Humans In South Africa Research Articles

Physical Environment and Site Choice in South Africa

Physical environmental factors (effectively climate and, through it, food supply) influence the distribution of humanity as they do that of other species, although the human response is mediated through technology and cognition. It is clear that these factors will have greater importance in marginal habitats, however great the level of technology. The latter merely has the effect of allowing penetration into regions uninhabitable without suitable artificial support; it does not remove the influence of adverse conditions. Given that much of South Africa suffers from a chronic shortage of water it is of particular relevance to examine the role of physical environmental conditions in human behaviour and settlement patterns. It is suggested that the circumstances surrounding initial occupation and subsequent abandonment of archaeological sites may well be especially instructive for understanding the role of environment in human decision-making. Three case studies illustrate the potential of this line of investigation for shedding light on matters as diverse as the arrival of early modern humans in South Africa some 150,000 years ago, the introduction of sheep about 2000 years ago and the penetration of the first European stock-herders into the interior around 300 years ago.

Trichothecenes: Natural occurrence and potential hazard

AbstractThe trichothecene toxins are a chemical group of fungal metabolites characterized by a tetracyclic 12, 13‐epoxy‐trichothec‐9‐ene skeleton. There are over 40 naturally occurring derivatives produced predominantly by species ofFusarium but also produced by species ofCephalosporium, Myrothecium, Trichoderma, andStachybotrys. The trichothecene derivatives most commonly encountered in feedstuff are: T‐2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin) and nivalenol. Deoxynivalenol has been isolated from corn and mixed feed more frequently than the other derivatives reported, and moreover, it is frequently found together with the fungal estrogen zearalenone. Deoxynivalenol has frequently been associated with corn refused by swine, vomiting in dogs, and corn used by humans in South Africa. Deoxynivalenol is produced byFusarium roseum, an organism that is commonly found infecting corn in the field and corn stored on‐the‐cob in cribs in the Midwest. The trichothecenes have been implicated in diseases of man called alimentary toxic aleukia in the USSR and have been found in corn in the Transkei where the incidence of esophageal cancer is high. Among domestic animals, trichothecenes such as T‐2 toxin, DAS and deoxynivalenol have been implicated in diseases characterized by a hemorrhagic syndrome in cows and swine, vomiting in swine and dogs, decrease in avian egg production and body weight, refusal of feed by swine and infertility in swine. The data on the residue of the administered T‐2 toxin in domestic animals suggests that trichothecenes can be transmitted into humans.

Towards True Humanity in South Africa

Towards True Humanity in South Africa