Distribution Of Food Resources Research Articles

Inferring mode of acquisition from lithic conveyance: A pesky middle-range problem

Inferring mode of acquisition from lithic conveyance is a long-standing middle-range problem. Given archaeologists’ reliance on patterns of lithic conveyance to understand how prehistoric populations organized themselves in relation to their landscape, its resources, and each other, resolution of this problem would be significant. Drawing on research in the North American Great Basin and Middle Atlantic, we argue that the concepts archaeologists often use to derive insight into landscape use and sociocultural organization from patterns of lithic conveyance warrant greater scrutiny. We argue that archaeologists may better be able to infer landscape use and sociocultural organization from patterns of lithic conveyance if we remember that our conceptions (e.g., residential and logistical mobility, direct and indirect procurement, embedded and “dis”embedded procurement) sit in physical and social space – landscapes characterized by the distribution of food and nonfood resources (including stone), as well as other people.

Distribution of Food Resources for Two Species of the Skate Family (Beringraja pulchra and Okamejei kenojei) in the South Sea of Korea

Distribution of Food Resources for Two Species of the Skate Family (Beringraja pulchra and Okamejei kenojei) in the South Sea of Korea

Nutritional Factors Associated with Dental Caries across the Lifespan: A Review

Nutrition and dietetic care span various life stages, addressing nutritional needs and exploring factors that shape dietary habits. Globally, an alarming disproportion in food resource distribution, coupled with substandard nutritional intake, underscores profound implications for oral health. This is evident in the facilitation of dental caries development and its repercussions on oral soft tissue integrity. While modern markets offer advanced edible products, their effects on oral health, especially in relation to dental caries, remain uncharted. This narrative literature review pursues a four-fold objective: (a) scrutinizing the repercussions of inadequate nutrition on dental caries, (b) exploring psychological determinants influencing dietary habits contributing to caries development, (c) investigating potential implications of newly devised food products on caries formation, and (d) elucidating the role of dentists as facilitators in promoting oral health practices. A comprehensive search spanning PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library yielded 46 cohort, cross-sectional research articles and systematic reviews adhering to standardized diagnostic criteria for dental caries evaluation. The results highlight contemporary lifestyles as potent contributors to heightened risk of caries due to suboptimal nutritional quality and nutrient insufficiency. Additionally, concerns have arisen with the advent of synthetically engineered food products, warranting exploration of potential implications for future caries development and global oral health status. This review emphasizes the pivotal role of dietitians–nutritionists and dental professionals in advocating sound nutritional practices specifically geared towards preventing dental caries. Ultimately, this review contributes to the understanding of the intricate interplay between nutrition, oral health, and the imperative role of healthcare professionals in fostering preventive measures.

Holding Retail Corporations Accountable for Food Waste: A Due Diligence Framework Informed by Business and Human Rights Principles

AbstractRetail corporations orchestrate much of what happens in today’s food supply chains. From setting sky-high cosmetic standards for fresh produce to bundling off close-to-expiry products at discounted prices, retail’s contribution to food waste often extends beyond its in-store numbers. By occupying a powerful position in a globalised food system, these corporations enable chronic overproduction and consequently, the removal of surplus food from supply chains. This, in turn, contributes to the unfair distribution and overexploitation of food resources, further exacerbating the globally pervasive problem of food insecurity. To realise the right to food and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of halving global per capita food waste by 2030, we argue that retail corporations must be held accountable for their direct and indirect contribution to food waste. We posit that to make a tangible difference, they must move away from the current voluntary corporate social responsibility approach to food waste reduction and instead invest in robust due diligence mechanisms and transparent reporting systems in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the upcoming EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. Based on Pillar II of the Guiding Principles, we propose a five-step approach to accountability for food waste that may lead to serious actions towards the relaxation of cosmetic standards, abolition of unfair trading practices, and improvement in demand forecasting, thereby reducing the volume of food that ends up as waste.

Characterisation of Antennal Sensilla and Electroantennography Responses of the Dung Beetles Bubas bison, Onitis aygulus and Geotrupes spiniger (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) to Dung Volatile Organic Compounds.

Locating sporadically distributed food resources and mate finding are strongly aided by volatile cues for most insects, including dung beetles. However, there is limited information on the olfactory ecology of dung beetles. We conducted a scanning electron microscopy study on the morphology and distribution of the antennal sensilla of three introduced dung beetle species in Australia: Geotrupes spiniger (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae), Bubas bison and Onitis aygulus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Three main morphological types of antennal sensilla were identified: sensilla trichodea (ST), sensilla basiconica (SB) and sensilla chaetica (SCh). Distinct variations of SB distribution were observed in B. bison and G. spiniger and on different lamellar surfaces in both sexes of all three species. Sexual dimorphism in antennal sensilla distribution or their abundance was not evident. To complement the morphological characterisation of sensilla, electroantennography (EAG) was carried out to construct EAG response profiles of the three species to selected dung volatiles. An initial study revealed that antennae of all species were sensitive to a mix of phenol, skatole, indole, p-cresol, butanone and butyric acid, common components of livestock dung headspace. In addition to these six compounds, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, eucalyptol and toluene were tested for antennal activity. All compounds evoked measurable EAG responses, confirming antennal sensitivity. Geotrupes spiniger exhibited significant responses to all the compounds compared to the control, whereas B. bison and O. aygulus only responded to a subset of compounds. A comparison of relative EAG amplitudes revealed highly significant responses to p-cresol in G. spiniger and to skatole in B. bison. Geotrupes spiniger displayed differential responses to all the compounds. Pooled EAG data suggest highly significant differences in responses among the three species and among compounds. Our findings suggest that a blend of volatiles may offer potential for the trapping of dung beetles, thereby avoiding the use of dung baits that are inconvenient, inconsistent and may pose a threat to farm biosecurity.

Monitoring of hive weight changes in various landscapes

Bee development is determined by the quantity and quality of food resources available in the environment that can be used by bees only to a certain extent. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate, by means of changes in hive weight, the amount of food collected by honey bees in various landscapes, in relation to meteorological conditions, landscape, and forest structure. The monitored colonies (n = 104) were placed on electronic beehive scales, which provided data about hive weight, temperature, and humidity over two beekeeping seasons. The landscape valuation within a 2 km radius from each beehive was prepared based on digital maps. The seasonal distribution of food resources collected by honey bees was determined based on hive weight changes analysed in 5-day-periods (i.e. pentads). The hive weight changes mainly depended on the observation period and the air temperature. The hive weight increased from April to the last 10 days of June and when the air temperature was over 24 °C. The proportions of agricultural lands and forests, as well as the air humidity, had a small effect on hive weight changes. Continuous monitoring of the weight of honey bee colonies on a large scale showed that honey bees collected food stores in their nests mainly in the spring. Then, they collected a small amount of food, probably due to limited access to food resources from the last 10 days of June until the end of the growing season.

Hindu-Right Activism in Pandemic: Exploring the Role of Durga Vahini in Covid-19

Women’s activism in the Hindu right has gone through communication and mobilisation shifts in the context of Covid-19. The article traces how the hierarchy and coordination within the Durga Vahini—the women’s wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad facilitate the propagation of two primary goals 1 of seva, and sanskar in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Through semi-structured interviews with the representatives of the organisation, the article focuses on understanding mobilisation strategies like e- satsangs, accommodation of marginalised groups through the distribution of raw food resources, and manipulation of mythological narratives for the recruitment of young girls to propagate Hindu nationalism. The core argument of the article is focused on understanding these mobilisation tactics and changing nature seva in the times of pandemic.

Extreme El Niño southern oscillation conditions have contrasting effects on the body condition of five euphausiid species around the northern Antarctic Peninsula during winter

El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO) events drive profound global impacts on marine environments. These events may result in contrasting conditions in the Southern Ocean, with differing effects on euphausiid species because of their diverse life histories, habitats, and feeding ecologies. We conducted oceanographic surveys during winter (2012–2016) around the northern Antarctic Peninsula and examined the dietary carbon sources, trophic position, and body condition of five euphausiid species (Euphausia crystallorophias, E. frigida, E. superba post-larvae and larvae, E. triacantha, and Thysanoessa macrura) in relation to environmental conditions each year. In addition to general patterns among taxa, we focused on how contrasting conditions during an ENSO-neutral year (2014) and an ENSO-positive year (2016) affected the type, quality, and distribution of food resources each year, as well as the body condition of each species. We observed high chlorophyll-a, low salinity, and shallow upper mixed-layer depths in 2014, and low chlorophyll-a, high salinity, and deep upper mixed-layer depths in 2016. Carbon sources varied among years, with most species enriched in δ13C when ENSO conditions were dominant. Trophic position and body condition also varied among years, with different responses among species depending on conditions; inter-annual variation in δ15N was minimal, while E. triacantha was the only species with notably lower body condition in 2016. We conclude that ENSO conditions around the northern Antarctic Peninsula may result in a more favorable feeding environment for all euphausiid species except E. triacantha, which may be the most negatively impacted by the predicted increase in ENSO conditions.

Not all dung beetles feed on dung: Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) attracted to different carrion types in contrasting habitats at Brazilian Amazon

AbstractBy understanding how assemblages segregate according to food types, it is possible to depict and understand species distribution and exploitation of similar food resources. Although it is well known that dung beetles may feed on carrion, but the attractiveness of different carrion types for these beetles is still poorly understood. In this study, we compared the dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) diversity attracted to two carrion types in different habitats in an Amazonian landscape. Dung beetles were captured by using pitfall traps baited with decaying cattle beef and cattle liver in native forest, peach palm plantation, teak plantation and exotic pasture. Overall, we captured 582 dung beetles of 43 species, where Canthidium aff. lentum was classified as a specialist of cattle beef, Deltochilum sp. One was considered specialist of liver carrion, 11 were considered generalists and for the 30 remaining species, it was not possible to determine their carrion preference due to the low number. Abundance, but not species richness, was affected by carrion type, and a higher number of beetles was recorded in beef‐baited traps compared to liver‐baited traps. According to functional groups, endocoprid beetles were more abundant in traps baited with decaying beef, while paracoprid and telecoprid beetles did not show preference for any carrion type. This study suggests a novel scenario of intra‐resource segregation, where species vary their preferences depending to the part of the dead corpse being exploited. The amount of food resource, the maintenance of stable populations and trophic preference mediated by chemical cues are some mechanisms that may explain the segregation of dung beetles among carrion types.

Nutrient balancing in a fruit‐specialist primate, the black‐and‐white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata)

Animals' foraging behavior and dietary choices are, in part, driven by their ultimate function: to meet nutritional demands. However, depending on their degree of dietary specialization and the availability and distribution of food resources in their environment, species may utilize different nutritional strategies. With shifting plant phenology, increasing unpredictability of fruiting, and declining food quality in response to anthropogenic climate change, existing nutritional constraints may become exacerbated. Such changes are especially concerning for Madagascar's endemic fruit specialists given the nutrient-limitation of the island's landscapes. In this study, we examined the nutritional strategy of one such fruit-specialist primate, the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata), over a 12-month period (January to December 2018) in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. We hypothesized that Varecia would balance nonprotein energy (NPE) to protein (AP) at a high ratio similar toother frugivorous primates, and that they would prioritize protein intake given their high degree of frugivory. We found that Varecia balance NPE:AP at a ratio of 11:1, higher than in any other primate studied to date; however, diets shifted such that nutrient balancing varied seasonally (12.6:1 abundant-9.6:1 lean). Varecia meet NRC suggested recommendations of 5-8% of calories from protein, despite having a diet mostly comprising fruits. However, seasonal shifts in NPE intakes result in significant energy shortfalls during fruit-lean seasons. Flowers provide an important source of NPE during these periods, with flower consumption best predicting lipid intake, suggesting this species' ability to shift resource use. Nevertheless, achieving adequate and balanced nutrient intakes may become precarious in the face of increasing unpredictability in plant phenology and other environmental stochasticities resulting from climate change.

Biotic resistance to fish invasions in southern China: Evidence from biomass, habitat, and fertility limitation.

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the invasion success or failure of alien species can help to predict future invasions and cope with the invaders. The biotic resistance hypothesis posits that diverse communities are more resistant to invasion. While many studies have examined this hypothesis, the majority of them have focused on the relationship between alien and native species richness in plant communities, and results have often been inconsistent. In southern China, many rivers have been invaded by alien fish species, providing an opportunity to test the resistance of native fish communities to alien fish invasions. Using survey data for 60,155 freshwater fish collected from five main rivers of southern China for 3 years, we assessed the relationships between native fish richness and the richness and biomass of alien fishes at river and reach spatial scales, respectively. Based on two manipulative experiments, we further examined the impact of native fish richness on habitat selection and the reproductive ability of an exotic model species Coptodon zillii. We found no apparent relationship between alien and native fish richness, whereas the biomass of alien fish significantly decreased with increasing native fish richness. In experiments, C. zillii preferred to invade those habitats that had low native fish richness, given evenly distributed food resources; reproduction of C. zillii was strongly depressed by a native carnivorous fish Channa maculata. Together, our results indicate that native fish diversity can continue to provide biotic resistance to alien fish species in terms of limiting their growth, habitat selection, and reproduction when these aliens have successfully invaded southern China. We thus advocate for fish biodiversity conservation, especially for key species, to mitigate against the population development and ecological impact of alien fish species.

Russia and the Modern Food Crisis: Political and Economic Retrospective

Currently, a large-scale food crisis is unfolding in the world, due to a number of exogenous and endogenous factors. Being an integral part of the emerging new socio-economic reality, this crisis is not only global, but also diversified, affecting many sectors not only of agriculture, but also of industry (food industry, fertilizer production, chemical industry, etc.), exerting its influence and on the state of food security of the Russian Federation. In this regard, an analysis of the causes, nature and possible consequences of this crisis is not only of considerable theoretical, but also quite practical interest. In this regard, the purpose of the study is to assess the nature, nature, dynamics, characteristics and consequences of the development of the global food crisis and its impact on the food security of the Russian Federation, as well as ways to prevent it. The main causes of the modern world food crisis are revealed. The difference between the current food crisis and other similar crises associated with the growing uneven socio-economic development of different regions of the world and the depletion of natural, primarily biological resources, has been identified and argued. The specificity of the food crisis is shown, due to a certain extent to the multiplicative effect of destructive processes in the production and distribution of food resources, miscalculations in the economic, environmental and social policies of individual states. The possible consequences of the food crisis are determined. Additional ways and mechanisms to prevent the food crisis in the territory of the Russian Federation are argued. The article substantiates the position that along with the quantitative aspects of food policy associated with increasing the volume of food production and import substitution, a special role in the conditions of macroeconomic instability and uncertainty is acquired by qualitative aspects, primarily the quality, nutritional value and safety of food itself, its economic accessibility, timeliness and completeness of food supply.

Evaluating the efficacy of a consumer‐centric method for ecological sampling: Using bonobo (Pan paniscus) feeding patterns as an instrument for tropical forest characterization

Characteristics of food availability and distribution are key components of a species' ecology. Objective ecological surveying used in animal behavior research does not consider aspects of selection by the consumer and therefore may produce imprecise measures of availability. We propose a method to integrate ecological sampling of an animal's environment into existing behavioral data collection systems by using the consumer as the surveyor. Here, we evaluate the consumer-centric method (CCM) of assessing resource availability for its ability to measure food resource abundance, distribution, and dispersion. This method catalogs feeding locations observed during behavioral observation and uses aggregated data to characterize these ecological metrics. We evaluated the CCM relative to traditional vegetation plot surveying using accumulated feeding locations across 3 years visited by a tropical frugivore, the bonobo (Pan paniscus), and compared it with data derived from over 200 vegetation plots across their 50 km2+ home ranges. We demonstrate that food species abundance estimates derived from the CCM are comparable to those derived from traditional vegetation plot sampling in less than 2 years of data collection, and agreement improved when accounting for aspects of consumer selectivity in objective vegetation plot sampling (e.g., tree size minima). Density correlated between CCM and plot-derived estimates and was relatively insensitive to home range inclusion and other species characteristics, however, it was sensitive to sampling frequency. Agreement between the methods in relative distribution of resources performed better across species than expected by chance, although measures of dispersion correlated poorly. Once tested in other systems, the CCM may provide a robust measure of food availability for use in relative food availability indices and can be incorporated into existing observational data collection. The CCM has an advantage over traditional sampling methods as it incorporates sampling biases relevant to the consumer, thereby serving as a promising method for animal behavioral research.

Emergency food distribution efforts in New Orleans, LA after Hurricane Ida.

BackgroundThe provision of food aid after a natural disaster is necessary to prevent hunger, particularly in low-resourced and low-income communities. Little is known about the operational challenges associated with ensuring equitable distribution of emergency food resources to communities in need following a disaster. To address this gap, this study assessed emergency food distribution efforts in New Orleans, LA during the 2 weeks following Hurricane Ida's landfall on August 29, 2021.MethodsInformation on free food distribution events was gathered from online sources. A list of distribution sites was generated that included data on operational logistics (e.g., address, days of operation, hours of operation, etc.), food offerings (e.g., prepared meals, groceries, etc.), and socio-demographic characteristics of the surrounding community. Geospatial mapping and bivariate analyses were used to analyze the site data.ResultsSeventy-four distribution sites operated in the 2 weeks after Hurricane Ida. Approximately 47.3% were located in census tracts with >80% Black residents, and 39.2% were in tracts with >30% poverty. A large proportion of sites offered prepared meals (86.2%) and only operated 1 day (36.5%). Tracts with >80% Black residents had more sites that operated only 1 day (p = 0.04). Tracts with >30% poverty had more sites that started distributing food resources 7–15 days after the hurricane (p = 0.02).ConclusionsMost low-income and low-resourced communities in New Orleans had access to emergency food resources; however, several limitations in operations were identified that may have influenced access. Future initiatives to prevent hunger after a natural disaster in New Orleans, and elsewhere, should improve operational logistics for food aid.

Habitat use by female desert tortoises suggests tradeoffs between resource use and risk avoidance.

Animals may select habitat to maximize the benefits of foraging on growth and reproduction, while balancing competing factors like the risk of predation or mortality from other sources. Variation in the distribution of food resources may lead animals to forage at times or in places that carry greater predation risk, with individuals in poor quality habitats expected to take greater risks while foraging. We studied Mojave desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) in habitats with variable forage availability to determine if risk aversion in their selection of habitat relative was related to abundance of forage. As a measure of risk, we examined tortoise surface activity and mortality. We also compared tortoise body size and body condition between habitats with ample forage plants and those with less forage plants. Tortoises from low forage habitats selected areas where more annual plants were nutritious herbaceous flowering plants but did not favor areas of greater perennial shrub cover that could shelter them or their burrows. In contrast, tortoises occupying high forage habitats showed no preference for forage characteristics, but used burrows associated with more abundant and larger perennial shrubs. Tortoises in high forage habitats were larger and active above ground more often but did not have better body condition. Mortality was four times higher for females occupying low forage habitat than those in high forage habitat. Our results are consistent with the idea that tortoises may minimize mortality risk where food resources are high, but may accept some tradeoff of greater mortality risk in order to forage optimally when food resources are limiting.

Seasonal variations in Home Range Size of Capped Langur (Trachypithecus pileatus) in a degraded habitat in Assam, India

A group of capped langurs, Trachypithecus pileatus comprising eight individuals was studied in Sri Surya Pahar, a degraded habitat in Goalpara district of Assam to record the seasonal variations in distance travelled, home range, and habitat utilization through direct observation supplemented by Geographical Information system (GIS). Scan sampling method was followed to record data on ranging behaviour. Seasonality in the home range size was evident and significant (P<0.01), it was 20 ha in winter, 17 ha in pre-monsoon, 17.75 ha in monsoon and 16.25 ha in retreating monsoon. The mean daily travel distance varied significantly (P<0.01), it was 375 m in retreating monsoon to 490 m in winter. The mean daily travel length was 439 m and the total annual home range size was 38.25 ha. The variation of home range size was correlated with the distribution and abundance of food resources. Home range size and daily travel distance showed significant seasonal variations. In both the cases the ranging patterns were longer during the winter season. This may be due to shortage of new leaves during winter, which is the preferred food item of capped langur. Spatial availability of the different food resources over different seasons may also be a reason for significant changes in ranging pattern during different seasons. The present data on home range size and ranging pattern of capped langur in degraded habitat could be useful for improvement of habitat and the conservation of this endangered species in Assam.

Динаміка просторового розподілу, рийна діяльність та кормозапасання у сліпака східного (Spalax microphthalmus)

Original data on the burrowing and foraging activities of the greater blind mole rat (Spalax microphthalmus), which is distributed in the east of Ukraine, are generalised. The population density of this species depends directly on the amount of available food resources at the respective sites. The strategy of food storage forms according to the amount and type of available plant resources and depending on the preservation of natural habitat of mole rats. Their appearance in gardens and homesteads is related to anthropogenic changes of the environment at the dwelling sites of mole rats. The seasonal dynamics of their burrowing activity is well pronounced and includes the creation of a branching system of tunnels in the period of active vegetation of plants as well as the relocation or resettlement of animals in various habitats during the year, their lifetime, and population cycle. The length of tunnels, structure of burrows, and the structure of branched underground galleries are regulated by the density and spatial distribution of food resources. Based on the results of our study, specific features of the activity of the greater blind mole rat during various seasons of the years are described, including their active relocation both underground and on the surface, their burrowing at different horizons, the use of a great variety of food and the volumes of their storage for periods when the vegetation of plants ceases. Features of biotopic distribution and food storage of the greater blind mole rat are described in general and in relation to the species’ expansion into anthropogenically transformed parts of its range, including areas nearby to human settlements. The distribution of storage chambers is analysed, of both temporal chambers near the surface and deep-lying chambers, the ratio of which is about 3 : 1. The storage chambers often contain garden vegetables, although it is related not only to the preferences of mole rats, which are obvious too, but also to the fact that information about the storage chambers (especially deep-lying ones) is usually reported by people combating the mole rats for the stolen harvest. The average volume of low-lying chambers is 5–10 kg (1.0–1.5 buckets), whereas the average volume of deep-lying chambers is 20–30 kg. Data on the content of storage chambers revealed both in homesteads and natural or nearly natural sites are generalised.

Evolution of Social Organization: Phylogenetic Analyses of Ecology and Sexual Selection in Weavers.

AbstractCrook published a landmark study on the social organization of weavers (or weaverbirds, family Ploceidae) that contributed to the emergence of sociobiology, behavioral ecology, and phylogenetic comparative methods. By comparing ecology, spatial distribution, and mating systems, Crook suggested that the spatial distribution of food resources and breeding habitats influence weaver aggregation during both the nonbreeding season (flocking vs. solitary foraging) and the breeding season (colonial vs. solitary breeding), and the latter in turn impacts mating systems and sexual selection. Although Crook's study stimulated much follow-up research, his conclusions have not been scrutinized using phylogenetically controlled analyses. We revisited Crook's hypotheses using modern phylogenetic comparative methods on an extended data set of 107 weaver species. We showed that both diet and habitat type are associated with spatial distribution and that the latter predicts mating system, consistent with Crook's propositions. The best-supported phylogenetic path model also supported Crook's arguments and uncovered a direct relationship between nonbreeding distribution and mating system. Taken together, our phylogenetically corrected analyses confirm Crook's conjectures on the roles of ecology in social organizations of weavers; however, our analyses also uncovered an association between nonbreeding distributions and mating systems, which was not envisaged by Crook.

Social hierarchy of the Peng state in the Western Zhou Dynasty: Stable isotope analysis of animals and humans from the Hengshui Cemetery, Shanxi, China

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses were performed on the bones of seven dogs and 82 humans in the Hengshui Cemetery to reveal the distribution of food resources among different social strata of the Peng state. This study shed light on the social stratification during the Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 1046–771 BCE). The isotopic data of two Peng Bo could give the direct evidence to reveal the dietary pattern of the highest rank people in the Peng state which could be unique to discuss the whole social hierarchy of this principality. The results showed that humans and dogs mainly consumed C4-based food at the Hengshui Cemetery, although the intake of animal protein and C3 food varied significantly among the different strata. C4-based food, likely millets, and/or domestic animals fed on millet and/or millet by-products, were the main food consumed. Social stratification differences were observed in the consumption of animal protein between grave owners and sacrificed humans. Aristocracy always consumed more animal protein and C3 food than commoners. Meanwhile, sacrificed humans (SH-A) buried for the head of the Peng state, Peng Bo, consumed more animal protein and C3 food than those (SH-B) for other nobles, perhaps the former’s close relationship with their masters. In addition, commoners consumed more animal protein than SH-B. Some SH-A, who had a similar dietary pattern to that of Peng Bo, might be high-ranking nobles. Differences in people’s diet revealed by stable isotopes can reflect the strata of ancient societies. Peng state likely established a strict social hierarchy which ran, top to bottom: Peng Bo, nobles, SH-A, commoners, SH-B, on the dietary distribution perspective.

TEMPORARY REMOVAL: Dominance style and intersexual hierarchy in wild bonobos from Wamba

Dominance hierarchies vary between species and possess particular characteristics depending on the distribution and abundance of food resources that affect the competitive regime. Bonobos have been described as having female intersexual dominance, based mainly on female coalitionary support against males, and more egalitarian hierarchies than chimpanzees. In this study, we tested whether female intersexual dominance is dependent on female coalitions or whether it still arises when only dyadic interactions are considered. We also examined the role of food abundance in shaping dominance style in a wild population of bonobos in Wamba, Democratic Republic of Congo. We found partial support concerning our first prediction in which we expected a male dominance over females when only dyadic agonistic interactions were considered because females were not systematically dominant over males, finding instead an intersexual codominance pattern. We failed to find support for our second prediction that hierarchies become more despotic under low fruit abundance, in fact, we found the opposite pattern. We discuss that codominance based on dyadic interactions in this group may arise as a consequence of male deference rather than females winning conflicts against males and that more despotic hierarchies during high fruit season may arise as a consequence of competition for high-quality resources or variation in party size.