Domestic Caprines Research Articles

A method for constructing demographic profiles of Capra aegagrus/C. hircus using logarithm size index scaling

Sex-specific demographic profiles of archaeological animal bone assemblages are key to being able to reconstruct the varied strategies used by ancient hunters and herders to harvest animals from both wild and managed herds. Nearly 25 years ago Zeder developed a method for constructing these profiles based on the study of a large collection of modern wild and domestic caprines that combined metric data and a refined system for determining age of death of archaeological caprine bones (Zeder, 2001, 2006a, 2008; Zeder and Hesse, 2000). The utility of this method was limited, however, by its reliance on individual dimensions from single elements, subjecting the method to sample size limitations. This paper presents a new method for constructing demographic profiles for assemblages of goat remains from archaeological sites drawing on a method developed by Zeder and Lemoine for Sus scrofa (Zeder and Lemoine, 2020a). The method uses normalized metric data following the Logarithm Size Index (LSI) scaling technique designed to address sample size issues. LSI values of post-crania metric data are shown to reflect the strong sexual dimorphism in body size in modern wild goats which is evident in the post-crania of animals over one year of age. Once adjusted for regional body size differences, as well as differences in the scaling of different post-cranial elements, the mid-point of the range of LSI values is shown to be a reliable and highly accurate way of distinguishing between the elements of females and males and for constructing sex-specific age profiles based on these identifications. This method is applied to metric data of goat assemblages from four archaeological sites in the Zagros — two representing hunted animals (Yafteh Cave and Asiab) and two representing early managed herds (Ganj Dareh and Ali Kosh). The paper concludes by offering recommendations, and caveats, for the use of this method in building sex-specific demographic profiles of ancient goat assemblages.

Palaeodietary reconstruction of wild and domestic goats using dental microwear texture analysis. A case study from two early Neolithic sites in the southern Levant

ABSTRACT Dental microwear (DMA) is a tool used for the palaeodiet reconstruction of animals in Archaeology. The use of this proxy on domestic ungulates provides valuable information to reconstruct livestock strategies, yet it presents several methodological limitations. Most studies have been carried out using low-magnification DMA and the interpretations often relied on comparisons with databases of extant wild ungulates. In addition, several studies have highlighted challenges in discerning diets in extant domestic caprines. In parallel, dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) – a quantitative methodology based on 3D micro-texture height maps – has shown better discrimination. In this paper, we explore the capacity to distinguish four different management strategies of domestic goats (Capra hircus) and three species of wild ibexes (Capra nubiana, C. pyrenaica and C. ibex) using DMTA. Results revealed good discrimination among extant domestic goat populations and between wild and domestic goats. This new dataset was subsequently used to characterise the palaeodiet of archaeological goats from two Pre-Pottery Neolithic B sites in the southern Levant. Preliminary findings suggest evidence of human intervention in goats at least during the early 8th millennium BCE. In addition, incorporating various current management strategies has enhanced our understanding of early goat domestication in southern Levant.

Ciliates in domestic ruminants in Africa and the first characterization of ciliates (Alveolata, Ciliophora) in the rumen of domestic caprines of the Landim breed (Capra hircus L) from Mozambique

Ciliates in domestic ruminants in Africa and the first characterization of ciliates (Alveolata, Ciliophora) in the rumen of domestic caprines of the Landim breed (Capra hircus L) from Mozambique

Early hunters and herders of northern Ethiopia: The fauna from Danei Kawlos

It is generally agreed that Ethiopia is one of the world’s primary centers of prehistoric plant domestication. It is also known that domestic fauna (cattle and domestic caprines) were brought in from outside. Unfortunately, very few Holocene archaeological sequences have been excavated in the Horn. Even fewer sites have yielded domestic fauna dating to > 3000 years ago. The excavations at the site Danei Kawlos in northern Ethiopia provide new Holocene archaeological sequences for Northern Ethiopia and document the presence of cattle, sheep and goat with a direct date of 3358 ± 47 BP on a Bos molar. We discuss here the zooarchaeological data from the site.

Early sheep herd management in the inland of the Iberian Peninsula: results of the incremental isotopic analyses of dental remains from El Mirador cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain)

The beginning of husbandry in the Iberian Peninsula has been documented from the second half of the 6th millennium BCE and was based on the breeding of domestic caprines, mainly sheep. The first evidence of these practices comes from the Mediterranean region, but they quickly expanded inland. Previous studies have reported on the importance of the El Mirador sheepfold cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain) for understanding the process of the adoption of a farming economy in this inland region. In this study, we focus on husbandry and sheep management occurring in the 6th and 5th millennium cal BCE occupations of El Mirador cave by means of sequential oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotope analyses in sheep molar tooth enamel. The results show a rapid adaptation and adoption of domestic sheep in the inland of the Iberian Peninsula. In El Mirador cave, well-organised sheep breeding was developed based on the concentration of births at the end of winter and early spring, for a period of ~2.64 months, which made husbandry more compatible with other economic activities. In 5th millennium levels, autumn births were also documented and may be indicative of the intervention of the shepherd in the reproductive cycle of the sheep and of a progressive adaptation of these animals to the interior of the Peninsula. All these strategies may have been supported by the recurrent occupations of the sheepfold, flocks grazing in the areas surrounding the cave and the possible use of leaf fodder in winter.

The spatio-temporal co-occurrence of free-ranging common fallow deer and domestic caprines on the island of Rhodes, Greece

Abstract The Dama dama dama population of the island of Rhodes has an important conservation significance because of its unique genetic characters. Currently, many are the factors that threaten its survival. Aim of this paper is to provide the first data on the spatio-temporal co-occurrence between the only free-ranging Greek population of common fallow deer and local domestic caprines. Kilometric abundance index (KAI) was derived from spotlight counts. The unattended domestic caprines appear to impact on fallow deer, in particular during fawning season. Livestock monitoring over time can act as a proxy indicator of the status of this deer population.

Monthly mobility inferred from isoscapes and laser ablation strontium isotope ratios in caprine tooth enamel

Strontium isotopic analysis of sequentially formed tissues, such as tooth enamel, is commonly used to study provenance and mobility of humans and animals. However, the potential of 87Sr/86Sr in tooth enamel to track high-frequency movements has not yet been established, in part due to the lack of data on modern animals of known movement and predictive model of isotope variation across the landscape. To tackle this issue, we measured the 87Sr/86Sr in plant samples taken from a 2000 km2 area in the Altai Mountains (Mongolia), and the 87Sr/86Sr in tooth enamel of domestic caprines whose mobility was monitored using GPS tracking. We show that high-resolution, sequential profiles of strontium isotope composition of tooth enamel reliably reflect the high-frequency mobility of domestic livestock and that short-term residency of about 45 days can be resolved. This offers new perspectives in various disciplines, including forensics, ecology, palaeoanthropology, and bioarchaeology.

Palaeoproteomics gives new insight into early southern African pastoralism

The advent of domestication is a major step that transformed the subsistence strategies of past human societies. In Africa, domestic caprines (sheep and goat) were introduced in the north-eastern part of the continent from the Near East more than 9000 years ago. However, their diffusion southwards was slow. They are thought to have made their first appearance in the southern part of the continent ca. 2000 years ago, at a few Later Stone Age sites, including Leopard Cave (Erongo region, Namibia), which provided the oldest directly dated remains assigned to sheep or goat on the basis of morphology of bones and teeth. However, similarities in morphology, not only between these two domesticated caprine species, but also between them and the small wild antelopes, raised questions about the morphological species attribution of these remains. Additionally, the high fragmentation of the site’s osteological remains makes it difficult to achieve species-level taxonomic identification by comparative anatomy. In this paper, we report molecular species identification of the Leopard Cave remains using palaeoproteomics, a method that uses protein markers in bone and tooth collagen to achieve taxonomic identification of archaeological remains. We also report new direct radiocarbon dates. Wild antelope remains from museum collections were used to enrich the available protein record and propose de novo type I collagen sequences. Our results demonstrate that the remains morphologically described as domesticates actually belong to a wild antelope species and that domestic caprines first appeared at Leopard Cave 1500 years later than previously thought. This study illustrates that the use of palaeoproteomics coupled with direct radiocarbon dates is particularly suited to complement classic zooarchaeological studies, in this case concerning the arrival of the first herding practices in arid environments.

Date of death of domestic caprines assessed by oxygen isotopic analysis of developing molars: Implications for deciphering the calendar of pastoral activities in prehistory

The assessment of the date of death (DOD) of animals found in archaeological sites provides insights into the exploitation of their environment by ancient mobile and sedentary populations. In an attempt to overcome the limitations of the traditional methods, we determine the DOD of domestic caprines using sequential oxygen isotope analysis of developing tooth enamel. We built a reference set composed of developing molars from 14 modern sheep and goats from Western and Central Mongolia with known DOD. The teeth were sequentially sampled, and δ18O sequences were modelled using a cosine function in order to position the lowermost δ18O value (δf) within the annual cycle. We found that δf values are strongly linearly correlated with the DOD (R2 = 0.88), allowing the use of this regression to estimate the DOD with a precision of about ±25 d (1σ). This method was applied to determine the DOD of caprines found in two graves in the Xiongnu necropolis of Egiin Gol, Mongolia. We determined a slaughter date of late July and late September for the two graves, respectively, suggesting that burial occurred during the warm season. By combining this information with age at death assessed using tooth eruption stages and tooth wear patterns, we were also able to determine that caprine birth occurred mostly in April and was strongly controlled within this seasonal window by the herders, much like in Mongolia today.

Discriminating management strategies in modern and archaeological domestic caprines using low-magnification and confocal dental microwear analyses

Dental Microwear Analysis (DMA) is currently used for obtaining information on diet of different animal species. Low-magnification Microwear Dental Analysis (LMDA) is a DMA technique based on the identification of microfeatures (pits and scratches) on the tooth enamel surface. During the last decade, Dental Microwear Texture Analysis (DMTA) has gained momentum as an alternative quantitative methodology thus offering more reliable and replicable results and allowing highlighting subtle dietary differences. In this paper we explore the capacities of LMDA and DMTA for discriminating flock managing strategies. Two groups of sheep that were fed differently during the last month of life, one roaming on rangeland, combining Mediterranean forest and meadows and the other on grassland were analysed. While LMDA did not allow discriminating both groups, DMTA showed significant differences between them. DMTA revealed good predictive capacity for the correct classification of the individuals grazing on grasslands, and a poor one for the ones grazing on rangeland, as some of them overlapped with the grassland group. The limitation for correctly classifying roaming individuals is probably explained by the variable composition of plants on rangeland. We used the classificatory rule obtained from the experimental program to classify two archaeological collections of caprines (sheep and goats), from two Iron Age sites from the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula: The Iberian site of El Turó de la Font de la Canya and the Greek colony of Empúries. Finally, we compared the results with those obtained in previous studies using low-magnification microwear techniques (LMDA). In this way, we show the potential of DMTA for discriminating between animal feeding strategies in the past.

The beginning of herding and animal management: the early development of caprine herding on the Konya plain, central Anatolia

AbstractLittle is known about the initial appearance of herding in central Anatolia. Although morphologically domestic caprines are present from the foundation of Çatalhöyük East, ca 7,100 cal. BC, how and when domestic caprines became an integral part of the central Anatolian economy, and their Status and relationship with earlier communities, is unclear. This article reports the results of a study in which carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes were used to provide signatures of caprine diet and thus pasturing practices; as an animal's movements are affected by human Intervention, changes in animal diets should be visible through changes in δ15N and δ13C levels. A sequence of seven sites on the Konya piain, covering the period ca 9,000–4,500 cal. BC, provided bone samples for carbon and nitrogen analysis. An unaffected local dietary signature for caprines was created using the fauna from Epipalaeolithic Pınarbaşı and a C3/C4plant baseline. This dietary signature, along with dietary information from the domesticated caprines at later sites, allowed changes in diet resulting from human Intervention to be mapped. Changes in diet are found to have occurred at sites where there is no morphometric or demographic data suggestive of early herding or domesticates. This new dietary data extends our knowledge and under-standing of how and when caprines and cattle came under human control on the Konya piain, central Anatolia.

Radiocarbon Evidence for the Pace of the M-/L-PPNB Transition in 8th Millennium BC Southwest Asia

AbstractThe transition from the Middle to Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) happened throughout southwest Asia in the mid-8th millennium cal BC. It entailed the abandonment of a number of sites, rapid growth of others, as well as the wide spread of morphologically domestic caprines. What remains an unknown is how rapid these processes were in real time. Over the period when the transition was taking place, the calibration curve has two shallow sections divided by a sudden drop, which for many of the older dates creates an illusion of a sudden cultural break around 7600–7500 cal BC. Yet a more detailed study presented in this paper suggests that the transition event could have been spread over a more extended period of time. This, however, is still far from certain due to risks of old wood effects and complexities of site formation.

“Animal disease challenges” fifteen years later: The hypothesis in light of new data

Abstract Zooarchaeological evidence reflects cattle's central role among pastoral livestock for millennia in the once-green Sahara. However, zooarchaeological evidence attest to two chronologically separated, but similar delays in the entry of cattle into eastern and southern sub- Saharan Africa, where domestic caprines precede cattle as the earliest domestic livestock for several hundred years. In an earlier paper, I proposed that this delay in the introduction of cattle was due to the disease challenges presented to domestic bovines by the novel and grave epizootiological threats by indigenous wild animals of sub-Saharan savannas, the preferred habitats of cattle. Herds of African buffalo and wildebeest, the latter absent from the Sahara-Sahel, are reservoirs of East Coast Fever (ECF) and wildebeest-derived malignant catarrhal fever (WD-MCF), respectively. Both pose serious veterinary challenges to bovine husbandry today and could have stalled the spread of pastoralism until their etiologies were understood and control measures developed by herders. The disease-challenge hypothesis could be falsified by discovering considerable cattle remains south of Lake Turkana between 4000 and 3000 BP. This paper reviews the hypothesis in light of the last 15 years' zooarchaeological research on early pastoralism in eastern Africa.

Utility of several microsatellite markers for the genetic characterisation of three ex situ populations of threatened caprine taxa (<i>Capra aegagrus</i>, <i>C. cylindricornis</i> and <i>C. falconeri</i>)

Abstract. Caprines belong to the most endangered group of mammals and artiodactyls suffering from many negative human impacts. Fortunately, many of them are protected and managed by national and international legislation and in situ and ex situ conservation actions. Although many microsatellite markers have been developed for wild and domestic caprines, they remain uninvestigated in respect of their utility for some taxa. We examined the utility of the International Society for Animal Genetics microsatellite set for genetic characterisations of three wild and one domestic Capra species from captive or semi-captive ex situ populations in Europe. Our data suggest the utility of this microsatellite set for detecting shared and species-specific alleles, characterising the genetic variability, and determining phylogenetic relationships and intraspecific structures in investigated taxa. We detected a depleted genetic variability in Capra falconeri and Capra cylindricornis in European ex situ populations; unrelated individuals are therefore needed for improving genetic variability parameters, as they are for the extralimital population of Capra aegagrus in the Vřísek game reserve (Czech Republic), for which we identified no genetic introgression from the domestic goat and great dissimilarity with some analysed individuals from European zoos. Current results here indicate some difficulties with the historical evidence, for example with respect to the origin and purity of particular individuals under breeding programmes.

The Fauna from the UNO/BU Excavations at Bieta Giyorgis (Aksum) in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia: Campaigns 1995–2003; Pre-Aksumite, 700–400 BC to Late Aksumite, AD 800–1200

The excavations of the joint mission of the University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’ and the Department of Archaeology at Boston University (USA) on the hill of Bieta Giyorgis at Aksum, Ethiopia, recovered numerous animal bones from various contexts dating from Pre-Aksumite to Late Aksumite levels, around 700 BC to AD 1200. The fauna is dominated by domestic mammals. Among them, cattle (Bos taurus and Bos indicus) are dominant. Age structure and butchering marks indicate an intense exploitation of these animals. Domestic caprines (sheep and goats) are also present. Their exploitation is focused on young individuals. Donkey, dog and domestic fowl were found in small numbers. Wild mammals are very rare. Long-distance contacts are illustrated by remains of marine fish and worked cowries from the Red Sea.

Seasonality and season of birth of modern and late Neolithic sheep from south-eastern France using tooth enamel δ 18O analysis

Stable oxygen isotopic analysis of tooth enamel was used to investigate seasonality and season of birth in sheep. Analyses were performed on the teeth of eight modern sheep bred at the Carmejane farm in south-eastern France and born in different periods of the year. This reference data set confirms that oxygen isotopic records in the second and third molars can be used to differentiate between sheep born in late winter and those born in early autumn. The results show that inter-individual variability in the timing of tooth formation is low for the second lower molar and more pronounced for the third lower molar in this population. The duration of the process of enamel mineralization has been estimated at approximately six months. The teeth of four sheep and two goats from the late Neolithic site of Collet-Redon in south-eastern France were analyzed using the same methodology. At this site, lambing occurred between the late winter and early spring. A slight difference appears in the seasonal sequence recorded in sheep and goat, although it cannot be determined, whether this is due to different timing of tooth development, or an actual shift in the birth period. From the distribution of slaughter ages and birth period, it is suggested that domestic caprines were killed throughout the year and that Collet-Redon was probably a permanent settlement.

Middle Holocene fishing strategies in East Africa: zooarchaeological analysis of Pundo, a Kansyore shell midden in northern Nyanza (Kenya)

AbstractA zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis is presented for the faunal remains from the Pundo shell midden in northern Nyanza province (Kenya), which contains Kansyore ceramics and dates to ca. 8000–7600 cal. BP. The faunal assemblage is overwhelmingly dominated by fish and molluscs, of which only the fish data are presented in detail. Taxonomic identifications suggest a diachronic change in relative species abundance, with cichlids becoming increasingly dominant, eventually comprising nearly 80% of the fish assemblage. The Pundo faunal data are compared with those from a number of other Kansyore sites. Pundo confirms that early Kansyore sites are purely forager sites, with domestic caprines only appearing at late Kansyore sites (post‐dating ca. 4400 cal. BP). Comparing ethological data for fish taxa found at Pundo and other lakeshore shell middens with those for fish taxa found at larger riverside sites, a seasonal round is suggested, in which short‐term fishing camps such as Pundo may have been occupied in the dry season, while riverside sites were probably occupied during the rainy season. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Absolute age and tooth eruption and wear sequences in sheep and goat: determining age-at-death in zooarchaeology using a modern control sample

This paper seeks to improve our understanding of the relationship between mandibular tooth eruption and wear sequences and absolute age in modern sheep and goat. While the relationship between tooth eruption and wear and absolute age has been investigated for primitive breeds in parts of the Old World, our pilot study extends the applicability of this research to modern breeds and to another geographic region (North America). A modern control sample of two species of domestic caprines – Ovis aries (sheep) and Capra hircus (goats) from Manitoba, Canada – are used to evaluate the two major systems for analyzing mandibular tooth wear and eruption (Payne and Grant) and for assigning an absolute age-at-death. In order to compare the two systems, an absolute age for Grant's Mandibular Wear Stages was established for the first time, previously demonstrated only for Payne's system. The analysis confirmed that there is a very high correlation between the known age and estimated age based on tooth eruption and wear. However, Payne's system generated far coarser age-at-death profiles, which lowers its utility in constructing harvest profiles. Grant's system is recommended for ageing be utilized since it can yield more sensitive age estimations. In conclusion, it is possible to utilize the modern caprine breeds to establish the relationship between tooth eruption and wear and absolute age to reconstruct age and season of death of archaeological samples.

Foddering by Mongolian pastoralists is recorded in the stable carbon ( δ13C) and nitrogen ( δ15N) isotopes of caprine dentinal collagen

Direct identification of fodder provisioning in individual animals is a previously unexplored area that has important implications for determining animal husbandry strategies in prehistory. In this study, foddering practices are examined in modern domestic and wild caprines from Mongolia (Baga Gazar'in Chuluu) through carbon and nitrogen analyses of bulk sampled dentin collagen in molar teeth. Foddered caprines display significantly different δ 13C values compared to non-provisioned caprines. This pattern reflects the consumption of C 4 plants year-round by provisioned caprines while non-provisioned caprines ingest C 4 plants only during the summer months. Provisioned caprines also display significantly different nitrogen isotopic values relative to non-provisioned animals. The difference in nitrogen isotopes between wild and foddered animals may be due to increased access in quality graze through foddering by domestic caprines, which results in improved nutrition and extended lactation periods, or enriched δ 15N of fodder plants relative to background flora. Differences in tooth wear between sampled wild and foddered animals may also contribute to the observed δ 15N differences.

Genetic evidence for the origin of the agrimi goat (Capra aegagrus cretica)

AbstractThe agrimi goat Capra aegagrus cretica is unique to Crete and its offshore islands. It has been identified as a sub‐species of the wild bezoar goat Capra aegagrus aegagrus Erxleben, 1777, which it closely resembles in horn shape, body form and coloration. This classification has been disputed by some researchers who claim that the agrimi are feral goats, derived from early domestic stock brought to the island by the first Neolithic settlers. In order to clarify this issue, DNA analyses (cytochrome b and D loop sequences) were carried out on tissue of live and skeletonized agrimi and compared to sequences of wild and domestic caprines. Results conclusively show the agrimi to be a feral animal, that clades with domestic goats (Capra hircus) rather than with wild Asiatic bezoar. This study demonstrates that morphometric criteria do not necessarily reflect genetic affinities, and that the taxonomic classification of agrimi should be revised.