Dominique Bonjean

Revisiting Neandertal diversity with a 100,000 year old mtDNA sequence

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Revising the recent evolutionary history of equids using ancient DNA

The rich fossil record of the family Equidae (Mammalia: Perissodactyla) over the past 55 MY has made it an icon for the patterns and processes of macroevolution. Despite this, many aspects of equid phylogenetic relationships and taxonomy remain unresolved. Recent genetic analyses of extinct equids have revealed unexpected evolutionary patterns and a need for major revisions at the generic, subgeneric, and species levels. To investigate this issue we examine 35 ancient equid specimens from four geographic regions (South America, Europe, Southwest Asia, and South Africa), of which 22 delivered 87–688 bp of reproducible aDNA mitochondrial sequence. Phylogenetic analyses support a major revision of the recent evolutionary history of equids and reveal two new species, a South American hippidion and a descendant of a basal lineage potentially related to Middle Pleistocene equids. Sequences from specimens assigned to the giant extinct Cape zebra, Equus capensis, formed a separate clade within the modern plain zebra species, a phenotypicically plastic group that also included the extinct quagga. In addition, we revise the currently recognized extinction times for two hemione-related equid groups. However, it is apparent that the current dataset cannot solve all of the taxonomic and phylogenetic questions relevant to the evolution of Equus. In light of these findings, we propose a rapid DNA barcoding approach to evaluate the taxonomic status of the many Late Pleistocene fossil Equidae species that have been described from purely morphological analyses.

Les restes humains néandertaliens immatures de la couche 4A de la grotte Scladina (Andenne, Belgique)

Abstract Nine Neandertal remains, including a mandible, a maxillary fragment and various teeth, have been discovered in recent years on Level 4A of the Scladina cave. They belong to a child around 10 years old or slightly older. The mandible presents a series of plesiomorphic traits but shows only very few derived characters ‘typical’ of adult Neandertals. The diet of this child appears to be strongly carnivorous.

Palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic reconstruction of the Middle to Late Pleistocene sequence of Scladina Cave (Namur, Belgium) using the small-mammal assemblages

Abstract The habitat weighting, the bioclimatic model methods and the Simpson diversity index are applied to the small-mammals assemblage of Scladina Cave (border between High and Middle Belgium) in order to reconstruct the environmental and climatic fluctuations that are reflected on the Middle to Late Pleistocene sequence of the cave. The small-mammal data analyzed come from two surveys carried out at the entrance of the cave and allow us to identify within the section one cold episode: a dry, cool phase in the upper part of the sequence (probably associated with the MIS 3). The environmental and climatic data show an alternation of open meadows and woodland formations through both sequences, punctuated by peaks in local watery environments together with lower temperatures and higher precipitations rates than at present. Finally, a comparison of the small-mammal fossil assemblage from the studied surveys with the small-mammals assemblage from the Holocene deposits of Scladina Cave shows that layers related with MIS 5 temperate sub-stages (MIS 5c and MIS 5a) present environmental characteristics similar to those prevailing nowadays (a landscape dominated by woodland formations and water streams) in the area surrounding the cave. This is coherent with the available chronostratigraphic datasets on this part of the sequence, suggesting the record of the humid and temperate phases at the beginning of the Late Pleistocene.

Spy and Scladina Caves: A Neandertal’s Story

Following a brief presentation of some geologic and geomorphologic specificities of Belgium in connection with Neandertals (e.g. caves, flint), we briefly focus on the changing environment in Neandertal times. Some historiographic aspects are then developed, recalling that in the nineteenth century, several Belgian sites played a key role in the emerging sciences of prehistory and palaeoanthropology. The first ever found hominin anatomically distinct from modern man was unearthed in 1829–1830 in Engis Cave, near Liege, while the world famous discovery of Spy in 1886 helped to definitively demonstrate the existence of Neandertal man. General information about Neandertals introduces the presentation of the caves of Spy and Scladina. The recent complete reassessment of the archaeological, anthropological, and faunal collections at Spy exemplifies the interest of re-examining ancient collections. As for Scladina, it illustrates the potential of new excavations where modern investigation techniques are applied directly in the field. In these two sites, modern interdisciplinary researches led to prominent results on topics such as ancient DNA, dental development, age at death, palaeodiet, or archaeology, complemented in the case of Scladina by site formation processes and detailed palaeoenvironmental and chronostratigraphic reconstructions. Finally, a few aspects related to territorial exploitation by Neandertals are exposed, focusing on lithic resource management.