Among domestic species, pigs experienced the greatest brain size reduction, but the extent and fa... more Among domestic species, pigs experienced the greatest brain size reduction, but the extent and factors of this reduction remain unclear. Here, we used the brain endocast volume collected from 92 adult skulls of wild, captive, feral and domestic Sus scrofa to explore the effects of domestication, feralization and captivity over the brain size variation of this species. We found a constant brain volume increase over 24 months, while body growth slowed down from month 20. We observed an 18% brain size reduction between wild boars and pigs, disagreeing with the 30%–40% reduction previously mentioned. We did not find significant sexual differences in brain volume, refuting the theory of the attenuation of male secondary sexual characteristics through the selection for reduced male aggression. Feralization in Australia led to brain size reduction—probably as an adaptation to food scarcity and drought, refuting the reversal to wild ancestral brain size. Finally, free-born wild boars raised in captivity showeda slight increase in brain size, potentially due to a constant and high-quality food supply as well as new allospecific interactions. These results support the need to further explore the influence of diet, environment and experience on brain size evolution during animal domestication.
Epipaleolithic hunter-gatherers from the Near East introduced wild boars (Sus scrofa) to Cyprus, ... more Epipaleolithic hunter-gatherers from the Near East introduced wild boars (Sus scrofa) to Cyprus, with the Early Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) settlers hunting the wild descendants of these boars. However, the geographic origin of the Cypriot boar and how they were integrated into the earliest forms of pig husbandry remain unsolved. Here, we present data on 11,000 to 9000 cal. BP Sus scrofa from the PPN sites of Klimonas and Shillourokambos. We compared them to contemporaneous populations from the Near East and to Neolithic and modern populations in Corsica, exploring their origin and evolution using biosystematic signals from molar teeth and heel bones (calcanei), using 2D and 3D geometric morphometrics. We found that the Cypriot PPN lineage of Sus scrofa originates from the Northern Levant. Yet, their phenotypic idiosyncrasy suggest that they evolved into an insular sub-species that we named Sus scrofa circeus, referring to Circe, the metamorphosis goddess that changed Ulysses companions into pigs. The phenotypic homogeneity among PPNA Klimonas wild boars and managed populations of PPNB Shillourokambos suggests that local domestication has been undertaken on the endemic S. s. circeus, strengthening the idea that Cyprus was integrated into the core region of animal domestication.
Deciphering the plastic (i.e., nonheritable) changes induced by human control over wild animals i... more Deciphering the plastic (i.e., nonheritable) changes induced by human control over wild animals in the archeological record is challenging. Previous studies detected morphological markers associated with captivity in the cranium, mandible, and calcaneus of adult wild boar (Sus scrofa) but the developmental trajectories leading up to these changes during ontogeny remain unknown. To assess the impact of growth in a captive environment on morphological structures during postnatal ontogeny, we used an experimental approach focusing on the same three structures and taxon. We investigated the form and size differences of captive‐reared and wildcaught wild boar during growth using three‐dimensional landmark‐based geometric morphometrics. Our results provide evidence of an influence of captivity on the morphology of craniomandibular structures, as wild specimens are smaller than captive individuals at similar ages. The food resources inherent to anthropogenic environments may explain some of the observed differences between captivereared and wild specimens. The calcaneus presents a different contrasted pattern of plasticity as captive and wild individuals differ in terms of form but not in terms of size. The physically more constrained nature of the calcaneus and the direct influence of mobility reduction on this bone may explain these discrepancies. These results provide new methodological perspectives for bioarchaeological approaches as they imply that the plastic mark of captivity can be observed in juvenile specimens in the same way it has been previously described in adults.
Over the last decade, the petrous bone (petrosum) has become the ultimate repository of ancient b... more Over the last decade, the petrous bone (petrosum) has become the ultimate repository of ancient biomolecules, leading to a plea for a more ethical curation preventing the systematic destruction of this bioarchaeological archive. Here, we propose to explore the biosystematic signal encompassed in the biological form of 152 petrosa from modern populations of wild and domestic sheep landraces/breeds across Western Europe, South-Western Asia and Africa, using high resolution geometric morphometrics (GMM) and the latest development in 3D virtual morphology. We assessed the taxonomic signals among wild and domestic caprine species and sheep landraces. We also explored the effect of sexual dimorphism and ageing at the population scale. Finally, we assessed the influence of climatic factors across the geographic distribution of our dataset using Koppen-Geiger climate categories. We found that the 3D form of petrous bones can accurately separate wild and domestic caprine taxa and that it is not influenced by sexual dimorphism, post-natal ageing or horn bearing. Recent selective breeding has not induced sufficient diversification to allow accurate identification of the different landraces/breeds in sheep; however, both genetic distance and climatic differences across the current distribution in sheep landraces/breeds strongly contribute to petrosum intraspecific variation. Finally, human mediated dispersal of domestic sheep outside their Near Eastern cradle, especially towards Africa, have greatly contributed to the diversification of sheep petrous bone form and shape. We therefore highly recommend systematic 3D surface modelling of archaeological petrosa with preliminary GMM studies to help target and reduce destructive biomolecular studies.
The interdisciplinary approach and analytical tools applied in the last 30 years in the Amathous ... more The interdisciplinary approach and analytical tools applied in the last 30 years in the Amathous region (Cyprus), especially at the sites of Shillourokambos and Klimonas, generated a huge quantity of archaeological, geoarchaeological and bioarchaeological data. They significantly contributed to document the interactions between the early Neolithic human societies and the environment and natural resources of an isolated island, during this pivotal period when both the climate and the human subsistence strategies went through radical changes. This paper briefly reviews these changes through several insights: hydrological changes and their impact on the establishment and preservation of Neolithic sites; plant and vertebrate faunal evolution, especially as a consequence of the introduction of new wild and domestic species in the island; birth and evolution of the commensal fauna (e.g. mice, cats); local domestication of wild boar and goats; adaptation and intensification of cultivation and breeding to the local environments. Altogether, these insights can provide a heuristic model at a regional scale to further understand the incipient human niche construction of the Eastern Mediterranean area.
The jaw system in mammals is complex and different muscle morphotypes have been documented. Pigs ... more The jaw system in mammals is complex and different muscle morphotypes have been documented. Pigs are an interesting group of animals as they are omnivorous and have a bunodont crushing dentition. Moreover, they have interacted with humans for over 10,000 years and grow nearly two orders of magnitude in size. Despite being a model system for studies on cranial form and function, data on the growth of the jaw adductor muscles are scant. Moreover, whether captivity impacts the growth and architecture of the jaw adductors remains unknown. Based on dissection data of the jaw adductors of 45 animals ranging from less than 1 kg to almost 100 kg, we show that muscle masses, muscle fiber lengths, and cross-sectional areas scale as predicted for geometrically similar systems or with slight negative allometry. Only the fiber length of the lateral pterygoid muscle grew with slight positive allometry. Animals raised in captivity in stalls or in an enclosure were overall very similar to wild animals. However, some muscles were larger in captive animals. Interestingly, variation in bite force in captive animals was well predicted by the variation in the size of the superficial masseter muscle relative to the overall jaw adductor mass.
Biological Journal of The Linnean Society, Mar 9, 2005
This paper provides a critical analysis of archaeological small mammal collections in the Mediter... more This paper provides a critical analysis of archaeological small mammal collections in the Mediterranean area, from the Late Glacial to the first centuries AD, to validate the presence/absence of the house mouse through zooarchaeological criteria. The results have been synthesized through a diachronic map, whose chronological phases are related to socioeconomic and cultural human evolution. The house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) progression in the Mediterranean begins with a quick but limited diffusion in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin achieved around the 8th millennium BC. Until the 1st millennium BC, the invasive process seems to have stopped or drastically slowed, despite the increasing opportunities of passive transport during the Bronze Age. During the 1st millennium BC, there was mass colonization by the house mouse of the entire Western Mediterranean Basin and Northern Europe. We propose to explain this chronological gap in the colonization of the Eastern and Western Mediterranean using source-sink theory considering that the western environments acted like sinks until the first millennium BC. At that time the Western Mediterranean was fully opened to Eastern influences and migrations, and the human pressures on the environment drastically increased. This may have favoured definitively the adaptation of the house mouse to the Western commensal niches.
The interdisciplinary approach and analytical tools applied in the last 30 years in the Amathous ... more The interdisciplinary approach and analytical tools applied in the last 30 years in the Amathous region (Cyprus), especially at the sites of Shillourokambos and Klimonas, generated a huge quantity of Archaeological, geoarchaeological and bioarchaeological data. They significantly contributed to document the interactions between the early Neolithic human societies and the environment and natural resources of an isolated island, during this pivotal period when both the climate and the human subsistence strategies went through radical changes. This paper briefly reviews these changes through several insights: hydrological changes and their impact on the establishment and preservation of Neolithic sites; plant and vertebrate faunal evolution, especially as a consequence of the introduction of new wild and domestic species in the island; birth and evolution of the commensal fauna (e.g. mice, cats); local domestication of wild boar and goats; adaptation and intensification of cultivation and breeding to the local environments. Altogether, these insights can provide a heuristic model at a regional scale to further understand the incipient human niche construction of the Eastern Mediterranean area
Among domestic species, pigs experienced the greatest brain size reduction, but the extent and fa... more Among domestic species, pigs experienced the greatest brain size reduction, but the extent and factors of this reduction remain unclear. Here, we used the brain endocast volume collected from 92 adult skulls of wild, captive, feral and domestic Sus scrofa to explore the effects of domestication, feralization and captivity over the brain size variation of this species. We found a constant brain volume increase over 24 months, while body growth slowed down from month 20. We observed an 18% brain size reduction between wild boars and pigs, disagreeing with the 30%–40% reduction previously mentioned. We did not find significant sexual differences in brain volume, refuting the theory of the attenuation of male secondary sexual characteristics through the selection for reduced male aggression. Feralization in Australia led to brain size reduction—probably as an adaptation to food scarcity and drought, refuting the reversal to wild ancestral brain size. Finally, free-born wild boars raised in captivity showeda slight increase in brain size, potentially due to a constant and high-quality food supply as well as new allospecific interactions. These results support the need to further explore the influence of diet, environment and experience on brain size evolution during animal domestication.
Epipaleolithic hunter-gatherers from the Near East introduced wild boars (Sus scrofa) to Cyprus, ... more Epipaleolithic hunter-gatherers from the Near East introduced wild boars (Sus scrofa) to Cyprus, with the Early Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) settlers hunting the wild descendants of these boars. However, the geographic origin of the Cypriot boar and how they were integrated into the earliest forms of pig husbandry remain unsolved. Here, we present data on 11,000 to 9000 cal. BP Sus scrofa from the PPN sites of Klimonas and Shillourokambos. We compared them to contemporaneous populations from the Near East and to Neolithic and modern populations in Corsica, exploring their origin and evolution using biosystematic signals from molar teeth and heel bones (calcanei), using 2D and 3D geometric morphometrics. We found that the Cypriot PPN lineage of Sus scrofa originates from the Northern Levant. Yet, their phenotypic idiosyncrasy suggest that they evolved into an insular sub-species that we named Sus scrofa circeus, referring to Circe, the metamorphosis goddess that changed Ulysses companions into pigs. The phenotypic homogeneity among PPNA Klimonas wild boars and managed populations of PPNB Shillourokambos suggests that local domestication has been undertaken on the endemic S. s. circeus, strengthening the idea that Cyprus was integrated into the core region of animal domestication.
Deciphering the plastic (i.e., nonheritable) changes induced by human control over wild animals i... more Deciphering the plastic (i.e., nonheritable) changes induced by human control over wild animals in the archeological record is challenging. Previous studies detected morphological markers associated with captivity in the cranium, mandible, and calcaneus of adult wild boar (Sus scrofa) but the developmental trajectories leading up to these changes during ontogeny remain unknown. To assess the impact of growth in a captive environment on morphological structures during postnatal ontogeny, we used an experimental approach focusing on the same three structures and taxon. We investigated the form and size differences of captive‐reared and wildcaught wild boar during growth using three‐dimensional landmark‐based geometric morphometrics. Our results provide evidence of an influence of captivity on the morphology of craniomandibular structures, as wild specimens are smaller than captive individuals at similar ages. The food resources inherent to anthropogenic environments may explain some of the observed differences between captivereared and wild specimens. The calcaneus presents a different contrasted pattern of plasticity as captive and wild individuals differ in terms of form but not in terms of size. The physically more constrained nature of the calcaneus and the direct influence of mobility reduction on this bone may explain these discrepancies. These results provide new methodological perspectives for bioarchaeological approaches as they imply that the plastic mark of captivity can be observed in juvenile specimens in the same way it has been previously described in adults.
Over the last decade, the petrous bone (petrosum) has become the ultimate repository of ancient b... more Over the last decade, the petrous bone (petrosum) has become the ultimate repository of ancient biomolecules, leading to a plea for a more ethical curation preventing the systematic destruction of this bioarchaeological archive. Here, we propose to explore the biosystematic signal encompassed in the biological form of 152 petrosa from modern populations of wild and domestic sheep landraces/breeds across Western Europe, South-Western Asia and Africa, using high resolution geometric morphometrics (GMM) and the latest development in 3D virtual morphology. We assessed the taxonomic signals among wild and domestic caprine species and sheep landraces. We also explored the effect of sexual dimorphism and ageing at the population scale. Finally, we assessed the influence of climatic factors across the geographic distribution of our dataset using Koppen-Geiger climate categories. We found that the 3D form of petrous bones can accurately separate wild and domestic caprine taxa and that it is not influenced by sexual dimorphism, post-natal ageing or horn bearing. Recent selective breeding has not induced sufficient diversification to allow accurate identification of the different landraces/breeds in sheep; however, both genetic distance and climatic differences across the current distribution in sheep landraces/breeds strongly contribute to petrosum intraspecific variation. Finally, human mediated dispersal of domestic sheep outside their Near Eastern cradle, especially towards Africa, have greatly contributed to the diversification of sheep petrous bone form and shape. We therefore highly recommend systematic 3D surface modelling of archaeological petrosa with preliminary GMM studies to help target and reduce destructive biomolecular studies.
The interdisciplinary approach and analytical tools applied in the last 30 years in the Amathous ... more The interdisciplinary approach and analytical tools applied in the last 30 years in the Amathous region (Cyprus), especially at the sites of Shillourokambos and Klimonas, generated a huge quantity of archaeological, geoarchaeological and bioarchaeological data. They significantly contributed to document the interactions between the early Neolithic human societies and the environment and natural resources of an isolated island, during this pivotal period when both the climate and the human subsistence strategies went through radical changes. This paper briefly reviews these changes through several insights: hydrological changes and their impact on the establishment and preservation of Neolithic sites; plant and vertebrate faunal evolution, especially as a consequence of the introduction of new wild and domestic species in the island; birth and evolution of the commensal fauna (e.g. mice, cats); local domestication of wild boar and goats; adaptation and intensification of cultivation and breeding to the local environments. Altogether, these insights can provide a heuristic model at a regional scale to further understand the incipient human niche construction of the Eastern Mediterranean area.
The jaw system in mammals is complex and different muscle morphotypes have been documented. Pigs ... more The jaw system in mammals is complex and different muscle morphotypes have been documented. Pigs are an interesting group of animals as they are omnivorous and have a bunodont crushing dentition. Moreover, they have interacted with humans for over 10,000 years and grow nearly two orders of magnitude in size. Despite being a model system for studies on cranial form and function, data on the growth of the jaw adductor muscles are scant. Moreover, whether captivity impacts the growth and architecture of the jaw adductors remains unknown. Based on dissection data of the jaw adductors of 45 animals ranging from less than 1 kg to almost 100 kg, we show that muscle masses, muscle fiber lengths, and cross-sectional areas scale as predicted for geometrically similar systems or with slight negative allometry. Only the fiber length of the lateral pterygoid muscle grew with slight positive allometry. Animals raised in captivity in stalls or in an enclosure were overall very similar to wild animals. However, some muscles were larger in captive animals. Interestingly, variation in bite force in captive animals was well predicted by the variation in the size of the superficial masseter muscle relative to the overall jaw adductor mass.
Biological Journal of The Linnean Society, Mar 9, 2005
This paper provides a critical analysis of archaeological small mammal collections in the Mediter... more This paper provides a critical analysis of archaeological small mammal collections in the Mediterranean area, from the Late Glacial to the first centuries AD, to validate the presence/absence of the house mouse through zooarchaeological criteria. The results have been synthesized through a diachronic map, whose chronological phases are related to socioeconomic and cultural human evolution. The house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) progression in the Mediterranean begins with a quick but limited diffusion in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin achieved around the 8th millennium BC. Until the 1st millennium BC, the invasive process seems to have stopped or drastically slowed, despite the increasing opportunities of passive transport during the Bronze Age. During the 1st millennium BC, there was mass colonization by the house mouse of the entire Western Mediterranean Basin and Northern Europe. We propose to explain this chronological gap in the colonization of the Eastern and Western Mediterranean using source-sink theory considering that the western environments acted like sinks until the first millennium BC. At that time the Western Mediterranean was fully opened to Eastern influences and migrations, and the human pressures on the environment drastically increased. This may have favoured definitively the adaptation of the house mouse to the Western commensal niches.
The interdisciplinary approach and analytical tools applied in the last 30 years in the Amathous ... more The interdisciplinary approach and analytical tools applied in the last 30 years in the Amathous region (Cyprus), especially at the sites of Shillourokambos and Klimonas, generated a huge quantity of Archaeological, geoarchaeological and bioarchaeological data. They significantly contributed to document the interactions between the early Neolithic human societies and the environment and natural resources of an isolated island, during this pivotal period when both the climate and the human subsistence strategies went through radical changes. This paper briefly reviews these changes through several insights: hydrological changes and their impact on the establishment and preservation of Neolithic sites; plant and vertebrate faunal evolution, especially as a consequence of the introduction of new wild and domestic species in the island; birth and evolution of the commensal fauna (e.g. mice, cats); local domestication of wild boar and goats; adaptation and intensification of cultivation and breeding to the local environments. Altogether, these insights can provide a heuristic model at a regional scale to further understand the incipient human niche construction of the Eastern Mediterranean area
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Papers by Thomas Cucchi
ontogeny, we used an experimental approach focusing on the same three structures and taxon. We investigated the form and size differences of captive‐reared and wildcaught wild boar during growth using three‐dimensional landmark‐based geometric morphometrics. Our results provide evidence of an influence of captivity on the morphology of craniomandibular structures, as wild specimens are smaller than
captive individuals at similar ages. The food resources inherent to anthropogenic environments may explain some of the observed differences between captivereared and wild specimens. The calcaneus presents a different contrasted pattern of plasticity as captive and wild individuals differ in terms of form but not in terms of size. The physically more constrained nature of the calcaneus and the direct influence of mobility reduction on this bone may explain these discrepancies. These
results provide new methodological perspectives for bioarchaeological approaches as they imply that the plastic mark of captivity can be observed in juvenile specimens in the same way it has been previously described in adults.
assessed the influence of climatic factors across the geographic distribution of our dataset using Koppen-Geiger
climate categories. We found that the 3D form of petrous bones can accurately separate wild and domestic caprine taxa and that it is not influenced by sexual dimorphism, post-natal ageing or horn bearing. Recent selective breeding has not induced sufficient diversification to allow accurate identification of the different landraces/breeds in sheep;
however, both genetic distance and climatic differences across the current distribution in sheep landraces/breeds strongly contribute to petrosum intraspecific variation. Finally, human mediated dispersal of domestic sheep outside their Near Eastern cradle, especially towards Africa, have greatly contributed to the diversification of sheep petrous bone form and shape. We therefore highly recommend systematic 3D surface modelling of archaeological petrosa with preliminary GMM studies to help target and reduce destructive biomolecular studies.
ontogeny, we used an experimental approach focusing on the same three structures and taxon. We investigated the form and size differences of captive‐reared and wildcaught wild boar during growth using three‐dimensional landmark‐based geometric morphometrics. Our results provide evidence of an influence of captivity on the morphology of craniomandibular structures, as wild specimens are smaller than
captive individuals at similar ages. The food resources inherent to anthropogenic environments may explain some of the observed differences between captivereared and wild specimens. The calcaneus presents a different contrasted pattern of plasticity as captive and wild individuals differ in terms of form but not in terms of size. The physically more constrained nature of the calcaneus and the direct influence of mobility reduction on this bone may explain these discrepancies. These
results provide new methodological perspectives for bioarchaeological approaches as they imply that the plastic mark of captivity can be observed in juvenile specimens in the same way it has been previously described in adults.
assessed the influence of climatic factors across the geographic distribution of our dataset using Koppen-Geiger
climate categories. We found that the 3D form of petrous bones can accurately separate wild and domestic caprine taxa and that it is not influenced by sexual dimorphism, post-natal ageing or horn bearing. Recent selective breeding has not induced sufficient diversification to allow accurate identification of the different landraces/breeds in sheep;
however, both genetic distance and climatic differences across the current distribution in sheep landraces/breeds strongly contribute to petrosum intraspecific variation. Finally, human mediated dispersal of domestic sheep outside their Near Eastern cradle, especially towards Africa, have greatly contributed to the diversification of sheep petrous bone form and shape. We therefore highly recommend systematic 3D surface modelling of archaeological petrosa with preliminary GMM studies to help target and reduce destructive biomolecular studies.