In deserts, water has been singled out as the most important factor for choosing where to settle, but trees were likely an important part of the landscape for hunter-gatherers beyond merely constituting an economic resource. Yet, this critical aspect has not been considered archaeologically. Here, we present the results of mapping and radiocarbon dating of a truly unique archaeological record. Over 150 preserved stumps around five Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene archaeological campsites (12,800 to 11,200 cal BP) show that trees were key features in the creation of everyday habitats for the first inhabitants of the Atacama Desert. At two of these sites, QM12 and QM35, the spatial and chronological correlation between trees and hearths reveals that people located their homes under the tree canopy. At residential site QM35, artifact distribution coincides with a grove dated to ~11,600 to 11,200 cal BP. A third residential area (QM32) occurred along the grove margins ~12,000 to 11,200 cal BP. Based on the distinct cultural material of these two camps, we propose that two different groups intermittently shared this rich wetland-grove environment. The tree taxa suggest a preference for the native Schinus molle, a tree scarcely present on the landscape today, over the endemic, nitrogen-fixing Strombocarpa tamarugo, both for toolmaking and firewood and even though the S. tamarugo was locally more abundant. Together with the spatial and chronological coincidence of campsites, hearths, and trees, we propose that people spared the most abundant and resilient species to create their homes, in turn promoting fertility oases amid the Atacama's hyperaridity.
The earliest European carvings, made of mammoth ivory, depict animals, humans, and anthropomorphs. They are found at Early Aurignacian sites of the Swabian Jura in Germany. Despite the wide geographical spread of the Aurignacian across Europe, these carvings have no contemporaneous counterparts. Here, we document a small, intriguing object, that sheds light on this uniqueness. Found at the Grotte des Gorges (Jura, France), in a layer sandwiched between Aurignacian contexts and dated to c. 36.2 ka, the object bears traces of anthropogenic modifications indicating intentional carving. Microtomographic, microscopic, three-dimensional roughness and residues analyses reveal the carving is a fragment of a large ammonite, which was modified to represent a caniformia head decorated with notches and probably transported for long time in a container stained with ochre. While achieving Swabian Jura-like miniaturization, the Grotte des Gorges specimen displays original features, indicating the craftsman emulated ivory carvings while introducing significant technical, thematic, and stylistic innovations. This finding suggests a low degree of cultural connectivity between Early Aurignacian hunter-gatherer groups in the production of their symbolic material culture. The pattern conforms to the existence of cultural boundaries limiting the transmission of symbolic practices while leaving space for the emergence of original regional expressions.
The centre of the Milky Way Galaxy hosts a black hole with a solar mass of about 4 million (Sagittarius A* (Sgr A)) that is very quiescent at present with a luminosity many orders of magnitude below those of active galactic nuclei1. Reflection of X-rays from Sgr A* by dense gas in the Galactic Centre region offers a means to study its past flaring activity on timescales of hundreds and thousands of years2. The shape of the X-ray continuum and the strong fluorescent iron line observed from giant molecular clouds in the vicinity of Sgr A* are consistent with the reflection scenario3-5. If this interpretation is correct, the reflected continuum emission should be polarized6. Here we report observations of polarized X-ray emission in the direction of the molecular clouds in the Galactic Centre using the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer. We measure a polarization degree of 31% ± 11%, and a polarization angle of -48° ± 11°. The polarization angle is consistent with Sgr A* being the primary source of the emission, and the polarization degree implies that some 200 years ago, the X-ray luminosity of Sgr A* was briefly comparable to that of a Seyfert galaxy.
Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the causative agent of venereal syphilis, was detected in a 200-year-old skeletal specimen from Easter Island. An initial diagnosis of treponemal infection was confirmed by extensive purification of immunoglobulin that reacted strongly with T. pallidum antigen. Extracted DNA exhibited a single-base polymorphism that distinguished T.p. subsp. pallidum from 4 other human and nonhuman treponemes. Extensive precautions against contamination of the subject matter with modern treponemal DNA were employed, including analysis of archaeological and modern specimens in 2 geographically separate laboratories. Molecular determination of historical disease states by using skeletal material can significantly enhance our understanding of the pathology and spread of infectious diseases.
Ancient human remains are potential sources of biological information including traces of past infections, since previous studies have demonstrated the effective detection of several bacterial agents or host-integrated viruses in old biological remnants like tissues or teeth. Studies of skeletal dental pulp samples are of particular interest since this location is potentially exposed to bloodborne agents during life through its vascularization, and could be considered as well preserved from environment after death of the host. DNA viruses belonging to the family Anelloviridae are highly present in human populations where they harbor an extreme genetic diversity but a yet undefined implication in hosts' health. We hypothesized that anelloviruses would be detected in ancient remains and that they may also serve as tracer viruses for the study of other viral agents. We analyzed 200-year-old dental pulp samples from remains of soldiers of Napoleon's Great Army during the Russian Retreat. Successful detection of Anelloviridae DNA by PCR was obtained for 1/21 ancient samples tested. The sequence identified showed 23% nucleotide divergence with the closest group of modern isolates (genus Gammatorquevirus), and was confirmed as phylogenetically distinct from those identified in saliva samples from the two investigators in charge of the study (genera Alphatorquevirus and Betatorquevirus). PCR directed toward the human beta globin gene was also performed. Negative controls were negative. Our results demonstrate that an ubiquitary, non-integrated, DNA virus is detectable from ancient biological material, with potential developments in terms of evolution studies or subsequent molecular investigations involving further viral agents.
Our objective was to present the MR and MR spectroscopy imaging findings of a 3,200-year-old preserved brain from an Egyptian mummy. In this work, the morphology of the intact specimen was examined by MRI at 1.5 T. Chemistry of the intact specimens was studied by proton spectroscopy at 1.5 T and sodium nuclear MR (NMR) spectroscopy at 4.0 T. Biopsies from the temporal lobes were analyzed by proton and phosphorus NMR spectroscopy (14 T) or rehydrated and stained for paleohistologic study. MRI showed a heterogeneous brain with convolutions, gyri, and air pockets. Paleohistology showed a uniform, disorganized cerebral substance with numerous eosinophilic structures and argentophilic granules. Spectroscopic studies identified bound sodium ions in the specimen and phosphate and free fatty acids in extracts. MR techniques are a nondestructive method for the analysis of adipocere observed in a preserved mummy's brain.
Wheat and barley evolved from large-seeded annual grasses in the arid, low latitudes of Asia; their spread into higher elevations and northern latitudes involved corresponding evolutionary adaptations in these plants, including traits for frost tolerance and shifts in photoperiod sensitivity. The adaptation of farming populations to these northern latitudes was also a complex and poorly understood process that included changes in cultivation practices and the varieties of crops grown. In this article, we push back the earliest dates for the spread of wheat and barley into northern regions of Asia as well as providing earlier cultural links between East and West Asia. The archaeobotanical, palynological and anthracological data we present come from the Tongtian Cave site in the Altai Mountains, with a punctuated occupation dating between 5,200 and 3,200 calibrated years BP, coinciding with global cooling of the middle-late Holocene transition. These early low-investment agropastoral populations in the north steppe area played a major role in the prehistoric trans-Eurasian exchange.
We describe the first reported case of an intraneural ganglion cyst, an ulnar ("cubital") intraneural cyst, which, on literature review, dated to 1810. For over 80 years, its original brief description by Beauchêne was wrongly attributed to Duchenne, effectively making the reference and specimen inaccessible to scrutiny. Fortunately, the intact cyst had been safely housed in the Musée Dupuytren, Paris, France, thus permitting its examination. Although originally described as a "serous" cyst, our present understanding of the anatomy of the ulnar nerve and of peripheral nerve pathology allowed us to reinterpret it as a mucin-filled, elbow-level, ulnar intraneural ganglion cyst. In addition to its description as a fusiform cystic enlargement of the nerve, we documented similar enlargement of a lumen-bearing branch, the articular branch at the level of the elbow. Based on our assessment of the specimen and with a modern perspective, we concluded that the origin of the cyst was from the postero-medial aspect of the elbow joint and that its fluid content, having dissected through a capsular defect, followed the path of the articular branch into the parent ulnar nerve. The purpose of this report is to clarify historical misconceptions regarding the pathogenesis of this controversial entity.
The earliest morphologically identifiable dogs are from Europe and date to at least 14,000 years ago1-5, although early remains are also found in other regions. The origin of early dogs in Europe, and their relationships to other dogs, has remained elusive in the absence of genome-wide data. Similarly, although dogs were the only domestic animal to predate agriculture, little is known about how the arrival of Neolithic farmers from Southwest Asia affected the dogs living with European Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. Here we analysed 216 canid remains, including 181 from Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Europe. We developed a genome-wide capture approach that enriched endogenous DNA by 10-100-fold and could distinguish dog from wolf ancestry for 141 of 216 remains. The oldest dog data that we recovered are from a 14,200-year-old dog from the Kesslerloch site in Switzerland, and we find that it shares ancestry with later worldwide dogs-inconsistent with the hypothesis that European Upper Palaeolithic dogs derived wholly from a separate domestication process. The Kesslerloch dog already displays more affinity to Mesolithic, Neolithic and present-day European dogs than to Asian dogs, demonstrating that dog genetic diversification had started well before 14,200 years ago. We find a Neolithic influx of Southwest Asian ancestry into Europe, but this seems to have been of smaller magnitude than in humans, suggesting that Mesolithic dogs contributed substantially to Neolithic, and, ultimately, probably also modern, European dogs.
The taxonomy of the endemic Mediterranean genus Pachypus Dejean, 1821 has long been complicated by cryptic diversity and limited morphological differentiation. Based on extensive results from previous studies and new genomic data analyses, we perform here an integrative taxonomic revision of the genus. Using the morphological examination of the type material of most species and de novo sequencing of 978 metazoan-level universal single-copy orthologous genes (mzl-USCOs) of the almost 200-year-old lectotype of Pachypus impressus Erichson, 1840, we proposed refined species hypotheses within the genus. Resulting species entities from a recent study using mzl-USCOs were aligned within the framework of existing nomenclatorially available names inferred from Museomics and comparative morphological analyses. We additionally removed two existing taxon names from synonymy with Pachypus candidae and raised them to valid species: Pachypus cornutus (Olivier, 1789) and P. impressus Erichson, 1840. Pachypus excavatus Fabricius, 1792 is confirmed here as a valid species. This study also revealed one new synonymy: Pachypus impressus Erichson, 1840 (= P. melonii Sparacio, 2008, syn. n.). Furthermore, we described seven new species which had been already delineated in our earlier study: Pachypus baroniensis sp. n., P. franginii sp. n., P. gallurensis sp. n., P. matzaccara sp. n., P. occidentalis sp. n., P. pelegrinus sp. n., and P. sulcis sp. n. Extensive morphometric analyses of five datasets (one based on distance measurements and four on body outlines), including about 1,900 specimens, confirmed the cryptic character of most Pachypus species, as morphospace plots of all traits largely overlapped among most of the species. This made the assignment of analyzed type specimens to retrieved morphometric clusters a poor predictor of the true identity of mzl-USCO-defined species. We designated a lectotype of Pachypus impressus Erichson, 1840 and a neotype of Pachypus cornutus (Olivier, 1789). Finally, for the purpose of enhancing applied DNA-based studies and metabarcoding, we extracted the 5' COI DNA sequences from the raw DNA reads of our target enrichment nucleotide data as well as from the newly sequenced lectotype of P. impressus. The phylogenetic tree inferred from these data was compared with that obtained from the previously produced 3' COI data generated by Sanger sequencing. The habitus and male genitalia of all species are illustrated, an identification key is provided, and the distribution of the species is shown. As a result of our long-term studies of the genus, we also provide new insights into the ecology and distribution of the group, which may be relevant to conservation across the entire circum-Tyrrhenian region. Zoobank link: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:34F3F1E1-2A40-4450-95B3-0336E6E2CF52.
Afforestation of agricultural land is widely promoted as a nature-based solution to enhance carbon (C) sequestration and mitigate atmospheric CO2 levels. However, the temporal dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) after afforestation, particularly in mineral soils, remain uncertain due to the complex interaction of biogeochemical processes and their spatial variability. We investigated changes in SOC sequestration over five decades of afforestation on former cropland by extending the chronosequence approach with three repeated soil inventories in oak (Quercus robur L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stands. Aboveground biomass C stocks were also quantified to evaluate the contribution of SOC to post-agricultural ecosystem C stocks. Forest floor C stocks increased rapidly in the early years and stabilized after approximately three decades, with consistently higher accumulation under Norway spruce than oak. In contrast, mineral SOC stocks in 0-25 cm depth increased with forest age by 0.18 ± 0.06 Mg ha-1 yr-1 under oak and 0.44 ± 0.07 Mg ha-1 yr-1 under Norway spruce. These contrasting trends in forest floor and mineral soil indicated a shift in C source-sink strength over time and between species. After 50 years of afforestation, total ecosystem C stocks in afforested stands reached up to 75% of those in a 200-year-old forest, with most new C stored in biomass (84-86%), followed by mineral soil (10-11%) and forest floor (4-5%). Despite higher sequestration of new C in Norway spruce stands, the relative distribution across ecosystem compartments was similar between tree species.
The publication of several high-quality genomes has contributed greatly to clarifying the evolution of citrus. However, due to their complex genetic backgrounds, the origins and evolution of many citrus species remain unclear. We assembled de novo the 294-Mbp chromosome-level genome of a more than 200-year-old primitive papeda (DYC002). Comparison between the two sets of homologous chromosomes of the haplotype-resolved genome revealed 1.2% intragenomic variations, including 1.75 million SNPs, 149,471 insertions and 154,215 deletions. Using this genome as a reference, we resequenced and performed population and phylogenetic analyses of 378 representative citrus accessions. Our study confirmed that the primary origin center of core Citrus species is in South China, particularly in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains. Papeda species are an ancient Citrus type compared with C. ichangensis. We found that the evolution of the Citrus genus followed two radiations through two routes (to East China and Southeast Asia) along river systems. Evidence for the origin and evolution of some individual citrus species was provided. Papeda probably played an important role in the origins of Australian finger lime, citrons, Honghe papeda and pummelos; Ichang papeda originated from Yuanjiang city of Yunnan Province, China, and C. mangshanensis has a close relationship with kumquat and Ichang papeda. Moreover, the Hunan and Guangdong Provinces of China are predicted to be the origin center of mandarin, sweet orange and sour orange. Additionally, our study revealed that fruit bitterness was significantly selected against during citrus domestication. Taken together, this study provides new insight into the origin and evolution of citrus species and may serve as a valuable genomic resource for citrus breeding and improvement.
Untreated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) can be fatal and requires a high degree of clinical suspicion in the setting of an underlying autoimmune disorder, infection, or malignancy. In the presence of multiple infections, it can be challenging to treat the disease, given organ failure and limited options. We present a case of HLH in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, who was found to have multiple bacterial and fungal infections simultaneously, due in part to construction work on his 200-year-old home.
This article examines how place-based dynamics reshape historical research, drawing on a retrospective analysis of a project on 2,200-year-old iron metallurgy in Arctic Sweden. Findings of advanced ironworking among ancient hunter-gatherers challenged dominant center-periphery narratives and exposed the influence of ongoing marginalization in Sweden's far north. The research was redirected by local histories, Indigenous and minority politics, and resource extraction legacies, particularly affecting the Sámi as well as other minorities. By tracing how place altered the research trajectory, the article highlights the entanglement of knowledge production with postcolonial struggles for recognition. It argues for the broader relevance of place in shaping historical inquiry across disciplines.
All multicellular organisms undergo senescence, but the continuous division of the vascular cambium in plants enables certain tree species to survive for hundreds or even thousands of years. Previous studies have focused on the development of the vascular cambium, but the mechanisms regulating age-related changes remain poorly understood. This study investigated age-related changes in the vascular cambium of P. euphratica trees aged 50 to 350 years. The number of cambium cells in the 50-year-old tree group was 10 ± 2, while the number of cambium cells in the 200-year-old and 350-year-old tree groups significantly decreased. The thickness of the cambium cells exhibited a similar trend. In addition, the net photosynthetic and transpiration rates continue to increase with age, but no notable differences were found in factors like average leaf area, palisade tissue thickness, and stomatal density. A total of 6491 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the vascular cambium of P. euphratica at three distinct ages using RNA sequencing. The expression patterns of DEGs associated with cell division and differentiation, lignin biosynthesis, plant hormones, and transcription factors were analyzed. DEGs related to XTH, EXP, PAL, C4H, ABA, Br, GA, and others are highly expressed in older trees, whilst those encoding expansins, kinases, cyclins, 4CL, Auxin, Eth, SA, and others are more prevalent in younger trees. Gene family members, such as NAC, MYB, HD-ZIP III, WRKY, and GRF, have various regulatory functions in the vascular cambium. The findings offer insights into how ancient P. euphratica trees maintain vitality by balancing growth and aging, providing a foundation for future research on their longevity mechanisms.
In this study, we examined over 200-year-old Ginkgo biloba L. specimens under different environmental conditions. The overall aim was to explore which factors influence their vitality and general fitness in urban environments and thus their ability to tolerate stressful habitats. In order to determine this, we used a number of different methods, including histological examinations (stomatal density and size) and physiological measurements (peroxidase enzyme activity), as well as assessing the air pollution tolerance index (APTI). The investigation of the genetic relationships between individuals was performed using flow cytometry and miRNA marker methods. The genetic tests revealed that all individuals are diploid, whereas the lus-miR168 and lus-miR408 markers indicated a kinship relation between them. These results show that the effect of different habitat characteristics can be detected through morphological and physiological responses, thus indicating relatively higher stress values for all studied individuals. A significant correlation can be found between the level of adaptability and the relatedness of the examined individuals. These results suggest that Ginkgo biloba L. is well adapted to an environment with increased stress factors and therefore suitable for use in urban areas.
Collection specimens provide valuable and often overlooked biological material that enables addressing relevant, long-unanswered questions in conservation biology, historical biogeography, and other research fields. Here, we use preserved specimens to analyze the historical distribution of the black francolin (Francolinus francolinus, Phasianidae), a case that has recently aroused the interest of archeozoologists and evolutionary biologists. The black francolin currently ranges from the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East to the Indian subcontinent, but, at least since the Middle Ages, it also had a circum-Mediterranean distribution. The species could have persisted in Greece and the Maghreb until the 19th century, even though this possibility had been questioned due to the absence of museum specimens and scant literary evidence. Nevertheless, we identified four 200-year-old stuffed black francolins-presumably the only ones still existing-from these areas and sequenced their mitochondrial DNA control region. Based on the comparison with conspecifics (n = 396) spanning the entirety of the historic and current species range, we found that the new samples pertain to previously identified genetic groups from either the Near East or the Indian subcontinent. While disproving the former occurrence of an allegedly native westernmost subspecies, these results point toward the role of the Crown of Aragon in the circum-Mediterranean expansion of the black francolin, including the Maghreb and Greece. Genetic evidence hints at the long-distance transport of these birds along the Silk Road, probably to be traded in the commerce centers of the Eastern Mediterranean.
The extraction of mineral deposits is often associated with the occurrence of acid mine drainage (AMD), which can persist even after mine closure due to remaining sulfide minerals. This study investigates a 200-year-old abandoned mine and its impacts on nearby water resources. The study area is well known for Kuroko ore deposits located upstream of spring and river water resources. To elucidate the impacts of the abandoned mine site, mine water and spring and river water samples were collected, and their geochemical properties were monitored between 2021 and 2022. Groundwater, seepage, and surface water at the mine site showed AMD characteristics with Ca2+-SO42-/Mg2+-SO42- type. AMD-affected mine water showed a low pH range of 3.40-4.84, with elevated SO42- of up to 326 mg/L. At the downstream of the mine site, one of the groundwater samples showed pH of 3.55 and average concentrations of 5.03 mg/L of Al, 2.06 mg/L of Cu, 2.06 mg/L of Fe, 0.42 mg/L of Pb, and 8.04 mg/L of Zn, inferring the contaminant transport. Saturation indices of the mine water also indicated that the solubility controlling phases, anglesite, gibbsite, ferrihydrite, and jarosite influence the concentrations of Al, Fe, and Pb at the mine site. Meanwhile, spring and river water samples showed Ca2+-HCO3-, Ca2+-SO42-, and Na+-K+-HCO3- type with a circumneutral pH range of 5.59-8.02 and they were unaffected by AMD. The principal component analysis (PCA) of the spring and river water samples also showed higher loadings for Ca, Mg, NO3-, and Cl- reflecting the abundance of carbonate and evaporite minerals while the mine water and groundwater downstream showed higher loadings of Cl-, Fe, SO42-, and Zn. The results suggest that the past mining activities only influenced the mine site and groundwater downstream. Consequently, the fate and migration of contaminants in the downstream of the mine site should be evaluated in the near future.