Faunal Evidence Research Articles

PALAEOLITHIC ZOOARCHAEOLOGY IN MYANMAR: A REVIEW AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

The Anyathian culture, one of the prominent stone arte-fact traditions in Mainland Southeast Asia spanning the Pleistocene and Holocene, has been frequently described at archaeological sites in the central belt of Myanmar. Human exploitative patterns of plant and animal re-sources relating to the Anyathian are obscure due to the paucity of systematic stratigraphic excavations in Myan-mar. However, recent research in the States of Shan and Kayin has shown that Myanmar has the potential to contribute to a better understanding of human subsistence economies at hunter-gatherer sites throughout the Pleistocene and Holocene. This study reviews faunal evidence recovered in association with stone artefacts at hunter-gatherer sites throughout Myanmar and illustrates the significance that further, more intensive research and better chronometric dating has for developing our understanding of foraging strategies in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene in Myanmar.

Terrestrial and maritime taphonomy: differential effects on spatial distribution of a Late Pleistocene continental drowned faunal bone assemblage from the Pacific coast of Chile

Site GNL Quintero 1 (GNLQ1), located on the central coast of Chile, is the only documented Late Pleistocene drowned terrestrial site along the Pacific Coast of South America. Faunal evidence at the site is varied, and so far, remains of the following taxa have been found: extinct Camelidae, Cervidae, Equidae, Mylodontidae, Xenarthra, but also Myocastoridae, Canidae and Octodontidae. Both geological and paleoenvironmental data indicate that GNLQ1 developed in a floodplain or low-energy environment during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Prior to the post-glacial rising of the sea level, the site would have been located several kilometres inland as the paleoshoreline was farther out on the continental shelf. In accordance with this background, the present study addresses the analysis of the spatial distribution of the bone deposits of GNLQ1 by considering both scenarios, the terrestrial phase related to the formation and modification of the fossil assemblage prior to the transgression, and the marine phase, subsequent to inundation. Results indicate modifications related to low-energy flow environment and carnivore activity dominated during the terrestrial phase and the action of marine organisms during the marine phase. Other taphonomic modifications are not easily attributable to either one or the other environmental context.

Great Lakes Rangifer and Paleoindians: Archaeological and Paleontological Caribou Remains from Michigan

It is often argued that Paleoindians in the Great Lakes were targeting caribou as a primary economic resource, but this assertion has been difficult to test since zooarchaeological remains in the region are extremely scarce due to degradation in highly acidic soils. This paper presents new faunal evidence from Michigan including archaeological and paleontological Rangifer specimens (n = 27), and one cervid tooth fragment recovered from a submerged caribou hunting site in Lake Huron. Despite preservation issues, these remains demonstrate that caribou were abundant on the landscape in prehistoric Michigan. Additionally, the distribution of absolute dates on Rangifer remains in the Great Lakes basin reveals that the archaeological and paleontological records in this region are closely tied to dynamic water levels at the end of the Pleistocene. These changing shorelines left critical evidence for understanding this period of dynamic environmental and cultural change submerged beneath the Great Lakes.

Isotope and faunal evidence for high levels of freshwater fish consumption by Late Glacial humans at the Late Upper Palaeolithic site of Šandalja II, Istria, Croatia

Here we report on isotope and faunal evidence for intensive use of freshwater resources by Late Upper Palaeolithic humans from the Šandalja II site in Croatia. Carbon and nitrogen bone collagen isotopic analysis of humans and fauna from the site indicate that the main protein source in human diets at this time was freshwater fish, which is in contrast to the vertebrate remains that show a high abundance of large terrestrial herbivores from the Late Upper Palaeolithic levels at the site. These data add to the growing body of research that shows an increasing intensification in the use of aquatic resources in Europe towards the end of the Pleistocene.

Paleoenvironments of the Shungura Formation (Plio-Pleistocene: Ethiopia) based on ecomorphology of the bovid astragalus

The Shungura Formation in southwestern Ethiopia preserves a long and relatively continuous record of eastern African mammalian and hominin evolution. This study reconstructs habitat preferences of the Shungura Formation bovids from ca. 3.4–1.9 Ma (million years ago), based on the ecomorphology of fossil bovid astragali. Habitat predictions are made using a Discriminant Function Analysis informed by functional analysis of the astragalus that controls for body size and phylogenetic signal. The high abundance of astragali in the Shungura record allows for habitat reconstructions on sub-unit timescales, rather than aggregating samples at the level of geological member.During much of the time period examined, the lower Omo Valley was dominated by relatively mesic habitats in close proximity to the ancestral Omo River. Previous research has suggested that environmental change at ∼2.85 Ma caused significant habitat change at Shungura, but the astragalar data do not support major habitat change at this time. However, there are significant fluctuations in inferred habitats, with more open habitats indicated in sub-units C-08 and C-09 (∼2.56 Ma), and in unit F-01 (just after 2.36 Ma). The cause of sub-unit fluctuations in habitat signal is difficult to determine, but local factors, including spatial habitat heterogeneity around the river channel and in its floodplain, may play a contributing role. In the light of faunal evidence from elsewhere in the greater Omo-Turkana Basin, hominins in the area likely had access to a variety of heterogeneous habitats.

Microremains from El Mirón Cave human dental calculus suggest a mixed plant–animal subsistence economy during the Magdalenian in Northern Iberia

Despite more than a century of detailed investigation of the Magdalenian period in Northern Iberia, our understanding of the diets during this period is limited. Methodologies for the reconstruction of Late Glacial subsistence strategies have overwhelmingly targeted animal exploitation, thus revealing only a portion of the dietary spectrum. Retrieving food debris from calculus offers a means to provide missing information on other components of diet. We undertook analysis of human dental calculus samples from Magdalenian individuals (including the “Red Lady”) at El Mirón Cave (Cantabria, Spain), as well as several control samples, to better understand the less visible dietary components. Dental calculus yielded a diverse assemblage of microremains from plant, fungal, animal and mineral sources that may provide data on diet and environment. The types of microremains show that the individuals at El Mirón consumed a variety of plants, including seeds and underground storage organs, as well as other foods, including possibly bolete mushrooms. These findings suggest that plant and plant-like foods were parts of her diet, supplementing staples derived from animal foods. As faunal evidence suggests that the Magdalenian Cantabrian diet included a large proportion of animal foods, we argue here for a mixed subsistence pattern.

Age and stratigraphic context of Pliopithecus and associated fauna from Miocene sedimentary strata at Damiao, Inner Mongolia, China

Since the discovery of mammalian fossils in Central Inner Mongolia in the beginning of the 20th century, this area has produced a rich and diverse record of Miocene faunas. Nevertheless, the stratigraphy has remained poorly constrained owing to scattered faunal horizons and lack of continuous vertical exposures. Consequently, most age estimates of these Miocene sites are based on paleontological evidence alone, with very few sites having been dated independently.Our field investigations in Damiao, in Siziwang Qi, Inner Mongolia have yielded more than 30 new fossiliferous localities from three horizons, including a pliopithecid fauna. This study presents the litho-, bio- and magnetostratigraphy of the Damiao area and provides age estimates for the three fossil-bearing horizons. The sedimentary sequence is interpreted as the remains of a fluvial system comprising channels, subaerially exposed floodplains and floodbasin environments. The two local stratigraphic sections measured and sampled for paleomagnetic analysis coincide with species-rich vertebrate fossil localities. The paleomagnetic results and faunal evidence suggest a correlation of lowermost fossil horizon (DM16) producing relatively rich small mammal assemblage to the early Miocene chron C6Ar or C6An.1r, roughly in 20–21Ma age range. The pliopithecid locality level (DM01) represents latest middle Miocene and has an age estimate of about 12.1Ma while the youngest localities (DM02) with cervoids and abundant and diverse small mammal fauna represents the earliest late Miocene with an age estimate of about 11.6Ma.Our magnetostratigraphic results confirm that the Damiao strata constitute one of the best sequences in Inner Mongolia with early, middle and late Miocene mammalian faunas in stratigraphic superposition. The results also provide constraints on the paleoenvironmental evolution and bioevents of the area. The occurrence of pliopithecid primates in the middle Miocene of Inner Mongolia suggests humid habitats and challenges the scenarios suggesting arid and highly seasonal conditions for Central Asia since Early Miocene. The presence of pliopithecids may also bear witness to locally humid environments and greater habitat heterogeneity than previously known in central Inner Mongolia.

New Archaeozoological Data from the Fayum “Neolithic” with a Critical Assessment of the Evidence for Early Stock Keeping in Egypt

Faunal evidence from the Fayum Neolithic is often cited in the framework of early stock keeping in Egypt. However, the data suffer from a number of problems. In the present paper, large faunal datasets from new excavations at Kom K and Kom W (4850–4250 BC) are presented. They clearly show that, despite the presence of domesticates, fish predominate in the animal bone assemblages. In this sense, there is continuity with the earlier Holocene occupation from the Fayum, starting ca. 7350 BC. Domesticated plants and animals appear first from approximately 5400 BC. The earliest possible evidence for domesticates in Egypt are the very controversial domesticated cattle from the 9th/8th millennium BC in the Nabta Playa-Bir Kiseiba area. The earliest domesticates found elsewhere in Egypt date to the 6th millennium BC. The numbers of bones are generally extremely low at this point in time and only caprines are present. From the 5th millennium BC, the numbers of sites with domesticates dramatically increase, more species are also involved and they are usually represented by significant quantities of bones. The data from the Fayum reflect this two phase development, with very limited evidence for domesticates in the 6th millennium BC and more abundant and clearer indications in the 5th millennium BC. Any modelling of early food production in Egypt suffers from poor amounts of data, bias due to differential preservation and visibility of sites and archaeological remains, and a lack of direct dates for domesticates. In general, however, the evidence for early stock keeping and accompanying archaeological features shows large regional variation and seems to be mainly dependent on local environmental conditions. The large numbers of fish at Kom K and Kom W reflect the proximity of Lake Qarun.

Early Mesolithic Hunting and Fishing Activities in Central Russia: A Review of the Faunal and Artefactual Evidence from Wetland Sites

Fifteen peat bog settlements have been excavated in the area between the Volga and Oka Rivers in Central Russia over the last few decades. These wetland sites contained cultural layers with well-preserved organic materials from the beginning to the end of the Mesolithic. Faunal assemblages, hunting and fishing tools from the main early Mesolithic sites of the region are described in this article. The data from wetland sites indicates that the economic and cultural model of hunters-fishers-gatherers characteristic of the boreal forests zone was applicable in the Volga-Oka area by the very beginning of the Holocene, or probably earlier. The Mesolithic boreal-culture was perfectly adapted to the forest and lake environment and had gradually developed in the region during early Mesolithic and then over several millennia. This subsistence strategy proved to be flexible and sustainable. It is noted, however, that the natural environmental factors, which caused the emergence of this cultural and economic model in the Upper Volga area at the beginning of the Mesolithic, did not induce significant effects on its subsequent development.

An unusual occurrence of mafic accretionary lapilli in deep-marine volcaniclastics on 'Eua, Tonga: Palaeoenvironment and process

Reports of occurrences of accretionary lapilli on Earth, whether in historic time or in the geological record, are restricted to subaerial environments or to shallow marine environments when faunal evidence exists to determine palaeodepths. The proximity of the deep ocean to subduction zones/island arcs (where moist explosive volcanism conducive to ash aggregate formation is common) makes this surprising. In this paper, accretionary lapilli are reported within Middle Miocene mafic glass-rich volcaniclastics on 'Eua, the island closest to the Tonga Trench, a persistent high in the frontal arc basin. The glass in the accretionary lapilli has been subjected to advanced palagonitisation, but concentric layers marked by micro-aggregates containing shard-shaped particles survive to determine one group of occurrences as layered accretionary lapilli. The palaeoenvironment, as established by pelagic microfauna, is clearly deep marine, not less than 1600m. The host rocks, typically gravel/sand in grain size, contain sedimentary structures (normal grading to inverse and normal-to-inverse grading, lack of grading, large-scale cross-bedding, slump bedding and sedimentary dykes) suggesting that the full spectrum of sediment gravity flow types, including less ordered debris flows, has been active. In an island arc environment, a range of sediment gravity flow types can be initiated, some by pyroclastic flows entering the sea. However, the thin beds of accretionary lapilli do not exhibit features of sediment gravity flow deposits or those of submarine pyroclastic flows. Possible transport processes must account for the matrix between the ash aggregates, which is either coarse-grained or absent. Modelling of particle descent times to 1600m through a sea water column provides one explanation for the features displayed.

An Early Silurian ‘Herefordshire’ myodocope ostracod from Greenland and its palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographical significance

AbstractHere we record the occurrence of a new species of the Herefordshire Lagerstätte ostracod genusPaulinefrom the Lower Silurian (upper Telychian) of North Greenland.Pauline nivisissp. nov. was recovered from a limestone boulder (Pentamerus Bjerge Formation) collected south of Kap Schuchert, Washington Land. It is reasonable to transpose the palaeobiology known from the HerefordshirePauline avibella– body, limbs including swimming antennae, lateral eyes, gills and alimentary system – into the carapace of the Greenland species, which represents the oldest cylindroleberidid myodocopid and almost the oldest known myodocope, and is the first record of a Herefordshire Lagerstätte genus from outside the Welsh Borderland locality. Morphological, sedimentological and faunal evidence suggest that the Greenland species was nektobenthic. This is compatible with the notion that ostracods (specifically myodocopids) did not invade the water column until later in the Silurian, in the Wenlock and Ludlow epochs.Paulineis an Early Silurian link between ‘Baltic-British’ and North Laurentian ostracod faunas, endorsing the idea that the UK and Greenland were in close geographical proximity, near a remnant Iapetus Ocean, during late Llandovery time.

Flexibility and diversity in subsistence during the late Mesolithic: faunal evidence from Asnæs Havnemark

In 2007, excavations at the late Mesolithic (Ertebolle) coastal site of Asnaes Havnemark recovered a wealth of flint, bone, and ceramic artefacts. A comprehensive analysis of the faunal remains resulted in over 50,000 identified specimens. Roe deer and gadids predominate, but there are a wide variety of other species represented. Stable isotope analyses of dog bones point to the importance of marine resources. Oxygen isotope analyses of otoliths indicate that fishing was conducted in multiple seasons of the year. Comparison with other late Mesolithic sites demonstrates that while generally the same species of animals were exploited everywhere, there are major differences in the relative abundances of species. The broad subsistence base available and flexibility in how it was exploited weaken arguments for a subsistence crisis brought on by environmental stresses as the causal mechanism for the adoption of domesticated plants and animals at the onset of the Neolithic.

Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Persistent Hominin Carnivory

The emergence of lithic technology by ∼2.6 million years ago (Ma) is often interpreted as a correlate of increasingly recurrent hominin acquisition and consumption of animal remains. Associated faunal evidence, however, is poorly preserved prior to ∼1.8 Ma, limiting our understanding of early archaeological (Oldowan) hominin carnivory. Here, we detail three large well-preserved zooarchaeological assemblages from Kanjera South, Kenya. The assemblages date to ∼2.0 Ma, pre-dating all previously published archaeofaunas of appreciable size. At Kanjera, there is clear evidence that Oldowan hominins acquired and processed numerous, relatively complete, small ungulate carcasses. Moreover, they had at least occasional access to the fleshed remains of larger, wildebeest-sized animals. The overall record of hominin activities is consistent through the stratified sequence – spanning hundreds to thousands of years – and provides the earliest archaeological evidence of sustained hominin involvement with fleshed animal remains (i.e., persistent carnivory), a foraging adaptation central to many models of hominin evolution.

Foraminiferal faunal evidence for Glacial–Interglacial variations in the ocean circulation and the upwelling of the Gulf of Tehuantepec (Mexico)

Abstract Three marine sediment cores from the Gulf of Tehuantepec (Eastern Tropical North Pacific) were used to determine variations in upwelling intensity and surface circulation patterns over the last 26 kyr BP. Changes in foraminiferal assemblages at glacial-interglacial timescale indicate a sequence of three major palaeoceanographic events in the study area: (1) The Late Pleistocene (including the Last Glacial Maximum, LGM), dominated by a Neogloboquadrina dutertrei–Globorotalia menardii assemblage, indicative of a stable thermocline, stratified water column and greater persistence of warm equatorial waters in the region. (2) The Termination 1, dominated by a Globigerinita glutinata assemblage, which indicates mixed surface water and transitional conditions between upwelling and stratified water column episodes. Changes in sedimentation rates and a clear reduction of the faunal abundances at this time, could be the result of eustatic sea level change. (3) The Holocene, dominated by a Globigerina bulloides–Globigerinoides ruber assemblage, indicates periods of elevated productivity, intense upwelling and the establishment of the modern ocean conditions. These findings are consistent with climate model results that suggest that regional surface ocean and upwelling conditions are mostly linked to changes in atmospheric circulation over the Laurentide Ice Sheet and shifts in the latitudinal position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

The beginnings of dairying as practised by pastoralists in ‘green’ Saharan Africa in the 5th millennium BC

Previous research has identified the antiquity and chronology of dairying practices as beginning in the Near East and its subsequent spread across Europe. In the Libyan Sahara, archaeological evidence, confirmed by the remarkable rock art depicting cattle herding, together with faunal evidence, also suggests an early inception of dairying practices in North Africa and the formation of an independent ‘secondary products’ economy by mobile pastoral groups. In this paper, we elaborate on the first unequivocal chemical evidence, based on the δ13C and Δ13C values of the major fatty acids of milk fat, for the adoption of dairying practices by prehistoric Saharan African people in the fifth millennium BC.

High‐latitude Hirnantian (latest Ordovician) brachiopods from the Eusebio Ayala Formation of Paraguay, Paraná Basin

Abstract: Examination of newly collected brachiopods from the Eusebio Ayala Formation of Paraguay reveals the occurrence of Arenorthis paranaensis sp. nov., Plectothyrella? itacurubiensis sp. nov., Hindella sp. and Eostropheodonta conradii (Harrington). Associated graptolites of the N. persculptus Zone indicate that the age of the fossiliferous beds is Hirnantian. The overall generic composition of the fauna is similar to that of the atypical Hirnantia Fauna of the Bani Province. The record in Paraguay of Arenorthis, hitherto only known from North Africa, together with species of Plectothyrella? and Eostropheodonta different from those recorded in the Kosov Province, emphasizing the affinities between the Paraguayan fauna and the low‐diversity African assemblages. Stratigraphic and faunal evidence indicates that biogeographical links between South America and Africa already existed by the end of the Ordovician when most of the intra‐cratonic basins of Gondwana were flooded during the postglacial sea level rise.

Influences of extratropical water masses on equatorial Pacific cold tongue variability during the past 160 ka as revealed by faunal evidence of planktic foraminifers

AbstractGlacial cooling (∼1–5°C) in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) cold tongue is often attributed to increased equatorial upwelling, stronger advection from the Peru–Chile Current (PCC), and to the more remote subpolar southeastern Pacific water mass. However, evidence is scarce for identifying unambiguously which process plays a more important role in driving the large glacial cooling in the EEP. To address this question, here we adopt a faunal calibration approach using planktic foraminifers with a new compilation of coretop data from the eastern Pacific, and present new downcore variation data of fauna assemblage and estimated sea surface temperatures (SSTs) for the past 160 ka (Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6) from ODP Site 1240 in the EEP. With significant improvement achieved by adding more coretop data from the eastern boundary current, our downcore calibration results indicate that most of the glacial cooling episodes over the past 160 ka in the EEP are attributable to increased influence from the subpolar water mass from high latitudes of the southern Pacific. By applying this new calibration of the fauna SST transfer function to a latitudinal transect of eastern Pacific (EP) cores, we find that the subpolar water mass has been a major dynamic contributor to EEP cold tongue cooling since MIS 6. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A CODY COMPLEX SITE ON THE SOUTHERN PRAIRIE PLAINS

Two diagnostic Cody complex artifacts were found in an upland setting in Washita County, west central Oklahoma. These artifacts, a Firstview point made of Edwards chert and a Scottsbluff point made of obsidian, provide clues to activities and land use of Cody complex people in this region where such evidence is limited and only minimally reported. The typological significance of some Cody complex projectile point attributes including basal form and flaking patterns are discussed with reference to the Flaming site artifacts. Models for long-distance transport of lithic materials and land use patterns are also presented with reference to the lithic sources represented at the Flaming site. This surface assemblage also includes a few flakes and tools and the site may represent a bison kill location, but no faunal evidence is preserved.

Upper limb entheseal change with the transition to agriculture in the southeastern United States: A view from Moundville and the central Tombigbee River valley

We analyzed entheseal change in 159 skeletons from Moundville and surrounding settlements using primary fibrocartilaginous attachments of the upper limbs. Risk of entheseal change did not differ bilaterally, suggesting a wide variety of activities were used to exploit a diverse ecosystem. Consistent with predictions, Mississippian (1000–1500CE) agriculturalists experienced greater risk of entheseal change than did Late Woodland (500–900CE) hunter-gatherers. Attachments used in arm flexion were most affected, while rotator cuff entheses remained consistent over time. A temporal increase in muscular changes in males in concert with faunal evidence for resurgence of larger game (e.g., deer) is consistent with continued reliance on hunting alongside domestication of maize. Among Mississippians, younger males appear to have been carrying out the most strenuous tasks, contrary to earlier studies that suggested a decline in male activities with domestication. Mound centers consistently experienced the greatest upper body changes, in spite of faunal and botanical data supporting provisioning of elites by outlying sites. Center males, respectively, experienced more than 26 and 12 times greater changes at elbow extensors and brachialis than those from outlying settlements, with a significant decline from young to middle age among adults. Center females experienced increased risk at biceps insertions and common extensors of the humeri – trends that disappeared with age. Overall findings suggest increased upper body demands and shifting sex and age-dependent divisions of labor with maize intensification, but trends across settlements point to significant status-related body size selection in center males, with fewer differences among females.

Animal–plant interactions in a Middle Permian permineralised peat of the Bainmedart Coal Measures, Prince Charles Mountains, Antarctica

Evidence for invertebrate feeding on glossopterid gymnosperms is documented from Middle Permian silicified peats of the Prince Charles Mountains, Antarctica, in the form of coprolites occurring both free in the peat matrix and clustered within excavations in roots, aerial wood and leaves. Observations of coprolites in thin-sections of the peats and from scanning electron microscopy of examples extracted via bulk maceration reveal nine morphotypes distinguished by size, shape, surface texture and contents. These include coprolites with coarse plant debris, spirally ornamented coprolites, coprolites containing spore/pollen remains and fern sporangia, coprolites within Glossopteris leaves, an ellipsoidal morphotype within a fern sporangium, large isolated coprolites between matted leaves, clustered forms filling galleries inside Vertebraria roots and Australoxylon wood, forms with coarse indeterminate constituents and others with fungal contents. Other faunal evidence is limited to indeterminate arthropod exoskeleton fragments. Collectively, the coprolites within the permineralised peat from the Prince Charles Mountains document the presence of diverse feeding behaviours including stem feeding, sporangial feeding, palynivory, root feeding and mycophagy. The first evidence of invertebrate feeding traces in Vertebraria (glossopterid) roots is identified. These findings indicate that herbivory by invertebrates in the high-latitude Permian forest-mire ecosystems of Antarctica was more intense and diverse than previous studies have reported, and affected all parts of the Glossopteris plant, together with components of associated herbaceous taxa.