澳大利亚白动物牙的基本特征揭示了季节性饮食压力
Renaud Joannes-Boyau1, Justin W Adams2,3, Christine Austin4
1Geoarchaeology and Archaeometry Research Group, Southern Cross GeoScience, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. renaud.joannes-boyau@scu.edu.au.
Nature
|July 17, 2019
概括
澳大利亚白动物 (Australopithecus africanus) 的婴儿在第一年依赖母乳. 牙的微量元素分析揭示了早期人类的食物供应和生理适应.
科学领域:
- 古人类学
- 古生态学
- 地质化学
背景情况:
- 重建已灭绝的原始人饮食是一项挑战, 特别是对于具有可变形态的非洲原始人.
- 了解灭绝的原始人对季节性食物短缺和哺乳行为的饮食反应是有限的.
- 之前的微量元素分析主要集中在智人,尼安德特人和活着的猿类.
研究的目的:
- 调查澳大利亚白动物的饮食行为和生态适应性.
- 重建 A. africanus 婴儿所经历的哺乳模式和食物供应.
- 评估资源波动对A. africanus生存的影响.
主要方法:
- 在Sterkfontein Member 4 (2.6-2.1百万年前) 的两个A. africanus牙的高分辨率微量元素地化学分析.
- 分析基本信号以确定哺乳时间和饮食模式.
- 同位素证据以推断地理范围和资源的可用性.
主要成果:
- 基本信号表明A. africanus在婴儿期的第一年长期使用母乳.
- 循环元素模式表明食物供应不稳定和季节性饮食压力.
- 在牙中的积累证实了流动的资源和生理适应.
结论:
- A. africanus的婴儿具有特定的哺乳行为,并经历了显著的季节性食物短缺.
- 这种物种表现出对不稳定的环境条件的生理适应.
- 在此期间后不久,A. africanus的饮食压力可能导致它们的灭绝.
相关概念视频
Teeth
1.7K
The formation of teeth, also known as odontogenesis, is a complex process that begins in utero, around the sixth week of embryonic development. There are three stages to this process: the bud stage, the cap stage, and the bell stage.
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin...
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin...
1.7K
Seasoning of Wood
475
Seasoning of wood is a crucial process aimed at reducing and stabilizing the moisture content within the wood to prevent future shrinkage, structural damage, or aesthetic issues once the wood is used in construction. Wood naturally swells when it absorbs moisture and contracts as it dries.
Achieving equilibrium moisture content is the goal of seasoning; this is the point where the wood's moisture content stabilizes to align with the moisture levels of the surrounding environment. Proper...
Achieving equilibrium moisture content is the goal of seasoning; this is the point where the wood's moisture content stabilizes to align with the moisture levels of the surrounding environment. Proper...
475
Elements and Compounds
103.3K
Pure substances consist of only one type of matter. A pure substance can be an element or a compound. An element consists of only one type of atom, while a compound consists of two or more types of atoms held together by a chemical bond.
Elements
Elements are classified as atomic or molecular based on the nature of their basic units. They are unique forms of matter with specific chemical and physical properties that cannot break down into smaller substances by ordinary chemical reactions. There...
Elements
Elements are classified as atomic or molecular based on the nature of their basic units. They are unique forms of matter with specific chemical and physical properties that cannot break down into smaller substances by ordinary chemical reactions. There...
103.3K
Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses
41.6K
The circadian—or biological—clock is an intrinsic, timekeeping, molecular mechanism that allows plants to coordinate physiological activities over 24-hour cycles called circadian rhythms. Photoperiodism is a collective term for the biological responses of plants to variations in the relative lengths of dark and light periods. The period of light-exposure is called the photoperiod.
41.6K
Periodic Classification of the Elements
58.8K
The periodic table arranges atoms based on increasing atomic number so that elements with the same chemical properties recur periodically. When their electron configurations are added to the table, a periodic recurrence of similar electron configurations in the outer shells of these elements is observed. Because they are in the outer shells of an atom, valence electrons play the most important role in chemical reactions. The outer electrons have the highest energy of the electrons in an atom...
58.8K
Dietary Connections
61.5K
In biological systems, most metabolic pathways are interconnected. The cellular respiration processes that convert glucose to ATP—such as glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, and the citric acid cycle—tie into those that break down other organic compounds. As a result, various foods—from apples to cheese to guacamole—end up as ATP. In addition to carbohydrates, food also contains proteins and lipids—such as cholesterol and fats. All of these organic compounds are used...
61.5K


