Horse Teeth Research Articles

Rethinking the evidence for early horse domestication at Botai

Despite its transformative impact on human history, the early domestication of the horse (Equus caballus) remains exceedingly difficult to trace in the archaeological record. In recent years, a scientific consensus emerged linking the Botai culture of northern Kazakhstan with the first domestication of horses, based on compelling but largely indirect archaeological evidence. A cornerstone of the archaeological case for domestication at Botai is damage to the dentition commonly linked with the use of bridle mouthpieces, or “bit wear.” Recent archaeogenetic analyses reveal, however, that horse remains from Botai are not modern domesticates but instead the Przewalski’s horse, E. przewalskii—warranting reevaluation of evidence for domestication. Here, we compare osteological traits hypothesized to have been caused by horse transport at Botai with wild Pleistocene equids in North America. Our results suggest that damage observed in Botai horse teeth is likely generated by natural disturbances in dental development and wear, rather than through contact with bridle equipment. In light of a careful reconsideration of the mid-Holocene archaeological record of northern Eurasia, we suggest that archaeological materials from Botai are most effectively explained through the regularized mass harvesting of wild Przewalski’s’ horses—meaning that the origins of horse domestication may lie elsewhere.

ПРЕДВАРИТЕЛЬНЫЕ ИТОГИ ОХРАННЫХ РАБОТ НА ПАМЯТНИКЕ МГК-2/6-3 В 2019 Г

The article is devoted to the results of studies of the Maly Gonbinsky Cordon-2/6 complex, located in the Talmenskiy district of the Altai Region in 2019. At the previously recorded destroyed area of the archaeological site, rescue operations were carried out and an excavation was laid at the 48 sq. m. Excavations have investigated two objects - a dwelling and the end of the ditch with a structure above it. The dwelling discovered during the excavations most likely represented a structure deepened into the ground, the structure above the ditch had a sub-square shape in the center of which a trapezoidal ditch was fixed in section. In the course of the work, a ceramic complex was obtained, represented by round-bottomed vessels with a rim bent outward, and also several fragments of indeterminate animal bones and horse teeth were recorded. Based on the material found, the site can be preliminarily attributed to the 2nd half of the 5th - 6th centuries AD. Culturally, the ceramic complex belongs to the Odintsovo culture. Keywords: ancient settlements, emergency excavations, preservation of sites, early Middle Ages

Riding Gear Items from the Jurgionys Cemetery of the Late Fourteenth–Early Sixteenth Centuries

The paper publishes information on the riding gear items (namely, spurs and their fragments, a miniature stirrup, as well as horse teeth) discovered during the archaeological excavations of 2010–2011 and 2013–2014 at the Jurgionys cemetery located in the Aukštadvaris eldership of the Trakai district and dating to the late fourteenth– early fifteenth centuries. The paper aims to introduce the artefacts to the scientific archaeological array establishing their typology and chronology and their place in the context of other finds discovered at Lithuanian medieval inhumation burials. The Jurgionys cemetery of the late fourteenth–early fifteenth century (Aukštadvaris eldership, Trakai district) contained numerous items of riding gear. Burials 2 (Fig. 1) and 16 had one spur in each, whereas burial 11 (Fig. 2) had two spurs. Random finds from disturbed burials picked from the ploughed layer added two more fragments of spurs and a piece of a miniature stirrup. The level of preservation of the spurs varied, some of the finds were highly corroded and surviving only partially. Yet the spurs were typical of Western and Central Europe (although spurs with star-shaped spikes are also found in the lands of the former Grand Duchy of Moscow, there are no close analogues to the ones discovered at the Jurgionys cemetery). Two of the three spur finds came from the burials containing weapons (burial 11 contained an axe and a spearhead and burial 16 contained a sword). The rich array of burial goods found in burial 16 (Fig. 3) implies that the person buried therein enjoyed a high social status. The spur found in burial 16 (Fig. 4) is typologically very similar to the ones discovered at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of the Lower Castle of Vilnius and in London. It goes without saying that typologically similar spurs can also be found elsewhere. One of the randomly found spurs has survived only partially (Fig. 5). The other randomly found spur bears strap holders decorated with a scallop shell ornament (Fig. 6). Such an ornament could be related to the cult of St James the Great which used to be rather widespread in medieval Europe. A miniature stirrup (Fig. 7) is similar to the stirrups of the eastern type found in the territory of modern Ukraine and southern Russia; they are related to the nomadic peoples of the steppe. Materials of the Jurgionys cemetery considerably broaden our knowledge about the riding gear used by medieval Lithuanian horsemen, and horse teeth found in burials 35 and 37 should be perceived as horsemen’s symbols. They are unique finds for the cemetery of the Jurgionys community, which was only barely influenced by Christianity at the time.

A Geometric Morphometric Evaluation of Equid Tooth Shape at Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming

Natural Trap Cave is a sinkhole cave located in Big Horn County in northern Wyoming. The cave preserves many Quaternary taxa, including pollen and large carnivorous and herbivorous mammals such as various felids and ungulates. Many of these taxa went extinct in North America following the late Pleistocene megafaunal extinction. The cave was first excavated in the 1970s and 80s by teams from the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri, and more recently by teams from Des Moines University, The University of Adelaide, and The University of Rochester, along with a wide variety of volunteers. Specimens from this cave have been used to elucidate floral change in the area, disentangle ancient food webs, and extend the hypothesized range for Beringian wolves.Horses are the most common megafaunal group from this site, encompassing two genera: Equus and Haringtonhippus, the “New World stilt‐legged” horse, based on post‐cranial elements and mitochondrial DNA. Some recent studies have shown that horse taxa can be identified by tooth occlusal surface morphology. This study aims to test if isolated equid cheek teeth from Natural Trap Cave can be identified to the genus level, between Equus and Haringtonhippus using geometric morphometrics. 2D landmarks and sliding semi‐landmarks were taken around the periphery of a set of upper cheek teeth, including the areas of greatest curvature at the metastyle, mesostyle, parastyle, and around the protocone and post protoconal valley. Principal component analyses on known specimens do in fact separate Equus and Haringtonhippus, and this difference is statistically sigificant, with the primary difference being the width of the protocone. Additionally, molars and premolars also occupied significantly different areas of morphospace, opening up the possibility of identifying tooth position on unknown specimens as well. With the abundance of isolated horse teeth (either Equus or Haringtonhippus) from Natural Trap Cave, having a reliable means to distinguish between genera will allow us to better study the ecological differences between them and better understand the environment and faunal interactions in late Pleistocene Wyoming.Support or Funding InformationNSF EAR/SGP 1425059 (Natural Trap Cave Revisited: Ancient DNA, Climate and the Megafaunal Extinction) Julie Meachen, PI

The Middle and Upper Palaeolithic at La Crouzade cave (Gruissan, Aude, France): New excavations and a chronostratigraphic framework

This paper presents new archaeological material and first dates on Upper Pleistocene layers at the site of La Crouzade cave (Gruissan, Aude, France). The site was first excavated by T. and P. Héléna at the beginning of the twentieth century, and the excavations were recently completed during three years (2016–2018) of systematic campaigns.We obtained dates from Middle Palaeolithic layers using two methods: AMS 14C dates were obtained from bone and charcoal, and combined ESR-U series dating was undertaken on horse teeth. Together, these methods allowed us to date this Mousterian sequence to 49,776–44805 cal BP for the deepest level (layer C8) and from 42,000 ± 3000 years BP for the top (layer C6).The Upper Palaeolithic layers are preserved only as patches in the actual excavation area, but a date was obtained from a piece of charcoal collected from a small hearth preserved in the first layer (C5) above Middle Palaeolithic deposits, which indicates an age similar to that of a modern human maxillary previously analysed and re-dated here from 36,014 to 34402 cal BP, confirming its stratigraphic attribution.The Middle Palaeolithic lithics at the site were first described as para-Charentian cultural facies following typological analyses. The revision of the earlier collection supplemented with the new material, using a technological approach, allow to identify two layers dominated by Levallois production followed by discoid production (Layers C8 and C6) surrounding an original assemblage (layer C7), characterised by a dominant Levallois production completed by three secondary production systems of equal importance, including discoid, SSDA and a Quina-like production. The faunal spectrum predominantly comprises an assemblage of Pleistocene large mammals, and biochronological studies corroborate the dates obtained.

Oxygen isotope analysis of Equus teeth evidences early Eemian and early Weichselian palaeotemperatures at the Middle Palaeolithic site of Neumark-Nord 2, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Here we present phosphate oxygen isotope (δ18OPO4) data from horse (Equus sp.) tooth enamel (bioapatite) from early Eemian and early Weichselian find levels at the archaeological site of Neumark-Nord 2, Germany. Based on the relationship between δ18OPO4 of bioapatite, body water, local precipitation and air temperature, these data are used to reconstruct palaeoclimatic conditions contemporary to the different phases of Neanderthal activity at the site. Bulk enamel samples representing one year of growth were taken from horse teeth from early Eemian (NN2/2b [∼121 ± 5 ka], and NN2/1c) and early Weichselian (NN2/0; ∼93 ± 7 ka) find levels, and δ18OPO4 values were then utilised to calculate δ18O of local environmental water and mean annual air temperatures (MATs) during these phases of MIS5. Results indicate that during the early Eemian MAT was ∼9 °C, with some evidence of variability through time. Although ∼3 °C lower, the calculated early Weichselian MAT exceeds that indicated by other local and regional climate proxy datasets, suggesting that Neanderthal activity may have coincided with more ameliorate phases of the early Weichselian in this area.

Home range of the Columbian mammoths (Mammuthus columbi) and grazing herbivores from the Waco Mammoth National Monument, (Texas, USA) based on strontium isotope ratios from tooth enamel bioapatite

Waco Mammoth National Monument (WMNM) is a central Texas, Late Pleistocene fossil site dating to ~67 ka. At least 23 Columbian mammoths (Mammuthus columbi), along with the remains of 12 other vertebrate genera have been discovered at this locality. Mammoth teeth were micro-sampled at a high resolution with a computerized micromill, whereas bison and horse teeth were serially sampled with a handheld rotary tool. Serial samples from these individuals offer insights into the movement patterns (87Sr/86Sr) of WMNM herbivores. Regional vegetation and local sediments were also collected to construct an 87Sr/86Sr isoscape to track past movement of mammals, derived from Sr analyses of teeth enamel. 87Sr/86Sr in WMNM herbivores often reflects multiple grazing provenances, and sources. A series of mixing models are proposed to understand the contribution of different surface Sr sources to herbivore diets. These data indicate one mammoth spent some time at the Llano uplift area ~180 km to the SSW during the formation of molar enamel. The remaining individuals (three mammoths, a bison and a horse) lived in an area more proximal to the WMNM, ≤70 km SE of the site. 87Sr/86Sr from WMNM mammoths indicate individual fidelity to at least two geographic ranges, with at least one mammoth, potentially unrelated to the possible matriarchal herd, indicating complex population dynamics prior to mass mortality. This analysis shows that at least 25 mammals, including the horse and bison, congregated at the confluence of Brazos and Bosque rivers at ~67 ka ago, prior to their demise. A resource shortage related to drought is consistent with this pattern.

Isotopic records of climate seasonality in equid teeth

We investigate how oxygen isotopes in equid teeth can be used as a record of seasonality. First, we use in situ laser ablation and conventional microsampling techniques to understand time-averaging of environmental signals in intra-tooth isotope profiles in modern feral horse teeth (n = 5) from Mongolia, where there is a large seasonal gradient in the oxygen isotopic composition of precipitation. We demonstrate that laser ablation can be used to sample inner, middle, and outer enamel layers in large mammalian herbivore teeth. The inner enamel layer records less attenuated isotopic signals than other layers, as predicted by the mineralization patterns, but intra-tooth signal amplitude is similar for laser and conventional sampling methods. Second, we use modern zebra teeth (n = 21) collected in eastern Africa to evaluate how intra-tooth oxygen isotope variation relates to rainfall patterns in the tropics. We show that the intra-tooth isotopic range increases with intra-annual precipitation isotopic range, which in turn relates to aridity in the equatorial bimodal rainfall region but is influenced by other hydroclimate processes in the region as a whole. Finally, we address isotopic seasonality during the Early Pleistocene in eastern Africa using oxygen isotopes in fossil equid teeth from southwestern Kenya (n = 11) and northern Tanzania (n = 5). We find variable isotopic seasonality in the past, similar to present-day eastern Africa, consistent with the notion that hominins and other mammals were able to accommodate environmental variability on intra-annual scales in addition to well-documented orbital cycles.

Behavioral Signs Associated With Equine Periapical Infection in Cheek Teeth

No studies have focused on dental pain signs associated with periapical infection in cheek teeth (CT) of horses. Moreover, the ability of owners to recognize signs of dental pain in horses has not been reported. We hypothesized that periapical infection will usually induce pain that manifests in the behavior of the horse. Removing the infected tooth will reduce the expression of such behaviors. Owners of 47 horses whose CT had been removed because of periapical infection participated in this study. They filled an internet-based questionnaire including 23 questions about eating behavior, bit behavior, and general behavior observed before and after the operation. The number of signs exhibited by each horse before and after CT removal was compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test. Values of P < .05 were considered significant. Before the operation, avoidance behaviors, such as evading the bit, difficulties in eating, and even asocial or aggressive behaviors were commonly reported by the owners. Removing the infected tooth significantly reduced the number of these behavioral patterns expressed by the horses (P < .001 for each group of behaviors), suggesting that they could be associated with dental pain. Half of the cases had been diagnosed during a routine dental examination, indicating that many owners did not realize that certain undesirable behavioral patterns of their horses might be associated with dental pain. These findings highlight the importance of training owners to recognize behavior potentially related to dental pain in horses and that routine dental examinations are essential for ensuring horses’ well-being.

Faunal remains and environments from the Bronze age of Kalehkoob, Lut Desert, eastern Iran

The study of faunal remains from Kalehkoob, an archeological site in southern Khorasan, Sarayan, represents the first investigation of prehistoric vertebrates in the northern part of the Lut desert, in the east Iranian plateau. A vertebrate assemblage containing >200 specimens was found at various depths (155 cm to 595 cm) of an excavation trench. A combination of morphological and morphometric methods led to the identification of Artiodactyla, namely Bovidae (Ovis, Gazella, and Bos) and Perissodactyla, namely Equidae (Equus asinus and Equus caballus). Combined zooarcheological and sedimentological analyses points to three phases and two sub phases of depositional. Transition between the second phase and the first and third phases suggests that changes in faunal composition were potentially a response to different environmental conditions during each phase, such as a reduction of river water volume and humidity. Radiocarbon dating of bones from two depths, 155 cm (scapula) and 462 cm (horse tooth) from phases 1 and 2, respectively, provides ages of 3227–3060 cal BP and 5914–5749 cal BP for the deposit. Given the high chemical quality of both samples of scapula and tooth, δ13C and δ15N analyses were also conducted, suggesting the presence of arid environmental conditions.

Isotopic evidence for ceremonial provisioning of Late Bronze age khirigsuurs with horses from diverse geographic locales

Khirigsuurs are communal ritual and mortuary monuments that featured prominently on Late Bronze Age pastoralist landscapes of the Mongolian steppe through the mid-late second millennium to early first millennium cal BC. Khirigsuurs sustained ceremonies that legitimized the relationship between the deceased and the participants, facilitated the formation of new alliances, and emphasized integration and cohesion between mobile pastoralist communities through monument building, ritual horse slaughter, and feasting. Horses played a prominent role in ceremonial activities conducted at khirigsuurs, their heads and hooves regularly deposited in small stone satellite mounds as part of publically visible ceremonies associated with mortuary celebrations that simultaneously integrated mobile pastoralist communities. Here, strontium and oxygen isotopic analyses of sequentially sampled teeth of horses from khirigsuurs located in the Khanuy Valley, a major center of monumental activity situated north of the Khangai mountains in Mongolia, indicate horses from distant locales were ceremonially placed in khirigsuur satellite mounds, while patterned seasonal variation in carbon isotopes suggests horses were fodder provisioned during the winter months. These isotopic data suggest horses were well cared for, reflecting their status as a prestige animal, and were key to facilitating regionally integrative ceremonial activities conducted at khirigsuurs that brought together people from geographically distant mobile communities.

Pavlovian hunters on the margin – archaeozoological analysis of the animal remains discovered at the Pavlov II site (1966 – 67 excavations)

Our archaeozoological studies concerns animal remains discovered during fieldworks led by B. Klíma in 1966 – 1967. The study does not include a few bone tools and personal ornaments made from animal teeth. There were analysed 968 remains of different animal species. Among the mammals, the most numerous are bones and teeth of mammoth, horse, wolf, and reindeer. Other taxa are less numerous, but we point out presence of cave lion bones. The quantity of animal remains discovered at Pavlov II is much lower in comparison with other Pavlovian sites from Pavlov-Dolní Věstonice area. The localization of archeological trench, on the periphery/margin of a larger Pavlovian site, most likely had effect on not large number osteological finds. Nevertheless, our study confirms the importance different Pleistocene species in the everyday life of Gravettian hunters-gatherers. They relied not only on herbivores, but also carnivores, such as wolves, wolverines, bears and cave lions.

Radiological prevalence of equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis.

Equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH) is a painful and progressive dental disease that mainly affects the incisors and canine teeth of aged horses. Diagnosis is based on radiographs to detect early stages of the disease. EOTRH is probably underdiagnosed and its prevalence in Germany unknown. This study was performed to determine the radiological prevalence of EOTRH in a large horse population in Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany. Prevalence study. The study population (142 horses) consisted of all horses 10years and older that were presented at the Equine Hospital for a routine dental examination. The horses were either presented as clinical cases (CC population) or belonged to a riding school (RS population). Digital radiographs of the incisor dentition were taken and evaluated for changes related to EOTRH, leading to an overall classification for each horse. The mean age of the study population was 21years and ranged from 10 to 37years. Overall, 94% of all horses had at least minor and 62% had moderate to severe radiological changes of the incisor teeth associated to EOTRH. No horse older than 14years was without radiological signs of EOTRH and all horses over 28years of age had at least moderate radiological changes of the incisor teeth. The clinical cases group might have a bias towards horses with existing dental problems such as EOTRH, because they were presented explicitly for dental care to a clinic. Focusing on radiological changes, this study shows that EOTRH is a common condition of horses in Berlin-Brandenburg. With older age, disease is more frequent and radiological changes become more severe. Since no horse older than 14years was without radiological findings, it is likely that mild changes may be associated with the normal tooth ageing process.

Barrow with «moustache» Zhamahtas

The monument consists of two parts burial construction with the diameter of about 14 m and ritual construction located on its east side with the diameter of 10 m from which two stone arches go to the east. The elements of the complex are badly damaged due to using the stones for building. There is a burial pit under the south construction with the dimensions 2,81,41,4 m, which contains disturbed human skeleton. The skeleton was put with his head to the west. There was found a bronze mirror with side handle near his hip bone. In the east construction a round pit with the diameter of 0,8, the depth of 0,4, was found, at the bottom of which there were poorly preserved fragments from the tubular bones of a animal. Horse teeth were revealed to the north of the pit, and 14 fragments of the stucco vessel lay on its eastern side. Two radiocarbon dates were obtained from bone samples from the western and eastern constructions in the laboratory of the Royal University of Belfast, Great Britain. Common intervals of the calibrated value showed that: human burial in the western structure VIIIV centuries BC, the bones of animals in the eastern structure IIIVI centuries AD. Thus, human burial relates to Tasmola culture, which does not contradict the mirror of the Early Saka image found in the grave. Bones of animals under the eastern structure, iprobably, were left during the Hun period.

Uneven distribution of enamel, dentine and cementum in cheek teeth of domestic horses (Equus caballus): A micro computed tomography study.

BackgroundHypsodont equine cheek teeth possess large dental crowns, resting partly in the bony alveolus. Over a horse’s life cheek teeth erupt continuously to compensate for occlusal wear of 3–4 mm per year. Parts of the crown initially resting in the bony alveolus become progressively exposed at the occlusal surface with time. Hitherto, it is unclear whether the typical structure of the equine occlusal surface, composed of a complex arrangement of enamel, dentin and cementum, remains constant or undergoes structural changes with age. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that the occlusal surface composition does not remain constant by a quantitative analysis of the dental substances at multiple levels along the dental crown of equine cheek teeth.MethodsMicro-computed tomography scans of 20 upper cheek teeth and 16 lower cheek teeth from 19 domestic horses were morphologically analysed using imaging and measurement software. Area for individual dental substances was measured at different levels from the apex to the occlusal surface. The data was statistically analysed to detect changes in the area of individual substance along the dental crown. The area of peripheral cementum was measured separately for levels inside and outside the bony alveolus.ResultsIn both, upper and lower cheek teeth, enamel area decreased in an apical direction, while dentine area increased. Peripheral Cementum increased dramatically in the occlusal/coronal extra-alveolar position.ConclusionWith increasing age the occlusal surface content of dentine increases while the content of enamel decreases. These changes are considered relevant for the detailed explanation of forage disruption in horses as well as for the recommendation of concepts in equine dentistry.

Seasonal Cyclicity in Trace Elements and Stable Isotopes of Modern Horse Enamel.

The study of stable isotopes in fossil bioapatite has yielded useful results and has shown that bioapatites are able to faithfully record paleo-environmental and paleo-climatic parameters from archeological to geological timescales. In an effort to establish new proxies for the study of bioapatites, intra-tooth records of enamel carbonate stable isotope ratios from a modern horse are compared with trace element profiles measured using laboratory micro X-Ray Fluorescence scanning. Using known patterns of tooth eruption and the relationship between stable oxygen isotopes and local temperature seasonality, an age model is constructed that links records from six cheek upper right teeth from the second premolar to the third molar. When plotted on this age model, the trace element ratios from horse tooth enamel show a seasonal pattern with a small shift in phase compared to stable oxygen isotope ratios. While stable oxygen and carbon isotopes in tooth enamel are forced respectively by the state of the hydrological cycle and the animal’s diet, we argue that the seasonal signal in trace elements reflects seasonal changes in dust intake and diet of the animal. The latter explanation is in agreement with seasonal changes observed in carbon isotopes of the same teeth. This external forcing of trace element composition in mammal tooth enamel implies that trace element ratios may be used as proxies for seasonal changes in paleo-environment and paleo-diet.

A ‘long-fuse domestication’ of the horse? Tooth shape suggests explosive change in modern breeds compared with extinct populations and living Przewalski’s horses

Archaeological and molecular data suggest that horses were domesticated comparatively recently, the genetic evidence indicating that this was from several maternal haplotypes but only a single paternal one. However, although central to our understanding of how humans and environmental conditions shaped animals during domestication, the phenotypic changes associated with this idiosyncratic domestication process remain unclear. Using geometric morphometrics on a sample of horse teeth including Pleistocene wild horses, modern Icelandic and Thoroughbred domestic horses, Przewalski’s wild horses of recent age and domestic horses of different ages through the Holocene, we show that, despite variations in size likely related to allometry (changes to bone size in proportion to body size), natural and artificial selective pressures and geographic and temporal heterogeneity, the shape of horse teeth has changed surprisingly little over thousands of years across Eurasia: the shapes of the premolars of prehistoric and historic domestic horses largely resemble those of Pleistocene and recent wild horses. However, this changed dramatically after the end of the Iron Age with an explosive increase in the pace and scale of variation in the past two millennia, ultimately resulting in a twofold jump in the magnitude of shape divergence in modern breeds. Our findings indicate that the pace of change during domestication may vary even within the same structure with shape, but not size, suggesting a ‘long-fuse’ model of phenotypic modification, where an initial lengthy period of invariance is followed by an explosive increase in the phenotypic change. These observations support a testable model that is applicable to other traits and species and add a new layer of complexity to the study of interactions between humans and the organisms they domesticated.

Mechanical modelling of tooth wear.

Different diets wear teeth in different ways and generate distinguishable wear and microwear patterns that have long been the basis of palaeodiet reconstructions. Little experimental research has been performed to study them together. Here, we show that an artificial mechanical masticator, a chewing machine, occluding real horse teeth in continuous simulated chewing (of 100 000 chewing cycles) is capable of replicating microscopic wear features and gross wear on teeth that resemble wear in specimens collected from nature. Simulating pure attrition (chewing without food) and four plant material diets of different abrasives content (at n = 5 tooth pairs per group), we detected differences in microscopic wear features by stereomicroscopy of the chewing surface in the number and quality of pits and scratches that were not always as expected. Using computed tomography scanning in one tooth per diet, absolute wear was quantified as the mean height change after the simulated chewing. Absolute wear increased with diet abrasiveness, originating from phytoliths and grit. In combination, our findings highlight that differences in actual dental tissue loss can occur at similar microwear patterns, cautioning against a direct transformation of microwear results into predictions about diet or tooth wear rate.

Mesowear analyses of sympatric ungulates from the late Miocene Maragheh, Iran

This study investigates the palaeoecology of fossil hypsodont equids and bovids from the late Miocene Maragheh Formation, northwestern Iran. No fossil pollen data has been available from Maragheh. Thus, dietary reconstruction of herbivorous ungulates is an important resource for understanding the terrestrial vegetation of the region. Mesowear analysis was applied to fossil cheek teeth of hipparionine horses and bovids with well-described geological contexts from Maragheh (“Hipparion” fauna). Results suggest that the hipparionine horses were not typical grazers, whereas the bovids relied on broader resources from tree leaves to grasses. The report of the site yielding these fossil animals suggests that they were excavated from a single quarry and bed representing their sympatric habitat. Therefore, the diversity of mesowear score represents dietary differentiations of the Maragheh ungulates, which are consistent with the concept of a mosaic vegetational habitat proposed by previous mesowear studies. This study analysed the bovids as composited groups because it was difficult to identify them by individual species. For further palaeoecological discussion, continuous fossil excavation with geological survey is required.

Review: Spring Hurlbut: Airborne

Spring Hurlbut: Airborne RYERSON IMAGE CENTRE TORONTO JANUARY 20-APRIL 10, 2015 Death, that necessarily twinned companion to life, Sigmund Freud concluded, is the most compelling of all human drives: Death brings stasis to the constant agitation of life. (1) In death, we can finally relax. Considered within contemporary Western culture, still pumped from postwar United States commercialization of youth culture, the notion seems absurd. Perceived as an incomprehensible violation of our autonomy, death is resisted and denied. We traffic in super foods and preserve our bodies for future awakening, when science finally solves nature's fatal flaw. Spring Hurlbut engages in no such fantasies. Instead, her explorations in sculpture, installation, photography, and video over the past three decades acknowledge the necessary demise of our ephemeral and fragile bodies. But, unlike Freud's fatigued psychical bodies, those Hurlbut represents don't settle into static sleep. Their vitality continues as visual, spiritual, or aesthetic presence. Hurlbut's work sits within the tradition of representing death through art. Through history, we've preserved bodies, either literally or figuratively: ancient death masks indexed ancient Roman faces as did, though with greater remove, nineteenth-century post-mortem daguerreotypes; mummified ancient Egyptians found their way, as Mummy Brown pigment, into oil paintings from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. It is intriguing to consider the semiotic and political implications if, for example, looted Egyptian corpses were reconstituted as drowning slaves painted into J.M.W. Turner's The Slave Ship (1840). (2) Hurlbut has deployed both approaches, using both real bodies and their rhetorical representations: Her earlier Sacrificial Ornament sculpture series (1989-97), modeled after classical Roman architecture, incorporated real horse teeth and cast reliefs of human femurs to stand as architectural dentils and triglyphs; her installation Le Jardin du sommeil (1998) displayed a vast collection of antique metal cribs that referred metonymically to their absent occupants, whose lives may have ended prematurely from faulty hygiene in birthing and feeding. More recently, Hurlbut's photographs offer compositions of cremated human and animal remains. The first piece in the subsequent, ongoing, and morphing series, Deuil (Mourning), begun in 2005, developed in relation to her own father's cremated remains. Her photographs of the larger bone shards picked from his ashes and arranged along the edge of a ruler signal an objective ethnological and museological approach to the past. This is one way that we manage what life leaves behind: our archives and artifacts accumulate in the thick pile of history. Shifting from this analytic approach, Hurlbut engages realms disregarded by science: love, poetics, loss, beauty, imagination, and metaphysics. In these large, square, color photographs, the ashes from an individual or animal (as she photographs our dear doggy dust as well) lie scattered in a loose circle inside the frame. Dramatically lit against a deep black background, their mixed textures and warm tones appear as elegant starry constellations in a night sky. …