Herd of dinosaurs discovered in underground opal mine


WHAT THE HELL WERE THE DINOSAURS DOING IN AN OPAL MINE
MINING OPAL PERHAPS

Scientists have revealed that fossils from an underground opal mine near Lightning Ridge, outback NSW (Australia), include remains from a herd of dinosaurs, among them a new dinosaur species and the world's most complete opalized dinosaur.

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0_tWQeHppQd1NN8bQKS_qhU7gHdxCjTFgusColMBRGml8jyQFAvRWmQdLBipoWKSJwal3PfpSmTCSFYOtZ8CDo3RQQzUpHks3Wc1lk6KOX2WQ0uEZA6VT9cTimJxy7PEnt6mUg/s640/herd-of-dinos-01.v1.jpg

Artist's reconstruction of Fostoria dhimbangunmal 
[Credit: © James Kuether]

Dr. Phil Bell, lead researcher from the University of New England in Armidale, said he was stunned by the sheer number of bones found. "We initially assumed it was a single skeleton, but when I started looking at some of the bones, I realized that we had four scapulae (shoulder blades) all from different sized animals." It is the first dinosaur "herd" to be discovered in Australia.

The new dinosaur has been named Fostoria dhimbangunmal in honor of opal miner Robert Foster, who discovered the fossils in the 1980s. The species name, dhimbangunmal (pronounced bim-baan goon-mal), means "sheep yard" in the local Yuwaalaraay and Yuwaalayaay languages, in recognition of the Sheepyard locality where the bones were found.

In total, parts of four Fostoria skeletons were unearthed, ranging from small juveniles to larger animals that might have been five meters in length, prompting speculation they were part of a small herd or family.

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBW1fp9AYi0WKPnFEq5u441MdR8za5lGDybJCn8N737opPCJEa3WGO5bUHovIQyjc0GEwA0IO1Dzsva2WX6VWcV68VsqoUSlgl5xmu6wAir1ahyphenhyphena8YrBfIQTw5hk6xWCUvY2DVg/s640/herd-of-dinos-02.jpg

A fossil vertebrae of the newly discovered dinosaur species Fostoria dhimbangunmal 
discovered in opal [Credit: Robert A. Smith/Australian Opal Centre]

The bones, which are mostly grey potch opal, were found in the 1980s by opal miner Robert Foster at the Sheepyard opal field, near Lightning Ridge. Scientists from the Australian Museum in Sydney helped excavate the fossils, but the bones remained unstudied until donated to the Australian Opal Centre by Robert's children Gregory and Joanne Foster in 2015, under the Federal Government's Cultural Gift Program.

Jenni Brammall, paleontologist and special projects officer of the Australian Opal Centre, says, "Fostoria has given us the most complete opalized dinosaur skeleton in the world. Partial skeletons of extinct swimming reptiles have been found at other Australian opal fields, but for opalized dinosaurs we generally have only a single bone or tooth or in rare instances, a few bones. To recover dozens of bones from the one skeleton is a first."

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDyfbt2YolwvaT8R6FvP0Vux-trVg0ZtUsnE1C31hPryw0LEYqF_urQ8-vqVvNZbWxXeQi-Vr1-yHNspYQumHbE4yXePoRvOhgn5O-5K8CZoqTsJAwtOsjk_yCx53ebb4zWax-A/s640/herd-of-dinos-03.jpg

A fossilized toe bone of Fostoria dhimbangunmal found in opal 
[Credit: Robert A. Smith/Australian Opal Centre]

Fostoria was a two-legged plant-eating iguanodontian dinosaur closely related to the famous Muttaburrasaurus from central Queensland, which was discovered in 1980.

The discovery comes on the back of the new small plant-eating dinosaur also from Lightning Ridge, Weewarrasaurus pobeni, which was named by Dr. Bell and colleagues late last year.

"The rate of discovery is astounding. On average, there's at least one new dinosaur discovered around the world every week," Dr. Bell said. "With more palaeontologists and scientists looking further afield than ever before, it's an exciting time for dinosaur lovers everywhere, especially in Australia."

The new research was published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

Source: University of New England [June 05, 2019]

Read more at https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2019/06/herd-of-dinosaurs-has-been-discovered.html#fxpp5LTOLTLDmwto.99

A JUG OF WINE, A LOAF OF BREAD, AND THOU MY BELOVED
Ancient DNA from Roman and medieval grape seeds reveal ancestry of wine making


A grape variety still used in wine production in France today can be traced back 900 years to just one ancestral plant, scientists have discovered.

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWZ1ZoB9Y075-52OB7YT3jqlEF9FQUD5W5og7HjzugLoCtbd1ctD0o8uqEE8MnDSBXpbP86LhEv-2OJN_7r6jW5rb3-Pg7bw-9oocL6dpHrfckrpQVtZwh9g8SMOQS7elkZl7QA/s1600/grape-dna-00a.jpg

Waterlogged Roman grape seeds like these were genetically tested to investigate
grape varieties in the past [Credit: L. Bouby, CNRS/ISEM]

With the help of an extensive genetic database of modern grapevines, researchers were able to test and compare 28 archaeological seeds from French sites dating back to the Iron Age, Roman era, and medieval period.

Utilising similar ancient DNA methods used in tracing human ancestors, a team of researchers from the UK, Denmark, France, Spain, and Germany, drew genetic connections between seeds from different archaeological sites, as well as links to modern-day grape varieties.

It has long been suspected that some grape varieties grown today, particularly well-known types like Pinot Noir, have an exact genetic match with plants grown 2,000 years ago or more, but until now there has been no way of genetically testing an uninterrupted genetic lineage of that age.

Dr Nathan Wales, from the University of York, said: "From our sample of grape seeds we found 18 distinct genetic signatures, including one set of genetically identical seeds from two Roman sites separated by more than 600km, and dating back 2,000 years ago.

"These genetic links, which included a 'sister' relationship with varieties grown in the Alpine regions today, demonstrate winemakers' proficiencies across history in managing their vineyards with modern techniques, such as asexual reproduction through taking plant cuttings."

One archaeological grape seed excavated from a medieval site in Orléans in central France was genetically identical to Savagnin Blanc. This means the variety has grown for at least 900 years as cuttings from just one ancestral plant.

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrvHPGAHsQfw8C_x-hog6nsflpNOB02_V3G9MWsgTScusJzDpuck4SYrWN5m12JBqIzQdq3ixH86j2Xezqti6vsl8H94Eg5CAvOnNiXAJOUp6ZC0zLNt8yWmzXyxTUV3LbUW-5A/s640/grape-dna-01.jpg

A vineyard by Pic Saint Loup Mountain in southern France 
[Credit: S. Ivorra CNRS/ISEM]

This variety (not to be confused with Sauvignon Blanc), is thought to have been popular for a number of centuries, but is not as commonly consumed as a wine today outside of its local region.

The grape can still be found growing in the Jura region of France, where it is used to produce expensive bottles of Vin Jaune, as well as in parts of Central Europe, where it often goes by the name Traminer.

Although this grape is not so well known today, 900 years of a genetically identical plant suggests that this wine was special - special enough for grape-growers to stick with it across centuries of changing political regimes and agricultural advancements.

Dr Jazmín Ramos-Madrigal, a postdoctoral researcher from the University of Copenhagen, said: "We suspect the majority of these archaeological seeds come from domesticated berries that were potentially used for winemaking based on their strong genetic links to wine grapevines.

"Berries from varieties used for wine are small, thick-skinned, full of seeds, and packed with sugar and other compounds such as acids, phenols, and aromas - great for making wine but not quite as good for eating straight from the vine. These ancient seeds did not have a strong genetic link to modern table grapes.

"Based on writings by the Roman author and naturalist, Pliny the Elder, and others, we know the Romans had advanced knowledge of winemaking and designated specific names to different grape varieties, but it has so far been impossible to link their Latin names to modern varieties. Now we have the opportunity to use genetics to know exactly what the Romans were growing in their vineyards."

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxK3sqEJruTaQJvjz-Z87_ePM-pWtZzIDRWyFuA_jCwgGfQlpZ6zaf8x7kL9QfNlLqOYyJ3B431MxA8mrKNCxLFM1itwbzWLv9Zx6_MmNbPqdpOjuXUsO9c6tH9a8EkhSqTLVs_A/s640/grape-dna-02.jpg

Archaeological excavation of Roman farm at Mont Ferrier site in Tourbes, France. Grape seeds closely 
related to Pinot Noir and Savagnin Blanc were excavated from a well dating to the first century CE 
[Credit: M. Compan, Inrap]

Of the Roman seeds, the researchers could not find an identical genetic match with modern-day seeds, but they did find a very close relationships with two important grape families used to produce high quality wine.

These include the Syrah-Mondeuse Blanche family - Syrah is one of the most planted grapes in the world today - and the Mondeuse Blanche, which produces a high quality AOC (protected regional product) wine in Savoy, as well as the Pinot-Savagnin family - Pinot Noir being the "king of wine grapes".

Dr Wales said: "It is rather unconventional to trace an uninterrupted genetic lineage for hundreds of years into the past. Instead of exploring broad patterns in genetic ancestry, as in most ancient DNA projects, we had to think like forensics scientists and find a perfect match in the database.

"Large databases of genetic data from modern crops and optimized palaeogenomic methods have vastly improved our ability to analyse the history of this and other important fruits. For the wine industry today, these results could shed new light on the value of some grape varieties; even if we don't see them in popular use in wines today, they were once highly valued by past wine lovers and so are perhaps worth a closer look."

The researchers now hope to find more archaeological evidence that could send them further back in time and reveal more grape wine varieties.

The research was published in Nature Plants.

Source: University of York [June 10, 2019]
Read more at https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2019/06/ancient-dna-from-roman-and-medieval.html#Bq472vmV85TxBYkq.99

Dramatic change in ancient nomad diets coincides with expansion of networks across Eurasia

Read more at https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2019/06/dramatic-change-in-ancient-nomad-diets.html#zB08oACl98r60SsO.99

A meta-analysis of dietary information recorded in the bones of ancient animals and humans recovered from sites scattered across the Eurasian steppe, from the Caucasus region to Mongolia, demonstrates that pastoralists spread domesticated crops across the steppe through their trade and social networks.

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLE_37g2E-GZLtaT1oerjUnA73Tqw9LLRvKKPpVMSDkPOG3CkTlOnM7f5Y2minNJ9idqA6tpo1kaRR1IuTVwXtgctCSmS4kpSfh-bIEqqCpOGyPqMBgKOKXXDdbwqdjLkOpb0RnQ/s640/nomad-diets-02.jpg

Millet cultivation in Central Asia [Credit: © Spengler 2014]

Researchers from Kiel University sifted through previously published stable isotopic data and applied new quantitative analyses that calibrate human dietary intake against environmental inputs. The results have allowed them to better isolate the timing of the incorporation of agricultural products into the diets of pastoral nomads and, crucially, link burgeoning socio-political networks to this dietary transformation.

Through a big data project that explored over a thousand stable isotope data points, researchers were able to find evidence for an early transition to agriculture - based on dietary intake across Eurasia.

"Our understanding of the pace of crop transmission across the Eurasian steppe has been surprisingly unclear due in part to a focus on the excavation of cemeteries, rather than settlements where people threw out their food," says Alicia Ventresca Miller, lead author, formerly of Kiel University and currently at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.

"Even when settlement sites are excavated, the preservation of carbonized seed remains is often poor. This is what makes stable isotope analyses of human remains from this region so valuable - it provides direct insights into the dietary dynamics of ancient pastoralists who inhabited diverse environments."

Millet spreads across the Eurasian steppe

Millet, originally domesticated in China, appears to have been occasionally consumed at low levels by pastoralists inhabiting the far-flung regions of Siberia and southeastern Kazakhstan, possibly as early as the late third millennium. This initial uptake of millet coincided with the expansion of trans-regional networks across the steppe, when objects and ideas were first regularly exchanged over long-distances.

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtn75c1pGfMEpevlcPMuY3PAE1t67BxIcgjbH1a1YBVyjBtYaZc9NQNYCuMWRsKnQurIThB1BErK_8tqoXeVgC3q7VuvyPnLh5QOklaBaI7_CKyGM1fx5yutO7R4s0cs5gDLNQg/s640/nomad-diets-01.jpg

Map of millet and wheat/barley consumption over time: a) 1000-500 cal BC, 
b) 500-200 cal BC, and c) 200 BC-AD 400 [Credit: I. Reese 
& A. R. Ventresca Miller, 2017]

However, it was not until a thousand years later that millet became a regular feature of pastoralist diets. This timing coincides with the intensification of complex political structures at the transition to the Iron Age. Burgeoning socio-political confederations drove a marked increase in the exchange of costly prestige goods, which strengthened political networks - and facilitated the transfer of cultigens.

Wheat and Barley in the Trans-Urals

Despite taking part in these political networks, groups in the Trans-Urals invested in wheat and barley farming rather than millet. A dietary focus on wheat and barley may have been due to different farming techniques, greater water availability, or a higher value on these cultigens.

"Our research suggests that cultigens were converted from a rare luxury during the Bronze Age to a medium demarcating elite participation in political networks during the Iron Age," states Cheryl Makarewicz of Kiel University.

Regional variation in millet consumption

While herding of livestock was widespread, not all regions adopted millet. In southwest Siberia, dietary intake was focused on pastoral animal products and locally available wild plants and fish. In contrast, the delayed adoption of millet by populations in Mongolia during the Late Iron Age coincides with the rise of the Xiongnu nomadic empire.

"This is particularly interesting because it suggests that communities in Mongolia and Siberia opted out of the transition to millet agriculture, while continuing to engage with neighboring groups," explains Ventresca Miller.

This study shows the great potential of using the available isotope record to provide evidence for human dietary intake in areas where paleobotany is understudied. Further research should clarify the exact type of grains, for example broomcorn or foxtail millet, were fundamental to the shift in dietary intake and how networks of exchange linked different regions.

The findings are published in Scientific Reports.

Source: Kiel University [June 10, 2019]
Read more at https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2019/06/dramatic-change-in-ancient-nomad-diets.html#zB08oACl98r60SsO.99

The Neolithic Precedents Of Gender Inequality

The Neolithic Precedents Of Gender Inequality

Researchers from the Department of Prehistory and Archaeology at the University of Seville have studied the archaeological evidence of prehistoric societies in the Neolithic Period in the Iberian Peninsula from the perspective of gender. According to the results of their work, which address the analysis from the point of view of bioarchaeology and funerary archaeology, it was in the Neolithic that gender differences first appeared which meant male domination in later periods of history.

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvel8H1SUs0cIvGvIfNV-MJ5jeAN6_M6z71FhWKZ0tT4Vv-PAqjZ5lPBwR9Ht42OoWlx7iQYTgnA40-45wxDsP_zs3VkA4JNjQdFgCjm-AmAg3KP5P3eESdlwv0eT8hglSeGvSnQ/s640/Neolithic-Iberia.jpg

Dance scene at the Caves of El Cogul shows eleven women in skirts circling a naked man 
[Credit: Enric/WikiCommons]

To arrive at these conclusions, the researchers have analysed two groups of indicators. On the one hand, life conditions and demographic aspects; and, on the other, funerary practices. In the first group, they studied factors like the sexual ratio (the demographic proportion of men to women), diet, genetic data, movement, the most common diseases and the detected stress markers.

In the second, they considered data like the type of burial, the primary or secondary character of the deposit, if it was individual or collective burial, the spatial organisation of the site, the position and orientation of the bodies, the funerary goods that were placed in the tomb or the "funerary movements" (signs of manipulation of the bodies, pigmentation or alteration caused by the heat).

The study concluded that inequality between men and women was not generally consolidated or widely spread in Iberia during the Neolithic. However, situations progressively appeared that indicate dominance of men over women.

The authors point to four important lines in which inequality between men and women can be investigated through successive historical periods: their access to funeral rites, the material conditions of their existence, the appearance of specific social roles for each of the genders and the growing association of men with violence.

It is precisely this last aspect that is most evident in this study. The arrow wounds on male bodies, the depositing of projectiles in their tombs or the pictorial representations (cave paintings) of men hunting and fighting have no equivalent parallel in women. Therefore, the authors point to the birth of an ideology that connected men with the exercise of force.

In this sense, they highlight that the creation of different roles according to gender and other forms of gender inequality played a fundamental role in the growth of social complexity, a factor that has not always been well understood in previous research projects.

The study, published in the European Journal of Archaeology, is the first time that this period has been dealt with from the perspective of gender and considering multiple variables. The study's conclusions mean the archaeological confirmation of the proposal of anthropologist Gerda Lerner, who in the book The Creation of Patriarchy proposed the hypothesis that it was the Neolithic societies that saw the beginning of inequality between men and women.

Source: University of Seville [June 10, 2019]
Read more at https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-neolithic-precedents-of-gender.html#BqXSyEA6x5LA0lp0.99

Facing up to Switzerland’s Roman past http://po.st/ThAWyR

Terres Romanes .

1 hr

You can wonder if in the romane sculpture, especially from the XII, everything is only symbolic interpretation or carrier of a spiritual message, as some support it. Sometimes and by the simple observation, it is observed that the sculptor also delivers a direct and sometimes believed testimony on his time, which seems to take it on any religious concern. You can probably find a metaphorical meaning to this detail of the portal of Santa Maria the mayor of uncastillo, you can also see a scene of the extraction of a tooth!
The left character still holds the clamp that holds the tooth that he has just ripped off and a side of wine or water to relieve the still visible pain of his companion. I don't know a similar representation of such quality. I add that the sculptor of this church is distinguished both by his indisputable talent but also his tasty choice for other sculptures and sometimes more dirty that we discover with almost a smile on the lips when visiting this wonder of the Roman art.

Santa Maria the mayor. Uncastillo-Aragon-Spain August 2015.

New Evidence Suggests 2018 Syria Chemical Attack in Douma Was Staged
Leaked documents from the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that MIT Prof. Theodore Postol analyzed of the investigation of the 2018 chemical attack in Douma, Syria, contradict the official UN report

THEREALNEWS.COM