Jordi Nadal

The application of actualistic studies to assess the taphonomic origin of Musterian rabbit accumulations from Arbreda Cave (North-East Iberia)

Resumen del trabajo presentado a la 62nd Annual Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials (MMM), celebrada en Pittsburgh (USA) del 6 al 10 de noviembre de 2017.Financial support 224 from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (Lisboa, Portugal) grants 225 (PTDC/CVT/2006/66114 and UID/CVT/00276/2013)Tese de doutoramento em Ciencias da Saude, apresentada a Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de CoimbraTrabajo presentado en el 8o Congreso de la Asociacion Iberica de Endocrinologia Comparada (AIEC), celebrado en Madrid del 5 al 7 de septiembre de 2011.Trabajo presentado en la International Conference and Exposition Aquaculture Europe 2017, celebrada en Dubrovnik del 17 al 20 de octubre de 2017.O presente estudo centra-se na analise das paisagens de poder que materializam as dinâmicas sociais e territoriais ocorridas nos finais da Idade do Ferro e inicios de epoca Romana no Noroeste Peninsular. Enquadra-se numa necessidade de se desenvolverem novas e inovadoras metodologias de trabalho, aliadas a uma robustez teorica e a um rigor empirico, cujas interpretacoes permitam a criacao de um novo conhecimento e que tenha aplicabilidade a outros contextos. Esta investigacao foi desenvolvida numa optica da Arqueologia da Paisagem. Assim, adoptou-se uma perspectiva diacronica e uma metodologia interdisciplinar, procurando-se ampliar as metodologias tradicionalmente utilizadas neste tipo de estudos, sobretudo com o recurso as tecnologias geoespaciais, na tentativa de se caracterizar a estruturacao do povoamento e territorio neste periodo e area geografica. O objectivo principal deste estudo reside na tentativa de caracterizacao sociopolitica das comunidades do Noroeste Peninsular, particularmente na sua area Meridional, nos finais da Idade do Ferro e inicios de epoca Romana. Tomaremos como caso de estudo a regiao do Alto Tâmega e Cavado. Trata-se de uma zona de fronteira e de hibridizacao cultural pelo menos desde a Idade do Ferro, localizando-se justamente na transicao entre a area dos oppida ocidentais e a dos pequenos castros orientais. Nesta zona registam-se processos de intensificacao economica, embora mais centrados na exploracao de recursos minerais, ao inves da exploracao e intensificacao agricola, dando lugar a uma estruturacao territorial bastante especifica e a formas particulares de expressao da desigualdade. Procuraremos analisar as dinâmicas territoriais e os processos de continuidade e de mudanca social, bem como as diferentes economias politicas e estrategias de poder, numa epoca onde tem lugar complexas politicas de interaccao cultural, particularmente com o mundo mediterrânico, bem como uma crescente negociacao social e identitaria. Procuraremos definir e clarificar os diferentes modelos de povoamento e as diferentes formas de estruturacao territorial em epoca pre-Romana e Romana. A base fundamental deste trabalho sera a objectivacao dos criterios locacionais e territoriais de cada povoado, com vista a se discriminarem as decisoes sociais que motivaram a eleicao de um determinado sitio, ja que distintos modelos locacionais e territoriais poderao associar-se a diferentes contextos culturais e a distintas formas de organizacao territorial e sociopolitica. Todavia, sera de ressaltar que este trabalho tera sempre um sentido comparativo, procurando-se analisar a variabilidade, mais do que uma reconstrucao positiva das condicoes que possam ter influenciado a localizacao dos sitios. Alem disso, partimos da diversidade regional e da heterogeneidade cultural, ja que mais que um todo homogeneo com uma evolucao unilinear, devemos antes, segundo uma perspectiva pos-colonial, contemplar uma multiplicidade de experiencias historicas particulares a diferentes escalas antes e depois da chegada de Roma. Apos os primeiros contactos com os Romanos, documenta-se uma estruturacao complexa do povoamento do Noroeste, que se manifesta no pleno desenvolvimento de grandes povoados tipo oppidum, que actuariam como verdadeiros lugares centrais do ponto de vista politico. Este fenomeno, que se desenvolve anteriormente a criacao generalizada de novos assentamentos romanos, e arqueologicamente mais visivel na parte Meridional da Galiza e no Norte de Portugal, onde os processos de ?oppidizacao? sao mais massivos e prematuros. Contudo, este processo de sinecismo e de hierarquizacao do povoamento podera ser consequencia de dinâmicas anteriores, uma vez que nao podemos negligenciar os complexos particularismos historicos das comunidades indigenas, tal como parece suceder em outros territorios europeus. Evidentemente que o contacto e a pressao Romana pode ter acelerado e precipitado todo este processo, embora talvez nao se tenha tratado de um processo unidireccional e monocausal. E necessario percepcionar os oppida em relacao estrutural a toda uma serie de fenomenos sociais, politicos e culturais que ocorrem no sul da Callaecia entre os seculos II a.C. e I d.C..This research has been developed on the behalf of a Doctoral (M3.1.2/F/025/2007) and a Post-Doctoral (M3.1.7/F/005/2011) Research Project, both supported by the Regional Fund for Science (FRC) of the Azorean Regional Government. This work was partially funded by Portuguese National Funds through FCT – Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (Foundation for Science and Technology), under the project “PTDC/AAC-AMB/098786/2008”.Tese de Doutoramento em Ciencias da Saude, Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciencias da Saude.Trabajo presentado en la European Geosciences Union General Assembly, celebrada en Viena (Austria), del 8 al 13 de abril de 2018Este trabajo ha sido parcialmente financiado por la Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, Ministerio da Educacao e Ciencia, Republica Portiguesa (SFRH/BD/44089/2008) y los proyectos: “Origins and Spread of Agriculture in the western Mediterranean region (ERC-2008-AdG 230561)” y “Stable isotopes in Mediterranean natural and agricultural ecosystems: from a mechanistic understanding of isotope fractionation processes in plants to the application in paleoenvironmental research (DGI CGL2009- 13079-C02-01)”.Trabajo presentado en el 18th International Symposium on Pollutant Responses in Marine Organisms (PRIMO 18), celebrado en Trondheim (Noruega) del 24 al 27 de mayo de 2015.VI Simposio Internacional de Ciencias del Mar - VI International Symposium of Marine Sciences (ISMS 2018), 20- 22 June 2018, Vigo.-- 1 pageResumen del poster presentado a la XXXV Reunion Bienal de la Real Sociedad Espanola de Fisica y al 25o Encuentro Iberico de Ensenanza de la Fisica, celebrados en Gijon (Espana) del 13 al 17 de julio de 2015.-- et al.Trabajo presentado en el I Congresso Luso-Extremadurense de Ciencias e Tecnologia, celebrado en Evora (Portugal), del 20 al 21 de octubre de 2017The 2nd International Symposium on Submarine Canyons (INCISE2014), 29th September-1st October 2014, Edinburgh.-- 1 page, 1 figureTrabajo presentado en la 10th International Hydrogenase Conference celebrada en Szeged (Hungria) del 8 al 12 de julio de 2013.An overview of 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy methods and their applications in the study of the metabolism of brain cells in vitro and in the in vivo brain is presented as well as their implications for modern molecular imaging techniques. Various topics will be discussed, such as general properties of the 13C NMR spectrum, 13C NMR spectroscopy acquisition protocols, determination of fractional 13C enrichment, 13C(2H) NMR methodologies, and the use of 13C hyperpolarized substrates for NMR spectroscopy and imaging. Some illustrative applications are described, both in vitro and in vivo.This study was financially supported by Fundacao Para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (SFRH7 BPD/5560/2001) and HP BIODIBERIA program at the Real Jardin Botanico (Madrid).Conferencia invitada. -- 7th Conference on Elementary Processes in Atomic Systems,Průhonice, Prague, September 3-6, 2017.-- https://www.jh-inst.cas.cz/tchem/cepas2017/about-cepas-2017/The current international socioeconomic context has been emphasising the need of a new set of individual competencies in order to succeed in the professional world. A new concept of employability has also emerged, with a person-centred approach, which reflects the need to deal effectively with career-related changes (Fugate, Kinicki, & Ashforth, 2004). In a psychosocial perspective, it is assumed an individual ability to adapt to social expectations and to behave according to the changing conditions (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012). On the other hand, the last decade represented a period of profound transformations in the European space of higher education, driven by Bologna guidelines. Higher education institutions are expected to adapt new ways of work organization, promoting new core competencies in future professionals. In this context, the paper will describe a research project which aims to identify and analyse the impact factors on the employability of Portuguese graduates, namely, individual characteristics, curricular experiences during graduation courses and also employer’s characteristics. This project represents an attempt to a closer and necessary articulation between higher education practices and labour market requirements.Trabajo presentado en el MedCLIVAR Conference: Bridging the Mediterranean Climates, celebrado en Belgrado (Serbia) del 17 al 21 de septiembre de 2018Trabajo presentado por Mariana Reis Sobreiro para optar al grado de Doctor por la Universidad de Salamanca y realizado en el Instituto de Biologia Molecular y Celular del Cancer.13 paginas, 7 tablas, 1 figuras, 1 apendice. Special thanks go to Ana Mouro, Joao Luis Mouro, Miguel Porto, Nuno Pires and Sara Dias for assisting in the fieldwork, and Nuno Gomes and associated workers for the EDM loan and field aid.Trabajo presentado en en 16th International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and Feeding (ISFNF 2014), celebrado en Cairns (Australia) del 25 al 30 de mayo de 2014.Tese desenvolvida no quadro do Programa Doutoral em Ciencias e Engenharia do Ambiente, com o financiamento de uma bolsa de doutoramento (SFRH/BD/42168/2007) da Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) e o apoio dos projectos EROSFIRE II (PTDC/AGR-CFL/70968/2006), e ”FIREREG”(PTDC/AGR-CFL/099420/2008), ambos financiados pela Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) e o FSE no âmbito do III Quadro Comunitario de Apoio.Editors: A. Campar Almeida, Ana M. S. Bettencourt, D. Moura, Sergio Monteiro-Rodrigues and Maria Isabel Caetano Alves. 29 pp.Trabajo presentado en el 10o Congreso de la Asociacion Iberica de Endocrinologia Comparada (AIEC), celebrado en Castellon (Espana), del 23 al 25 de septiembre de 2015Trabajo presentado en Aquaculture Europe 2019, celebrado en Berlin (Alemania), del 7 al 10 de octubre de 2019Tese de Candidatura ao grau de Doutor em Ciencias Biomedicas submetida ao Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas de Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto por Ana Maria Bastos Barros Neto e realizado em el Centro Andaluz de Biologia del Desarrollo, centro mixto CSIC-UPO.Trabajo presentado en el EMS Annual Meeting: European Conference for Applied Meteorology and Climatology, celebrado en Dublin (Irlanda), de 4 al 8 de septiembre de 2017

When wildcats feed on rabbits: an experimental study to understand the taphonomic signature of European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris)

Studies of the feeding ecology of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) demonstrate that leporids, mostly European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), dominate their diet in regions where they are present. The remains of wildcats have been found at Pleistocene and Holocene archaeological sites, raising the possibility that they actively accumulated leporid bones in caves and shelters shared with other terrestrial carnivores, raptors and humans. We present the first taphonomic study of rabbit remains consumed by this terrestrial carnivore, with the ultimate aim of understanding their role in bone accumulations at archaeological sites. An experimental study was carried out with a wildcat female, who was fed with nine complete rabbit carcasses. Non-ingested remains and scats were recovered for the analysis of anatomical representation, breakage and bone surface modification. This revealed that non-ingested remains and scats of the European wildcat can be discriminated from most other agents of accumulation. The referential framework provided will permit the discrimination of hominids and wildcats as agents of fossil accumulations of rabbits.

Dental Shape Variability in Cercopithecoid Primates: A Model for the Taxonomic Attribution of Macaques from Roman Archaeological Contexts

Morphometric variation of biological structures has been widely used to determine taxonomic affinities among taxa, and teeth are especially informative for both deep phylogenetic relationships and specific ecological signals. We report 2-dimensional geometric morphometrics (GM) analyses of occlusal crown surfaces of lower molars (M1, n = 141; M2, n = 158) of cercopithecoid primate species. A 12-landmark configuration, including cusp tips and 8 points of the molar crown contour, were used to evaluate patterns of variation in lower molar shape among cercopithecoid primates and to predict the taxonomic attribution of 2 archaeological macaques from Roman time periods. The results showed that the lower molar shape of cercopithecoid primates reflects taxonomic affinities, mostly at a subfamily level and close to a tribe level. Thus, the cusp positions and crown contour were important elements of the pattern related to interspecific variation. Additionally, the archaeological specimens, attributed to Macaca sylvanus based on osteological information, were classified using the GM molar shape variability of the cercopithecoid primates studied. The results suggest that their molar shape resembled both M. sylvanus and M. nemestrina, and species attribution varied depending on the comparative sample used.

Taphonomic signature of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) on bone prey remains

Abstract The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the most important birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. This raptor is used to building large nests in high cliffs to which they return for several breeding years accumulating important amounts of their prey skeletal remains. This makes the golden eagle one of the major predators able to accumulate faunal remains in archaeological sites. Despite this fact, the taphonomic signature of golden eagles has not been properly characterized. Here we present the analysis of ingested and non-ingested faunal remains predated and accumulated by this raptor in two different nesting areas from the Iberian Peninsula. Results show how the faunal taxonomic record may vary depending on the ecological zone. Leporids and terrestrial carnivores are the best represented. The observed anatomical representation, breakage and bone surface modification patterns are discussed for different taxa. The taphonomic pattern varies depending on the type of prey and the origin of skeletal materials (non-ingested vs. pellets). Finally, after comparing our results with marks left by other predators, several characteristic features are noted to recognise golden eagles as agents of animal bones accumulations in the fossil record.

The role of small prey in hunter–gatherer subsistence strategies from the Late Pleistocene–Early Holocene transition site in NE Iberia: the leporid accumulation from the Epipalaeolithic level of Balma del Gai site

In Mediterranean Europe during the Pleistocene–Holocene, transition changes in the intensification of small prey exploitation by humans are detected. In the NE of the Iberian Peninsula, these changes are mainly evidenced by an increase in the number of rabbit remains, normally exceeding the 90% of the recovered animal specimens. The archaeological site of Balma del Gai (Moià, Barcelona) provides one of the most significant archaeological records of this kind. Through zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis, our work’s aims are: to elucidate the human activity on leporids (rabbits and hares) in comparison to other predators, to understand the different ways of handling and exploiting rabbit carcasses and to assess the importance of this small prey for the Epipalaeolithic hunter–gatherers. Results on anatomical representation, breakage and bone surface modifications show that rabbit remains recovered respond to an anthropogenic contribution. High proportions of thermo-altered bones, cut marks caused by lithic tools and teeth marks are observed. All parameters indicate intense exploitation of rabbit fur and meat. This study shows clear evidence of the importance of small prey for human subsistence during this period.

Contents Vol. 85, 2014

42 4th Iberian Primatological Congress Girona, Spain, October 2–5, 2013 Editors: Llorente, M.; Feliu, O. (Girona); Peláez, F.; Morcillo, A. (Madrid); Casanova, C. (Lisboa)