@article{10902/35654,
year = {2024},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10902/35654},
abstract = {Antler is one of the primary animal raw materials exploited for technical purposes by the huntergatherer
groups of the Eurasian Upper Palaeolithic (UP) all over the ecological range of deers, and beyond. It was exhaustively employed to produce one of the most critical tools for the survival of the UP societies: hunting weapons. However, antler implements can be made from diverse deer taxa, with different ecological requirements and ethological behaviours. Identifying the antler's origin at a taxonomic level is thus essential in improving our knowledge of humans' functional, practical and symbolic choices, as well as the human-animal interface during Prehistoric times. Nevertheless, palaeogenetics analyses have focused mainly on bone and teeth, with genetic studies of antler generally focused on modern deer conservation. Here we present the results of the first whole mitochondrial genome ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis by means of in-solution
hybridisation capture of antlers from pre-Holocene archaeological contexts. We analysed a set of 50 Palaeolithic and Neolithic (c. 34-8ka) antler and osseous objects from South-Western Europe, Central Europe, South-Western Asia and the Caucasus. We successfully obtained aDNA, allowing us to identify the exploited taxa and demonstrate the archaeological relevance of those finds. Moreover, as most of the antlers were sampled using a minimally-invasive method, further analyses (morphometric, technical, genetic, radiometric and more) remain possible on these objects.},
organization = {Research of J.-M. T. is supported by a project of the Meitner Program of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) (Project: Osseous Hunting Weapons of Early Modern Humans in Eurasia. Number M3112) and the program Ram´on y Cajal of the Spanish MCIN/AEI (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. Project Number RYC2021-033759-I) and the European Community (NextGenerationEU»/PRTR). The University of Vienna Research Platform: Mineralogical Preservation of the Human Biome from the Depth of Time (MINERVA) supported the whole project. J.-M. T., P. G., and O. C. benefited from a Seed Grant from the HEAS (Human Evolution and Archaeological
Sciences) of the University of Vienna (Project: Assessing the differential DNA preservation in Palaeolithic sediments and osseous tools from museum collections). D. M. B. supported by a Seal of Excellence Fellowship of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (‘TechnoBeads’ project no. 101061287). P. R. N. benefited from funding from the University of Vienna and the Land Nieder¨osterreich, Abteilung Wissenschaft & Forschung (project K3–F-530/005–2021). Research at La Garma (P.A. and R.O) is included in the R&D project PID2020-112832RBI00,
funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). Research at Tito Bustillo Cave (E.A.F, M.C. and J.T.) is included in the Project PID2020-114462GB-I00/AEI/10.13039/ 501100011033, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.},
publisher = {Elsevier},
publisher = {Heliyon, 2024, 10, e31858},
title = {Cervidae antlers exploited to manufacture prehistoric tools and hunting implements as a reliable source of ancient DNA},
author = {Tejero, Jose Miguel and Cheronet, Olivia and Gelabert, Pere and Zagorc, Brina and Álvarez Fernández, Esteban and Arias Cabal, Pablo and Averbouh, Aline and Bar-Oz, Guy and Barzilai, Omry and Belfer-Cohen, Anna and Bosch, Marjolein D. and Brück, Florian and Cueto, Marian and Dockner, Martin and Fullola, Josep Maria and Garate Maidagan, Diego and Giannakoulis, Michael and González, Cynthia and Jakeli, Nino and Mangado, Xavier and Meshveliani, Tengiz and Neruda, Petr and Nigst, Philip and Ontañón Peredo, Roberto and Shemer, Maayan and Simková, Petra G. and Tapia Sagarna, Jesús and Sánchez de la Torre, Marta and Schwab, Catherine and Weber, Gerhard and Pinhasi, Ron},
}