Atlantic Europe Research Articles

Scales, weights and weight-regulated artefacts in Middle and Late Bronze Age Britain

Abstract

Characterisation of Nesoia latifolia (Halymeniaceae, Rhodophyta) from Europe with emphasis on cystocarp development and description of Nesoia mediterranea sp. nov.

ABSTRACTHalymenia latifolia from Atlantic Europe and the Mediterranean Sea has been shown in previous studies to be a distinct evolutionary clade, separate from the Halymenia clade that includes the generitype. Halymenia latifolia has recently been transferred to the genus Nesoia. Phylogenetic analyses based on rbcL sequences of European (Atlantic and Mediterranean) specimens of putative N. latifolia showed that two species were present, one representing an undescribed species (Nesoia mediterranea sp. nov.) and one corresponding to genuine N. latifolia. In order to establish morphological taxonomic characteristics that distinguish these two cryptic species, we examined and described their reproductive structures and postfertilisation stages. In addition, our results showed that the development of the carpogonial branch ampullae pre- and postfertilisation can be used to separate Nesoia from Halymenia, because the basal nutritive cell cluster found in Halymenia is lacking in Nesoia. Other lesser known species currently placed in the genus Halymenia from Atlantic Europe and the Mediterranean Sea require molecular characterisation and examination of their reproductive morphology as part of further revision of the genus.

Plantation: Its Process in Relation to Scotland's Atlantic Communities, 1590s–1630s

The article sets the Scottish and British Crown's colonizing measure vis-a-vis the Scottish communities of the North Atlantic arc within a broader imperial framework. Underlying such course of action was the articulation of a rhetoric as a vital linguistic tool for its plantations' raison d'etre. The study delineates key aspects in the major plantation schemes of Scotland that were implemented between the 1590s and 1630s. Both the internal colonizing project of Lewis and the external ones of Ireland, briefly, and Nova Scotia, will be primarily assessed from the bottom-up perspective of the maritime communities of the northern Highlands. Distancing themselves from the governmental rhetoric, these ventures helped reconfigure clan allegiance and dynamics in the Lewis case, and reposition the role and identity of these far-northerners in the Irish and Nova Scotia plans as well as in redefining these enterprises' nature.

Origin and divergence of Afro-Indian Picrodendraceae: linking pollen morphology, dispersal modes, fossil records, molecular dating and paleogeography

The pantropical Picrodendraceae produce mostly spheroidal to slightly oblate, echinate pollen grains equipped with narrow circular to elliptic pori that can be hard to identify to family level in both extant and fossil material using light microscopy only. Fossil pollen of the family have been described from the Paleogene of America, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, but until now none have been reported from Afro-India. Extant pollen described here include representatives from all recent Picrodendraceae genera naturally occurring in Africa and/or Madagascar and south India and selected closely related tropical American taxa. Our analyses, using combined light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, show that pollen of the Afro-Indian genera encompass three morphological types: Type 1, comprising only Hyaenanche; Type 2, including Aristogeitonia, Mischodon, Oldfieldia and Voatamalo; Type 3, comprising the remaining two genera, Androstachys and Stachyandra. Based on the pollen morphology presented here it is evident that some previous light microscopic accounts of spherical and echinate fossil pollen affiliated with Arecaceae, Asteraceae, Malvaceae, and Myristicaceae from the African continent could belong to Picrodendraceae. The pollen morphology of Picrodendraceae, fossil pollen records, a dated intra-familial phylogeny, seed dispersal modes, and the regional Late Cretaceous to early Cenozoic paleogeography, together suggest the family originated in the Americas and dispersed from southern America across Antarctica and into Australasia. A second dispersal route is believed to have occurred from the Americas into continental Africa via the North Atlantic Land Bridge and Europe.

Golf, enterprise, and tourism in Belle Époque Europe c. 1900–1914

ABSTRACTGolf was largely regarded as just another sport customarily linked with the overall development of resorts in the Belle Époque. On some occasions the sport played a central role in the promotional aspects of holiday destinations, especially when it originated in companies with a general interest in the resort; on other occasions, it was organised by those wintering there who were either subsidised by external funds or, more rarely, living on their own resources. Golf began to be perceived not only as another outdoor recreational activity and amateur/professional sport but as a valuable source of income from attracting and retaining holidaymakers. This article is focused on some places in the Atlantic Europe region during the Belle Époque, places in which golf was appreciated in both a convivial and commercial sense. The article discusses Walton Heath and Hastings in Britain; Le Touquet, Arcachon and Hendaye in France; San Sebastián in Spain; and Estoril in Portugal. The golf courses at these resorts – or urban developments like Walton Heath – were not isolated members’ clubs, as many golf clubs were then, but fundamental features in the life of such resorts that offered new experiences to avid travelling sports enthusiasts.

Local Coastal Configuration Rather Than Latitudinal Gradient Shape Clonal Diversity and Genetic Structure of Phymatolithon calcareum Maerl Beds in North European Atlantic

Maerl beds are one of the world’s key coastal ecosystems and are threatened by human activities and global change. In this study, the genetic diversity and structure of one of the major European maerl-forming species, Phymatolithon calcareum, was studied using eight microsatellite markers. Two sampling scales (global: North East Atlantic and regional: Galicia) were investigated and fifteen maerl beds from Atlantic Europe were sampled. At the regional-scale the location of sites outside and within four estuaries allowed to test for the influence of coastal configuration on population connectivity and genetic diversity. Results suggested that clonal reproduction plays an important role in the population dynamics of P. calcareum maerl beds. Clonality was variable among populations, even within the same region. At the European scale, these differences in clonality cannot be explained by the geographic or latitudinal distribution of the populations studied. A significant genetic differentiation was found among almost all population pairs and a positive correlation between geographic and genetic distances showed the limited dispersal capacity of P. calcareum. Moreover, a very clear pattern of genetic structure was revealed at the regional scale between populations located within and at the mouth of the estuaries. Genetic differentiation among estuaries was less marked for the sites located in outer-zones compared to those located in the inner-zones. In addition, variation in level of clonality linked to seascape was also observed: populations situated in the outer-zones of the estuaries were less clonal than those in the inner-zones. Finally, populations from the same estuary generally shared one or several mutilocus genotypes.

Genome-wide data from the Bubi of Bioko Island clarifies the Atlantic fringe of the Bantu dispersal

BackgroundBioko is one of the few islands that exist around Africa, the most genetically diverse continent on the planet. The native Bantu-speaking inhabitants of Bioko, the Bubi, are believed to have colonized the island about 2000 years ago. Here, we sequenced the genome of thirteen Bubi individuals at high coverage and analysed their sequences in comparison to mainland populations from the Gulf of Guinea.ResultsWe found that, genetically, the closest mainland population to the Bubi are Bantu-speaking groups from Angola instead the geographically closer groups from Cameroon. The Bubi possess a lower proportion of rainforest hunter-gatherer (RHG) ancestry than most other Bantu-speaking groups. However, their RHG component most likely came from the same source and could have reached them by gene flow from the mainland after island settlement. By studying identity by descent (IBD) genomic blocks and runs of homozygosity (ROHs), we found evidence for a significant level of genetic isolation among the Bubi, isolation that can be attributed to the island effect. Additionally, as this population is known to have one of the highest malaria incidence rates in the world we analysed their genome for malaria-resistant alleles. However, we were unable to detect any specific selective sweeps related to this disease.ConclusionsBy describing their dispersal to the Atlantic islands, the genomic characterization of the Bubi contributes to the understanding of the margins of the massive Bantu migration that shaped all Sub-Saharan African populations.

Aran Islands, Western Ireland: Farming History and Environmental Change, Reconstructed from Field Surveys, Historical Sources, and Pollen Analyses

The Aran Islands are exceptional cultural landscapes at the Atlantic fringe of Europe. They are strongly influenced by human settlement and small-scale farming that is still pursued according to traditional practices. Reconstruction of changes in farming from the beginning of the early 20th century onwards, and demographic changes beginning in the early 19th century, are discussed in the light of official statistics. Field surveys, aimed mainly at documenting the extent of Secale cereale (rye) cultivation, provide more precise information on the extent of rye cultivation in recent decades and give fresh insights into present-day flora, vegetation, and plant biodiversity. Results from a previously published, lake sediment-based Holocene pollen profile from Inis Oirr are re-assessed in the light of modern-day pollen deposition studies that we carried out. We discuss the implications of long-distance pollen transport for the interpretation of Holocene pollen diagrams in relation to the history of trees, including Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine), in Ireland, and we emphasize the importance of supporting traditional farming practices, particularly as regards cereal growing, on the Aran Islands.

The PERCEBES project: science for the spatial management of the stalked barnacle fishery in the Atlantic Arc

The PERCEBES project: science for the spatial management of the stalked barnacle fishery in the Atlantic Arc

Regional and interannual recruitment variation of the stalked barnacle Pollicipes pollicipes in SW Europe by using a new artificial substratum

Regional and interannual recruitment variation of the stalked barnacle Pollicipes pollicipes in SW Europe by using a new artificial substratum

Domesticating Light and Shadows in the Neolithic: The Dombate Passage Grave (A Coruña, Spain)

Research on the Neolithic monuments and dwellings of Atlantic Europe has shown that plays of light and colour were tools for the social and symbolic construction of the world. The integration of the architectures into the surrounding landscape and the incorporation of the surrounding landscape into the architectures were an essential part of this logic. In this context, recent research in the megalithic passage grave of Dombate has evidenced an unusual physical manifestation of sunlight, which interacts with the decorated back stone. The light-and-shadow phenomenon occurs at sunrise during the period of winter solstice. In this paper we discuss the particulars of this phenomenon and we argue that sunlight when it penetrates the passage and chamber at sunrise on these dates may have dictated how the art was located and applied to the structural stone. Such differentiation seems to have had important cultural and ritual significance and encoded/embedded meaning for the tomb builders and may have implications for the consideration of the symbolic dimension of similar architectures in Atlantic Europe.

Northern areas as refugia for temperate species under current climate warming: Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) as a model in northern Europe.

In this work, patterns of geographical genetic diversity in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar were studied across the whole Atlantic Arc; whether these patterns (and thus genetic population structure) were affected by water temperatures was also evaluated. Salmo salar populations were characterized using microsatellite loci and then analysed with reference to ocean surface temperature data from across the region. Analysis showed the presence of a latitudinal cline of genetic variability (higher in northern areas) and water temperatures (sea surface temperatures) determining genetic population structure (the latter in combination with genetic drift in southern populations). Under the current global change scenario, northern areas of Europe would constitute refugia for diversity in the future. This is effectively the inverse of what appears to have happened in glacial refugia during the last glacial maximum. From this perspective, the still abundant and large northern populations S. salar should be considered as precious as the small almost relict southern ones and given appropriate protection. Careful management of the species, coordinated across countries and latitudes, is needed in order to avoid its extinction in Europe.

Making Christian Landscapes in Atlantic Europe: Conversion and Consolidation in the Early Middle Ages, ed. Tomás Ó Carragáin and Sam Turner

<i>Making Christian Landscapes in Atlantic Europe: Conversion and Consolidation in the Early Middle Ages</i>, ed. Tomás Ó Carragáin and Sam Turner

“Pathways to the Cosmos – The Alignment of Megalithic Tombs in Ireland and Atlantic Europe”. Dublin Castle, Ireland, 15th September, 2018

“Pathways to the Cosmos – The Alignment of Megalithic Tombs in Ireland and Atlantic Europe”. Dublin Castle, Ireland, 15th September, 2018

Isothecium myosuroides var. brachythecioides (Dixon) Braithw. reinstated as a species, I. interludens Stirt.

The taxon currently known as Isothecium myosuroides var. brachythecioides (Dixon) Braithw. is reinstated as a species, I. interludens Stirt., the name originally assigned by Stirton when it was first described. The morphological characters separating I. myosuroides s.s. and I. interludens are summarised. The sporophytes of I. interludens, described here for the first time, differ in shape, and pattern of exothecial cells from those of I. myosuroides. A molecular analysis based on variation of the ITS region shows that I. holtii Kindb. and I. alopecuroides (Lam. ex Dubois) Isov. are not monophyletic, calling for a re-assessment of these species, whereas the monophyly of the other species, including I. interludens, cannot be rejected. The analysis failed, however, to yield molecular synapomorphies for I. interludens and other species within I. myosuroides s.l., which we interpret as the incomplete sorting of alleles among recently evolved species. Isothecium interludens is a European endemic with a hyperoceanic temperate distribution. Its nested position within a clade including the two Macaronesian endemics I. prolixum (Mitt.) M.Stech and I. montanum Draper, Hedenäs, M.Stech, T.Lopes & Sim-Sim is suggestive of a Macaronesian origin, in line with the idea that the European Atlantic fringe flora assembled during the course of the last interglacial from Macaronesian ancestors. Isothecium therefore offers a model of prime importance for the study of ongoing speciation in mosses.

Seed ecology of the geophyte Conopodium majus (Apiaceae), indicator species of ancient woodland understories and oligotrophic meadows.

Conopodium majus is a geophyte with pseudomonocotyly, distributed in Atlantic Europe. It is an indicator of two declining European habitats: ancient woodland understories and oligotrophic hay meadows. Attempts to reintroduce it by seed have been hindered by scarce seedling emergence and limited knowledge of its seed biology.Micro‐CT scanning was used to assess pseudomonocotyly. Embryo growth and germination were studied in the laboratory and the field, using dissection and image analysis. The effects of temperature, light, nitrate and GA3 on germination were tested. Seed desiccation tolerance was investigated by storage at different RHs and by drying seeds at different stages of embryo growth.Seeds possess morphological but not physiological dormancy. Embryo growth and germination were promoted by temperatures between 0 and 5 °C, arrested above 10 °C, and indifferent to alternating temperatures, light, nitrate and GA3. Pseudomonocotyly appears to result from cotyledon fusion. While seeds tolerated drying to 15% RH and storage for 1 year at 20 °C, viability was lost when storage was at 60% RH. Seeds imbibed at 5 °C for 84 days had significant internal embryo growth but were still able to tolerate drying to 15% RH.Reproduction by seed in C. majus follows a strategy shared by geophytes adapted to deciduous temperate forests. The evolution of fused cotyledons may enable the radicle and the hypocotyl to reach deeper into the soil where a tuber can develop. The embryo is capable of growth within the seed at low temperatures so that germination is timed for early spring.

Prevalence and Trends of Overweight and Obesity in European Children from 1999 to 2016: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Studies of trends in excess weight among European children over the last few decades rendered somewhat mixed results. Additionally, some studies were outdated, were based on self-reported weight and height, covered narrow age groups, and included only a few European countries. Thus, this study assessed the trends in prevalence of measured overweight and obesity among children across Europe from 1999 to 2016 using a systematic methodology. Methods: We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases from their inception until May 2018. Moreover, searches in websites from health institutions were conducted to identify studies not published in scientific journals. Overweight and obesity were defined according to the International Obesity Task Force criteria. The Mantel-Haenszel method was used to compute the pooled prevalence estimate and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) whenever there was no evidence of heterogeneity (I2 < 50%); otherwise, we used the DerSimonian and Laird random-effects method. Subgroup analyses by study year, country, or European region were conducted. Results: A total of 107 studies (n=479,031 children aged 2 to 13 years old) with data from 28 countries were included. Overall, the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity in children (aged 2-13 years) decreased from 22·7% (95% CI: 21·3-24·0) during 1999-2006 to 18·1% (95% CI: 17·3-18·9) during 2011-2016; however, the prevalence of obesity increased from 4·4% (95% CI: 4·1-4·7) to 5·5% (95% CI: 5·0-6·0) during the same time period. The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity in Spain and Portugal tended to decrease, from 30·3% (95% CI: 28·3-32·3) to 26·4% (95%CI: 20·4-34·2), but an overall increase was observed in the Mediterranean region (excluding Spain and Portugal) from 22·2% (95% CI: 17·7-27.8) to 28·7% (95% CI: 24·8-33·0). No substantial changes were observed in Atlantic Europe or Central Europe, where the overweight and obesity prevalence changed from 18·3% (95% CI: 14·0-23·9) to 19.3% (95%CI: 17·7-20·8), and from 15·8% (95% CI: 13·4-18·5) to 15·3% (95% CI: 11·6-20·3), respectively. Sex differences in levels and trends of excess weight were generally small. Conclusions: The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is very high, but trends have plateaued in most European countries. There are substantial between country differences in current levels and trends of overweight and obesity. The rising prevalence in some Mediterranean countries is worrisome. Funding Statement: MG-M and CA-B are supported by grants from the Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte, (FPU15/03847 and FPU13/03137, respectively). IC-R is supported by a grant from the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (FPI13/01582). Declaration of Interests: None declared. Ethics Approval Statement: The systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement (Figure 1). We have registered and published this review on the Prospero database (Registration number: CRD42017056924), and its protocol has been published elsewhere.

Medieval Origins: A Review Essay on Campbell's The Great Transition

Bruce M. S. Campbell's The Great Transition: Climate, Disease and Society in the Late-Medieval World is a significant contribution to the growing literature that traces the roots of Europe's economic rise to the climatic and population shocks of the late medieval period. This review essay discusses the empirical, historical, and theoretical support for Campbell's view while highlighting that it struggles to explain why these positive effects were limited to Europe. It then hypothesizes that Europe's differential response to this shock reflected prior institutional advantages and provides some preliminary empirical evidence in support of this hypothesis. The essay concludes by examining Campbell's claim that these shocks contributed to Atlantic Europe's rise prior to the colonial period. ( JEL I15, J11, J13, N13, N33, Q54)

Missing native oyster (Ostrea edulis L.) beds in a European Marine Protected Area: Should there be widespread restorative management?

Anthropogenic pressures on the marine environment have escalated and shellfish habitats have declined substantially around the world. Recently, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have rapidly increased in number, but management baselines rarely account for historical conditions. Marine examples of habitat restoration are therefore unusual.An interdisciplinary review of management baselines was undertaken for the Dornoch Firth protected area (NE Scotland) as well as three adjacent inlets and 50 km of open coastline. The protected area has low levels of industrial development, is sparsely populated, and previously achieved management objectives.Here we systematically searched for historical evidence of native oyster (Ostrea edulis) beds, a habitat now rare and of conservation importance throughout Atlantic Europe. Archaeological records, navigational charts, historical maps, museum collections, land-use records, fisheries records, public online databases and naturalists' records were searched. We conducted intertidal and subtidal surveys and sample oyster shells were radiocarbon dated.The combined interdisciplinary sources showed that O. edulis occurred in the inlets and open coast areas of NE Scotland, and specifically in the protected area: Probably since the end of the last glaciation to the late 1800s when they were likely over-fished. Present environmental conditions are also suitable for oyster restoration.Habitat restoration in protected areas is an emerging global theme. However, European oyster restoration effort is currently confined to remnant populations with a clear history of exploitation or dwindling associated fisheries. An interdisciplinary review of baselines will probably show scope for the restoration of O. edulis, for nature conservation, in many other European MPAs.

Elite power in the landscapes of early medieval Europe

The early medieval period in Europe is commonly viewed as a time of emerging nations, as the institutions, lineages and territories that we recognise as integral to medieval and later states were established. The preoccupation with nationhood is the primary reason that earlier generations of early medieval scholars often limited the geographic focus of their studies, with their findings feeding back into broader narratives of national culture, identity and ethnicity. Such research traditions have taken some time to evolve, but thankfully the last decade or so has seen a marked increase in the publication of archaeologically orientated studies with a broader remit. The ability to compare and contrast the evidence from other regions has resulted in a much- improved research environment, transforming our understanding of the period. Two of the publications reviewed here, Fortified settlements in early medieval Europe and Making Christian landscapes in Atlantic Europe, represent the latest additions to this positive trend, comprising edited volumes with impressive coverage across the Continent. While the third volume, Social complexity in early medieval rural communities, is concentrated solely on Iberia, it is an equally welcome addition, as its publication in English is likely to broaden readership and open up the archaeology of the area to new audiences. Each contribution explores distinct material, although the articulation of elite power, and the means by which archaeologists can detect that power, is the prominent theme throughout.