Collaborative Research: Hominid Response To Environmental Change

研究人员希望了解什么是基本的认知和社会适应，这些适应定义了“人性”，并对我们物种的成功负责。解决这个问题的一种方法是通过与我们最接近的同行进行比较，这些人是“尼安德特人”。大约45000年前，现代人和尼安德特人在欧洲相遇，结果是尼安德特人文化和他们独特的身体形态消失了。尼安德特人在伊比利亚存活的时间最长，这项研究的目的是检查这两个群体之间可能存在的互动。如果成功，这项研究将揭示那些赋予现代人竞争优势的生物和文化因素。在国家科学基金会的支持下，路易斯维尔大学的乔纳森·豪斯博士和北卡罗来纳大学的迈克尔·贝内代蒂博士将领导一项为期三年的研究，研究葡萄牙中部尼安德特人的灭绝和被解剖学上的现代人取代。该项目汇集了一个国际团队，从葡萄牙中部的Lapa do Picareiro洞穴挖掘中恢复高分辨率的考古、地质和古生态记录。这项研究旨在测试三种可能的情况：1)伊比利亚南部被尼安德特人和现代人抛弃；2)尼安德特人存在于伊比利亚南部；3)现代人在到达伊比利亚北部后不久就扩散到了该地区。最终目标是测试基于人类对气候和环境变化的反应的替代模型。Lapa do Picareiro是一个独特的地点，拥有大约10M沉积物，跨度为5万年。该序列包括近200万年的沉积物，年代介于30-42ka之间，使其成为追踪旧石器时代中后期过渡时期古环境和人类生态动力学变化的理想地点。所提出的方法使用放射性碳测年来建立沉积序列和考古材料的年龄控制，使用石器分析进行相对测年，以及理解旧石器时代中晚期人类的决策手段，使用动物骨骼组合来重建古环境，并了解尼安德特人和现代人的饮食。沉积物分析是理解场地形成过程和人类占领的环境背景的关键。总而言之，这项工作将为Lapa do Picareiro的中上旧石器时代过渡建立一个完整的古环境和地质考古年代学，提供该地区许多其他遗址所缺乏的关键背景。该项目对人类进化中的一项重大发展做出了贡献。它提供了一个独特的机会来解决关于伊比利亚南部最后的尼安德特人和最早的现代人的长期争论。总的来说，这项工作将通过分析环境变化、技术和饮食选择在人类进化中所起的作用，有助于更好地理解过渡的时机和性质。拟议中的挖掘数据可能会发现新的考古证据，这些证据将改变人们对这一时期的理解。该项目还为将加入国际背景下跨学科研究团队的学生参与者提供了科学参与和文化丰富。在之前的NSF项目中，PI在指导学生研究方面取得了成功。在过去的5年里，参与这个项目的许多学生都是来自代表性不足的农村人口群体的第一代大学生。招收这些学生有两个好处，一是使现场工作人员多样化，二是丰富了学生的教育经验，否则他们可能没有机会进行国际旅行或学习。该项目将在美国、葡萄牙和捷克的大学之间建立伙伴关系，为学生和科学家创造新的合作学习和研究机会。

Researchers wish to understand what are the basic cognitive and social adaptations which define "humanness" and which have been responsible for the success of our species. One way to address this question is through comparison with our nearest counterparts and these are "Neanderthals." Modern humans and Neanderthals met in Europe about 45,000 years ago and the result was the disappearance of Neanderthal culture and their distinct physical form. Neanderthals survived longest in Iberia and the goal of this research is to examine possible interaction between these two groups. If successful the research will shed light on those biological and cultural factors which gave modern humans their competitive edge.With support from the National Science Foundation, Dr. Jonathan Haws (University of Louisville) and Dr. Michael Benedetti (University of North Carolina Wilmington) will lead a three-year study of Neanderthal extinction and replacement by anatomically modern humans in central Portugal. The project brings together an international team to recover high-resolution archaeological, geological and paleoecological records from the excavation of Lapa do Picareiro, a cave in central Portugal. The research is designed to test three possible scenarios: 1) southern Iberia was abandoned by both Neanderthals and modern humans; 2) Neanderthals existed in southern Iberia; and 3) modern humans were present, spreading into the region soon after they arrived in northern Iberia. The ultimate goal is to test replacement models based on human responses to climate and environmental change.Lapa do Picareiro is a unique site, with about 10m of sediments spanning 50,000 years. The sequence includes almost 2m of deposits dated between 30-42 ka cal BP, making it an ideal locale to track changes in paleoenvironments and human ecodynamics across the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition. The proposed methodology uses radiocarbon dating to establish age control for the sedimentary sequence and the archaeological materials, stone tool analyses for both relative dating and means for understanding the human decision-making of Middle and Upper Paleolithic humans, animal bone assemblages to reconstruct paleoenvironments and understand Neanderthal and modern human diets. Sediment analyses are key to understanding the site formation processes and environmental context of human occupation. Taken together, the work will establish a complete paleoenvironmental and geoarchaeological chronology for the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition at Lapa do Picareiro, providing critical context that is missing from many other sites in the region. The project contributes to theories about a major development in human evolution. It offers a unique opportunity to resolve long-standing debates about the last Neanderthals and earliest modern humans in Southern Iberia. Broadly, this work will contribute to a greater understanding of the timing and nature of the transition by analyzing the role that environmental change, technology and diet choice played in human evolution. Data from the proposed excavation could potentially uncover new archaeological evidence that would transform understanding of this period.The project also offers scientific engagement and cultural enrichment for student participants who will join an interdisciplinary research team in an international setting. The PIs have demonstrated success in mentoring student research during previous NSF projects. Many of the students involved in this project over the past 5 years have been first-generation college students from under-represented and rural demographic groups. Recruiting these students has the dual benefits of diversifying the field crew and enriching the educational experience for students who may not otherwise have opportunities for international travel or study. This project will generate partnerships among American, Portuguese and Czech universities, creating new collaborative learning and research opportunities for students and scientists alike.