Insect and clitellate annelid traces in mesofossil assemblages from the Cretaceous of Australasia

Mesofossil assemblages from several Cretaceous and Cenozoic units across Australia and New Zealand provide new evidence of insect and annelid behaviour. The earliest scale insects (Diaspididae, Coccoidea) from Australasia are described and represented by three scale morphotypes. The mesofossil assemblages also reveal clitellate annelid cocoon morphotypes, three morphotypes of arthropod coprolites and several insect piercement structures on gymnosperm leaf or stem fragments, possibly related to feeding or more likely oviposition. This research offers a new avenue for detecting cryptic terrestrial invertebrate groups and their interactions, particularly with plants, in the fossil record. The fossils demonstrate that insect/invertebrate activity can be preserved and identified in mesofossil suites, that such traces and exoskeleton fragments are relatively common in acid-extracted mesofossil suites, and that recognizable categories occur on multiple landmasses and at various ages.     

Next generation sequencing of DNA in 3300-year-old charred cereal grains

We investigated whether ‘next generation’ methods can be used to sequence ancient DNA molecules in charred cereal grains. We prepared a DNA extract from a mixed sample of barley, einkorn, emmer and broomcorn millet, taken from a 3300-year-old assemblage of charred cereal grains from Assiros Toumba, Greece. Using the SOLiD 5500 system, we obtained 21,112,844 unique sequence reads. Of these, 178,779 had a 75% or greater nucleotide sequence similarity with one or more entries in the full nucleotide sequence database; 496 of these matches were to previously reported sequences from barley, einkorn, emmer, broomcorn millet or related species such as hexaploid wheat. The unique reads were also compared with a database comprising only wheat sequences. This analysis identified 1658 charred grain sequences that had 90% or greater similarity with segments of the wheat genome. The presence of barley, wheat and millet sequences in the next generation dataset confirms the presence of ancient DNA in this charred grain assemblage. Enrichment of extracts by hybridization capture or equivalent methods is likely to enable sequences to be obtained for entire genes and other genomic regions of interest.     

Mesolithic plant exploitation at the Roc del Migdia, Catalonia

Charred plant remains from the mesolithic site of Roc del Migdia have been analysed in detail. Hazel shell and endocarp fragments of sloe (Prunus spinosa L.) have been identified by incident light microscopy and an attempt has been made at the identification of quantities of parenchymatous plant remains through the use of the scanning electron microscope. A number of different classes of tissue are described and the implications of the results discussed.     

Following America into the second industrial revolution: new rules of competition and Ontario's farm machinery industry, 1850–1930

Despite the hiatus in farm expansion from 1880 to 1900, Canadian‐owned Massey‐Harris became a competitive multinational corporation as American branch plants arrived in Ontario. This equivocal performance in Canada's agricultural implements industry poses problems for explanations of Canada's branch plant economy. Most commentators blame an ill‐conceived National Policy for promoting and protecting inefficient industry and frustrating industrial development. In reviewing their explanations, I use systematic comparisons among plants as well as between the Ontario, New York, Ohio, and Illinois industries. I argue that Canada's National Policy was an effective industrial policy that promoted competitive implement manufacture under the constraints of Victorian era technology. Problems emerged in the 1880s, however, as Chicago firms developed mass production in harvesting machinery, and these became entrenched as gasoline tractor development swept the industry after 1900. Ontario firms struggled, but they outperformed competitors in New York and Ohio, who had been industry leaders in] 880. Canada's branch plant economy in the farm machinery industry was made in Chicago and by mechanical engineers, not in Ottawa and by politicians. En dépit de l'hiatus dans l'expansion du pare agricole entre 1880 et 1900, la société canadienne Massey‐Harris est devenue une grande société multinational compétitive lorsque des usines‐succursales américaines ont fait leur arrivée en l'Ontario. Cette baisse de performance de I'Industrie canadienne de fabrication d'outils et d'engins agricoles pose des problèmes sur le plan de l'explication de l'économie des usines‐succursales canadiennes. Pour la plupart des analystes, cette situation serait due à une politique nationals mal‐conçue. Celle‐ci aurait favorisé et protégé une Industrie inefficace, et ainsi frustré le développement industriel. En passant en revue ces analyses, je procède à une série de comparisons systématiques, d'une part des usines entre elles et, d'autre part, entre les industries de New York, de l'Ohio et de l'lllinois. J'avance que la Politique nationale canadienne etait une politique industrielle efficace qui a su promouvoir une Industrie de fabrication d'outils et d'engins agricoles compétitive dans le cadre de la technologie de l'époque victorienne et de ses contraintes. Des problèmes, qui ont fait leur apparition au cours des années 1880, suite à l'adoption par les sociétés de Chicago de la production de masse des moissonneuses, ont perduré suite à l'arrivée en masse des tracteurs à essence après 1900. Ce fut un moment très difficile pour les sociétés de l'Ontario mais elles réussirent à battre leurs concurrents de New York et de l'Ohio qui étaient leaders de l'industrie en 1880. Dans l'industrie des engins agricoles, le sort de l'économie des usines‐succursales était décidéà Chicago, par des ingénieurs en mécanique agricole, non à Ottawa, par des hommes politiques.     

明清时期河南省部分经济作物的种植与分布

明清时期河南省油料作物主要有花生和芝麻两种,花生明中期传入中国,清代在河南广泛种植。芝麻汉代从西域传入,明清时期在河南广为分布。这两者今日在河南省的经济作物种植中仍占重要地位。染料作物中蓝草和红花均为传统作物,种植历史悠久,分布广泛。从明至清,种植之风方兴未艾。两者在清末均由于受到外来染料的冲击而中落,此后再也未能恢复到原来的水平。嗜食作物中的罂粟,清咸丰年间开始在河南省广泛栽种,后因国人的抗议,在民国年间禁种。烟草和茶叶的种植不惟明清时期就有一定的规模,且一直持续发展,为今日河南省以许昌为中心的烤烟基地和以信阳为中心的茶叶基地的建设和发展创造了条件、奠定了基础。     

The identification of charred archaeological remains of vegetative parenchymous tissue

The biased way in which some inferences may be drawn from archaeobotanical assemblages, due to problems in identification, is briefly discussed. A potentially important class of plant remains, vegetative parenchymous organs, commonly sources of food, are indicated as being such a class rarely identified from archaeological contexts. Their identification based on characters of the plants' anatomy and morphology together with an understanding of the way in which tissues degrade on preservation by charring is suggested. Characters of the charred tissues that make up vegetative parenchymous organs are described in detail. The processes of sorting and identification are then briefly discussed.     

Advancing the Analysis of Past Human/Plant Relationships: Methodological Improvements of Artefact Pollen Washes

The ‘pollen washes’ technique, based on the analysis of the pollen embedded in the porous surface of archaeological artefacts, is developed for investigating past plant usage and consumption and to characterize the functionality of artefacts related to plant processing, gathering and storage. The research presented results in relevant methodological improvements of this technique, which has never previously been applied on materials from European contexts. The improvements allow: (1) faster analysis of a broad series of artefacts or those with large use‐surface areas likely to retain more pollen; and (2) a more thorough, deeper and precise cleaning method, allowing the study of smoother artefacts. Finally, the recovery of Trifolium‐group pollen from a macro‐lithic tool from Xicotó rock shelter (Montsec ranges, Spain) demonstrates that the pollen washes technique can reveal new insights into both the use and consumption of wild and domestic plants by prehistoric societies, and the functionality of archaeological objects whose interpretation is still problematic.     

Use of vegetative remains in the identification of dyeplants from waterlogged 9th–10th century AD deposits at York

Vegetative remains of four dyeplants (Rubia tinctorum L., Genista tinctoria L., Diphasium complanatum (L.) Rothm. and Isatis tinctoria L.) found in 9th–10th century deposits at York, are described in detail. A fifth species (Reseda luteola L.), so far only found as seeds, is also described.     

Tree Totems and the Tamarind People: Implications of Clan Plant Taboos in Central Flores

ABSTRACT Among the Nage of eastern Indonesia, a sizeable minority of clans maintain totemic attitudes towards trees and other plants whose names they share. Tree totemism is mostly expressed in taboos on burning the wood and using the timber in construction. In addition, there is the idea that all Nage people should not burn wood of the Tamarind (Nage) tree. Comparative evidence and local historical narrative locate the source of phytonymic clan names in an earlier use of such names as toponyms and settlement names. Insofar as this is their origin, Nage plant totemism can thus be understood as a residue of a naming practice relating to places rather than to people, either human ancestors or groups. As the use of ‘Nage’ as the formal name of an inclusive ethnic, socio‐political, and territorial entity is relatively recent, and indeed largely a function of a colonial administration introduced barely a century ago, this case further demonstrates how taboos and totemic relations can develop rapidly in contexts of major social change.     

Plant microfossils in prehistoric archaeological deposits from Yuku rock shelter,Western Highlands,Papua New Guinea

Plant microfossil analysis was carried out on anthropogenic deposits from Yuku rock shelter, possibly occupied from before 14,200 cal. BP to recent times, in the Papua New Guinea Highlands. Elaeocarpus pollen has extremely high percentages throughout. Starch residues of lesser yam (Dioscorea esculenta) and one or more, undifferentiated Dioscorea species were identified, suggesting processing of these taxa since first use of the site. The latter include Dioscorea alata, Dioscorea bulbifera, Dioscorea nummularia and Dioscorea pentaphylla. Pollen and phytoliths of banana (Musa) appear 5200 cal. BP. We cannot differentiate between naturally growing and cultivated yams and bananas. Putative truffle (hypogeous Ascomycotina) spores in the deposits suggest foraging of truffles.