This paper reviews research on coprolites from India,providing the first evidence of microcoprolites from the early Miocene(Aquitanian)Khari Nadi Formation sedimentary succession,exposed about 1.5 km northeast of the ...This paper reviews research on coprolites from India,providing the first evidence of microcoprolites from the early Miocene(Aquitanian)Khari Nadi Formation sedimentary succession,exposed about 1.5 km northeast of the village of Kotada,Kachchh(Kutch)District,Gujarat State,western India.Morphometric and size comparisons(in a statistical framework)with known coprolites from the Mesozoic-Cenozoic successions of India(including those recorded herein)and globally suggest that fishes were the likely producers of the Kotada coprolites.Scanning electron microscopy confirms the presence of fish dental remains within the coprolites,while both Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM)and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy(EDS)reveal the phosphatic nature of the microscopic coprolite specimens(recorded herein)hinting that the producer(s)were predominantly carnivorous(ichthyophagous)in their diet.Furthermore,X-Ray Fluorescence(XRF)analysis of the host and associated lithologies allows us to deduce that the Kotada coprolites were deposited in a shallow marine environment,with possible aerial exposure of the host lithology occurring at some point after deposition.To the best of our knowledge,the present report is the first record of microscopic fish coprolites from India,as well as being the first from the Aquitanian of India and the oldest Neogene record from India.展开更多
C and N stable isotope ratios of 19 human bones in Sanxingcun Site, Jintan, Jiangsu Province, were measured to explore the lifestyle and social economic structure. Although the bone collagen degraded to different exte...C and N stable isotope ratios of 19 human bones in Sanxingcun Site, Jintan, Jiangsu Province, were measured to explore the lifestyle and social economic structure. Although the bone collagen degraded to different extents, the atomic ratio of C/N was located in the range of 2.9-3.6, indicating that they were preserved very well. Average δ13C value (20.05±0.21‰), average δ 15N value (9.69 ±0.33‰) and poor positive correlation between each other suggested that rice agriculture was dominant with hunt-ing-fishing supplemented in human lifestyle. Poor negative correlation between δ 15N values and C3 percentages of foods implied relative independence of rice agriculture and hunting-fishing. Compared to Hemudu Site and Qingpu Site, rice agriculture was developed further, but hunting-fishing decreased. The mode for people in Sanxingcun Site to get the meat was still in the initial exploitation.展开更多
The oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios in human and animal tooth enamel were measured to reconstruct the subsistence patterns on Zhongba Site between 2400 and 4200 aBP.The results indicate that human consumed chiefly C...The oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios in human and animal tooth enamel were measured to reconstruct the subsistence patterns on Zhongba Site between 2400 and 4200 aBP.The results indicate that human consumed chiefly C4 resources,such as millet,and the C3 plants,such as rice and wheat,constituted only a small fraction of the human diets,normally no more than 15%.There are significant differences in food sources between human and pig,and the percentages of C3 plants in pig diets were higher than those in human diets.But theδ13C values of pig partially overlap those of human,demonstrating some similarities in their food sources.The differences in water sources between human and pig are significant.There are significant differences in food and water sources between cattle and deer. This indicates that the two kinds of mammals subsisted in different niches.But theirδ13C values also partially overlap each other,suggesting some similarities in their food sources.There are both signifi- cant differences in meanδ13C andδ18O values between the omnivores,human and pig and the herbi- vores,cattle and deer,implying significant differences in food and water sources between the two categories.During the period the dietary habits of human had not changed,but the pig breeding strategies had changed,from breeding in house to breeding in confinement,and the proportion of C3 plants in pig food increased with time.The scope of human migration had been considerably large by the Warring States because of the development of productive forces.展开更多
Historical records and archaeological remains indicate that the Chinese agricultural economy changed significantly from the Warring States (475-221 BC) to Han Dynasties (206 BC-220 AD), i.e., from rice-millet based ag...Historical records and archaeological remains indicate that the Chinese agricultural economy changed significantly from the Warring States (475-221 BC) to Han Dynasties (206 BC-220 AD), i.e., from rice-millet based agriculture to rice-millet-wheat based agriculture. However, the variation of human diets and the inner relationship between human diets and the agricultural transition during this period remain poorly understood. In this paper, the C and N stable isotopes from human and animal bones at the Shenmingpu site (SMPS), Xichuan County, Henan Province were analyzed. If some outliers (M34, M36, M102) were excluded, the mean 13C value (( 16.7±0.8)‰, n=15) of humans in Han Dynasties was dramatically lower than that in the Warring States (( 12.7±0.8)‰, n=14), indicating that the cultivation of rice and wheat, especially wheat, had been more widely popularized in Han Dynasties. Meanwhile, the range of 15N values of humans (6.6‰-9.3‰) in Han Dynasties was narrower than that of the Warring States (6.2‰-10.4‰), suggesting that the animal protein resources in human foods during Han Dynasties were more concentrated. The transition of human diets and the close relationship with the change of agricultural economy in SMPS were due to more stable society, the carryout of new agricultural policies, and the emergence of new agricultural tools in Han Dynasties.展开更多
Based on AMS 14 C dating data,carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses were conducted on mammal bone collagen of deer,cattle and pigs from the Zhongba site in the Three Gorges Reservoir region of the Yangtze River.These a...Based on AMS 14 C dating data,carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses were conducted on mammal bone collagen of deer,cattle and pigs from the Zhongba site in the Three Gorges Reservoir region of the Yangtze River.These analyses were conducted to reconstruct palaeodiets of mammals,palaeoecology,palaeoenviroment and previous human activities in the study area.Results show that the collagen loss of bone did not change the in vivo isotopic composition of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes,and most of the bone fossils were well preserved.The bone collagen of samples from deer had a mean δ 13 C of-23.1‰ and a mean δ 15 N of 4.7‰,suggesting that deer subsisted in a closed habitat and fed on branches and leaves.The bone collagen of cattle had a mean δ 13 C of-19.6‰ and a mean δ 15 N of 5.2‰,which indicates that cattle subsisted in an open habitat and fed on grasses and stems.The δ 13 C values show that both deer and cattle fed on C 3 plants and lived in the same ecosystem,but the t-test results show that deer δ 13 C and δ 15 N values were both more negative than those of cattle,indicating that they inhabited different niches.The δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of cattle partially overlapped those of deer,suggesting some competition in diets between them.The t-tests show that the δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of pigs were more positive than those of cattle and deer,which signifies that pigs occupied a higher trophic level compared to cattle and deer.The wide range of pig δ 13 C values demonstrates that pig trading had been taking place from early Neolithic Age to late Bronze Age.There were no significant differences in deer δ 13 C and δ 15 N values among different archaeological periods,making it clear that climatic,ecological and environmental conditions were kept relatively stable from 2200 to 4200 a BP.This stability may have been responsible for the extensive and complete cultural layers at the Zhongba site.The minimum number of samples required to estimate the mean δ 13 C values of deer,pigs and cattle are 8,73 and 16,respectively,and for mean δ 15 N values of deer,pigs and cattle,the minimum numbers are 4,5 and 6,respectively.展开更多
The carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of the tooth enamel of mammals,including deer,wild pigs,buffaloes and domesticated pigs from the Shunshanji site,Sihong County,Jiangsu Province,China,were analyzed to recons...The carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of the tooth enamel of mammals,including deer,wild pigs,buffaloes and domesticated pigs from the Shunshanji site,Sihong County,Jiangsu Province,China,were analyzed to reconstruct the mammals’ecoenvironments and diets,and to evaluate seasonal variations in the study area.Carbon isotopic compositions of buck samples revealed that the deer ate completely C3 plants and the environments they inhabited were relatively open and that wild pigs ate primarily C3 plants.Oxygen isotopic compositions indicated that the body sources of these two mammals were different,i.e.the deer and pigs lived in different niches within a relatively similar ecosystem.Modern domesticated pigs were isotopically more positive than the ancient wild pigs in carbon 13C values,suggesting the former ingested more C3 plants relative to the latter.Although the 18O data showed modern domesticated and ancient pigs had similar oxygen isotope compositions,their water sources were different.The carbon and oxygen isotopic patterns of premolar microsamples of ancient and modern buffaloes indicated that the plants ingested by the ancient buffalo varied with seasonal shifts,but plants ingested by the modern buffalo were relatively constant.The eco-environment of the modern buffalo was more open,warmer and drier than eco-environment of the ancient buffalo,which may be the result of the deforestation and other human activities.Ancient and modern seasonal changes were clearly recorded in the isotopic patterns and the seasonal variation amplitudes of the ancient and modern eco-environments were similar.展开更多
基金funding support from BSIP in the form of In-house Project No.2.17(XIII five-year plan)。
文摘This paper reviews research on coprolites from India,providing the first evidence of microcoprolites from the early Miocene(Aquitanian)Khari Nadi Formation sedimentary succession,exposed about 1.5 km northeast of the village of Kotada,Kachchh(Kutch)District,Gujarat State,western India.Morphometric and size comparisons(in a statistical framework)with known coprolites from the Mesozoic-Cenozoic successions of India(including those recorded herein)and globally suggest that fishes were the likely producers of the Kotada coprolites.Scanning electron microscopy confirms the presence of fish dental remains within the coprolites,while both Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM)and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy(EDS)reveal the phosphatic nature of the microscopic coprolite specimens(recorded herein)hinting that the producer(s)were predominantly carnivorous(ichthyophagous)in their diet.Furthermore,X-Ray Fluorescence(XRF)analysis of the host and associated lithologies allows us to deduce that the Kotada coprolites were deposited in a shallow marine environment,with possible aerial exposure of the host lithology occurring at some point after deposition.To the best of our knowledge,the present report is the first record of microscopic fish coprolites from India,as well as being the first from the Aquitanian of India and the oldest Neogene record from India.
基金Supported by Knowledge Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KJCX3.SYW.N12), Startup Fund for Returnees of Ministry of Education, President Fund of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and President Fund from Graduate Univer-sity of Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘C and N stable isotope ratios of 19 human bones in Sanxingcun Site, Jintan, Jiangsu Province, were measured to explore the lifestyle and social economic structure. Although the bone collagen degraded to different extents, the atomic ratio of C/N was located in the range of 2.9-3.6, indicating that they were preserved very well. Average δ13C value (20.05±0.21‰), average δ 15N value (9.69 ±0.33‰) and poor positive correlation between each other suggested that rice agriculture was dominant with hunt-ing-fishing supplemented in human lifestyle. Poor negative correlation between δ 15N values and C3 percentages of foods implied relative independence of rice agriculture and hunting-fishing. Compared to Hemudu Site and Qingpu Site, rice agriculture was developed further, but hunting-fishing decreased. The mode for people in Sanxingcun Site to get the meat was still in the initial exploitation.
基金Supported by the Key Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.90411015)the University Doctoral Foundation(Grant No.20050284011)+2 种基金the Foundation of Important Basic Research at Nanjing University(Grant No.0209005206)the Open Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology from the Institute of Earth Environment,CAS(Grant No.SKLLQG0503)the Physical Geography of"985"Items and the Test Foundation of Modern Analyses Center of Nanjing University(Grant No.0209001309)
文摘The oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios in human and animal tooth enamel were measured to reconstruct the subsistence patterns on Zhongba Site between 2400 and 4200 aBP.The results indicate that human consumed chiefly C4 resources,such as millet,and the C3 plants,such as rice and wheat,constituted only a small fraction of the human diets,normally no more than 15%.There are significant differences in food sources between human and pig,and the percentages of C3 plants in pig diets were higher than those in human diets.But theδ13C values of pig partially overlap those of human,demonstrating some similarities in their food sources.The differences in water sources between human and pig are significant.There are significant differences in food and water sources between cattle and deer. This indicates that the two kinds of mammals subsisted in different niches.But theirδ13C values also partially overlap each other,suggesting some similarities in their food sources.There are both signifi- cant differences in meanδ13C andδ18O values between the omnivores,human and pig and the herbi- vores,cattle and deer,implying significant differences in food and water sources between the two categories.During the period the dietary habits of human had not changed,but the pig breeding strategies had changed,from breeding in house to breeding in confinement,and the proportion of C3 plants in pig food increased with time.The scope of human migration had been considerably large by the Warring States because of the development of productive forces.
基金supported by grants from CAS Knowledge Innovation Directional Project (Grant No.KZCX2-YW-Q1-04)CAS Strategic Priority Research Program (Grant Nos.XDA05130303, XDA05130501)+2 种基金Chinese Academy of Sciences & Max-Planck Institute Partnership Group Project (Grant No.KACX1-YW-0830)National Science and Technology Ministry (Grant No.2010BAK67B03)Relic Preservation Project of South-to-North Water Diversion
文摘Historical records and archaeological remains indicate that the Chinese agricultural economy changed significantly from the Warring States (475-221 BC) to Han Dynasties (206 BC-220 AD), i.e., from rice-millet based agriculture to rice-millet-wheat based agriculture. However, the variation of human diets and the inner relationship between human diets and the agricultural transition during this period remain poorly understood. In this paper, the C and N stable isotopes from human and animal bones at the Shenmingpu site (SMPS), Xichuan County, Henan Province were analyzed. If some outliers (M34, M36, M102) were excluded, the mean 13C value (( 16.7±0.8)‰, n=15) of humans in Han Dynasties was dramatically lower than that in the Warring States (( 12.7±0.8)‰, n=14), indicating that the cultivation of rice and wheat, especially wheat, had been more widely popularized in Han Dynasties. Meanwhile, the range of 15N values of humans (6.6‰-9.3‰) in Han Dynasties was narrower than that of the Warring States (6.2‰-10.4‰), suggesting that the animal protein resources in human foods during Han Dynasties were more concentrated. The transition of human diets and the close relationship with the change of agricultural economy in SMPS were due to more stable society, the carryout of new agricultural policies, and the emergence of new agricultural tools in Han Dynasties.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(40971115)the University Doctoral Foundation(20090091110036)+2 种基金the Open Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology from the Institute of Earth Environment,CAS (SKLLQG0817)the Test Foundation of Modern Analyses Center of Nanjing University(0209001309)the Foundation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China(2010BAK67B02)
文摘Based on AMS 14 C dating data,carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses were conducted on mammal bone collagen of deer,cattle and pigs from the Zhongba site in the Three Gorges Reservoir region of the Yangtze River.These analyses were conducted to reconstruct palaeodiets of mammals,palaeoecology,palaeoenviroment and previous human activities in the study area.Results show that the collagen loss of bone did not change the in vivo isotopic composition of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes,and most of the bone fossils were well preserved.The bone collagen of samples from deer had a mean δ 13 C of-23.1‰ and a mean δ 15 N of 4.7‰,suggesting that deer subsisted in a closed habitat and fed on branches and leaves.The bone collagen of cattle had a mean δ 13 C of-19.6‰ and a mean δ 15 N of 5.2‰,which indicates that cattle subsisted in an open habitat and fed on grasses and stems.The δ 13 C values show that both deer and cattle fed on C 3 plants and lived in the same ecosystem,but the t-test results show that deer δ 13 C and δ 15 N values were both more negative than those of cattle,indicating that they inhabited different niches.The δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of cattle partially overlapped those of deer,suggesting some competition in diets between them.The t-tests show that the δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of pigs were more positive than those of cattle and deer,which signifies that pigs occupied a higher trophic level compared to cattle and deer.The wide range of pig δ 13 C values demonstrates that pig trading had been taking place from early Neolithic Age to late Bronze Age.There were no significant differences in deer δ 13 C and δ 15 N values among different archaeological periods,making it clear that climatic,ecological and environmental conditions were kept relatively stable from 2200 to 4200 a BP.This stability may have been responsible for the extensive and complete cultural layers at the Zhongba site.The minimum number of samples required to estimate the mean δ 13 C values of deer,pigs and cattle are 8,73 and 16,respectively,and for mean δ 15 N values of deer,pigs and cattle,the minimum numbers are 4,5 and 6,respectively.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(40971115 and 411711163)the University Doctoral Foundation(20090091110036)+2 种基金the Test Foundation of Modern Analyses Center of Nanjing University(0209001309)the Foundation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China(2010BAK67B02)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2010048113)
文摘The carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of the tooth enamel of mammals,including deer,wild pigs,buffaloes and domesticated pigs from the Shunshanji site,Sihong County,Jiangsu Province,China,were analyzed to reconstruct the mammals’ecoenvironments and diets,and to evaluate seasonal variations in the study area.Carbon isotopic compositions of buck samples revealed that the deer ate completely C3 plants and the environments they inhabited were relatively open and that wild pigs ate primarily C3 plants.Oxygen isotopic compositions indicated that the body sources of these two mammals were different,i.e.the deer and pigs lived in different niches within a relatively similar ecosystem.Modern domesticated pigs were isotopically more positive than the ancient wild pigs in carbon 13C values,suggesting the former ingested more C3 plants relative to the latter.Although the 18O data showed modern domesticated and ancient pigs had similar oxygen isotope compositions,their water sources were different.The carbon and oxygen isotopic patterns of premolar microsamples of ancient and modern buffaloes indicated that the plants ingested by the ancient buffalo varied with seasonal shifts,but plants ingested by the modern buffalo were relatively constant.The eco-environment of the modern buffalo was more open,warmer and drier than eco-environment of the ancient buffalo,which may be the result of the deforestation and other human activities.Ancient and modern seasonal changes were clearly recorded in the isotopic patterns and the seasonal variation amplitudes of the ancient and modern eco-environments were similar.
