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Hoffman DW, Rasmussen C. Position-specific carbon stable isotope analysis of glyphosate: isotope fingerprinting of molecules within a mixture. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024; 416:3847-3856. [PMID: 38740591 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-024-05326-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] is a widely used herbicide and a molecule of interest in the environmental sciences, due to its global use in agriculture and its potential impact on ecosystems. This study presents the first position-specific carbon isotope (13C/12C) analyses of glyphosates from multiple sources. In contrast to traditional isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), position-specific analysis provides 13C/12C ratios at individual carbon atom positions within a molecule, rather than an average carbon isotope ratio across a mixture or a specific compound. In this work, glyphosate in commercial herbicides was analyzed with only minimal purification, using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy method that detects 1H nuclei with bonds to either 13C or 12C, and isolates the signals of interest from other signals in the mixture. Results demonstrate that glyphosate from different sources can have significantly different intramolecular 13C/12C distributions, which were found to be spread over a wide range, with δ13C Vienna Peedee Belemnite (VPDB) values of -28.7 to -57.9‰. In each glyphosate, the carbon with a bond to the phosphorus atom was found to be depleted in 13C compared to the carbon at the C2 position, by 4 to 10‰. Aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) was analyzed for method validation; AMPA contains only a single carbon position, so the 13C/12C results provided by the NMR method could be directly compared with traditional isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The glyphosate mixtures were also analyzed by IRMS to obtain their average 13C/12C ratios, for comparison with our position-specific results. This comparison revealed that the IRMS results significantly disguise the intramolecular isotope distribution. Finally, we introduce a 31P NMR method that can provide a position-specific 13C/12C ratio for carbon positions with a C-P chemical bond, and the results obtained by 1H and 31P for C3 carbon agree with one another within their analytical uncertainty. These analytical tools for position-specific carbon isotope analysis permit the isotopic fingerprinting of target molecules within a mixture, with potential applications in a range of fields, including the environmental sciences and chemical forensics.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Hoffman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 East 24th St., Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Cornelia Rasmussen
- Institute for Geophysics, The University of Texas at Austin, J. J. Pickle Research Campus, 10601 Exploration Way, Austin, TX, 78758, USA
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2
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Zaborowska M, Wyszkowska J, Borowik A, Kucharski J. Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Innovative Sorbents in Restoring Enzymatic Activity of Soil Contaminated with Bisphenol A (BPA). Molecules 2024; 29:3113. [PMID: 38999063 PMCID: PMC11243326 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29133113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
As part of the multifaceted strategies developed to shape the common environmental policy, considerable attention is now being paid to assessing the degree of environmental degradation in soil under xenobiotic pressure. Bisphenol A (BPA) has only been marginally investigated in this ecosystem context. Therefore, research was carried out to determine the biochemical properties of soils contaminated with BPA at two levels of contamination: 500 mg and 1000 mg BPA kg-1 d.m. of soil. Reliable biochemical indicators of soil changes, whose activity was determined in the pot experiment conducted, were used: dehydrogenases, catalase, urease, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, arylsulfatase, and β-glucosidase. Using the definition of soil health as the ability to promote plant growth, the influence of BPA on the growth and development of Zea mays, a plant used for energy production, was also tested. As well as the biomass of aerial parts and roots, the leaf greenness index (SPAD) of Zea mays was also assessed. A key aspect of the research was to identify those of the six remediating substances-molecular sieve, zeolite, sepiolite, starch, grass compost, and fermented bark-whose use could become common practice in both environmental protection and agriculture. Exposure to BPA revealed the highest sensitivity of dehydrogenases, urease, and acid phosphatase and the lowest sensitivity of alkaline phosphatase and catalase to this phenolic compound. The enzyme response generated a reduction in the biochemical fertility index (BA21) of 64% (500 mg BPA) and 70% (1000 mg BPA kg-1 d.m. of soil). The toxicity of BPA led to a drastic reduction in root biomass and consequently in the aerial parts of Zea mays. Compost and molecular sieve proved to be the most effective in mitigating the negative effect of the xenobiotic on the parameters discussed. The results obtained are the first research step in the search for further substances with bioremediation potential against both soil and plants under BPA pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jadwiga Wyszkowska
- Department of Soil Science and Microbiology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland; (M.Z.); (A.B.)
| | | | - Jan Kucharski
- Department of Soil Science and Microbiology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland; (M.Z.); (A.B.)
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3
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Barquera R, Del Castillo-Chávez O, Nägele K, Pérez-Ramallo P, Hernández-Zaragoza DI, Szolek A, Rohrlach AB, Librado P, Childebayeva A, Bianco RA, Penman BS, Acuña-Alonzo V, Lucas M, Lara-Riegos JC, Moo-Mezeta ME, Torres-Romero JC, Roberts P, Kohlbacher O, Warinner C, Krause J. Ancient genomes reveal insights into ritual life at Chichén Itzá. Nature 2024; 630:912-919. [PMID: 38867041 PMCID: PMC11208145 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07509-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
The ancient city of Chichén Itzá in Yucatán, Mexico, was one of the largest and most influential Maya settlements during the Late and Terminal Classic periods (AD 600-1000) and it remains one of the most intensively studied archaeological sites in Mesoamerica1-4. However, many questions about the social and cultural use of its ceremonial spaces, as well as its population's genetic ties to other Mesoamerican groups, remain unanswered2. Here we present genome-wide data obtained from 64 subadult individuals dating to around AD 500-900 that were found in a subterranean mass burial near the Sacred Cenote (sinkhole) in the ceremonial centre of Chichén Itzá. Genetic analyses showed that all analysed individuals were male and several individuals were closely related, including two pairs of monozygotic twins. Twins feature prominently in Mayan and broader Mesoamerican mythology, where they embody qualities of duality among deities and heroes5, but until now they had not been identified in ancient Mayan mortuary contexts. Genetic comparison to present-day people in the region shows genetic continuity with the ancient inhabitants of Chichén Itzá, except at certain genetic loci related to human immunity, including the human leukocyte antigen complex, suggesting signals of adaptation due to infectious diseases introduced to the region during the colonial period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Barquera
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany.
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia (ENAH), Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Oana Del Castillo-Chávez
- Centro INAH Yucatán, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
| | - Kathrin Nägele
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Patxi Pérez-Ramallo
- isoTROPIC Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- University of the Basque Country (EHU), San Sebastián-Donostia, Spain
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Archaeology and Cultural History, University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Diana Iraíz Hernández-Zaragoza
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia (ENAH), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - András Szolek
- Applied Bioinformatics, Dept. for Computer Science, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Immunology, Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Adam Benjamin Rohrlach
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
- School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Pablo Librado
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ainash Childebayeva
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Raffaela Angelina Bianco
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bridget S Penman
- The Zeeman Institute and the School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Victor Acuña-Alonzo
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia (ENAH), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mary Lucas
- isoTROPIC Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Patrick Roberts
- isoTROPIC Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Oliver Kohlbacher
- Applied Bioinformatics, Dept. for Computer Science, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Quantitative Biology Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Translational Bioinformatics, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christina Warinner
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Johannes Krause
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany.
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Ebert CE, Hixon SW, Buckley GM, George RJ, Pacheco-Fores SI, Palomo JM, Sharpe AE, Solís-Torres ÓR, Davis JB, Fernandes R, Kennett DJ. The Caribbean and Mesoamerica Biogeochemical Isotope Overview (CAMBIO). Sci Data 2024; 11:349. [PMID: 38589396 PMCID: PMC11001905 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03167-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The Caribbean & Mesoamerica Biogeochemical Isotope Overview (CAMBIO) is an archaeological data community designed to integrate published biogeochemical data from the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, and southern Central America to address questions about dynamic interactions among humans, animals, and the environment in the region over the past 10,000 years. Here we present the CAMBIO human dataset, which consists of more than 16,000 isotopic measurements from human skeletal tissue samples (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S, δ18O, 87Sr/86Sr, 206/204Pb, 207/204Pb, 208/204Pb, 207/206Pb) from 290 archaeological sites dating between 7000 BC to modern times. The open-access dataset also includes detailed chronological, contextual, and laboratory/sample preparation information for each measurement. The collated data are deposited on the open-access CAMBIO data community via the Pandora Initiative data platform ( https://pandoradata.earth/organization/cambio ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Ebert
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, 3302 WWPH, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA.
| | - Sean W Hixon
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, 4575 SW Research Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
- Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Kahlaische Strasse 10, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Gina M Buckley
- Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Faculdade das Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal
| | - Richard J George
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Sofía I Pacheco-Fores
- Anthropology Department, Hamline University, 1536 Hewitt Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, 55104, USA
| | - Juan Manuel Palomo
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, 1009 E South Campus Dr, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Ashley E Sharpe
- Center for Tropical Paleoecology and Archaeology, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Luis Clement Avenue, Bldg. 401 Tupper, Ancon, Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - Óscar R Solís-Torres
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, 4575 SW Research Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
- Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Kahlaische Strasse 10, D-07745, Jena, Germany
- Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), Moneda 16, Col. Centro, Alcaldía Cuauhtémoc, 06060, Ciudad de México, México
| | - J Britt Davis
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, 900 S. Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | - Ricardo Fernandes
- Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Kahlaische Strasse 10, D-07745, Jena, Germany
- Department of Bioarchaeology, Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, 00-927, Warsaw, Poland
- Climate Change and History Research Initiative, Princeton University, 129 Dickinson Hall, Princeton, NJ, 08544-1017, USA
- Arne Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Nováka 1, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Douglas J Kennett
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
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5
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Ssemugenze B, Ocwa A, Bojtor C, Illés Á, Esimu J, Nagy J. Impact of research on maize production challenges in Hungary. Heliyon 2024; 10:e26099. [PMID: 38510009 PMCID: PMC10951463 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L), as a major cereal crop produced in Hungary in addition to wheat, attracts enormous research from both educational and non-educational institutions. Research is aimed at addressing the key abiotic, biotic and social economic constraints. The stakeholders and institutions involved in research are spread all over Hungary. Currently, no review has been done to comprehensively reveal the trend of maize research in Hungary, as well as key players such as institutions, universities, industry and researchers. Hence, this bibliographic review was conducted to: i) identify the major research institutions and their contribution towards maize research in Hungary; ii) evaluate the major maize research areas in Hungary between 1975 and 2022. Literature search was conducted in Web of Science (WoS) database using keywords; 'maize' OR 'maize' + 'Research' + 'Hungary'. Bibliometric analyses were performed using the VOSviewer software. Changes in the publication trend of documents was tested using Mann Kendall Test. A total of 947 publications related to the topic were published by 441 institutions between 1975 and 2022. There was a significant (p = 0.001) positive increase in the number of published documents. Hungarian Academy of Science (210 documents) and University of Debrecen (132 documents) recorded the highest number of publications contributing 58.7% of the maize research literature in Hungary. The major research areas included: increasing maize yield, hybrid development, pests and diseases, irrigation, fertilization (nitrogen), drought, temperature, gene expression and climate change. The increasing number of published documents signifies an improved response to addressing maize production challenges through research in order to boost its productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Ssemugenze
- Institute of Land Use, Engineering and Precision Farming Technology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 138 Böszörményi street, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
- Faculty of Agriculture, Uganda Martyrs University, P.O. Box 5498, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Akasairi Ocwa
- Institute of Land Use, Engineering and Precision Farming Technology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 138 Böszörményi street, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
- Department of Agriculture Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyambogo University, P.O. Box 1, Kyambogo, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Csaba Bojtor
- Institute of Land Use, Engineering and Precision Farming Technology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 138 Böszörményi street, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Árpád Illés
- Institute of Land Use, Engineering and Precision Farming Technology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 138 Böszörményi street, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Joseph Esimu
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, ACT, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - János Nagy
- Institute of Land Use, Engineering and Precision Farming Technology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 138 Böszörményi street, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
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6
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Yang Y, Harrison RC, Zhang D, Shen B, Yan Y, Kang D. Effect of genetic distances of different genotypes of maize on the authenticity of single seeds detected by NIR spectroscopy. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1361328. [PMID: 38486851 PMCID: PMC10937569 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1361328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Introduction NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometric algorithms has been widely used for seed authenticity detection. However, the study of seed genetic distance, an internal feature that affects the discriminative performance of classification models, has rarely been reported. Methods Therefore, maize seed samples of different genotypes were selected to investigate the effect of genetic distance on the authenticity of single seeds detected by NIR spectroscopy. Firstly, the Support vector machine (SVM) model was established using spectral information combined with a preprocessing algorithm, and then the DNA of the samples was extracted to study the correlation between genetic and relative spectral distances, the model identification performance, and finally to compare the similarities and differences between the results of genetic clustering and relative spectral clustering. Results The results were as follows: the average accuracy of the models was 93.6% (inbred lines) and 93.7% (hybrids), respectively; Genetic distance and correlation spectral distance exhibited positive correlation significantly (inbred lines: r=0.177, p<0.05; hybrids: r=0.238, p<0.05), likewise genetic distance and model accuracy also showed positive correlation (inbred lines: r=0.611, p<0.01; hybrids: r=0.6158, p<0.01); Genetic clustering and spectral clustering results were essentially uniform for 94.3% (inbred lines) and 93.9% (hybrids), respectively. Discussion This study reveals the relationship between the genetic and relative spectral distances of seeds and the accuracy of the model, which provides theoretical basis for the establishment of the standardized system for detecting the authenticity of seeds by NIR spectroscopic techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqin Yang
- Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (MOE) Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Rashaun Candace Harrison
- Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (MOE) Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Dun Zhang
- Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (MOE) Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Binghui Shen
- Department of Applied Physics, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanlu Yan
- Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Dingming Kang
- Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (MOE) Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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7
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Yang N, Wang Y, Liu X, Jin M, Vallebueno-Estrada M, Calfee E, Chen L, Dilkes BP, Gui S, Fan X, Harper TK, Kennett DJ, Li W, Lu Y, Ding J, Chen Z, Luo J, Mambakkam S, Menon M, Snodgrass S, Veller C, Wu S, Wu S, Zhuo L, Xiao Y, Yang X, Stitzer MC, Runcie D, Yan J, Ross-Ibarra J. Two teosintes made modern maize. Science 2023; 382:eadg8940. [PMID: 38033071 DOI: 10.1126/science.adg8940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
The origins of maize were the topic of vigorous debate for nearly a century, but neither the current genetic model nor earlier archaeological models account for the totality of available data, and recent work has highlighted the potential contribution of a wild relative, Zea mays ssp. mexicana. Our population genetic analysis reveals that the origin of modern maize can be traced to an admixture between ancient maize and Zea mays ssp. mexicana in the highlands of Mexico some 4000 years after domestication began. We show that variation in admixture is a key component of maize diversity, both at individual loci and for additive genetic variation underlying agronomic traits. Our results clarify the origin of modern maize and raise new questions about the anthropogenic mechanisms underlying dispersal throughout the Americas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Yuebin Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xiangguo Liu
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Minliang Jin
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Miguel Vallebueno-Estrada
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, CINVESTAV Irapuato, 36821 Guanajuato, México
| | - Erin Calfee
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Adaptive Biotechnologies, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Lu Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Brian P Dilkes
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Songtao Gui
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xingming Fan
- Institute of Food Crops, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650200, China
| | - Thomas K Harper
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Douglas J Kennett
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Wenqiang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yanli Lu
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Junqiang Ding
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, China
| | - Ziqi Chen
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Jingyun Luo
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Sowmya Mambakkam
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Mitra Menon
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Samantha Snodgrass
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Carl Veller
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Shenshen Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Siying Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lin Zhuo
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yingjie Xiao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Michelle C Stitzer
- Institute for Genomic Diversity and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Daniel Runcie
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jianbing Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
- Yazhouwan National Laboratory, Sanya 572024, China
| | - Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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8
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Kennett DJ, Harper TK, VanDerwarker A, Thakar HB, Domic A, Blake M, Benz BF, George RJ, Scheffler TE, Culleton BJ, Kistler L, Hirth KG. Trans-Holocene Bayesian chronology for tree and field crop use from El Gigante rockshelter, Honduras. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287195. [PMID: 37352287 PMCID: PMC10289419 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
El Gigante rockshelter in western Honduras provides a deeply stratified archaeological record of human-environment interaction spanning the entirety of the Holocene. Botanical materials are remarkably well preserved and include important tree (e.g., ciruela (Spondias), avocado (Persea americana)) and field (maize (Zea mays), beans (Phaseolus), and squash (Cucurbita)) crops. Here we provide a major update to the chronology of tree and field crop use evident in the sequence. We report 375 radiocarbon dates, a majority of which are for short-lived botanical macrofossils (e.g., maize cobs, avocado seeds, or rinds). Radiocarbon dates were used in combination with stratigraphic details to establish a Bayesian chronology for ~9,800 identified botanical samples spanning the last 11,000 years. We estimate that at least 16 discrete intervals of use occurred during this time, separated by gaps of ~100-2,000 years. The longest hiatus in rockshelter occupation was between ~6,400 and 4,400 years ago and the deposition of botanical remains peaked at ~2,000 calendar years before present (cal BP). Tree fruits and squash appeared early in the occupational sequence (~11,000 cal BP) with most other field crops appearing later in time (e.g., maize at ~4,400 cal BP; beans at ~2,200 cal BP). The early focus on tree fruits and squash is consistent with early coevolutionary partnering with humans as seed dispersers in the wake of megafaunal extinction in Mesoamerica. Tree crops predominated through much of the Holocene, and there was an overall shift to field crops after 4,000 cal BP that was largely driven by increased reliance on maize farming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas J. Kennett
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Thomas K. Harper
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Amber VanDerwarker
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Heather B. Thakar
- Department of Anthropology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alejandra Domic
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Michael Blake
- Department of Biology, Texas Wesleyan University, Forth Worth, Texas, United States of America
| | - Bruce F. Benz
- Department of Anthropology, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Richard J. George
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Timothy E. Scheffler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Brendan J. Culleton
- Institutes of Energy and the Environment, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Logan Kistler
- Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Kenneth G. Hirth
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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Braun T, Breitenbach SFM, Skiba V, Lechleitner FA, Ray EE, Baldini LM, Polyak VJ, Baldini JUL, Kennett DJ, Prufer KM, Marwan N. Decline in seasonal predictability potentially destabilized Classic Maya societies. COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 4:82. [PMID: 38665192 PMCID: PMC11041697 DOI: 10.1038/s43247-023-00717-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Classic Maya populations living in peri-urban states were highly dependent on seasonally distributed rainfall for reliable surplus crop yields. Despite intense study of the potential impact of decadal to centennial-scale climatic changes on the demise of Classic Maya sociopolitical institutions (750-950 CE), its direct importance remains debated. We provide a detailed analysis of a precisely dated speleothem record from Yok Balum cave, Belize, that reflects local hydroclimatic changes at seasonal scale over the past 1600 years. We find that the initial disintegration of Maya sociopolitical institutions and population decline occurred in the context of a pronounced decrease in the predictability of seasonal rainfall and severe drought between 700 and 800 CE. The failure of Classic Maya societies to successfully adapt to volatile seasonal rainfall dynamics likely contributed to gradual but widespread processes of sociopolitical disintegration. We propose that the complex abandonment of Classic Maya population centres was not solely driven by protracted drought but also aggravated by year-to-year decreases in rainfall predictability, potentially caused by a regional reduction in coherent Intertropical Convergence Zone-driven rainfall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Braun
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Leibniz Association, P.O. Box 60 12 03 D-14412 Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Vanessa Skiba
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Leibniz Association, P.O. Box 60 12 03 D-14412 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Franziska A. Lechleitner
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern, 3012 Switzerland
| | - Erin E. Ray
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87131 NM USA
| | - Lisa M. Baldini
- School of Health & Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BX UK
| | - Victor J. Polyak
- Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory, Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87131 NM USA
| | | | - Douglas J. Kennett
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, 93106 CA USA
| | - Keith M. Prufer
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87131 NM USA
- Center for Stable Isotopes, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87131 NM USA
| | - Norbert Marwan
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Leibniz Association, P.O. Box 60 12 03 D-14412 Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Geosciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, 14476 Germany
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10
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Mizuno F, Tokanai F, Kumagai M, Ishiya K, Sugiyama S, Hayashi M, Kurosaki K, Ueda S. Bioarchaeological study of ancient Teotihuacans based on complete mitochondrial genome sequences and diet isotopes. Ann Hum Biol 2023; 50:390-398. [PMID: 37812249 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2023.2261844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Teotihuacan civilisation was the largest one in ancient Mesoamerica. The Teotihuacan city was born in the north-eastern Basin of Mexico around the second century BC, reached its peak in the fourth century AD, and had cultural influence throughout Mesoamerica. At its peak, the size of the city reached more than 20 km2, and the total population is estimated to have increased from 100,000 to 200,000. However, knowledge of the genetic background of the Teotihuacan people is still limited. AIM We aimed to determine the mitogenome sequences of the Teotihuacan human remains and compare the ancient and present Mesoamericans. In addition, we aimed to identify the food habits of ancient Teotihuacans. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We determined the mitogenome sequences of human remains dated to 250-636 cal AD using target enrichment-coupled next generation sequencing. We also performed stable isotope analysis. RESULTS We successfully obtained nearly full-length sequences newly unearthed from a civilian dwelling in the Teotihuacan site. Teotihuacan mitochondrial DNA was classified into the haplogroups in present and ancient Mesoamericans. In addition, Teotihuacan individuals had a diet dependent on C4 plants such as maize. CONCLUSION Genetic diversity varied among the Teotihuacans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuzuki Mizuno
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fuyuki Tokanai
- Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, Yamagata University Advanced Analysis Center, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Masahiko Kumagai
- National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Koji Ishiya
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Chiyoda, Japan
| | - Saburo Sugiyama
- Research Institute for the Dynamics of Civilizations, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Michiko Hayashi
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Kurosaki
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shintaroh Ueda
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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11
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Šprajc I, Inomata T, Aveni AF. Origins of Mesoamerican astronomy and calendar: Evidence from the Olmec and Maya regions. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eabq7675. [PMID: 36608125 PMCID: PMC9821873 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq7675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Archaeoastronomical studies have demonstrated that the important civic and ceremonial buildings in Mesoamerica were largely oriented to sunrises or sunsets on specific dates, but the origin and spread of orientation practices were not clear. Using aerial laser scanning (lidar) data, we analyzed orientations of a large number of ceremonial complexes in the area along the southern Gulf Coast, including many recently identified Formative sites dating to 1100 BCE to 250 CE. The distribution pattern of dates marked by solar alignments indicates their subsistence-related ritual significance. The orientations of complexes built between 1100 and 750 BCE, in particular, represent the earliest evidence of the use of the 260-day calendar, centuries earlier than its previously known use in textual records.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Šprajc
- Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU), Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Takeshi Inomata
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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12
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Ford A. Scrutinizing the paleoecological record of the Maya forest. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.868660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human expansion into and occupation of the New World coincided with the great transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene epoch, yet questions remain about how we detect human presence in the paleoecological record. In the Maya area of southern Mesoamerica, archeological evidence of the human imprint is largely invisible until ∼4,000 years ago. How do environmental changes after that time correspond and relate to human impacts? Are the archeological signatures of initial settlements in the Early Preclassic detected? Later, by ∼2,000 years ago when the Maya had fully settled the landscape, how does the evidence of forest compositional changes relate to human intervention? This paper evaluates published paleoecological data in light of the rise of the Maya civilization and reflects on interpretations of how swidden agriculture and the milpa cycle impacted the environment. Evaluating the contrast between the long archeological sequence of successful Maya development and paleoecological interpretations of destructive human-induced environmental impacts requires a concordance among pollen data, archeological evidence, ethnohistoric observations, ethnological studies of traditional Maya land use, and the historical ecology of the Maya forest today.
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13
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Abstract
The influence of climate change on civil conflict and societal instability in the premodern world is a subject of much debate, in part because of the limited temporal or disciplinary scope of case studies. We present a transdisciplinary case study that combines archeological, historical, and paleoclimate datasets to explore the dynamic, shifting relationships among climate change, civil conflict, and political collapse at Mayapan, the largest Postclassic Maya capital of the Yucatán Peninsula in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries CE. Multiple data sources indicate that civil conflict increased significantly and generalized linear modeling correlates strife in the city with drought conditions between 1400 and 1450 cal. CE. We argue that prolonged drought escalated rival factional tensions, but subsequent adaptations reveal regional-scale resiliency, ensuring that Maya political and economic structures endured until European contact in the early sixteenth century CE. The influence of climate on premodern civil conflict and societal instability is debated. Here, the authors combine archeological, historical, and paleoclimatic datasets to show that drought between 1400-1450 cal. CE escalated civil conflict at Mayapan, the largest Postclassic Maya capital of the Yucatán Peninsula.
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14
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Erenstein O, Jaleta M, Sonder K, Mottaleb K, Prasanna B. Global maize production, consumption and trade: trends and R&D implications. Food Secur 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12571-022-01288-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
AbstractSince its domestication some 9,000 years ago, maize (Zea mays L.; corn) has played an increasing and diverse role in global agri-food systems. Global maize production has surged in the past few decades, propelled by rising demand and a combination of technological advances, yield increases and area expansion. Maize is already the leading cereal in terms of production volume and is set to become the most widely grown and traded crop in the coming decade. It is a versatile multi-purpose crop, primarily used as a feed globally, but also is important as a food crop, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, besides other non-food uses. This paper reviews maize production, consumption, and international trade to examine the changing trends in global supply and demand conditions over the past quarter century and the implications for research and development (R&D), particularly in the Global South. The inclusiveness and sustainability of the ongoing transformation of agri-food systems in the Global South merit particular attention. There is a need for further investments in R&D, particularly to enhance maize’s food and livelihood security roles and to sustainably intensify maize production while staying within the planetary boundaries.
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15
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South-to-north migration preceded the advent of intensive farming in the Maya region. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1530. [PMID: 35318319 PMCID: PMC8940966 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29158-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic prehistory of human populations in Central America is largely unexplored leaving an important gap in our knowledge of the global expansion of humans. We report genome-wide ancient DNA data for a transect of twenty individuals from two Belize rock-shelters dating between 9,600-3,700 calibrated radiocarbon years before present (cal. BP). The oldest individuals (9,600-7,300 cal. BP) descend from an Early Holocene Native American lineage with only distant relatedness to present-day Mesoamericans, including Mayan-speaking populations. After ~5,600 cal. BP a previously unknown human dispersal from the south made a major demographic impact on the region, contributing more than 50% of the ancestry of all later individuals. This new ancestry derived from a source related to present-day Chibchan speakers living from Costa Rica to Colombia. Its arrival corresponds to the first clear evidence for forest clearing and maize horticulture in what later became the Maya region. The genetic prehistory of central America has not been well explored. Here, the authors find evidence from ancient DNA from twenty individuals who lived in Belize 9,600 to 3,700 years ago of a migration from the south that coincided with the first evidence for forest clearing and the spread of maize horticulture.
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16
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Ayiti OE, Babalola OO. Sustainable Intensification of Maize in the Industrial Revolution: Potential of Nitrifying Bacteria and Archaea. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.827477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustainable intensification is a means that proffer a solution to the increasing demand for food without degrading agricultural land. Maize is one of the most important crops in the industrial revolution era, there is a need for its sustainable intensification. This review discusses the role of maize in the industrial revolution, progress toward sustainable production, and the potential of nitrifying bacteria and archaea to achieve sustainable intensification. The era of the industrial revolution (IR) uses biotechnology which has proven to be the most environmentally friendly choice to improve crop yield and nutrients. Scientific research and the global economy have benefited from maize and maize products which are vast. Research on plant growth-promoting microorganisms is on the increase. One of the ways they carry out their function is by assisting in the cycling of geochemical, thus making nutrients available for plant growth. Nitrifying bacteria and archaea are the engineers of the nitrification process that produce nitrogen in forms accessible to plants. They have been identified in the rhizosphere of many crops, including maize, and have been used as biofertilizers. This study's findings could help in the development of microbial inoculum, which could be used to replace synthetic fertilizer and achieve sustainable intensification of maize production during the industrial revolution.
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17
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Hoffman DW, Rasmussen C. Absolute Carbon Stable Isotope Ratio in the Vienna Peedee Belemnite Isotope Reference Determined by 1H NMR Spectroscopy. Anal Chem 2022; 94:5240-5247. [PMID: 35312289 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The Vienna Peedee Belemnite (VPDB) isotope reference defines the zero point of the carbon stable isotope scale that is used to describe the relative abundance of 13C and 12C. An accurate and precise characterization of this isotope reference is valuable for interlaboratory comparisons and conducting robust carbon stable isotope analyses in a vast array of fields, such as chemical forensics, (bio)geochemistry, ecology, or (astro)biology. Here, we report an absolute 13C/12C ratio for VPDB that has been obtained, for the first time, using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR). Four different NMR instruments were used to determine 13C/12C ratios in a set of glycine reference materials from the US Geological Survey (USGS64, USGS65, and USGS66) and a set of formate samples that were characterized by isotope ratios mass spectrometry (IRMS). Intercalibration of the NMR-derived 13C/12C ratios with relative abundance (δ13CVPDB) measurements from IRMS yields a value of 0.011100 for the absolute 13C/12C ratio in VPDB, with an expanded uncertainty of ±0.000026 (2σ, n = 114). This is significantly different from the value of 0.011180 that is commonly used but falls within the range of values recently revised using IRMS and infrared absorption measurements. 1H NMR was found to be an effective method for measuring absolute 13C/12C ratios due to its ability to simultaneously detect signals associated with 12C and 13C. Results provide a new and independent measure of the carbon isotope composition of VPDB, improving our understanding of this important isotope reference.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Hoffman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Science, University of Texas at Austin, 100 East 24th St., Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Cornelia Rasmussen
- University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, 10601 Exploration Way, Austin, Texas 78758, United States
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18
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Exploring Potential of Seed Endophytic Bacteria for Enhancing Drought Stress Resilience in Maize (Zea mays L.). SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14020673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Water scarcity is abiotic stress that is becoming more prevalent as a result of human activities, posing a threat to agriculture and food security. Recently, endophytic bacteria have been proven to reduce drought stress and increase crop productivity. Here, we explored the efficacy of seed endophytic bacteria in maize crops under water deficit conditions. For this purpose, twenty-seven endophytic bacteria have been isolated from three distinct maize cultivars seeds (Malka 2016, Sahiwal Gold and Gohar-19) and evaluated for desiccation tolerance of −0.18, −0.491, and −1.025 MPa induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000. The nine isolates were chosen on the basis of desiccation tolerance and evaluated for maize growth promotion and antioxidant activity under normal and drought conditions. Results showed that drought stress significantly decreased the growth of maize seedlings. However, isolates SM1, SM4, SM19, and SM23 significantly improved the root and shoot length, plant biomass, leaf area, proline content, sugar, and protein content under normal and drought conditions. Antioxidant enzymes were significantly decreased at p-value < 0.05 with inoculation of seed endophytic bacteria under drought conditions. However, further experiments of seed endophytic bacteria (SM1, SM4, SM19, and SM23) should be conducted to validate results.
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19
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Penny D, Beach TP. Historical socioecological transformations in the global tropics as an Anthropocene analogue. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2022211118. [PMID: 34580206 PMCID: PMC8501767 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022211118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Large, low-density settlements of the tropical world disintegrated during the first and second millennia of the CE. This phenomenon, which occurred in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Mesoamerica, is strongly associated with climate variability and extensive landscape transformation. These profound social transformations in the tropical world have been popularized as "collapse," yet archaeological evidence suggests a more complex and nuanced story characterized by persistence, adaptation, and resilience at the local and regional scales. The resulting tension between ideas of climate-driven collapse and evidence for diverse social responses challenges our understanding of long-term resilience and vulnerability to environmental change in the global tropics. Here, we compare the archetypal urban collapse of the Maya, in modern Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, during the 8th to 11th centuries CE, and the Khmer in modern Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam during the 14th to 15th centuries CE. We argue that the social response to environmental stress is spatially and temporally heterogenous, reflecting the generation of large-scale landesque capital surrounding the urban cores. Divergences between vulnerable urban elite and apparently resilient dispersed agricultural settlements sit uncomfortably with simplistic notions of social collapse and raise important questions for humanity as we move deeper into the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Penny
- The University of Sydney, School of Geosciences, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
| | - Timothy P Beach
- Department of Geography and the Environment, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712
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20
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Ebert CE, Rand AJ, Green-Mink K, Hoggarth JA, Freiwald C, Awe JJ, Trask WR, Yaeger J, Brown MK, Helmke C, Guerra RA, Danforth M, Kennett DJ. Sulfur isotopes as a proxy for human diet and mobility from the preclassic through colonial periods in the Eastern Maya lowlands. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254992. [PMID: 34383771 PMCID: PMC8360522 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Maya archaeologists have long been interested in understanding ancient diets because they provide information about broad-scale economic and societal transformations. Though paleodietary studies have primarily relied on stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic analyses of human bone collagen to document the types of food people consumed, stable sulfur (δ34S) isotope analysis can potentially provide valuable data to identify terrestrial, freshwater, or marine/coastal food sources, as well as determine human mobility and migration patterns. Here we assess applications of δ34S for investigating Maya diet and migration through stable isotope analyses of human bone collagen (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S) from 114 individuals from 12 sites in the Eastern Maya lowlands, temporally spanning from the Late Preclassic (300 BCE-300 CE) through Colonial periods (1520-1800 CE). Results document a diet dominated by maize and other terrestrial resources, consistent with expectations for this inland region. Because δ34S values reflect local geology, our analyses also identified recent migrants to the Eastern lowlands who had non-local δ34S signatures. When combined with other indicators of mobility (e.g., strontium isotopes), sulfur isotopic data provide a powerful tool to investigate movement across a person's lifespan. This study represents the largest examination of archaeological human δ34S isotope values for the Maya lowlands and provides a foundation for novel insights into both subsistence practices and migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E. Ebert
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Asta J. Rand
- Department of Archaeology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Kirsten Green-Mink
- Department of Anthropology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Julie A. Hoggarth
- Department of Anthropology and Institute of Archaeology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States of America
| | - Carolyn Freiwald
- Department of Anthropology and Sociology, University of Mississippi, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - Jaime J. Awe
- Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
- Institute of Archaeology, National Institute of Culture and History, Belmopan, Belize
| | | | - Jason Yaeger
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - M. Kathryn Brown
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Christophe Helmke
- Institute of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rafael A. Guerra
- Institute of Archaeology, National Institute of Culture and History, Belmopan, Belize
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United State of America
| | - Marie Danforth
- School of Social Science and Global Studies, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - Douglas J. Kennett
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United State of America
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Talamo S, Fewlass H, Maria R, Jaouen K. "Here we go again": the inspection of collagen extraction protocols for 14C dating and palaeodietary analysis. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 7:62-77. [PMID: 34381618 PMCID: PMC8300532 DOI: 10.1080/20548923.2021.1944479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Archaeological bone collagen is highly useful for radiocarbon (14C) dating and palaeodietary reconstruction. However, collagen preservation and carbon contamination are essential considerations when extracting collagen, becoming especially crucial close to the limit of the method (50,000 years before present = BP). Strong progress has been achieved in the past two decades by 14C and stable isotopic laboratories in removing contamination from archaeological bones, but different pretreatment protocols have been proven to produce varying results. Here we compare three collagen extraction protocols used for palaeodietary studies and 14C dating, considering collagen yield, elemental and stable isotopic data, FTIR analysis, and 14C dates. We focus on the impact of ultrafiltration on the yield and quality of the extracted material. The results again underline the importance of rigorous decontamination methods to gain accurate 14C dates and demonstrate that different protocols have significant effects on the quality and yield of extracted collagen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahra Talamo
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Chemistry G. Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Helen Fewlass
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Raquel Maria
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Klervia Jaouen
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, Observatoire Midi Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
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Šprajc I. Astronomical aspects of Group E-type complexes and implications for understanding ancient Maya architecture and urban planning. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250785. [PMID: 33905449 PMCID: PMC8078784 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the 1920s, during the first archaeological excavations at Uaxactún, Petén, Guatemala, an architectural complex named Group E was interpreted as an ancient Maya astronomical observatory, intended specifically for sighting the equinoctial and solstitial sunrises. In the following decades, a large number of architectural compounds with the same configuration have been found, most of them in the central lowlands of the Yucatan peninsula. The multiple hypotheses that have been proposed about the astronomical function of these complexes, commonly designated as E Groups, range from those attributing them a paramount role in astronomical observations to those that consider them merely allegorical or commemorative allusions to celestial cycles, without any observational use. This study, based on quantitative analyses of a reasonably large sample of alignment data, as well as on contextual evidence, shows that many of the previous hypotheses cannot be sustained. I argue that E Groups, although built primarily for ritual purposes, were astronomically functional, but also that they had no specific or particularly prominent role in astronomical observations. Their orientations belong to widespread alignment groups, mostly materialized in buildings of other types and explicable in terms of some fundamental concerns of the agriculturally-based Maya societies. I present the evidence demonstrating that the astronomical orientations initially embedded in E Groups, which represent the earliest standardized form of Maya monumental architecture and whose occurrence in practically all early cities in the central Yucatan peninsula attests to their socio-political significance, were later transferred to buildings and compounds of other types. Therefore, it is precisely the importance of the astronomically and cosmologically significant directions, first incorporated in E Groups, that allows us to understand some prominent aspects of ancient Maya architecture and urbanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Šprajc
- Institute of Anthropological and Spatial Studies, Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU), Ljubljana, Slovenia
- * E-mail:
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McCool WC, Anderson AS, Kennett DJ. Using a multimethod life history approach to navigate the osteological paradox: A case study from Prehispanic Nasca, Peru. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 175:816-833. [PMID: 33782949 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We leverage recent bioarchaeological approaches and life history theory to address the implications of the osteological paradox in a study population. The goal of this article is to evaluate morbidity and mortality patterns as well as variability in the risk of disease and death during the Late Intermediate period (LIP; 950-1450 C.E.) in the Nasca highlands of Peru. We demonstrate how the concurrent use of multiple analytical techniques and life history theory can engage the osteological paradox and provide salient insights into the study of stress, frailty, and resilience in past populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS Crania from LIP burial contexts in the Nasca highlands were examined for cribra orbitalia (n = 325) and porotic hyperostosis (n = 270). All age groups and both sexes are represented in the sample. Survivor/nonsurvivor analysis assessed demographic differences in lesion frequency and severity. Hazard models were generated to assess differences in survivorship. The relationship between dietary diversity and heterogeneity in morbidity was assessed using stable δ15 N and δ13 C isotope values for bone collagen and carbonate. One hundred and twenty-four crania were directly AMS radiocarbon dated, allowing for a diachronic analysis of morbidity and mortality. RESULTS The frequency and expression of both orbital and vault lesions increases significantly during the LIP. Survivor/nonsurvivor analysis indicates cranial lesions co-vary with frailty rather than robusticity or longevity. Hazard models show (1) decreasing survivorship with the transition into the LIP, (2) significantly lower adult life expectancy for females compared to males, and (3) individuals with cranial lesions have lower survivorship across the life course. Stable isotope results show very little dietary diversity. Mortality risk and frequency of pathological skeletal lesions were highest during Phase III (1300-1450 C.E.) of the LIP. CONCLUSION Results provide compelling evidence of increasing physiological stress and mortality in the Nasca highlands during the LIP, but also reveal substantial heterogeneity in frailty and the risk of death. Certain members of society experienced a heavier disease burden and higher mortality compared to their contemporaries. Elevated levels of disease and lethal trauma among females account for some of the sex differences in survivorship but cannot explain the large degree of female-biased mortality. We hypothesize that parental investment in males or increased female fertility rates may explain these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weston C McCool
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Amy S Anderson
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Douglas J Kennett
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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Early specialized maritime and maize economies on the north coast of Peru. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:32308-32319. [PMID: 33288695 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2009121117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We assess diet and economies of middle Holocene (∼7,500 to 4,000 calibrated [cal] B.P.) humans at coexisting mound sites (Huaca Prieta and Paredones) in north coastal Peru and document regular consumption of maize by ∼6,500 to 6,000 cal B.P. and its earliest use as a staple food in this area of the Andes between 5,000 and 4,500 cal B.P. Stable isotope data from enamel carbonates and dentin collagen (childhood diet) and dental microwear texture analysis (adult diet) demonstrate dietary and economic specialization. Previous studies revealed maize and mixed-food refuse at both sites, but this study documents actual food consumption, showing that these communities situated a few hundred meters apart had significantly distinct diets in childhood and adulthood. Huaca Prieta focused on marine resources, although there are some contributions from terrestrial meat. Paredones individuals primarily consumed maize during childhood (up to 70% of the juvenile diet), as shown by δ13C values, apatite-collagen spacing, and discriminant analysis of δ13Ccoll, δ13Ccarb, and δ15N values. Maize was likely used as a weaning food (e.g., gruel and/or chicha-a maize beverage), hinting at the significant role of breastfeeding mothers, weanling infants, and children in the development of maize as a staple crop. Additionally, dental microwear data show Paredones adult diets are high in abrasives, potentially from maize processing. The distinct foodways at these neighboring sites result from and also reflect their social and political distinctions. These differences in food production, distribution, and consumption generated opportunities for exchange, an interaction that bound them together in mutual benefit.
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Archaeological Central American maize genomes suggest ancient gene flow from South America. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:33124-33129. [PMID: 33318213 PMCID: PMC7777085 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015560117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Maize is a global food staple with great economic and cultural importance. Archaeogenomic studies have revealed a process of protracted maize domestication and multiple waves of human-mediated dispersal in the Americas. Maize first arrived in South America as a partial domesticate, where the domestication syndrome became independently fixed and improved varieties developed away from the influence of wild gene flow. We demonstrate that hybrids of some of these improved varieties were likely reintroduced back to Central America. We hypothesize that this backflow of South American genetic material may have contributed to the development of a more productive staple, which was related to the growth and aggregation of human populations, and the formation of more complex social and political structures regionally. Maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) domestication began in southwestern Mexico ∼9,000 calendar years before present (cal. BP) and humans dispersed this important grain to South America by at least 7,000 cal. BP as a partial domesticate. South America served as a secondary improvement center where the domestication syndrome became fixed and new lineages emerged in parallel with similar processes in Mesoamerica. Later, Indigenous cultivators carried a second major wave of maize southward from Mesoamerica, but it has been unclear until now whether the deeply divergent maize lineages underwent any subsequent gene flow between these regions. Here we report ancient maize genomes (2,300–1,900 cal. BP) from El Gigante rock shelter, Honduras, that are closely related to ancient and modern maize from South America. Our findings suggest that the second wave of maize brought into South America hybridized with long-established landraces from the first wave, and that some of the resulting newly admixed lineages were then reintroduced to Central America. Direct radiocarbon dates and cob morphological data from the rock shelter suggest that more productive maize varieties developed between 4,300 and 2,500 cal. BP. We hypothesize that the influx of maize from South America into Central America may have been an important source of genetic diversity as maize was becoming a staple grain in Central and Mesoamerica.
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