Descripción del proyecto
Neandertales y carnívoros en ecosistemas antiguos
A lo largo de la historia de la humanidad, los neandertales se erigen como una de las especies más enigmáticas. Sus interacciones con los carnívoros han fascinado durante mucho tiempo a los científicos, ya que permiten vislumbrar los ecosistemas antiguos. Con el apoyo de las Acciones Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA), el equipo del proyecto BITES pretende desvelar este misterio, empleando metodologías innovadoras para reconstruir la dinámica neandertal-carnívoro. Aprovechando la estadística multivariante y el aprendizaje automático, los investigadores cuantificarán las actividades en unos yacimientos del Paleolítico Medio en Iberia, discerniendo patrones de búsqueda de comida, evasión y competición. Estos conocimientos pueden desvelar cómo influyeron estas interacciones en la explotación de los nichos y las pautas de asentamiento de los neandertales, lo que podría aclarar su desaparición. Mediante esta fusión de técnicas de vanguardia y datos antiguos, en BITES se mejorará nuestra comprensión de la ecología neandertal.
Objetivo
The relationship between humans and their natural environment has significantly shaped our evolutionary history. Carnivores in particular, our main competitors in many past ecosystems, likely had a profound impact on hominin behaviours. Neanderthals, potentially more carnivorous than other hominin species, present an intriguing focus. Were the relationships between Neanderthals and carnivores primarily rooted in rivalry, mutual avoidance, or subtle survival adaptations? How did they impact Neanderthal niche exploitation? Can changes in these interactions shed light on Neanderthal disappearance? Archaeological sites yield thousands of animal bone fragments with traces of Neanderthal and carnivore consumption that offer valuable insights into this coexistence. Yet, these data remain underexploited, due to the challenges derived from interpreting complex mixed taphonomic processes. The BITES project aims to reconstruct Neanderthal-carnivore interactions using targeted quantitative methodologies, which are tailored to detect patterns previously unattainable with traditional approaches. Employing both multivariate statistics and machine learning, I will initially accurately quantify hominin and carnivore relative activities across four Middle Paleolithic sites in Iberia set in different environments. Subsequently, reusing literature data, the project will build statistical and machine learning models to identify the main interaction type in previously studied sites, including scavenging, avoidance, and competition for prey. Lastly, the project will explore any environmental, spatial, or temporal shifts in these interactions and their potential correlation with settlement patterns and the eventual disappearance of Neanderthals. The findings derived from bridging cutting-edge methods with ancient data promise to reshape our perspective of Neanderthal ecological behaviour and adaptive strategies, introducing fresh, integrative approaches in Paleolithic research.
Ámbito científico
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Régimen de financiación
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinador
8005 139 Faro
Portugal