Covariation between the cranium and the cervical vertebrae in hominids

[EN] The analysis of patterns of integration is crucial for the reconstruction and understanding of how morphological changes occur in a taxonomic group throughout evolution. These patterns are relatively constant; however, both patterns and the magnitudes of integration may vary across species. These differences may indicate morphological diversification, in some cases related to functional adaptations to the biomechanics of organisms. In this study, we analyze patterns of integration between two functional and developmental structures, the cranium and the cervical spine in hominids, and we quantify the amount of divergence of each anatomical element through phylogeny. We applied these methods to three-dimensional data from 168 adult hominid individuals, summing a total of more than 1000 cervical vertebrae. We found the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) display the lowest covariation with the cranium in hominids (Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, Pan paniscus, Gorilla gorilla, Gorilla beringei, Pongo pygmaeus). H. sapiens show a relatively different pattern of craniocervical correlation compared with chimpanzees and gorillas, especially in variables implicated in maintaining the balance of the head. Finally, the atlas and axis show lower magnitude of shape change during evolution than the rest of the cervical vertebrae, especially those located in the middle of the subaxial cervical spine. Overall, results suggest that differences in the pattern of craniocervical correlation between humans and gorillas and chimpanzees could reflect the postural differences between these groups. Also, the stronger craniocervical integration and larger magnitude of shape change during evolution shown by the middle cervical vertebrae suggests that they have been selected to play an active role in maintaining head balance.We would like to express our gratitude for access and technical help with the collections to Patrice Courtaud (Université de Bordeaux), Jacques Cuisin (MNHN, Paris), Emmanuel Gilissen and Wim Wendelen (Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren), Olivier S. G. Pauwels and Patrick Semal (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences), Javier Quesada (Nat-Museu de Ciències Naturals, Barcelona), and Inbal Livne (Powell-Cotton Museum, Birchington, UK). This research has also received support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the “María de Maeztu” excellence accreditation (CEX2019-000945- M), FEDER/Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación-Agencia Estatal de Investigación (project PGC2018-093925-B-C33), Research Group IT1418-19 from the Eusko Jaurlaritza-Gobierno Vasco, AGAUR (Ref. 2017SGR1040) and URV (Ref. 2019PFR-URV-91). A.G.O. was supported by the Ramón y Cajal fellowship (RYC-2017-22558)

The Neandertal nature of the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos mandibles

The recovery of additional mandibular fossils from the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos (SH) site provides new insights into the evolutionary significance of this sample. In particular, morphological descriptions of the new adult specimens are provided, along with standardized metric data and phylogenetically relevant morphological features for the expanded adult sample. The new and more complete specimens extend the known range of variation in the Atapuerca (SH) mandibles in some metric and morphological details. In other aspects, the addition of new specimens has made it possible to confirm previous observations based on more limited evidence. Pairwise comparisons of individual metric variables revealed the only significant difference between the Atapuerca (SH) hominins and Neandertals was a more vertical symphysis in the latter. Similarly, principal components analysis of size-adjusted variables showed a strong similarity between the Atapuerca (SH) hominins and Neandertals. Morphologically, the Atapuerca (SH) mandibles show nearly the full complement of Neandertal-derived features. Nevertheless, the Neandertals differ from the Atapuerca (SH) mandibles in showing a high frequency of the H/O mandibular foramen, a truncated, thinned and inverted gonial margin, a high placement of the mylohyoid line at the level of the M3, a more vertical symphysis and somewhat more pronounced expression of the chin structures. Size-related morphological variation in the SH hominins includes larger retromolar spaces, more posterior placement of the lateral corpus structures, and stronger markings associated with the muscles of mastication in larger specimens. However, phylogenetically relevant features in the SH sample are fairly stable and do not vary with the overall size of the mandible. Direct comparison of the enlarged mandibular sample from Atapuerca (SH) with the Mauer mandible, the type specimen of H. heidelbergensis, reveals important differences from the SH hominins, and there is no morphological counterpart of Mauer within the SH sample, suggesting the SH fossils should not be assigned to this taxon. The Atapuerca (SH) mandibles show a greater number of derived Neandertal features, particularly those related to midfacial prognathism and in the configuration of the superior ramus, than other European middle Pleistocene specimens. This suggests that more than one evolutionary lineage co-existed in the middle Pleistocene, and, broadly speaking, it appears possible to separate the European middle Pleistocene mandibular remains into two distinct groupings. One group shows a suite of derived Neandertal features and includes specimens from the sites of Atapuerca (SH), Payre, l'Aubesier and Ehringsdorf. The other group includes specimens that generally lack derived Neandertal features and includes the mandibles from the sites of Mauer, Mala Balanica, Montmaurin and (probably) Visogliano. The two published Arago mandibles differ strongly from one another, with Arago 2 probably belonging to this former group, and Neandertal affinities being more difficult to identify in Arago 13. Outside of the SH sample, derived Neandertal features in the mandible only become more common during the second half of the middle Pleistocene. Acceptance of a cladogenetic pattern of evolution during the European middle Pleistocene has the potential to reconcile the predictions of the accretion model and the two phases model for the appearance of Neandertal morphology. The precise taxonomic classification of the SH hominins must contemplate features from the dentition, cranium, mandible and postcranial skeleton, all of which are preserved at the SH site. Nevertheless, the origin of the Neandertal clade may be tied to a speciation event reflected in the appearance of a suite of derived Neandertal features in the face, dentition and mandible, all of which are present in the Atapuerca (SH) hominins. This same suite of features also provides a useful anatomical basis to include other European middle Pleistocene mandibles and crania within the Neandertal clade.Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEBinghamton UniversityMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación y UniversidadesJunta de Castilla y Leónpu

El yacimiento kárstico del Pleistoceno Superior de la Cueva del Camino en el Calvero de la Higuera (Pinilla del Valle, Madrid)

Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

Cueva de los Torrejones revisited. New insights on the paleoecology of inland Iberia during the Late Pleistocene

34 p.The interior of the Iberian Peninsula has orographic conditions that make this territory especially vulnerable to Quaternary climate oscillations and which actually could have made it decisive for Paleolithic human populations at critical points. For this reason, the information provided by paleontological sites is important for reconstructing climatic and environmental conditions during the Late Pleistocene and understanding how they influenced the species that inhabited them, including humans. Nevertheless, the archaeo-paleontological record is scarce in central Iberia for the Late Pleistocene. A central Iberian site that is key to addressing this issue is Cueva de los Torrejones, which was discovered and excavated during the nineties. Clues indicating the presence of Neandertal populations near the cave site were announced during prior field excavations, including Neandertal remains, Middle Paleolithic artifacts, and evidence of anthropic exploitation of faunal resources at the site. Here we report the new results from the recent excavations and research, including detailed studies on stratigraphy, micromorphology, macro and microvertebrate paleontology, physical and molecular anthropology, taphonomy and zooarchaeology, and analysis of lithic and pottery remains. Our research has led to the detection of three Prehistoric chronologies recorded at the site. The oldest episode corresponds to between MIS 5 and MIS 4 in which the cave was used by carnivores. The second episode is represented by a faunal association dated to 30.0 ka cal BP and is indicative of cooler and more arid environmental conditions and, therefore, compatible with the worsening climate detected previously for MIS 3 in this area. The last episode corresponds to the Chalcolithic, directly dated to ~5000 cal BP in which humans used the cavity for funerary purposes. The DNA analysis of the human remain was assigned to mtDNA haplogroup K, which was originated in the Near East and reached western Europe through the Neolithic expansion. Human occupation during the Paleolithic has been ruled out, including Paleolithic human remains and any kind of anthropic intervention on the Hermann’s tortoise and leopard as was previously proposed at the site.European Research CouncilJunta de Comunidades de Castilla la ManchaMinisterio de Ciencia e InnovaciónCentro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH

CD38 Deficiency Ameliorates Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease Murine Lupus via a B-Cell-Dependent Mechanism

© 2021 Martínez-Blanco, Domínguez-Pantoja, Botía-Sánchez, Pérez-Cabrera, Bello-Iglesias, Carrillo-Rodríguez, Martin-Morales, Lario-Simón, Pérez-Sánchez-Cañete, Montosa-Hidalgo, Guerrero-Fernández, Longobardo-Polanco, Redondo-Sánchez, Cornet-Gomez, Torres-Sáez, Fernández-Ibáñez, Terrón-Camero, Andrés-León, O’Valle, Merino, Zubiaur and Sancho.The absence of the mouse cell surface receptor CD38 in Cd38−/− mice suggests that this receptor acts as a positive regulator of inflammatory and autoimmune responses. Here, we report that, in the context of the chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) lupus inducible model, the transfer of B6.C-H2bm12/KhEg(bm12) spleen cells into co-isogenic Cd38−/− B6 mice causes milder lupus-like autoimmunity with lower levels of anti-ssDNA autoantibodies than the transfer of bm12 spleen cells into WT B6 mice. In addition, significantly lower percentages of Tfh cells, as well as GC B cells, plasma cells, and T-bet+CD11chi B cells, were observed in Cd38−/− mice than in WT mice, while the expansion of Treg cells and Tfr cells was normal, suggesting that the ability of Cd38−/− B cells to respond to allogeneic help from bm12 CD4+ T cells is greatly diminished. The frequencies of T-bet+CD11chi B cells, which are considered the precursors of the autoantibody-secreting cells, correlate with anti-ssDNA autoantibody serum levels, IL-27, and sCD40L. Proteomics profiling of the spleens from WT cGVHD mice reflects a STAT1-driven type I IFN signature, which is absent in Cd38−/− cGVHD mice. Kidney, spleen, and liver inflammation was mild and resolved faster in Cd38−/− cGVHD mice than in WT cGVHD mice. We conclude that CD38 in B cells functions as a modulator receptor that controls autoimmune responses.S and MZ received financial support through “Proyecto del Plan Estatal”: SAF2017–89801-R. The IPBLN-CSIC Proteomics Unit belonged to ProteoRed-ISCIII (PRB2; PRB3) and was supported by grants PT13/0001/0011 (IPBLN-CSIC) and PT17/0019/0010 (CIB-CSIC; IPBLN-CSIC). RM: Project: SAF2017-82905-R. FO'V: Cátedra MIS IMPLANT-UGR. The stay of AC-G in Sancho’s lab was supported by a fellowship-contract JAE-Intro (CSIC). The stay of MD-P in Sancho’s lab was supported by a 1-year post-doctoral fellowship (Reference No. 502492) from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) of México. EA-L was recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from the regional Andalusian Government

Palaeontological analisis of the Late Pleistocene Site of Cova Foradada (Xábia, Alicante, Spain)

En este trabajo se presenta el estudio de la estratigrafía, secuencia polínica, taxonomía y tafonomía del yacimiento del Pleistoceno superior de Cova Foradada, Xábia (Alicante). Las especies de macromamíferos representadas en el yacimiento son, dentro de los carnívoros, Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1978), Lynx pardinus (Temminck, 1827) y Felis silvestris (Schreber, 1777); del grupo de los artiodáctilos, Cervus elaphus (Linnaeus, 1978), Capra pyrenaica (Schinz, 1838), Bos primigenius (Bojanus, 1827) y Sus scrofa (Linnaeus, 1978). Se han identificado dos especies de perisodáctilos Equus ferus (Boddaert , 1785) y Equus hydruntinus (Regalia, 1904). En todos los niveles del yacimiento se observa un claro predominio de los ungulados de talla media (Cervus elaphus) y talla pequeña (Capra pyrenaica). Los patrones de fracturación indican actividad humana y evidencian el aprovechamiento máximo de los recursos cárnicos. Se han encontrado marcas antrópicas en restos de lince, gato montés y leopardo. El análisis polínico pone de manifiesto el dominio de un paisaje muy abierto y empobrecido desde el punto de vista taxonómico.This study presents aspects related to the stratigraphy, pollen sequence, taxonomy and taphonomy of the Late Pleistocene site of Cova Foradada in Xábia (Alicante, Spain). The fossil material comes from Sector I of the site that comprises eight stratigraphic levels. Some of these levels have been previously dated (Casabó, 2001): 33,900 ± 310 B.P. for Level VII; 29,940 ± 150 B.P. for Level VI; 27,170 ± 150 B.P. and 29,420 ± 190 B.P. for Level V; and 6,130 ± 140 B.P. for Level III. The total number of identifiable remains represents a very low percentage of the total remains, mainly due to the high degree of fragmentation. The macrovertebrate fossils found are: Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1978), Lynx pardinus (Temminck, 1827) and Felis silvestris (Schreber, 1777) among the Carnivora; Cervus elaphus (Linnaeus, 1978), Capra pyrenaica (Schinz, 1838), Bos primigenius (Bojanus, 1827) and Sus scrofa (Linnaeus, 1978) among the Artiodactyla ; and Equus ferus (Boddaert , 1785) and Equus hydruntinus (Regalia, 1904) among the Perisodactyla. Mid- and small-sized ungulates are clearly predominant along the whole sequence, such as Cervus elaphus for the former, and Capra pyrenaica for the latter. The taphonomical analysis allows to discard carnivore activity as the accumulation agent. Signs of carnivore activity are scarce, and they are only present in Level V. Fracture pattern in the bones show human activity as the main agent, characterized by the maximum exploitation of meat resources. Anthropic marks have been found in lynx, wild cat and leopard remains. The patterns of the cuts on these remains are typical of the exploitation of both the flesh and the fleece of these animals. Regarding the paleoenvironmental aspects, the pollen data show predominance of an open environment, depleted from the taxonomical point of view. The detailed pollen analysis allows us to distinguish three levels: the base level shows a more abundant forest cover with Pinus and Juniperus as predominant taxa; the middle level shows signs of a more extreme climate period; and the uppermost level shows a phase of recovering of the flora, with a reduced forest and a varied herbaceous courtship (Apiaceae, Poaceae and Fabaceae).Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

Estudiantes Facultad de Arquitectura: una visión de futuro

IlustracionesEste volumen está constituido por una serie de capítulos en los que se presentan resultados de trabajos y reflexiones que surgieron de actividades de estudiantes de los diversos programas de la Facultad de Arquitectura. Sus visiones, frescas y esperanzadoras, alimentan visiones optimistas, pero responsables, sobre cómo cada cual está comprometido en lograr un mundo mejor. De esta manera, el lector encontrará en este libro motivos suficientes para sentir que esta próxima generación de profesionales está lista y dispuesta a asumir los retos que les competen desde ahor

Ecología y sostenibilidad en la Antigüedad y la Edad Media: arte, género y ODS

En el presente curso 2022/2023 se ha puesto en marcha la continuación del proyecto INNOVA-Docencia nº 129 con un planteamiento interfacultativo, que ha seguido contando con la participación de PDI de las facultades de Geografía e Historia y Comercio y Turismo de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, a las que se ha sumado en esta ocasión la Facultad de Educación, de esta misma universidad; e interdepartamental (Historia del Arte y Departamento de Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales, Sociales y Matemáticas. UD de Didácticas de las CCSS: Historia del Arte). Las principales líneas temáticas desarrolladas en el marco de las clases prácticas impartidas en el curso 2022/2023 por los miembros PDI del proyecto han supuesto la continuación de las ya iniciadas en el curso 2021/2022.Depto. de Historia del ArteFac. de Geografía e HistoriaFALSEsubmitte

Accuracy and Survival Outcomes after National Implementation of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Early Stage Endometrial Cancer

Background. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has recently been accepted to evaluate nodal status in endometrial cancer at early stage, which is key to tailoring adjuvant treatments. Our aim was to evaluate the national implementation of SLN biopsy in terms of accuracy to detect nodal disease in a clinical setting and oncologic outcomes according to the volume of nodal disease. Patients and Methods. A total of 29 Spanish centers participated in this retrospective, multicenter registry including patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma at preoperative early stage who had undergone SLN biopsy between 2015 and 2021. Each center collected data regarding demographic, clinical, histologic, therapeutic, and survival characteristics. Results. A total of 892 patients were enrolled. After the surgery, 12.9% were suprastaged to FIGO 2009 stages III-IV and 108 patients (12.1%) had nodal involvement: 54.6% macrometastasis, 22.2% micrometastases, and 23.1% isolated tumor cells (ITC). Sensitivity of SLN biopsy was 93.7% and false negative rate was 6.2%. After a median follow up of 1.81 years, overall surivial and disease-free survival were significantly lower in patients who had macrometastases when compared with patients with negative nodes, micrometastases or ITC. Conclusions. In our nationwide cohort we obtained high sensitivity of SLN biopsy to detect nodal disease. The oncologic outcomes of patients with negative nodes and low-volume disease were similar after tailoring adjuvant treatments. In total, 22% of patients with macrometastasis and 50% of patients with micrometastasis were at low risk of nodal metastasis according to their preoperative risk factors, revealing the importance of SLN biopsy in the surgical management of patients with early stage EC