Credit: Malhi lab
Coprolites, or fossilized dog feces, are often used to understand the dietary preferences of ancient civilizations. However, the samples are often contaminated, making the analysis difficult. A new study, published in
Scientific Reports, uses different techniques to improve the investigation of coprolites. We have been interested in analyzing coprolites for many years. We have attempted to extract DNA and look at the microbiome before, but the tools were not as robust, said Ripan Malhi (GNDP/GSP/IGOH), a professor of anthropology. As far as I know, this is the first time anyone has used multiple approaches to provide a snapshot of the daily diet, health, and the long-term trends in ancient dogs of the Americas, all in one study.
Using a multipronged approach to investigate the diet of ancient dogs scienceblog.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from scienceblog.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Dogs successfully migrated to the Americas about 10,000 years ago, according to a new study. That s a long time ago but still thousands of years after the first human migrants crossed the land bridge from Siberia to North America. Dogs have been associated with humans in findings from 11,000 to 16,000 years ago.
Did humans not bring them at first? Did they die?
Ancient dogs split off from wolves likely because they learned to tolerate human company and as part of selective evolution - humans let the ones that protected them and were friendly stick around. Dogs benefited from the association: They gained access to new food sources, enjoyed the safety of human encampments and eventually traveled the world with their two-legged masters. Dogs were also beasts of burden and sometimes food, particularly on special occasions - that meant in times of extreme hunger too.
Recent studies show that man was not always the hunter.
By Annalee Newitz
Jan. 1, 2021
Credit.Claire Merchlinsky
Though it’s remarkable that the United States finally is about to have a female vice president, let’s stop calling it an unprecedented achievement. As some recent archaeological studies suggest, women have been leaders, warriors and hunters for thousands of years. This new scholarship is challenging long-held beliefs about so-called natural gender roles in ancient history, inviting us to reconsider how we think about women’s work today.
In November a group of anthropologists and other researchers published a paper in the academic journal Science Advances about the remains of a 9,000-year-old big-game hunter buried in the Andes. Like other hunters of the period, this person was buried with a specialized tool kit associated with stalking large game, including projectile points, scrapers for tanning hides and a tool that looked like a knife. There was nothing parti