coasts. Contacts with the Eastern Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula and the Sasanian world have been attested from different classes of pottery that were brought to light from on-going excavations at the site. Transport vessels have attracted particular attention as they testify the extent of trades and exchange networks. Transport vessels were coated by organic materials to seal porosity and make them suitable to transport different liquids and/or food. The characterisation of coating materials helped shedding light on their function, and support the attribution to different classes of transport vessels found in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea worlds. Here, the characterisation of the organic lining detected on a set of samples identified as Late Roman Amphora 1 is discussed. Results from the chemical analyses, performed preliminarily by FT-IR and then by GC–MS, revealed that bitumen was used for lining the jars, thus leading to set the classification of the amphorae within the wide class of the so- called Torpedo jars. By overcoming the question of typological complexity posed from macroscopic examination of the sherds, the chemical investigation contributed here crucial information for the interpretation of past trading in the Indian Ocean. The research gave clues to broaden the distribution of the Torpedo jars to Adulis, giving an unexpected insight into the trading routes of the past

Early pleistocene ecological relations among omnivorous species: suids, ursids, cercopithecids and hominins

Les grans espècies omnívores han habitat en àmplies zones geogràfiques d’Àfrica, Orient Mitjà i altres regions d’Eurasia durant el Pleistocè inferior (~ 2.0 – 1.0 Ma). L’èxit de la seva evolució, i successives dispersions, s’ ha relacionat amb canvis climàtics globals i el seus mètodes d’explotació dels recursos alimentaris. La diversitat en la dieta reflexa l’especialització de la seva morfologia craneodental, desenvolupant trets anatòmics especialitzats i ampliant els seus nínxols ecològics. L’ èxit co-evolutiu de suids, úrsids, cercopitècids i homínids dins del gran procés evolutiu dels mamífers durant el Plio-Pleistocè està relacionat amb la convergència evolutiva de la seva morfologia dental y l’èxit de l’aprofitament d’una dieta amb ampli espectre. En aquest estudi s’apliquen mètodes combinats d’anatomia, de microdesgast de les dents (microwear) i estadística multivariant, conjuntament amb dades isotòpiques. Els resultats obtinguts a través d’aquesta combinació de mètodes ajuda a comprendre el tipus de dieta i l’hàbitat de les especies omnívores que habitaven en diferents àrees geogràfiques. El registre d’isòtops recuperats de cada jaciments està en concordança amb els resultats paleoecològics subministrats pel microdesgast.Las especies grandes omnívoros han habitado en amplias zonas geográficas de África, Oriente Medio y otras regiones de Eurasia durante el Pleistoceno inferior (~ 2,0 - 1,0 Ma), El éxito en su evolución y sucesivas dispersiones se ha relacionado con cambios climáticos globales y sus modos de explotación de los recursos alimenticios. Su diversidad en la dieta refleja la especialización de su morfología craneodental, desarrollando rasgos anatómicos especializados y ampliando sus nichos ecológicos. El éxito co-evolutivo de suidos, úrsidos, cercopitécidos y homínidos dentro del gran proceso evolutivo de los mamíferos durante el Plio-Pleistoceno está relacionado con la convergencia evolutiva de su morfología dental y el éxito del aprovechamiento de una dieta con amplio espectro. En este estudio se aplican métodos combinados de anatomía, de micro desgaste delos dientes (microwear) y estadística multivariante, conjuntamente con datos isotópicos. Los resultados obtenidos a través de esta combinación de métodos ayuda a comprender el tipo de dieta y el hábitat de las especies omnívoras que habitaban en diferentes áreas geográficas. El registro de isótopos recuperados de cada yacimiento está en concordancia con los resultados paleoecológicos suministrados por el microdesgaste.During the Early Pleistocene (~2.0 to 1.0 Ma), large omnivorous species have been inhabiting in a wide geographical range in Africa, Middle East and Eurasia. Their evolution and dispersals have been related to global climatic changes and their successful strategies of food resources exploitation. Their dietary diversity reflected the specialization of their craniodental morphology, developing specialized anatomical traits amplifying their ecological niche. The successful co-evolution of suids, ursids, cercopithecids and hominins-within the large mammalian evolving communities process-during the Plio-Pleistocene chronology can be related to the evolution of their analogous dental morphology and successful dietary trophy. The combined methods of dental anatomy, tooth microwear and statistical analyses together with isotope data from stable isotope studies, help to understand the dietary trophy and paleoecologcal habitat of the omnivorous species that inhabited different geographical areas. The record of stable isotopes signatures retrieved from each site is in agreement with the microwear data and paleoecological results

The early Pleistocene vertebrate fauna of Mulhuli-Amo (Buia area, Danakil Depression, Eritrea)

Mulhuli-Amo is an early Pleistocene locality of the Buia area in the Dandiero Basin (Danakil Depression, Eritrea) already known for the presence of Homo remains and stone tools. Recent surface surveys lead to the retrieval of a rich vertebrate fauna that is here described for the first time in order to contribute to the palaeoenvironmental background to the Homo layers of the basin. The following 14 taxa (two fishes, four reptiles, one bird, and nine mammals) were identified: Clarias (Clarias) sp., ?Cichlidae indet., Crocodylus sp., Pelusios sinuatus, Varanus niloticus, Python gr. P. sebae, Ardeotis kori, Palaeoloxodon cf. P. recki, Ceratotherium simum, Equus cf. E. quagga, Hippopotamus gorgops, Kolpochoerus majus, Bos cf. B. buiaensis, and Kobus cf. K. ellipsiprymnus. With the exception of a fish and the bird that were identified at Mulhuli-Amo for the first time, the whole fauna is fully congruent with the taxa already described for the neighbouring locality of Uadi Aalad and confirms, in agreement with all the other proxies, an early Pleistocene age and the former presence of moist grassed habitats adjacent to persistent water.[I vertebrati del Pleistocene inferiore di Mulhuli-Amo (area di Buia, Depressione Dancala, Eritrea)] - Il Progetto Buia nasce nel 1994 come un progetto di ricognizione geologica finalizzato allo studio della geologia regionale di un'area circa 20 Km a sud di Buia nella Dancalia settentrionale (Eritrea) ma, già a partire dalle prime missioni, il rinvenimento di resti umani associati a strumenti litici e ad una ricca fauna di vertebrati ha ampliato notevolmente le prospettive di ricerca. I primi resti umani sono stati identificati nel 1995 in un livello della località Uadi Aalad attribuito al Subcrono Jaramillo e datato a circa 1.0 Ma. Successivamente, a partire dal dicembre 2000, ulteriori resti umani sono stati ritrovati a Mulhuli-Amo, una località lontana circa 5 Km dalla prima, già conosciuta per un eccezionale accumulo di strumenti litici e di resti di vertebrati. In questo lavoro viene descritta per la prima volta in modo unitario la fauna vertebrata non umana rinvenuta in superficie a Mulhuli-Amo. Complessivamente, sono stati identificati i seguenti 14 taxa: Clarias (Clarias) sp., ?Cichlidae indet., Crocodylus sp., Pelusios sinuatus, Varanus niloticus, Python gr. P. sebae, Ardeotis kori, Palaeoloxodon cf. P. recki, Ceratotherium simum, Equus cf. E. quagga, Hippopotamus gorgops, Kolpochoerus majus, Bos cf. B. buiaensis, Kobus cf. K. ellipsiprymnus. L'associazione faunistica è pienamente congruente con quella di Uadi Aalad e, nonostante sia meno diversificata di questa, presenta alcuni elementi di novità (?Cichlidae indet., Ardeotis kori). Alcuni mammiferi (Palaeoloxodon cf. P. recki, E. cf. E. quagga, H. gorgops, K. majus, B. cf. B. buiaensis) confermano l'attribuzione della fauna al Pleistocene inferiore finale. Da un punto di vista ambientale, l'associazione faunistica suggerisce la presenza di raccolte permanenti d'acqua circondate da praterie umide, in netto contrasto con gli ambienti attuali estremamente aridi

The late Early Pleistocene suid remains from the paleoanthropological site of Buia (Eritrea): Systematics, biochronology and eco-geographical context

The fossiliferous late Early Pleistocene deposits of the Buia Basin (dated to c. 1. Ma) at the Danakil depression, contain three different suid species (. Kolpochoerus olduvaiensis, Kolpochoerus majus, and Metridiochoerus modestus). These suid taxa are morphologically evolved and are found in association with a diverse large vertebrate faunal assemblage, including the genus Homo and a rich accumulation of Acheulean tools. The anatomic, biometric, morphometric and dental microwear analyses, show significant data of dietary traits, habitat and evolutionary changes. In suids, despite their omnivorous diets, microwear study can play a significant role in understanding dietary habits. The results of our study show morphological distinction between the three suid species. Conversely, the microwear patterns recorded on the dental surfaces show overlapping of ecological niches among the species. We believe that their opportunistic feeding and rapid reproduction process might have sustained their survival within the mosaic environments of the Buia Basin in competition with other faunas (other ungulates, carnivores and monkeys) and hominins. © 2015 Elsevier B.V

16 - Mammal Paleoecology from the Late Early Pleistocene Sites of the Dandiero Basin (Eritrea), With Emphasis on the Suid Record

In the East African Rift System, Plio-Pleistocene environmental instability triggered major environmental changes, which in turn influenced patterns of mammal diversification, dispersal, and turnover

The latest Early Pleistocene hippopotamuses from the human-bearing locality of Buia (Eritrea) - 3D data

Photographs used for photogrammetric elaboration and 3D modeols of specimens DAN205; DAN213; MBH5B;  UA112. Specimens are described in:   Luca Pandolfi ,Roberta Martino, Matteo Belvedere, Tsegai Medin, Yosief Libsekal, Lorenzo Rook (2023) The latest Early Pleistocene hippopotamuses from the human-bearing locality of Buia (Eritrea) </p

The early Pleistocene vertebrate fauna of Mulhuli-Amo (Buia area, Danakil Depression, Eritrea)

[I vertebrati del Pleistocene inferiore di Mulhuli-Amo (area di Buia, Depressione Dancala, Eritrea)] - Il Progetto Buia nasce nel 1994 come un progetto di ricognizione geologica finalizzato allo studio della geologia regionale di un’area circa 20 Km a sud di Buia nella Dancalia settentrionale (Eritrea) ma, già a partire dalle prime missioni, il rinvenimento di resti umani associati a strumenti litici e ad una ricca fauna di vertebrati ha ampliato notevolmente le prospettive di ricerca. I primi resti umani sono stati identificati nel 1995 in un livello della località Uadi Aalad attribuito al Subcrono Jaramillo e datato a circa 1.0 Ma. Successivamente, a partire dal dicembre 2000, ulteriori resti umani sono stati ritrovati a Mulhuli-Amo, una località lontana circa 5 Km dalla prima, già conosciuta per un eccezionale accumulo di strumenti litici e di resti di vertebrati. In questo lavoro viene descritta per la prima volta in modo unitario la fauna vertebrata non umana rinvenuta in superficie a Mulhuli-Amo. Complessivamente, sono stati identificati i seguenti 14 taxa: Clarias (Clarias) sp., ?Cichlidae indet., Crocodylus sp., Pelusios sinuatus, Varanus niloticus, Python gr. P. sebae, Ardeotis kori, Palaeoloxodon cf. P. recki, Ceratotherium simum, Equus cf. E. quagga, Hippopotamus gorgops, Kolpochoerus majus, Bos cf. B. buiaensis, Kobus cf. K. ellipsiprymnus. L’associazione faunistica è pienamente congruente con quella di Uadi Aalad e, nonostante sia meno diversificata di questa, presenta alcuni elementi di novità (?Cichlidae indet., Ardeotis kori). Alcuni mammiferi (Palaeoloxodon cf. P. recki, E. cf. E. quagga, H. gorgops, K. majus, B. cf. B. buiaensis) confermano l’attribuzione della fauna al Pleistocene inferiore finale. Da un punto di vista ambientale, l’associazione faunistica suggerisce la presenza di raccolte permanenti d’acqua circondate da praterie umide, in netto contrasto con gli ambienti attuali estremamente aridi.Mulhuli-Amo is an early Pleistocene locality of the Buia area in the Dandiero Basin (Danakil Depression, Eritrea) already known for the presence of Homo remains and stone tools. Recent surface surveys lead to the retrieval of a rich vertebrate fauna that is here described for the first time in order to contribute to the palaeoenvironmental background to the Homo layers of the basin. The following 14 taxa (two fishes, four reptiles, one bird, and nine mammals) were identified: Clarias (Clarias) sp., ?Cichlidae indet., Crocodylus sp., Pelusios sinuatus, Varanus niloticus, Python gr. P. sebae, Ardeotis kori, Palaeoloxodon cf. P. recki, Ceratotherium simum, Equus cf. E. quagga, Hippopotamus gorgops, Kolpochoerus majus, Bos cf. B. buiaensis, and Kobus cf. K. ellipsiprymnus. With the exception of a fish and the bird that were identified at Mulhuli-Amo for the first time, the whole fauna is fully congruent with the taxa already described for the neighbouring locality of Uadi Aalad and confirms, in agreement with all the other proxies, an early Pleistocene age and the former presence of moist grassed habitats adjacent to persistent water