Doctoral Dissertation Research: Testing the Neanderthal Replacement Model from an Ecological Perspective

博士论文研究：从生态学角度检验尼安德特人替代模型

• 批准号: 0242211
• 负责人: Robert Whallon
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-01-15 至 2003-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0242211&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Testing; Neanderthal

Under the direction of Robert Whallon, Eugene Morin will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will continue to analyze faunal material from Saint-Cesaire and Quincay, two sites located in southwestern France documenting the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition (roughly between 40,000 and 32,000 BP), an episode corresponding, according to many, to the replacement of Neanderthals by modern humans. Numerous changes, biological as well as cultural, occurred during this short time period. In its cultural dimension, most notable are the emergence of art and bone technology, an increase of stylistic patterning, and the diversification and standardization of stone tools. Using a set of material predictions based largely on fauna, the research examines and tests the presumed replacement of Neanderthals in Western Europe. Given the low productivity of the environment in southwestern France during this time period, the incursion of early modern humans into an area already occupied by Neanderthals would have increased the local population far beyond the carrying capacity of the environment and led to overpopulation. Based on this argument, it is suggested that the Neanderthals redefined their ecological niche in order to avoid direct competition with modern humans. This would be reflected, in a predictable manner, in archaeological faunal assemblages. Two types of comparisons are carried out to test this hypothesis. First, we should observe a decline, as a result of the modern human incursion, of high caloric return species (e.g. large herbivores) in late Neanderthal assemblages as well as more efficient utilization of carcasses and, possibly an increase in scavenging. In sum, compared to early modern human faunal assemblages, late Neanderthal assemblages should be characterized by significant subsistence stress. Saint-Cesaire and Quincay are ideal sites to conduct a detailed study of Neanderthal and modern human adaptation since the latter have been carefully excavated and because animal bone is well preserved.This research will contribute to a better understanding of human origins, especially in regard of the interaction between the social, demographic, and economic aspects involved in the migration of a population. At the general level, this project will deepen the anthropological study of hunter-gatherers and add to our body of knowledge on speciation processes in human evolution. In trying to strictly test a hypothesis derived from the replacement model, this kind of study has great potential to contribute in resolving the debates on the nature of the Middle/Upper Paleolithic transition since its assumptions and bridging arguments are clearly exposed and tested.The grant will also contribute significantly to training a very promising young scientist.

在罗伯特·沃伦 (Robert Whallon) 的指导下，尤金·莫林 (Eugene Morin) 将为他的博士论文收集数据。他将继续分析来自圣塞泽尔和昆凯的动物材料，这两个地点位于法国西南部，记录了旧石器时代中期到晚期的过渡（大约距今 40,000 到 32,000 年），根据许多人的说法，这一时期对应于现代人类取代尼安德特人的时期。在这短短的时间内发生了许多生物和文化的变化。在文化层面，最引人注目的是艺术和骨技术的出现、风格图案的增加以及石器的多样化和标准化。该研究利用一系列主要基于动物群的材料预测，检验并测试了西欧尼安德特人的假定替代者。鉴于这一时期法国西南部的环境生产力较低，早期现代人类入侵已经被尼安德特人占据的地区，将使当地人口数量远远超出环境的承载能力，从而导致人口过剩。基于这一论点，有人认为尼安德特人重新定义了他们的生态位，以避免与现代人类的直接竞争。这将以可预测的方式反映在考古动物群中。进行两种类型的比较来检验这一假设。首先，我们应该观察到，由于现代人类的入侵，尼安德特人晚期群体中高热量返回物种（例如大型食草动物）的减少，以及对尸体的更有效利用，以及食腐行为可能增加。总之，与早期​​现代人类动物群落相比，晚期尼安德特人动物群落应该以显着的生存压力为特征。圣塞泽尔和昆凯是对尼安德特人和现代人类的适应进行详细研究的理想地点，因为后者已被仔细挖掘，并且动物骨骼保存完好。这项研究将有助于更好地了解人类起源，特别是在人口迁徙中涉及的社会、人口和经济方面之间的相互作用方面。在一般层面上，该项目将深化对狩猎采集者的人类学研究，并丰富我们对人类进化中物种形成过程的知识体系。在试图严格检验由替代模型得出的假设时，此类研究具有巨大的潜力，有助于解决有关旧石器时代中上层过渡性质的争论，因为它的假设和桥接论点已得到明确暴露和检验。这笔资助还将为培养一位非常有前途的年轻科学家做出重大贡献。