Ethnobiology

CALL FOR PUBLICATION

by Gustavo Soldati

CALL FOR PUBLICATION

Ethnobotany in intermedical spaces: the case of the Fulni-ô indians (Northeastern Brazil)

by Gustavo Soldati

Gustavo Taboada Soldati; Ulysses Paulino de Albuquerque

Local knowledge: who cares?

by Ulysses Albuquerque

NISP:MNE AND %WHOLE IN ANALYSIS OF PREHISTORIC CARCASS EXPLOITATION

by Steve Wolverton

Wolverton 2002

Several analytical problems with the use of utility curves in archaeofaunal analysis have arisen since Lewis Binford... more Several analytical problems with the use of utility curves in archaeofaunal analysis have arisen since Lewis Binford first introduced them in 1978. First, do utility curves actually reflect which parts of an animal carcass were chosen or preferred by prehistoric hunters, or do the curves represent transport choices of hunters (what they could carry)? Second, differential preservation of elements mediated by bone density also contributes to what bones archaeologists recover from sites. Density-mediated destruction of bone can produce curves that mimic those of human behavior; thus, inferences about human behavior might be better attributed to bone-preservation factors. A shift from use of prey body-part representation to the use of fragmentation of prey bones as an inferential tool to study prehistoric foraging of prey carcasses diminishes both analytical problems.

Estudio comparado del uso de algunos remedios populares de Guadiana del Caudillo (Badajoz, España) con diferentes comunidades y culturas

by José Ramón Vallejo Villalobos

Revista: Medicina Naturista. Vol. 2. Nº 3. Edita: Sociedad Europea de Medicina Naturista. Sección Española. Universidad de Zaragoza. Zaragoza. ISSN 1576-3080. Número de páginas: 8 (pp. 33-40).

Autores: Vallejo Villalobos, José Ramón; Peral Pacheco, Diego y Carrasco Ramos, María Consuelo.

The "cultural filter," human transport of mussel shell, and the applied potential of zooarchaeological data

by Steve Wolverton

Peacock, Randklev, Wolverton, Palmer, Zaleski forthcoming in Ecological Applications

Large assemblages of animal bones and/or shells from archaeological sites can provide data valuable for modern... more Large assemblages of animal bones and/or shells from archaeological sites can provide data valuable for modern conservation efforts, e.g., by providing accurate historical baselines for species reintroductions or habitat restoration. Such data are underused by natural scientists, partly due to assumptions that archaeological materials are too biased by prehistoric human actions (the so-called "cultural filter") to accurately reflect past biotic communities. In order to address many paleobiological, archaeological, or applied research questions, data on past species, communities, and populations must first be demonstrated to be representative at the appropriate level. We discuss different ways in which one kind of cultural bias, human transport of specimens, can be tested at different scales, using freshwater mussel shells from prehistoric sites in the Tombigbee River basin of Mississippi and Alabama to show how representativeness of samples can be assessed.


Read More: http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/11-1943.1

Las especies del género Allium con interés medicinal en Extremadura

by José Ramón Vallejo Villalobos

Revista: Medicina Naturista. Vol. 2. Nº 1. Edita: Sociedad Europea de Medicina Naturista. Universidad de Zaragoza. Zaragoza. ISSN 1576-3080. Número de páginas: 5 (3-7).

Autores: Vallejo Villalobos, José Ramón; Peral Pacheco, Diego y Carrasco Ramos, María Consuelo.

Anotaciones al conocimiento etnobotánico y medicinal de los espárragos extremeños (género Asparagus L.)

by José Ramón Vallejo Villalobos

Revista: Medicina Naturista. Vol. 3. Nº 1. Edita: Sociedad Europea de Medicina Naturista. Universidad de Zaragoza. Zaragoza. ISSN 1576-3080. Número de páginas: 6 (pp. 41-46).

Autores: José Ramón Vallejo Villalobos, Diego Peral Pacheco, y María Consuelo Carrasco Ramos.

Conservation Ethos in Local Traditions: The West Bengal Heritage

by Debal Deb

Use and extraction of medicinal plants by the Fulni-ô indians in northeastern Brazil – implications for local conservation

by Ulysses Albuquerque

The use of visual stimuli in the recognition of plants from anthropogenic zones: evaluation of the checklist-interview method

by Ulysses Albuquerque

Quantification in ethnobotanical research : an overview of indices used from 1995 to 2009

by Ulysses Albuquerque

Zooarchaeological Evidence of Prairie Taxa in Central Missouri during the Mid-Holocene

by Steve Wolverton

Wolverton 2002

Previous studies report that remains of prairie taxa are common in western Missouri archaeological sites. There is no... more Previous studies report that remains of prairie taxa are common in western Missouri archaeological sites. There is no reported evidence of prairie taxa, such as Bos bison, from sites within the northern Ozark Highlands of Missouri. New data indicate that prairie taxa inhabited the area during the warm and dry mid-Holocene (8500–5000 14C yr B.P.). Evidence suggests prairie taxa were farther east and south than previously documented in central Missouri and underscores the importance of biogeographic data in studies of prehistoric environments.

Explaining subsistence change in southern New Zealand using foraging theory models

by Lisa Nagaoka

2002, World Archaeology 34:84-102

New Zealand provides one of the earliest examples of foraging theory applications to archaeological situations... more New Zealand provides one of the earliest examples of foraging theory applications to archaeological situations (Anderson 1981). Since this landmark study, significant developments over the last twenty years has led to an increasing number of detailed analyses examining the effects of resource depression on human foraging. In particular, foraging theory analyses have become better at documenting resource depression and integrating butchery/transport studies into these analyses. Using the faunal data from the Shag River Mouth site, I illustrate how these methodological advances have resulted in a more comprehensive understanding of the processes of subsistence change in southern New Zealand.

The effects of resource depression on foraging efficiency, diet breadth, and patch use in southern New Zealand

by Lisa Nagaoka

2002, Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 21:419–442

While many studies have examined human impacts on prehistoric environments, few have explicitly examined how foragers... more While many studies have examined human impacts on prehistoric environments, few have explicitly examined how foragers adapt to the changing environmental situations that they have created. The goal of this analysis is to study the relationship between human foraging economies and human-related environmental change in southern New Zealand. Foraging theory is used to generate predictions about subsistence change resulting from the declining abundance of important resources such as moas and seals. In particular, these predictions examine changes in (1) the kind of resources exploited (foraging efficiency), (2) the number of resources utilized (diet breadth), and (3) the habitats exploited (patch choice). The predictions are tested using the large assemblage of vertebrate faunal remains from the well-stratified and well dated Shag River Mouth site. This study shows that using foraging theory models to structure analysis provides a more fine-grained spatial and temporal resolution of subsistence change in southern New Zealand than has been previously achieved.

Differential recovery of Pacific Island fish remains

by Lisa Nagaoka

2005, Journal of Archaeological Science

The effects of differential recovery have been documented and discussed for almost a century. Screening experiments... more The effects of differential recovery have been documented and discussed for almost a century. Screening experiments using comparative collections are one avenue for understanding recovery bias because they develop expectations about what is likely to be recovered. In this study, modern reference specimens of Pacific Island fish were screened through 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) and 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) mesh. Recovery rates are examined across taxa, body size, and element type. The experimental recovery rates are then compared to those from an archaeological fish assemblage from the Moturakau rockshelter, Aitutaki, Cook Islands, to examine how well the data derived from screening experiments are able to predict archaeological recovery patterns. The experimental data is able to accurately predict the taxa recovered in the Moturakau sample. The impact of differential recovery on a variety of interpretations utilizing archaeological fish remains is then discussed.

Prehistoric seal carcass exploitation at the Shag Mouth site, New Zealand

by Lisa Nagaoka

2006, Journal of Archaeological Science 33:1474-1481

Seal populations in New Zealand declined dramatically during the prehistoric period. The loss of this important... more Seal populations in New Zealand declined dramatically during the prehistoric period. The loss of this important resource significantly affected the foraging practices at the Shag River Mouth site. Previous research documented substantial changes to the diet with the decline of seals and the corresponding decline in foraging efficiency. In this study, I examine how New Zealand foragers altered their use of seal carcasses as the availability of these marine mammals declined. Otariid seal data from the Shag River Mouth site in southern New Zealand are analyzed to test changes in butchery/transport and skeletal element breakage patterns expected with resource depression and declining foraging efficiency. This research shows that at Shag Mouth, seal carcasses were used more intensively over time. However, bone breakage patterns showed little change in the exploitation of within-bone nutrients.

Antipodean perspectives on zooarchaeology: Behavioral ecology, taphonomy, and applied research.

by Lisa Nagaoka

2009, Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology 4:164-176.

Zooarchaeological research in New Zealand has a particularly long history, dating from the 1870s. Over the last... more Zooarchaeological research in New Zealand has a particularly long history, dating from the 1870s. Over the last century, it has both followed larger trends in the discipline and developed innovative approaches. Three types of research that reflect these broadermovements and novel approaches are identified in this historical review of New Zealand archeofaunal studies. First, zooarchaeological studies have been used to not only illustrate human impacts on the environment, but also to examine the consequences of anthropogenic environmental change for resident human populations. Second, taphonomic research, beginning with Julius von Haast’s qualitative examinations of moahunter butchering patterns, is considered, particularly studies relating to butchery and carnivore damage. Finally, examples of New Zealand research that are poised to make significant contributions to the burgeoning field of applied zooarchaeology are highlighted.

Introducing Ethnobiology Letters

by Steve Wolverton

Steve Wolverton, Cynthia Fowler, David Cozzo

Ethnobiology Letters (EBL) is a peer-reviewed journal for short papers on topics related to ‘the study of human and... more Ethnobiology Letters (EBL) is a peer-reviewed journal for short papers on topics related to ‘the study of human and plant and animal interactions.’ The journal was created to address a few needs that were explicated during the Society of Ethnobiology annual board meeting in 2010 in Victoria, BC. First, there is no outlet dedicated to publishing short papers for ethnobiologists. Second, the Journal of Ethnobiology, from time to time, receives papers that present important data but that do not fit the mission of the journal to publish full-length, problem-oriented articles. Finally, the Journal of Ethnobiology is published twice per year; an open-access journal will publish a stream of papers between the two issues. To address these concerns, we decided to create a new complementary journal for the purpose of partnering with the Journal of Ethnobiology and our new, online monograph series Contributions in Ethnobiology. We immediately envisioned an open-access fully online journal to fill this niche, and EBL was born. We are interested in publishing a variety of types of papers, which we discuss in the rest of this letter.

La nomenclatura popular de las plantas medicinales como objeto de Atención Primaria

by José Ramón Vallejo Villalobos

Autores: José Ramón Vallejo Villalobos, Diego Peral Pacheco y María Consuelo Carrasco Ramos.

Revista: Salud Rural. Vol. XXV; nº 7 (2008). Edita: JARPYO EDITORES, S.A. Madrid. ISSN: 0212-646.
Número de páginas: 9 (pp. 69-72).