A GIS Atlas of the Fossil Pollen and Modern Records of Ficus and Related Species for Island South–East Asia,Australasia and the Western Pacific

Ficus has been described as a keystone genus in the tropics. This paper reviews the Quaternary palynology literature, and vegetation research literature in Island Southeast Asia, Australasia and the Western Pacific with the aim of increasing the knowledge of the distribution history for Ficus and related species within this area. Specifically, this paper describes a GIS atlas designed to aid further analysis of the history and spread of Moraceae species. This research project synthesises the knowledge of the distribution and history of Ficus and related species in the greater Australasian area through the production of a GIS atlas, and describes the project, specifically focusing on the data collation and production of the GIS.     

Reconstructing the holocene depositional environments in the western part of Ancient Karnak temples complex (Egypt): a geoarchaeological approach

This paper presents the results of a geoarchaeological study undertaken in Upper Egypt, in the western part of the Karnak Temples complex. The geoarchaeological approach helps to better understand the fluvial dynamics of the Nile in the proximity of the Pharaonic site during the late Holocene. Until recently, most researchers assumed that Karnak was built on a fluvial island and that a large basin connected to the Nile was built in front of the first pylon during the dynastic period. However, recent excavations conducted by the archaeologists of the Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities revealed a jetty or quay with probable direct access to the Nile. Therefore in order to reveal in more detail the landscape and waterscape changes in the most western part of Ancient Karnak, a palaeoenvironmental study was conducted. We studied several stratigraphic profiles, manual boreholes (maximum depth of 5.50 m) and percussion drillings (maximum depth of 25 m). Sedimentological and magnetic susceptibility analyses helped to characterize Nile River deposits and to identify the presence of aeolian deposits (associated with wadi fan deposits) in the lower part of the drillings. Fluvial dynamics characterized by flood events, sandy accretions and thick Nile silts/clay deposits are presented and discussed here for later palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Accurate leveling of the different profiles and boreholes, together with a topographic survey, allow us to recover long sedimentological sequences and to correlate the different sedimentary units. Finally, in order to obtain a chronostratigraphic sequence, radiocarbon dates were obtained from wood, charcoal and ash samples (analyses undertaken at the laboratory of radiocarbon dating of Ifao, Cairo, Egypt). The presence of the Nile River in front of the first pylon in Karnak is attested from the end of the Second Intermediate Period (SIP, ca 1600 BC) until the end of Roman Times (ca. 350 AD), which both correspond to two main phases of Nile River floods.     

Design and self-assembly of information systems

ABSTRACT

The existence of biological information systems is generally taken as given in discussions of their function. However, any theory of such systems must be considered incomplete unless it can also explain how the system comes to exist. This article describes the ways in which complex functional systems in general can be created through design, self-assembly and evolution. The differences and relationship between physical and informational entities, organization, processes and dimensionality are also discussed. Through comparison with information technologies, whose origins we understand, conclusions are drawn concerning the creation of functional biological neural networks: specifically, that this involves the self-assembly of information entities into a number of strongly emergent levels of organization. Finally, potential approaches are considered to overcome the hurdles to scientific investigation of emergent information-based systems and the processes by which they are created.     

Camelid Gastrointestinal Parasites from the Archaeological Site of Huanchaquito (Peru): First Results

ABSTRACT

Palaeoparasitological investigation was conducted on a first set of samples from 13 sacrificed domestic camelids recovered from the pre-Hispanic Chimú culture site of Huanchaquito-Las Llamas, Peru. The aim was to establish the animals’ gastrointestinal parasite diversity and enlighten on their health status at the time of their death. To this end, 20 samples of coprolites and intestinal contents were analysed to check for the presence of parasite markers, i.e. preserved eggs and oocysts. Microscopic examinations revealed the presence of five taxa of helminths and protozoans in a majority of the tested animals (61%). Our analysis revealed the presence in some animals of protozoan oocysts belonging to the species Eimeria macusaniensis (phylum Apicomplexa). Our study is the first report of the possible presence of a parasite egg attributed to the order Plagiorchiida (family Fasciolidae) in ancient camelids. This preliminary study shows that there is interesting potential for conducting palaeoparasitological analysis at the site and that such analysis is promising for answering questions about the health status of the Huanchaquito-Las Llamas camelids.