Mainland East Asia Research Articles

Чагатайские и тимуридские панцирные нарукавья последней трети XIV – начала XVI в. и их дериваты

Introduction. The article deals with plated (lamellar) armguards (‘oversleeves’) used by warriors of the Chagatai Ulus and the Timurid Empire. Goals. The study aims to identify key trends in the evolution of plated armguards across the Chagatai Ulus, the empire of Amir Timur, and the Timurid states in the late 14th to early 16th centuries. Results. The study reveals oversleeve-type armguards were not that rare and exotic in the then armour patterns as is sometimes believed, and for several centuries the former successfully competed with vambraces and other armour elements supposed to protect shoulders and forearms. In a historical perspective, the late medieval armguards proved somewhat manifested optimization and modernization of the imperial-era ‘Genghisid’ armour from the 13th and 14th centuries. The High and Late Middle Ages, as well as early modern times, witnessed the use of segmented armguards by armoured warriors across Southern Siberia, West, Central, South, and mainland East Asia. However, evolutionary trends were distinguished by certain specifics in different regions. Such armguards existed mainly in the mid-14th to early 16th centuries. The oversleeve-type armguards were evolutionarily drifting toward the optimization of plate embedding patterns (belts be replaced by rivets), as well as a gradual increase in the elasticity of this armour element via plate size reduction. The latter made it possible to place plates in several rows and expand the protected area up to the wrist. The final stage in the development of such plated armguards across the Muslim East was mail and plate ‘sleeves’. Segmented armguards could be worn with body armour characterized by different plate embedding structures (i.e., plates riveted, sewn, laced or connected with pieces of chainmail, as well as onto chainmail only). The main consumers of long plated oversleeve-type armguards in troops of Timur and Timurids were representatives of the nobility and line officers. Conclusions. The plated armguards were left behind by Central Asian communities as a result of transformed local military traditions in the aftermath of the collapse of the Timurid states in the early 16th century.

Response of East Asian summer monsoon to precession change during the mid-Pliocene warm period

Numerous palaeoclimatic records have shown that precession plays a dominant role in the Asian monsoon precipitation. However, the impact and mechanism of precession change on the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) under high CO2 conditions have yet to be studied. The mid-Pliocene (∼3.3–3.0 Ma) was the most recent warm interval during which atmospheric CO2 concentrations were similar to the present level of ∼400 ppmv. Therefore, it is often regarded as an analog for a near-future climate scenario. Here, the influence of precession change on EASM is investigated through numerical climate modeling using the mid-Pliocene as a test case. The results show that from the minimum to maximum of the precession, the summer temperature maximum zone shifted northward from ∼30°N to ∼45°N and the summer precipitation increased by ∼60% over the mainland East Asia. The simulations also show that the top-of-atmosphere insolation increased significantly in the Northern Hemisphere summer over mid- and high-latitudes and increased slightly over low latitudes from the precession minimum to maximum, leading to a substantial increase in the thermal contrast between the mainland East Asia and the equatorial western North Pacific. In this scenario, the western North Pacific subtropical high intensified and expanded, and the ITCZ migrated northward over South and Southeast Asia and was shifted southward over the area between the 110°E and 130°E, thereby leading to the rain belt penetration into northern China.

EURASIA'S RESISTANCE TO THE OCEANIC POWERS THE US-RUSSIA CONFLICT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EU, CHINA OR INDIA

Geopolitical Eurasia is the large continental mass with the Heartland core group: Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia and so on, exporters of raw materials by direct land and the Continental Rimland: China, Germany, Turkey, Italy, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Thailand and so on, made up of Continental Powers, while the Oceanic Powers, led by the US dominating maritime trade and oceanic embargo capacity, brings together exporting powers: Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, UAE and so on and industrialized maritime powers: Great Britain, Japan, etc., alongside exporting states constrained by them, from Africa, Latin America and island Asia. If the US succeeds in the trade blockade of the Heartland, stopping the export of cheap and abundant raw materials, it indirectly brings the European Union, mainland East Asia (China) and South Asia (India) to its knees, delivering four strikes direct and preventing the emergence of a power that would take its place as world leader. If the Rimland manages to bypass the American embargo by continuing to import from Heartaland, Britain will lose dominance in Europe to Germany, Japan will lose the dominance of Asia before China, Saudi Arabia before Iran and India will dominate the Indian Ocean, hence the 3+1 main regions taking over Africa, America and Australia, which will culminate in the decline of the US power, the dominance of the Eurasian world and of the continental powers before the maritime powers.

Phylogenomics and evolutionary history of Oreocnide (Urticaceae) shed light on recent geological and climatic events in SE Asia

Climate change and geological events have long been known to shape biodiversity, implying that these can likewise be viewed from a biological perspective. To study whether plants can shed light on this, and how they responded to climate change there, we examined Oreocnide, a genus widely distributed in SE Asia. Based on broad geographic sampling with genomic data, we employed an integrative approach of phylogenomics, molecular dating, historical biogeography, and ecological analyses. We found that Oreocnide originated in mainland East Asia and began to diversify ∼6.06 Ma, probably in response to a distinct geographic and climatic transition in East Asia at around that time, implying that the last important geological change in mainland SE Asia might be 1 Ma older than previously suggested. Around six immigration events to the islands of Malesia followed, indicating that immigration from the mainland could be an underestimated factor in the assembly of biotic communities in the region. Two detected increases of diversification rate occurred 3.13 and 1.19 Ma, which strongly implicated climatic rather than geological changes as likely drivers of diversification, with candidates being the Pliocene intensification of the East Asian monsoons, and Pleistocene climate and sea level fluctuations. Distribution modelling indicated that Pleistocene sea level and climate fluctuations were inferred to enable inter-island dispersal followed by allopatric separation, underpinning radiation in the genus. Overall, our study, based on multiple lines of evidence, linked plant diversification to the most recent climatic and geological events in SE Asia. We highlight the importance of immigration in the assembly and diversification of the SE Asian flora, and underscore the utility of plant clades, as independent lines of evidence, for reconstructing recent climatic and geological events in the SE Asian region.

A semantic typology of location, existence, possession and copular verbs: areal patterns of polysemy in Mainland East and Southeast Asia

AbstractThis study is based on a sample of 116 languages from the Mainland East and Southeast Asian linguistic area. Its first objective is to examine four distinct synchronic patterns of areal polysemy, created by the semantic domains of copular, locative, existential and possessive verbs and the constructions they form. As a consequence, its second objective is to model the diachronic change underlying four language types identified on this basis from the data. We argue that there are three grammaticalization pathways which motivate the four synchronic patterns: Type III languages are distinguished by the grammaticalization chain: (Postural verb) > (Dwell) > Locative > Existential > Possessive,while the other two types, Type II and Type IV, show an opposing pathway: (Grasp) > Possessive > Existential. Type I and Type II languages additionally reveal a recurrent polysemy betweenLocativeandCopularverbs. On this basis, an implicational universal is adduced to the effect that no diachronic adjacency exists betweenlocativeandpossessiveconstructions. Crucially, the intervening stage of anexistentialconstruction provides the necessary bridging context forpossessivereanalysis in this first pathway, whilepossessiveverbs are formally distinct fromlocativesin the second, bearing no diachronic relationship to them. The findings on the patterns of polysemy sharing reinforce the notion of a clear typological split between Tibeto-Burman languages on the one hand, and Sinitic, Kra–Dai, Hmong–Mien, and Austroasiatic on the other.

Corpus for the article: 'A semantic typology of locative, existential and possessive verbs in Mainland Southeast Asia: Areal patterns of polysemy in Mainland East and Southeast Asia'. Linguistics 60(1).

Corpus for the article: 'A semantic typology of locative, existential and possessive verbs in Mainland Southeast Asia: Areal patterns of polysemy in Mainland East and Southeast Asia'. Linguistics 60(1).

Corpus for the article: 'A semantic typology of locative, existential and possessive verbs in Mainland Southeast Asia: Areal patterns of polysemy in Mainland East and Southeast Asia'. Linguistics 60(1).

Corpus for the article: 'A semantic typology of locative, existential and possessive verbs in Mainland Southeast Asia: Areal patterns of polysemy in Mainland East and Southeast Asia'. Linguistics 60(1).

An updated analysis of the consumption of tiger products in urban Vietnam

Tigers are indisputably in danger of extinction due to habitat loss and demand for their parts. Tigers are extirpated in the wild from every country bar one in mainland East and Southeast Asia. Although consumption of tiger products is known to be established in China, less is known about demand for tiger products in Southeast Asia. In this study, we investigate tiger product demand in Vietnam, a major illegal wildlife consumer country. There has been little research into consumption, in particular the level of use, the products being consumed, variation in use of products between areas, and the motivations of consuming tiger products. Through a quantitative survey of 1120 individuals, we show that use of tiger products could be as high as ~11% of the sample in both urban centers of Vietnam, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Tiger bone glue is the predominant product used, for medicinal purposes. In Hanoi, it is generally purchased by the individual for self-use, while in Ho Chi Minh City it is generally purchased as a gift. In both cities, individuals were generally highly satisfied with the product, indicating entrenched belief in efficacy among consumers. Ultimately, our results show that tiger product use is relatively pervasive. We suggest that conservation organizations should focus on behavior change campaigns that are informed by the results here, and that are specific to each area and to the specific use of tiger product glue for medicine. By reducing demand, beleaguered tiger populations will have a greater chance of stabilization and eventual growth.

The images of Avalokiteshvara and Guanyin from the mainland East Asia in the collections of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (iconographic forms)

The images of Avalokiteshvara and Guanyin from the mainland East Asia in the collections of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (iconographic forms)

Associations of Ambient Air Pollutant Concentrations With Respiratory Symptoms and Perceived Health Status in Japanese Adults With and Without Chronic Respiratory Diseases: A Panel Study.

ObjectivesIn recent years, transboundary air pollution from mainland East Asia has led to growing concerns about air pollution in Japan. Air pollution is reportedly associated with the exacerbation of respiratory diseases. In this study, we assessed the effects of air pollution on respiratory symptoms and the health status of participants with and without chronic respiratory diseases.MethodsParticipants (n=2753) with and without chronic respiratory diseases who visited healthcare facilities in Japan during February from 2010 to 2015 filled out a self-report questionnaire regarding their symptoms and perceived health status. Participants were followed up during April-May and June-July.ResultsOxidant concentrations were associated with respiratory symptoms, overall health, and quality of life (QoL). Suspended particulate matter (SPM) and particulate matter <2.5 μm levels were associated with physical fitness; SPM was also associated with QoL. Recent experience of an Asian sand dust event had a significant effect on allergic symptoms, change in health, and QoL.ConclusionsRespiratory symptoms were more strongly affected by oxidants than by other pollutants. Significant associations of air pollutants were found with a comprehensive range of items related to perceived health status, including overall health and QoL. Although the effects of air pollutants on respiratory symptoms and health status were more apparent among patients with respiratory diseases, the adverse effects of air pollutants were significant even among participants without such conditions.

A tale of two rice varieties: Modelling the prehistoric dispersals ofjaponicaand proto-indicarices

We model the prehistoric dispersals of two rice varieties, japonica and proto- indica, across Asia using empirical evidence drawn from an archaeobotanical dataset of 400 sites from mainland East, Southeast and South Asia. The approach is based on regression modelling wherein goodness of fit is obtained from log–log quantile regressions of the archaeologically inferred age versus a least-cost distance from the origin(s) of dispersal. The Fast Marching method is used to estimate the least-cost distances based on simple geographical features. We explicitly test three hypotheses for the arrival of japonica rice to India where, it has been proposed, it hybridized with the indigenous proto- indica, subsequently spreading again throughout India. Model selection, based on information criteria, highlights the role of the Inner Asia Mountain Corridor in introducing japonica rice into northeast India, followed closely by a ‘mixed-route’ model, where japonica was also almost simultaneously introduced via Assam, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Finally, we estimate the impact of future archaeological work on model selection, further strengthening the importance of the Inner Asia Mountain Corridor.

Magnetostratigraphic dating of the hominin occupation of Bailong Cave, central China

Intermontane basins in the southern piedmont of the Qinling Mountains are important sources of information on hominin occupation and settlement, and provide an excellent opportunity to study early human evolution and behavioral adaptation. Here, we present the results of a detailed magnetostratigraphic investigation of the sedimentary sequence of hominin-bearing Bailong Cave in Yunxi Basin, central China. Correlation to the geomagnetic polarity time scale was achieved using previously published biostratigraphy, 26Al/10Be burial dating, and coupled electron spin resonance (ESR) and U-series dating. The Bailong Cave hominin-bearing layer is dated to the early Brunhes Chron, close to the Matuyama-Brunhes geomagnetic reversal at 0.78 Ma. Our findings, coupled with other records, indicate the flourishing of early humans in mainland East Asia during the Mid-Pleistocene climate transition (MPT). This suggests that early humans were adapted to diverse and variable environments over a broad latitudinal range during the MPT, from temperate northern China to subtropical southern China.

New explanation for elements of Hainan Island's biological assemblage may stretch things a little too far

Recent interpretations of various floral and faunal components on Hainan Island and the nearby parts of mainland east Asia invoke a mid‐Cenozoic plate‐tectonic rifting episode that displaced the landmass ca 220 km south‐eastwards from a postulated former site directly adjacent to the China– Vietnam border. However, having sifted through the relevant geological evidence I contend that this idea is weakly founded. In explaining challenging biogeographical patterns, it is suggested that all of the geo‐physical processes that could have forged the distributions need to be considered.

Deep Skull from Niah Cave and the Pleistocene Peopling of Southeast Asia

The Deep Skull from Niah Cave in Sarawak (Malaysia) is the oldest anatomically modern human recovered from island Southeast Asia. For more than 50 years its relevance to tracing the prehistory of the region has been controversial. The most widely held view, originating with Brothwell’s 1960 description and analysis, is that the Niah individual is related to Indigenous Australians. Here we undertake a new assessment of the Deep Skull and consider its bearing on this question. In doing so, we provide a new and comprehensive description of the cranium including a reassessment of its ontogenetic age, sex, morphology and affinities. We conclude that this individual was most likely to have been of advanced age and female, rather than an adolescent male as originally proposed. The morphological evidence strongly suggests that the Deep Skull samples the earliest modern humans to have settled Borneo, most likely originating on mainland East Asia. We also show that the affinities of the specimen are most likely to be with the contemporary indigenous people of Borneo, although, similarities to the population sometimes referred to as Philippine Negritos cannot be excluded. Finally, our research suggests that the widely supported ‘two-layer’ hypothesis for the Pleistocene peopling of East/South Asia is unlikely to apply to the earliest inhabitants of northern Borneo, in-line with the picture emerging from genetic studies of the contemporary people from the region.

Long-range transport of mutagens and other air pollutants from mainland East Asia to western Japan.

IntroductionAsian dust events, transport of dust particles from arid and semi-arid areas in China and Mongolia to the east by prevailing westerlies, are often observed in Japan in spring. In recent decades, consumption of fossil fuels has markedly increased in mainland East Asia with rapid economic growth, and severe air pollution has occurred. A part of air pollutants including mutagens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), generated in mainland East Asia are thought to be transported to Japan by the prevailing westerlies, like Asian dust, and winter monsoon. The objective of this study was to clarify the long-range transport of mutagens and other air pollutants in East Asia. Thus, we collected total suspended particles (TSP) at a rural town in western Japan, namely, Yurihama in Tottori Prefecture, for 1 year (June 2012–May 2013), and investigated their chemical constituents and mutagenicity.ResultsMany TSP collected from January to March showed high mutagenicity toward Salmonella typhimurium YG1024 with and without S9 mix, and high levels of lead (Pb) and sulfate ions (SO42−), which are indicators of transboundary air pollutions from mainland East Asia, were detected in those TSP. A large amount of iron, which is an indicator of sand, was found in highly mutagenic TSP collected in March, but not in TSP collected in January and February. High levels of PAHs were detected in highly mutagenic TSP collected from January to March. The ratios of the concentration of fluoranthene to those of fluoranthene and pyrene suggested that the main source of PAHs in TSP collected in winter and spring was coal and biomass combustion. Backward trajectories of air masses on days when high levels of mutagenicity were found indicated that these air masses had traveled from eastern or northern China to Yurihama.ConclusionsThese results suggest that high levels of mutagens were transported from mainland East Asia to western Japan, and this transportation accompanied Asian dust in March, but not in January and February.

Modelling the Geographical Origin of Rice Cultivation in Asia Using the Rice Archaeological Database.

We have compiled an extensive database of archaeological evidence for rice across Asia, including 400 sites from mainland East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. This dataset is used to compare several models for the geographical origins of rice cultivation and infer the most likely region(s) for its origins and subsequent outward diffusion. The approach is based on regression modelling wherein goodness of fit is obtained from power law quantile regressions of the archaeologically inferred age versus a least-cost distance from the putative origin(s). The Fast Marching method is used to estimate the least-cost distances based on simple geographical features. The origin region that best fits the archaeobotanical data is also compared to other hypothetical geographical origins derived from the literature, including from genetics, archaeology and historical linguistics. The model that best fits all available archaeological evidence is a dual origin model with two centres for the cultivation and dispersal of rice focused on the Middle Yangtze and the Lower Yangtze valleys.

Seasonal Fluctuations in Air Pollution in Dazaifu, Japan, and Effect of Long-Range Transport from Mainland East Asia.

To clarify the seasonal fluctuations in air pollution and the effect of long-range transport, we collected airborne particles (n=118) at Dazaifu in Fukuoka, Japan, from June 2012 to May 2013 and measured Pb and SO4(2-), which are indicators of the long-range transport of anthropogenic air pollutants, as well as their mutagenicity, and other factors. The levels of airborne particles, Pb, and SO4(2-) were very high on March 4, 8, 9, and 19, and May 13, 21, and 22, 2013. The backward trajectories indicated that air masses had arrived from the Gobi Desert and northern China on those days. The mutagenicity of airborne particles was examined using the Ames test on Salmonella typhimurium YG1024. Highly mutagenic airborne particles were mostly collected in winter, and most of them showed high activity both with and without S9 mix. High levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were found in many samples that showed high mutagenicity. For the samples collected on January 30, February 21, and March 4, the levels of Pb, SO4(2-), PAHs, and mutagenicity were high, and the backward trajectories indicated that air masses present on those days had passed through northern or central China. The Japan Meteorological Agency registered Asian dust events at Fukuoka on March 8, 9, and 19, 2013. The results of the present study suggest that high levels of anthropogenic air pollutants were transported with Asian dust. Similarly, long-range transport of air pollutants including mutagens occurred on days when Asian dust events were not registered.

Population Trends of Wintering Eurasian CootFulica atrain East Asia

Abstract The range of Eurasian Coot Fulica atra in Japan has expanded gradually since the 1980s, and the numbers of coot wintering at several sites in Japan have increased. In this paper, we summarize the trends in coot numbers wintering in Japan and mainland East Asia. In Japan, wintering numbers of coot have increased in most regions, except in northern Chiba Prefecture. The increase began in the late 1990s or around 2000 at several water bodies in the Kanto, Chubu, Kinki and Chugoku regions of Honshu. It also increased in the mid-2000s at several water bodies in the Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, and Kinki regions of Honshu, and perhaps also on the island of Kyushu. In China, huge numbers of coot overwintered at several sites in the lower Yangtze floodplain (e.g., Poyang Lake, Dongting Lake) and along the Jiangsu Coast near the Yangtze River mouth (e.g., Yancheng Nature Reserve, Hongze Hu Lake) during the 1990s. However, during the 2000s, no sites in China held more than 10,000 wintering coot. The number of coo...

Genetic Evidence of an East Asian Origin and Paleolithic Northward Migration of Y-chromosome Haplogroup N

The Y-chromosome haplogroup N-M231 (Hg N) is distributed widely in eastern and central Asia, Siberia, as well as in eastern and northern Europe. Previous studies suggested a counterclockwise prehistoric migration of Hg N from eastern Asia to eastern and northern Europe. However, the root of this Y chromosome lineage and its detailed dispersal pattern across eastern Asia are still unclear. We analyzed haplogroup profiles and phylogeographic patterns of 1,570 Hg N individuals from 20,826 males in 359 populations across Eurasia. We first genotyped 6,371 males from 169 populations in China and Cambodia, and generated data of 360 Hg N individuals, and then combined published data on 1,210 Hg N individuals from Japanese, Southeast Asian, Siberian, European and Central Asian populations. The results showed that the sub-haplogroups of Hg N have a distinct geographical distribution. The highest Y-STR diversity of the ancestral Hg N sub-haplogroups was observed in the southern part of mainland East Asia, and further phylogeographic analyses supports an origin of Hg N in southern China. Combined with previous data, we propose that the early northward dispersal of Hg N started from southern China about 21 thousand years ago (kya), expanding into northern China 12–18 kya, and reaching further north to Siberia about 12–14 kya before a population expansion and westward migration into Central Asia and eastern/northern Europe around 8.0–10.0 kya. This northward migration of Hg N likewise coincides with retreating ice sheets after the Last Glacial Maximum (22–18 kya) in mainland East Asia.

Three phases for the early peopling of Hainan Island viewed from mitochondrial DNA

AbstractHainan, an island linking mainland East Asia and Southeast Asia, lay in one of the routes of early migration to East Asia. The largest indigenous group of Hainan is called Hlai, possibly direct descendants of the earliest migrants. However, there are no sufficient genetic data to assess the population history of Hainan Island. Here, we have analyzed mitochondrial DNA control‐region and coding‐region sequence variations in 566 Hlai individuals from all five subgroups, Ha, Gei, Zwn, Moifau, and Jiamao. Our results suggest three phases for the peopling of Hainan. The first phase represents the initial settlement of the island as part of the African dispersal approximately 50 000 years ago. The second phase reflects colonization events from mainland Asia before the Last Glacial Maximum, which was recorded by wide distributed lineages, such as F*, B4a, and D4a.The third phase reflects population expansions under lineages F1b, M7b, and R9b after the Last Glacial Maximum and Neolithic migrations in and out of Hainan Island. Selection also started to play a role during the last phase. We also detected different distributions between paternal Y chromosome and maternal mitochondrial DNA among isolated Hlai populations, which might be caused by sex‐biased cultural practices.