Understanding the prehistory of domestic animals in East and Central Asia through scientific archaeozoology

Taylor, William; Wang, Juan; Hart, Isaac

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102397

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 30 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Taken together, all of these findings indicate the need for more lab-based zooarchaeological analyses to better understand the integration of pastoral and agricultural practices. New research agendas have sought to use emerging biomolecular techniques to learn from highly fragmented faunal assemblages typical of many Central and East Asian archaeological sites, and to understand changes in domestic livestock use over time-including the emergence of dairy pastoralism in some regions, such as Mongolia (Taylor, Wang, and Hart 2020;Wilkin et al 2020a).…”

Section: Ongoing Research In Central Asian Archaeologymentioning

confidence: 99%

An Imagined Past?

Spengler

Miller

Schmaus³

et al. 2021

Current Anthropology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Nomads, or highly specialized mobile pastoralists, are prominent features in Central Asian archaeology, and they are often depicted in direct conflict with neighboring sedentary peoples. However, new archaeological findings are showing that the people who many scholars have called nomads engaged in a mixed economic system of farming and herding. Additionally, not all of these peoples were as mobile as previously assumed, and current data suggest that a portion of these purported mobile populations remained sedentary for much or all of the year, with localized ecological factors directing economic choices. In this article, we pull together nine complementary lines of evidence from the second through the first millennia BC to illustrate that in eastern Central Asia, a complex economy existed. While many scholars working in Eurasian archaeology now acknowledge how dynamic paleoeconomies were, broader arguments are still tied into assumptions regarding specialized economies. The formation of empires or polities, changes in social orders, greater political hierarchy, craft specialization-notably, advanced metallurgy-mobility and migration, social relations, and exchange have all been central to the often circular arguments made concerning so-called nomads in ancient Central Asia. The new interpretations of mixed and complex economies more effectively situate Central Asia into a broader global study of food production and social complexity.

show abstract

Section: Ongoing Research In Central Asian Archaeologymentioning

confidence: 99%

An Imagined Past?

Spengler

Miller

Schmaus³

et al. 2021

Current Anthropology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Osteological studies of indigenous chickens may also provide insights into how environmental factors modified their morphology and osteology by correlating agro-climatic variables with internal and external measurements. This approach also bares potential for exploring the link between chicken osteology and their external phenotypes, which is highly relevant to archaeozoologists interested in understanding the evolution of domestic chicken morphological traits in relation to human societies (Taylor et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological and osteological characterization of indigenous domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus): validation of Rensch’s, Bergmann’s and Allen’s rules

Gebru¹,

Belay²,

Dessie³

et al. 2023

Front. Ecol. Evol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ecogeographical habitat heterogeneity in wild endotherm species results in morphological variability associated with physiological mechanisms for maintaining their body temperature at a thermoneutral state in different environments. This habitat-induced morphological variation has led to the proposal of three main ecogeographical and biological rules (Rensch, Bergmann, and Allen). Whether or not domesticated animal species, under the care and management of humans, follow the same rules has not yet been investigated in detail. In this study, we randomly sampled 333 adult indigenous chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) from three habitats representing the highland, midland and lowland agro-ecologies in the Tigray Region (Ethiopia). We aimed to assess the importance of Rensch’s, Bergmann’s, and Allen’s rules in shaping their morphology and osteology. For Bergmann’s and Allen’s rules, we analyzed the morphological characteristics of 297 (208 female, 89 male) and the osteological characteristics of 36 (19 female, 17 male) indigenous chickens. For the morphological validation of Rensch’s rule, we used 89 male chickens and randomly selected 89 female chickens, while for the osteological validation, 17 male and female chickens were analyzed. Chickens from the lowland agro-ecology (warm climate) had a smaller body mass index (BMI) and larger appendages, while chickens from the highland agro-ecology (cold climate) had a larger BMI and smaller appendages (Bergmann’s and Allen’s rules). Morphological and osteological sexual dimorphism were observed, with the male chickens being larger than the female chickens and with size differences proportional to the body size (Rensch’s rule). In both sexes, regression analysis showed a relationship between BMI and altitude as well as temperature. Shank length, wingspan, and the length and surface area (earlobe, wattle, and beak) of the appendages were significantly associated with climatic variables. Moreover, our regression model revealed that wingspan and shank length could be predicted from the greatest length of the humerus and tarsometatarsus. Our findings support the idea that indigenous chickens’ adaptation mechanisms to environmental challenges largely agree with the expectation of Rensch’s, Bergmann’s, and Allen’s biogeographical rules across the different altitudinal habitats of the Tigray Region.

show abstract

Understanding the prehistory of domestic animals in East and Central Asia through scientific archaeozoology

Cited by 2 publications

References 30 publications

An Imagined Past?

An Imagined Past?

Morphological and osteological characterization of indigenous domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus): validation of Rensch’s, Bergmann’s and Allen’s rules

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About