Spzak, Paul

This thesis employs zooarchaeological, taphonomic, and spatial analysis to reconstruct subsistence behaviors of Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals using layer V of Abric del Pastor as a case study. Located in Alcoy, Alicante, Spain, Abric del Pastor is a cave shelter with occupation layers dated from MIS 5 through 3. The faunal assemblage is examined on two time scales: i) a longer time frame focused on large scale human occupation and use and ii) another, shorter time frame in an attempt to distinguish possible shorter anthropogenic events. The layer V assemblage is comprised of at least two occupation events, Occupation A and Occupation B. These are two relatively well-preserved anthropogenic accumulations dominated by medium sized taxa. In these occupations, the carcasses were likely transported from a separate kill site to the cave shelter to be processed and consumed. The taxonomic and taphonomic patterns uncovered in these occupation events are similar suggesting consistent behavioral patterns throughout Layer V. Ultimately, the faunal assemblage is typical of other MIS 5-3 rock shelters in the Iberian Peninsula. By examining the subsistence practices of layer V, dated to MIS 4, this work aims to fill a gap in the MIS 4 Iberian Peninsula literature and add to the conversation on how early hominins adapted to the changing climate.

Author Keywords: Abric del Pastor, Iberian Peninsula, Middle Paleolithic, Palimpsest, Time Perspectivism, Zooarchaeology

Since the mid-Pleistocene, evolutionary histories of North American species were shaped by extreme climatic oscillations involving major range and habitat shifts at a rapid pace. The peopling of the continent and the subsequent human colonisation waves created further pressures affecting North American faunal and plant populations. Cervidae (deer family) are a diverse group which arrived in North America approximately 5 million years ago, and is represented on the continent by several extant species. The overarching aim of my thesis is to understand how North America's dynamic history shaped the evolutionary trajectory of the region's Cervidae species. In Chapter 2, I investigated the speciation and hybridisation history of the sister species white-tailed (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) using whole genome data of individuals from across their ranges, including zones of sympatry and allopatry. I found negligible patterns of ancient gene-flow suggesting white-tailed and mule deer divergence occurred via drift and their hybridisation is the result of secondary contact. In Chapter 3, I furthered our understanding of the Odocoileus species pair evolutionary history through explicit demographic inference and selection analyses. I used deer samples from across North America and found strong signals of climate- and human-induced population declines. Particularly, this work highlights the impact of European settlers and patterns of conservation concerns for mule deer. For Chapter 4, I clarified the phylogenetic relationship of a contentious taxon, Torontoceros hypogaeus, that went extinct during the late Pleistocene extinction event. I analysed 11k years old DNA of the single specimen representing the species, performed phylogenetic and divergence analyses, and found it belongs to the Odocoileus genus as Odocoileus (Torontoceros) hypogaeus which should be included in North America's late Pleistocene extinction list. Finally, in Chapter 5, I investigated genetic diversity over time in five North American Cervidae using contemporary and ancient DNA. I found patterns of change in genetic diversity that are consistent with known dispersal and demographic histories of our target species. Altogether, my thesis provides valuable insight into the evolutionary history of Northern American Cervidae, and on how they have been impacted by the continent's dynamic past.

Author Keywords: Cervidae, Demographic history, Extinction, Human impact, Hybridisation, Speciation genomics

This thesis employs zooarchaeological, taphonomic, and spatial analysis to reconstruct subsistence behaviors of Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals using layer V of Abric del Pastor as a case study. Located in Alcoy, Alicante, Spain, Abric del Pastor is a cave shelter with occupation layers dated from MIS 5 through 3. The faunal assemblage is examined on two time scales: i) a longer time frame focused on large scale human occupation and use and ii) another, shorter time frame in an attempt to distinguish possible shorter anthropogenic events. The layer V assemblage is comprised of at least two occupation events, Occupation A and Occupation B. These are two relatively well-preserved anthropogenic accumulations dominated by medium sized taxa. In these occupations, the carcasses were likely transported from a separate kill site to the cave shelter to be processed and consumed. The taxonomic and taphonomic patterns uncovered in these occupation events are similar suggesting consistent behavioral patterns throughout Layer V. Ultimately, the faunal assemblage is typical of other MIS 5-3 rock shelters in the Iberian Peninsula. By examining the subsistence practices of layer V, dated to MIS 4, this work aims to fill a gap in the MIS 4 Iberian Peninsula literature and add to the conversation on how early hominins adapted to the changing climate.

Author Keywords: Abric del Pastor, Iberian Peninsula, Middle Paleolithic, Palimpsest, Time Perspectivism, Zooarchaeology