Starch granules identification and automatic classification based on an extended set of morphometric and optical measurements

Arráiz, Héctor; Barbarin, Nicolas; Pasturel, Marine; Beaufort, Luc; Domı́nguez-Rodrigo, Manuel; Barboni, Doris

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.03.039

Cited by 16 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…A less subjective, morphometric approach proposed by Torrence et al [60] uses measurements obtained interactively from images of starch granules and multivariate analysis for classification (e.g. [61,62]). However, a study using automated image analysis and classification with modern starch granules revealed that, while some plant genera do produce morphologically characteristic starch granules, there was significant overlap between many species [63].…”

Section: Analysis Of Archaeological Starchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeological Starch

Copeland

Hardy

2018

Agronomy

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Abstract:This article reviews evidence of how starch granules associated with archaeological artefacts provide an insight into the use of plants by our ancestors for food, medicines and cultural activities. The properties of starch relevant to archaeological contexts, methods for examining ancient starch and the types of environmental conditions that would promote survival of starch granules over hundreds of thousands of years as part of the archaeological record, are considered. Starch granules identified in dental calculus are clear indicators of the individual having consumed starchy food as part of the diet. However, surviving starch granules may be only a tiny fraction of those consumed over a lifetime and not necessarily representative of foods that were in the diet. A hypothesis, based on a combination of archaeological, physiological and genetic evidence, that plant foods containing high quantities of digestible starch were essential for the evolution of the modern human phenotype, is discussed.

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Section: Analysis Of Archaeological Starchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeological Starch

Copeland

Hardy

2018

Agronomy

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“…The next step would be automatic classification of starch grains provided by specialized software with Image analysis modules and statistics outputs. (Arráiz et al, 2016) The sample must be prepared carefully and accurately in a clean laboratory environment and using only starch-free equipment and chemicals. It is good procedure to: control the level of contamination in the laboratory; add a control sample into the set of samples during the whole procedure; and examine the possibilities of transfer (Buffington et al, 2018).…”

Section: Starch Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microscopic Analysis of Starch Grains and its Applications in the Archaeology of the Stone Age

Kovárník¹,

Beneš²

2018

IANSA

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“…In some studies, morphometric identification methods, based on starch reference collections, have been used to classify starch granule shapes . Most starch granules range in size between 1 and 100 μm, but there is great variation in size and shape between and within species.…”

Section: Categories Of Materials Recovered From Dental Calculusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In some studies, morphometric identification methods, based on starch reference collections, have been used to classify starch granule shapes. [53][54][55] Most starch granules range in size between 1 and 100 μm, but there is great variation in size and shape between and within species. This is due to natural variation in the multiple genes that control the biosynthesis and the effects on gene expression of developmental changes and environmental factors during plant growth.…”

Section: Foodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pleistocene dental calculus: Recovering information on Paleolithic food items, medicines, paleoenvironment and microbes

Hardy

Buckley

Copeland

2018

Evolutionary Anthropology

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Dental calculus is now widely used to recover information on items ingested in the past. It is particularly valuable in the earlier Paleolithic, where recovered data may represent the only evidence for plant use. Several recovery methods are used and each one produces different results. Biomolecular markers and genetic material recovered from dental calculus is providing new data on identifiable dietary and medicinal items and human microbial communities. The recovery of microfossils, in particular, starch granules, has triggered a new awareness of the role of plants in the diet throughout the Paleolithic. However, the minute amount of material recovered has little relationship with food eaten during a person's life, while salivary amylase breaks down cooked starch. Therefore, broader dietary interpretations and detection of cooked food are problematic. The study of ancient dental calculus holds great potential to recover information about past lives, within realistic parameters.

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Starch granules identification and automatic classification based on an extended set of morphometric and optical measurements

Cited by 16 publications

References 56 publications

Archaeological Starch

Archaeological Starch

Microscopic Analysis of Starch Grains and its Applications in the Archaeology of the Stone Age

Pleistocene dental calculus: Recovering information on Paleolithic food items, medicines, paleoenvironment and microbes

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