Earliest human occupation of North Africa: New evidence from ain boucherit Early Pleistocene deposits, Algeria

Presentación en: 3rd Annual Meeting of the European Society for the study of Human Evolution, 19-21 September 2013, Vienna/AustriaPeer reviewe

Rhinocerotidae from the Pleistocene of El Baradello, Plaça de la República and El Molinar at Alcoy, Spain

S’hi estudien les restes dentàries de rinoceronts de tres jaciments del Plistocè d’Alcoi (Alacant, Espanya). Els exemplars del Baradello i de la Plaça de la República s’assignen a Stephanorhinus hemitoechus. Els exemplars del Molinar poden correspondre tant a Stephanorhinus etruscus com a Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis, per la qual cosa s’assignen formalment a Stephanorhinus sp. El Baradello i la Plaça de la República incrementen el nombre de localitats espanyoles amb Stephanorhinus hemitoechus, cosa que permet establir una edat per a aquests jaciments entre uns 450 i 10 ka. L’edat del Molinar, d’acord amb la presència del rinoceront i del rosegador Microtus, pot quedar acotada en un espai temporal comprès, aproximadament, entre 0,9 i 0,5 Ma. Paraules clau: Rhinocerotidae. Stephanorhinus. Alcoi. Plistocè.Se estudian los restos dentarios de rinocerontes de tres yacimientos del Pleistoceno de Alcoy (Alicante, España). Los ejemplares de El Baradello y Plaça de la República se atribuyen a Stephanorhinus hemitoechus. Los ejemplares de El Molinar pueden corresponder tanto a Stephanorhinus etruscus como a Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis, por lo que se asignan formalmente a Stephanorhinus sp. El Baradello y Plaça de la República incrementan el número de localidades españolas con Stephanorhinus hemitoechus, permitiendo establecer una edad para estos yacimientos entre unos 450 y 10 ka. La edad de El Molinar, en función de la presencia del rinoceronte y del roedor Microtus, quedaría acotada a un rango temporal comprendido, aproximadamente, entre 0,9 y 0,5 Ma. Palabras clave: Rhinocerotidae. Stephanorhinus. Alcoy. Pleistoceno.Fossil cheek teeth of rhinoceros from three different Pleistocene localities at Alcoy (Alicante, Spain) are described. The remains from El Baradello and Plaça de la República are assigned to Stephanorhinus hemitoechus. The specimens from El Molinar belong either to Stephanorhinus etruscus or Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis, and therefore are formally assigned to Stephanorhinus sp. El Baradello and Plaça de la República increase the number of Spanish localities with Stephanorhinus hemitoechus, and that species suggests for these two localities ages between roughly 450 and 10 ka. The remains of the rhinoceros from El Molinar suggest an older age for that locality, than for the previous two. In combination with the rodent Microtus, also found at the locality, an age in the range of 0,9 to 0,5 Ma is suggested. Key words: Rhinocerotidae. Stephanorhinus. Alcoy. Pleistocene

Accumulating Progenitor Cells in the Luminal Epithelial Cell Layer Are Candidate Tumor Initiating Cells in a Pten Knockout Mouse Prostate Cancer Model

The PSA-Cre;Pten-loxP/loxP mouse prostate cancer model displays clearly defined stages of hyperplasia and cancer. Here, the initial stages of hyperplasia development are studied. Immunohistochemical staining showed that accumulated pAkt+ hyperplastic cells overexpress luminal epithelial cell marker CK8, and progenitor cell markers CK19 and Sca-1, but not basal epithelial cell markers. By expression profiling we identified novel hyperplastic cell markers, including Tacstd2 and Clu. Further we showed that at young age prostates of targeted Pten knockout mice contained in the luminal epithelial cell layer single pAkt+ cells, which overexpressed CK8, Sca-1, Tacstd2 and Clu; basal epithelial cells were always pAkt−. Importantly, in the luminal epithelial cell layer of normal prostates we detected rare Clu+Tacstd2+Sca-1+ progenitor cells. These novel cells are candidate tumor initiating cells in Pten knockout mice. Remarkably, all luminal epithelial cells in the proximal region of normal prostates were Clu+Tacstd2+Sca-1+. However, in PSA-Cre;Pten-loxP/loxP mice, the proximal prostate does not contain hyperplastic foci. Small hyperplastic foci in prostates of PSA-Cre;Pten-loxP/+ mice found at old age, showed complete Pten inactivation and a progenitor marker profile. Finally, we present a novel model of prostate development and renewal, including lineage-specific luminal epithelial progenitor cells. It is proposed that Pten deficiency induces a shift in the balance of differentiation to proliferation in these cells

Tragulidae and pecoran ruminants from the latest Middle Miocene (Sarmatian, late Astaracian) of Austria.

One of the richest and most complete European terrestrial vertebrate faunas of late Middle Miocene age (12.2¿12.0 Ma; Gross et al., in press) was found near Gratkorn, at the northeastern realm of the Styrian Basin (Austria). It is one of the rare localities from the Sarmatian sensu stricto (late Serravallian) in the Central Paratethys area with a vertebrate fauna, both high in quality as well as rich in quantity. So far, 62 taxa are recorded, including Euprox furcatus, Micromeryx flourensianus and Dorcatherium naui. This is one of the rare records of Dorcatherium naui older than Vallesian and the oldest finding of the species from the Paratethys realm so far. Up to now, Dorcatherium naui of pre-Vallesian ages have only been described from Przeworno (Poland; Glazek et al., 1971), and Abocador de Can Mata (Spain; Alba et al., 2011), which are of latest Middle Miocene age like Gratkorn. Therefore the latter does not only represent one of the oldest records of Dorcatherium naui but also supports the wide distribution of the taxon already at the latest Middle Miocene. In contrast to the site of Abocador de Can Mata, where Dorcatherium naui is an infrequent element (Alba et al., 2011), the species is abundant at the locality of Gratkorn. Apart from this the larger mammal fauna of Abocadar de Can Mata and Gratkorn is quite similar, except of proboscidean and bovid taxa. While in Abocador de Can Mata Gomphotherium, Deinotherium and bovids are present (Alba et al., 2009), in Gratkorn only Deinotherium giganteum was found until now. Bovids were found in contemporaneous sediments in the eastern Styrian Basin (Gross et al., in press), though. With the material of Gratkorn previous ideas on ecological adaptations in Dorcatherium (Rössner, 2004) are supported and the understanding of the ecological niche of the ¿forest-dweller¿ Dorcatherium is specified. Besides new ideas on dispersal, evolution and ecology of Dorcatherium the locality of Gratkorn also enables an in-depth evaluation of its species separation. The specimens from Gratkorn demonstrate, in comparison with other Material from the Paratethys area, a clear distinction between Dorcatherium crassum and Dorcatherium naui and underline the taxonomic separation of both species as accepted by several authors (e.g. Alba et al., 2011). REFERENCES Alba, D.M. et al. (2009). Middle Miocene vertebrate localities from Abocador de Can Mata (els Hostalets de Pierola, Vallès Penedès Basin, Catalonia, Spain): An update after the 2006-2008 field campaigns. Paleolusitana, 1, 59¿73. Alba, D.M. et al. (2011). Middle Miocene tragulid remains from Abocador de Can Mata: the earliest record of Dorcatherium naui from Western Europe. Geobios, 44, 135-150. Glazek, J. et al. (1971). Miocene vertebrate faunas from Przeworno (Lower Silesia) and their geological setting. Acta Geologica Polonica, 21(3), 473-516. Gross, M. et al. (in press). Gratkorn ¿ A benchmark locality for the continental Sarmatian s. str. of the Central Paratethys. International Journal of Earth Sciences, doi: 10.1007/s00531-010-0615-1. Rössner, G.E. (2004). Community structure and regional patterns in late Early to Middle Miocene Ruminantia of Central Europe. Courier Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg, 249: 91-100.Peer Reviewe

Capra alba Moyà-Solà, 1987 del Pleistoceno Inferior de la Sierra de Quibas (Albanilla, Murcia, España)

A finales de la década de los 90 se realizó el primer estudio paleontológico del yacimiento de la Sierra de Quibas (Montoya et al., 1999) en el que se describieron más de 60 taxones de vertebrados. Uno de ellos fue el de un caprino asignado como Capra sp. aff Capra alba. Las últimas campañas de excavación han librado nuevos restos de este taxón, lo que ha permitido poder estudiarlo con mayor profundidad y asignarlo a Capra alba. Esta atribución se basa en la comparación morfológica y métrica de los cráneos, núcleos óseos, dentición y metápodos con los ejemplares de C. alba de Venta Micena (Orce, Granada).The first palaeontological study of the locality of Quibas dates from the end of the 1990ties (Montoya et al., 1999), describing over 60 vertebrate taxa. One of these was a caprine assigned to Capra sp. aff. Capra alba. Recent excavations yielded new remains of this taxon, which permits a more profound study of its affinities and an assignation to Capra alba, without reservation. This assignation is based on the morphological and metrical comparison of the skulls, horn cores, dentition and metapodials from Quibas with those of Capra alba from Venta Micena (Orce Granada)[email protected]

Neanderthal diet in fluvial environments at the end of the Middle Pleistocene/early Late Pleistocene of PRERESA site in the Manzanares Valley (Madrid, Spain)

Most Middle Palaeolithic sites with faunal remains processed by humans in the Iberian Peninsula are located in rock shelters or caves. PRERESA is one of the few open-air sites, dating to the end of the Middle or early Late Pleistocene, in which faunal remains associated with lithic industry has been recorded. At least one individual of Mammuthus/Elephas has been identified, as well as two individuals of Bos primigenius, a further two of Haploidoceros mediterraneus, and other mammals of different sizes. The simple is well preserved; carnivore activity is scant and the remains were buried shortly after death. The site is located in the floodplain of the Manzanares river, in an environment of forest and open areas, characterized by herbaceous plants and river woodlands which developed in a mild climate with some humidity. One Haploidoceros and one auerochs were almost complete and semi anatomically connected. A proboscidean, one of the auerochs and an unidentified mammal show conspicuous evidence of having been exploited by human beings. Lithic knapping was aimed at flake production. All phases of the operational chain are represented, which suggests that the lithic assemblage was manufactured with the purpose of processing meat. The scantly elaborated technical schemes of the lithic industry, together with the limited evidence of human processing of faunal remains as well as the presence of animals deposited in a natural way could suggest that this site was used by Neanderthals only sporadically. However, the presence of certain taxa such as proboscidea, auerochs and four other mammal species of different sizes, which were a anthropically processed, could indicate that the site was visited recurrently by human groups with the purpose of processing such mammals. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the taphonomic history of the site, as well as to add to the knowledge of the Neanderthal group behaviour patterns