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In this communication we present key new evidence on the story of the famous Salafia embalming manuscript that further clarifies the genesis of a series of studies on this topic and corroborates our assumptions published in previous articles on this matter. In the second part of the paper, we provide a concise ethical analysis of Rosalia Lombardo’s case and try to establish a level of evidence in the assessment of her preservation by comparing facts and interpretations. Finally, we call for an independent assessment of the mummy’s state of preservation and the disclosure of the full content of the Salafia manuscript. Rosalia

The Human Embalming Project© team is currently focusing on the study of Sicilian archival documents and human bioarchaeological material. In the best spirit of the Code of Conduct of the Paleopathology Association, we would like to share information on the laws and guidelines applied in Sicily with a broader readership of colleagues.

On the Descent of Man by Charles Robert Darwin. A continuous debate since 1871

La Grotta d’Oriente, sull’isola di Favignana (Egadi, Sicilia) ha restituito una serie di sepolture e resti umani ascrivibili all’Epigravettiano finale e al Mesolitico. La Sepoltura cosiddetta Oriente A, epigravettiana, è caratterizzata da un corredo fittile consistente in conchiglie e in un ciottolo con tracce di ocra rossa. Da un punto di vista della ricostruzione ar-cheologica e della definizione degli scenari di ecologia preistorica è molto importante la caratterizzazione chimica e la deter-minazione della provenienza di questo pigmento che, com’è noto, caratterizza molti scenari paleolitici. La ricerca presenta i dati preliminari dell’analisi SEM/EDS/EDAX dei pigmenti ocracei prelevati da un ciottolo, facente parte del corredo fune-rario. L’analisi comparativa di questi pigmenti con una serie di Terre Rosse di Favignana, del trapanese e di Monte Pellegri-no, ha messo in evidenza che l’ocra di Oriente A non deriva dalle Terre Rosse di Favignana e non ha una composizione rife-ribile neppure ai suoli del trapanese e di Monte Pellegrino. Seppur da dei dati preliminari emerge l’importanza dell’applicazione di un approccio tecnico-scientifico multidisciplinare per la definizione di orizzonti archeologici ed antropo-logici preistorici. SUMMARY - PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE COMPOSITION AND PROVENANCE OF OCHRE FROM THE EPIGRAVETTIAN BURIAL OF GROTTA D’ORIENTE A, FAVIGNANA (EGADI, SICILY) - The Grotta d’Oriente, on the island of Favignana (Egadi, Sicily) has returned a series of burials and human remains attributable to the final Epigravettian and Mesolithic. The so-called Ori-ente A Burial, Epigravettian, is characterized by a funerary set consisting of shells and a pebble with traces of red ochre. From the point of view of the archaeological reconstruction and the definition of pre-historic ecology scenarios, the chemi-cal characterization and determination of the origin of this pigment which, as is well known, characterizes many Palaeolihic scenarios, is very important. The research presents preliminary data from the SEM/EDS/EDAX analysis of ochre pigments obtained from a pebble, which are part of the funerary equipment. The comparative analysis of these pigments with a series of red earths from Favignana, Trapani countryside and Monte Pellegrino, highlighted that the ochre of Oriente A does not derive from the Terre Rosse of Favignana and does not have a composition referable even to same soils of Trapani and Monte Pellegrino. Although coming from preliminary data, these show the importance of applying a multidisciplinary tech-nical-scientific approach for the definition of prehistoric archaeological and anthropological horizons.

Modern humans have populated Europe for more than 45,000 years1,2. Our knowledge of the genetic relatedness and structure of ancient hunter-gatherers is however limited, owing to the scarceness and poor molecular preservation of human remains from that period3. Here we analyse 356 ancient hunter-gatherer genomes, including new genomic data for 116 individuals from 14 countries in western and central Eurasia, spanning between 35,000 and 5,000 years ago. We identify a genetic ancestry profile in individuals associated with Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian assemblages from western Europe that is distinct from contemporaneous groups related to this archaeological culture in central and southern Europe4, but resembles that of preceding individuals associated with the Aurignacian culture. This ancestry profile survived during the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 to 19,000 years ago) in human populations from southwestern Europe associated with the Solutrean culture, and with the following Magdalenian culture that re-expanded northeastward after the Last Glacial Maximum. Conversely, we reveal a genetic turnover in southern Europe suggesting a local replacement of human groups around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, accompanied by a north-to-south dispersal of populations associated with the Epigravettian culture. From at least 14,000 years ago, an ancestry related to this culture spread from the south across the rest of Europe, largely replacing the Magdalenian-associated gene pool. After a period of limited admixture that spanned the beginning of the Mesolithic, we find genetic interactions between western and eastern European hunter-gatherers, who were also characterized by marked differences in phenotypically relevant variants. Ancient DNA data generation Before the LGM LGM in southwestern and western Europe Post-LGM in the Italian peninsula Post-LGM in western and central Europe Post-14 ka to Neolithic Phenotypically relevant variants Discussion and conclusions Methods

Summary ― The «Painted Hypogeum of Crispia Salvia» is the most important monument of the ancient Punic-Roman necropolis of Lilibeo (today's Marsala). It is the only known paradigmatic example in Sicily of pictorial wall decoration. Iulius Demetrius commissioned the monument in memory of his wife Crispia Salvia, a noblewoman descended from two very important Sicilian families. Here we report on a preliminary anthropological study of Tombs 3 and 4 (Crispia Salvia and Iulius Demetrius). We integrated the historical-cultural context with the osteological data. The results combining laboratory and archaeological research confirm the presence of two high-ranking individuals characterized by conditions and lifestyle that were exclusive to Roman patrician families.

Riassunto ― Il lavoro presenta i risultati delle analisi bio-archeologiche effettuate su resti scheletrici umani rinvenuti in quattordici sepolture di epoca medioevale rinvenute nel Parco Archeologico della Valle dei Templi di Agrigento (Sicilia). L’obiettivo è stato l’acquisizione delle informazioni necessarie per la ricostruzione del profilo biologico di ciascun individuo, al fine di determinarne il sesso, la stima dell’età biologica alla morte, la stima della statura e la valutazione delle patologie e degli indicatori di stress occupazionale mediante le correnti metodologie e tecniche diagnostiche di tipo antropologico. Sebbene il cattivo stato di conservazione di alcuni individui non ne abbia consentito la caratterizzazione antropologica, le indagini hanno messo in luce l’eterogeneità relativa alle classi d’età e hanno permesso di constatare la manifestazione di alterazioni di natura patologica nei soggetti di età matura, talvolta di eziologia non ancora accertata, come la DISH (Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis). La dimensione del campione non è rappresentativa dell’intera popolazione, ma approfondimenti successivi forniranno una migliore comprensione delle dinamiche popolazionistiche di Agrigento medievale.

l'autore svolge una disamina storica sul termine razza e sull'esigenza crescente di rivalutare l'adeguatezza della sua posizione nell'articolo 3 della Costituzione italiana

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), known as red palm weevil (RPW) was accidentally introduced and established in Sicily (Italy) since 2005. As like in other Mediterranean sites, RPW has been causing extensive damage to palm trees and on its new host Phoenix canariensis Chabaud (Canary Island palms), acquired concomitantly with the colonization of the area. RPW shows a good ecological plasticity and slightly but significant morphological polymorphism (colour patterns and length of the rostrum in male individuals) that can be appreciated within different geographical populations. The aim of the present work was to investigate if this ecological plasticity and phenotypic variability can be accompanied by features in chromosomes like changes in diploid number or chromosome morphology, when compared to other RPW populations. Literature data on karyotype analysis reveals a diploid number (2n = 22). In this paper, the karyotypes of different morphotypes of RPW Sicilian populations, collected from P. canariensis, were analysed using conventional staining, C-banding and sequential staining with the fluorochromes chromomycin-A3/4-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (CMA3/DAPI). The analyses of metaphases obtained from the testes of adults showed that the species has 2n = 22 chromosomes, with 10 autosomal pairs and a sex chromosome pair. The eu-heterochromatic composition investigated with CTG banding, DAPI, CMA3, and NOR do not indicate any peculiarity in the populations investigated. R. ferrugineus has a Coleoptera Curculionoidea chromosomal asset and functional compartimentalization. RPW presents a karyotype with intermediate characteristics between Dryophthorinae and Curculioninae such as micro Y chromosome and the typical “sphere-shape” of the sexual bivalent in prophase-I or after C-banding.

Summary - The animal and plant biodiversity of the Italian territory is known to be one of the richest in the Mediterranean basin and Europe as a whole, but does the genetic diversity of extant human populations show a comparable pattern? According to a number of studies, the genetic structure of Italian populations retains the signatures of complex peopling processes which took place from the Paleolithic to modern era. Although the observed patterns highlight a remarkable degree of genetic heterogeneity, they do not, however, take into account an important source of variation. In fact, Italy is home to numerous ethnolinguistic minorities which have yet to be studied systematically. Due to their difference in geographical origin and demographic history, such groups not only signal the cultural and social diversity of our country, but they are also potential contributors to its bio-anthropological heterogeneity. To fill this gap, research groups from four Italian Universities (Bologna, Cagliari, Pisa and Roma Sapienza) started a collaborative study in 2007, which was funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research and received partial support by the Istituto Italiano di Antropologia. In this paper, we present an account of the results obtained in the course of this initiative. Four case-studies relative to linguistic minorities from the Eastern Alps, Sardinia, Apennines and Southern Italy are first described and discussed, focusing on their micro-evolutionary and anthropological implications. Thereafter, we present the results of a systematic analysis of the relations between linguistic, geographic and genetic isolation. Integrating the data obtained in the course of the long-term study with literature and unpublished results on Italian populations, we show that a combination of linguistic and geographic factors is probably responsible for the presence of the most robust signatures of genetic isolation. Finally, we evaluate the magnitude of the diversity of Italian populations in the European context. The human genetic diversity of our country was found to be greater than observed throughout the continent at short (0-200 km) and intermediate (700-800km) distances, and accounted for most of the highest values of genetic distances observed at all geographic ranges. Interestingly, an important contribution to this pattern comes from the “linguistic islands” (e.g. German speaking groups of Sappada and Luserna from the Eastern Italian Alps), further proof of the importance of considering social and cultural factors when studying human genetic variation.

Le sepolture esaminate e descritte in questa fase preliminare sono due: T2 e T15. Ambedue si trovano sul lato destro dell’ipogeo; assimilabili per forma e dimensioni sono scavate nella matrice calcarea dell’ipogeo ed hanno un orientamento nord-Sud e non si discostano tipologicamente dalle altre tombe dell’ipogeo. La tomba n. 2 si presenta rialzata ed addossata alla parete. La tomba n. 15 è più in basso (Fig. 6).Le ossa sono state estratte dalle us in un’unica sessione di scavo. In laboratorio si è proceduto alla pulitura, siglatura ed analisi antroposcopica. I reperti sono stati misurati in accordo alla metodologia di Martin e Saller (1959). Si è proceduto alla valutazione del numero minimo di individui presenti, all’attribuzione delle classi di età e a valutazioni riguardo il sesso o lo stato di salute.Da notare che, sia nel caso della tomba 2, priva di copertura, che nel caso della tomba 15, chiusa da lastre, lo stato di conservazione del materiale è molto precario, sintomo di un’intensa tafonomia legata presumibilmente alla biostratinomia, al forte rimaneggiamento delle tombe in antico ma anche alla diagenesi determinata dalle caratteristiche ambientali dell’ipogeo e di quelle chimico-fisiche del terreno

Il culto di Demetra e Kore era uno tra i più diffusi del mondo antico di cultura greca. Tuttavia, a causa della sua forte componente misterica, le modalità secondo le quali si articolavano alcuni riti ad esso connessi rimangono poco chiare e le fonti storiche ci forniscono poche e incerte informazioni in merito. Uno dei riti chiave avveniva durante le Tesmoforie, le principali feste in onore di Demetra e Kore, e consisteva nel rito del Megarizein. Il rituale prevedeva che dei maialini venissero gettati all’interno di cavità ipogee (megara) e che successivamente venissero recuperate le loro carcasse decomposte da offrire alle divinità. Qui presentiamo i risultati preliminari di un esperimento di bio tafonomia condotto attraverso l'utilizzo di specifici sistemi biologici (carcasse di maialini) posizionati all'interno di un ambiente carsico analogo a quello che si ipotizza venisse utilizzato durante il megarizein. In particolare, il nostro studio mira a riprodurre e ad analizzare gli effetti dell'attacco sia microbico (MFD) sia entomologico sulla carcassa. Porzioni di osso sono state prelevate con l'intenzione di comparare l'eventuale presenza di tracce riferibili ad un attacco microbico, con quelle rilevabili su un campione osteologico proveniente da contesti archeologici. I nostri dati preliminari forniscono nuove informazioni riguardo uno degli argomenti più dibattuti riferiti all'ambito dell'archeologia dei culti demetriaci e che riguarda la durata del periodo di tempo che intercorreva tra il posizionamento dei maialini all'interno della cavità e il recupero delle loro carcasse. Il nostro studio sperimentale evidenzia un rapido processo di decomposizione delle carcasse posizionate all'interno degli ambienti carsici dell'area mediterranea e, pertanto, permetterebbe di ipotizzare che la completa articolazione del rito ricadesse all'interno della durata delle tesmoforie.

The early human peopling of Sicily and Western Mediterranean shores is one of the debated topic in the archaeological and anthropological literature over the twentieth century. This discussion involves not only the specific issue of the peopling of the continental island, but fundamentally the reconstruction of human migration routes and dispersals across the Mediterranean area during Early and Middle Pleistocene. Even if the common route of faunal and human movement is considered from North, and relative to the Messina strait crossing, several authors, on the base of archaeological evidences, hypothesized an early peopling and an African provenance through the Sicilian Channel. This hypothesis has been mostly rejected even if diverse palaeontological and especially archaeological findings of Modus 1 and 2 artifacts from Southern Sicily renewed the attention to this issue. However most Sicilian archaeological evidences are spotty and frequently dubitative, as they lack of stratigraphic context. Direct anthropological data are scarce and relative only to the Upper Palaeolithic and indicate a H. sapiens migration from Italian mainland. Nevertheless, palaeontological and palaeogeographic data do not exclude the possibility of a Middle Pleistocene human peopling at least. Our different research fields helped us to face the problem through diverse perspectives, on the main intent of a critical revision of all the available data from palaeontology, archaeology, palaeogeography and physical anthropology. We propose a critic discussion of the industrial evidences, the georeference of lithic and faunal retrieval sites during Early and Middle Pleistocene and a tentative palaeogeographic reconstruction of Middle Pleistocene coastal lines of Sicily on the base of the georeferred sites. Furthermore, using cranial morphometry in a wide comparative analysis between Upper Palaeolithic Sicilian, European and African samples, we indicate the probable population relationship in Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic transition periods. Our results do not exclude the possibility of several sporadic human peopling related to the Messina Strait accessibility since the Middle Pleistocene. A pulsating trend of dispersal and extinction characterized humans in Sicily at least until Mesolithic transition.

Interpreting depositional settings of cave sites is generally problematic, especially in absence of palaeontological/archaeological evidence. This is the case of some deposits at San Teodoro Cave (Sicily), a key site for the Mediterranean Palaeolithic. In a stratigraphic level interrupted by a carbonatic concretion, phosphatic nodules are present only in the part enclosed between the concretion and the cave wall. The discovery of these nodules combined with the punctual lack of fossils had initially suggested an erosion phenomenon and subsequent formation of nodules at a vadose level. Here we show the usefulness of an integrated, geochemical-palaeoecological approach in defining stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. XRD, ICP-OES, ATR-FTIR and EDS analyses allowed the formulation of a new hypothesis regarding the origin of the nodules, the depositional dynamics, and the role played by the guano produced by an extensive colony of bats. The role of barium and rubidium in detecting taphonomical processes has been highlighted.

The Mediterranean islands and their population history are of considerable importance to the interpretation of the population history of Europe as a whole. In this context, Sicily, because of its geographic position, represents a bridge between Africa, the Near East, and Europe that led to the stratification of settlements and admixture events. The genetic analysis of extant and ancient human samples has tried to reconstruct the population dynamics associated with the cultural and demographic changes that took place during the prehistory and history of Sicily. In turn, genetic, demographic and cultural changes need to be understood in the context of the environmental changes that took place over the Holocene. Based on this framework, this paper aims to discuss the cultural and demographic dimension of the island by reviewing archaeogenetic studies, and lastly, we discuss the ecological constraints related to human peopling in times of change in landscapes that occurred on the island in various periods. Finally, possible directions for future archaeogenetic studies of Sicily are discussed. Despite its long human history, Sicily is still one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. The lessons we learn from the past use of landscape provide models for sustainable future management of the Mediterranean’s landscapes.

International audience; Using cross-sectional geometry (CSG), entheseal changes (ECs), and presence of external auditory meatus exostosis (EAE), this study tests hypothesis-bases on isotopic and zooarchaeological evidence-that in the Sicilian Mesolithic terrestrial rather than marine resources were predominantly exploited, in substantial continuity with previous Epigravettian hunters. Results show similarities in the general frequency of ECs-a rough proxy for overall activity-with Late Pleistocene hunters, in contrast with Mesolithic coastal foragers or Neolithic herders/farmers. Yet, CSG suggests that this possible continuity in the type of resources exploited was accompanied by a behavioral change, and in particular the abandonment of the throwing technology, possibly in favor of new tools such as traps and the bow and arrow. In fact, the dramatic decrease in humeral bilateral asymmetry documented at a European level with the Pleistocene-Holocene transition can be found also in the Sicilian Mesolithic. Results for the lower limb appear compatible with a certain degree of terrestrial mobility in a rugged environment. The frequency of EAE suggests that activities related to water were present but not common; however, their prominence is difficult to determine 2 given the small sample size. The pattern of information provided by the proxies for activity used here is complex and partially contrasting, but has the potential to integrate and enrich archaeological methods and biochemical approaches. This study corroborates a varied scenario of continuity and discontinuity in subsistence at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, and highlights the importance of a regional bioarchaeological approach of human biological and behavioral adaptations.

Farming was first introduced to southeastern Europe in the mid-7th millennium BCE - brought by migrants from Anatolia who settled in the region before spreading throughout Europe. However, the dynamics of the interaction between the first farmers and the indigenous hunter-gatherers remain poorly understood because of the near absence of ancient DNA from the region. We report new genome-wide ancient DNA data from 204 individuals-65 Paleolithic and Mesolithic, 93 Neolithic, and 46 Copper, Bronze and Iron Age-who lived in southeastern Europe and surrounding regions between about 12,000 and 500 BCE. We document that the hunter-gatherer populations of southeastern Europe, the Baltic, and the North Pontic Steppe were distinctive from those of western Europe, with a West-East cline of ancestry. We show that the people who brought farming to Europe were not part of a single population, as early farmers from southern Greece are not descended from the Neolithic population of northwestern Anatolia that was ancestral to all other European farmers. The ancestors of the first farmers of northern and western Europe passed through southeastern Europe with limited admixture with local hunter-gatherers, but we show that some groups that remained in the region mixed extensively with local hunter-gatherers, with relatively sex-balanced admixture compared to the male-biased hunter-gatherer admixture that we show prevailed later in the North and West. After the spread of farming, southeastern Europe continued to be a nexus between East and West, with intermittent steppe ancestry, including in individuals from the Varna I cemetery and associated with the Cucuteni-Trypillian archaeological complex, up to 2,000 years before the Steppe migration that replaced much of northern Europe9s population.

The Mediterranean shores stretching between Sicily, Southern Italy and the Southern Balkans witnessed a long series of migration processes and cultural exchanges. Accordingly, present-day population diversity is composed by multiple genetic layers, which make the deciphering of different ancestral and historical contributes particularly challenging. We address this issue by genotyping 511 samples from 23 populations of Sicily, Southern Italy, Greece and Albania with the Illumina GenoChip Array, also including new samples from Albanian-and Greek-speaking ethno-linguistic minorities of Southern Italy. Our results reveal a shared Mediterranean genetic continuity, extending from Sicily to Cyprus, where Southern Italian populations appear genetically closer to Greek-speaking islands than to continental Greece. Besides a predominant Neolithic background, we identify traces of Post-Neolithic Levantine-and Caucasus-related ancestries, compatible with maritime Bronze-Age migrations. We argue that these results may have important implications in the cultural history of Europe, such as in the diffusion of some Indo-European languages. Instead, recent historical expansions from North-Eastern Europe account for the observed differentiation of present-day continental Southern Balkan groups. Patterns of IBD-sharing directly reconnect Albanian-speaking Arbereshe with a recent Balkan-source origin, while Greek-speaking communities of Southern Italy cluster with their Italian-speaking neighbours suggesting a long-term history of presence in Southern Italy., This study was supported by the Genographic Project 2.0 (Geno 2.0) Scientific Research Grant 4–13 and by the European Research Council ERC-2011-AdG 295733 grant (Langelin).

The current work is an in silico study of data from previous publications and genome browsers, on the origin of the human synteny HSA7a/16p. The molecular composition of the chromosomal segments identified as HSA7a/16 and 7b (free or differently associated) is not yet clear. This means that a syntenic association 7/16, which can be detected by an in situ hybridization (FISH) method in different taxa, may not necessarily correspond to those of the same association in different lineages. In silico research, together with comparative cytogenetics, have been applied in order to define the composition of the 7/16 syntenic association. These results allow a confident reconstruction of the syntenic associations HSA7/16 in diverse vertebrate lineages, indicating various levels of homology, but also considerable levels of non-homology, which should elicit caution with phylogenetic interpretations. The 7/16 association represents a paradigmatic example of the complexity involved in the interpretation of comparative cytogenetic data from a phylogenetic perspective.

To localize interstitial telomeric sequences (ITSs) and to test whether their pattern of distribution could be linked to chromosomal evolution, we hybridized telomeric sequence probes (peptide nucleic acid, PNA) on metaphases of New World monkeys: Callithrix argentata, Callithrix jacchus, Cebuella pygmaea, Saguinus oedipus, Saimiri sciureus, Aotus lemurinus griseimembra, Aotus nancymaae (Cebidae), Lagothrix lagotricha (Atelidae) and Callicebus moloch (Pithecidae), characterized by a rapid radiation and a high rate of chromosomal rearrangements. Our analysis of the probe signal localization allowed us to show in all the species analysed, as normally, the telomeric location at the terminal ends of chromosomes and unexpected signal distributions in some species. Indeed, in three species among the nine studied, Aotus lemurinus griseimembra, Aotus nancymaae (Cebidae) and Lagothrix lagotricha (Atelidae), we showed a high variability in terms of localization and degree of amplification of interstitial telomeric sequences, especially for the ones found at centromeric or pericentromeric positions (het-ITS). A comparative analysis, between species, of homologous chromosomes to human syntenies, on which we have found positive interspersed PNA signals, allowed us to explain the observed pattern of ITS distribution as results of chromosomal rearrangements in the neotropical primates analysed. This evidence permitted us to discuss the possible implication of ITSs as phylogenetic markers for closely related species. Moreover, reviewing previous literature data of ITSs distribution in Primates and in the light of our results, we suggest an underestimation of ITSs and highlight the importance of the molecular cytogenetics approach in characterizing ITSs, which role is still not clarified. Riassunto La distribuzione delle sequenze telomeriche intersperse sui cromosomi di nove Platyrrhinae: possibili implicazioni evolutive e filogenetiche Al fine di localizzare le sequence telomeriche intersperse (ITS) e verificare se il loro pattern di distribuzione e ricollegabile all'evoluzione cromosomica sono state ibridate sonde telomeriche (TTAGGG)n sulle metafasi di specie Platyrrhinae caratterizzate da una rapida radiazione ed da un alto tasso di riarrangiamenti cromosomomici: Callithrix argentata, Callithrix jacchus, Cebuella pygmaea, Saguinus oedipus, Saimiri sciureus, Aotus lemurinus griseimembra, Aotus nancymaae (Cebidae), Lagothrix lagotricha (Atelidae), e Callicebus moloch (Pithecidae). L'analisi del segnale della sonda PNA mappato sui cromosomi ha permesso di dimostrare, in tutte le specie, come atteso, la normale localizzazione delle sequenze telomeriche sulle estremita terminali dei cromosomi e solo su alcune di esse, invece, una distribuzione peculiare delle sequenze telomeriche intersperse. Infatti in tre specie tra le nove analizzate Aotus lemurinus griseimembra, Aotus nancymaae (Cebidae), e Lagothrix lagotricha (Atelidae) e stata dimostrata un'alta variabilita nella distribuzione e nel grado di amplificazione delle ITS, in special modo per quelle riscontrate in regioni centro o pericentromeriche (het-ITS). L'analisi comparativa dei cromosomi delle specie in esame, omologhi alle sintenie cromosomiche umane, sui quali si sono riscontrati segnali della sonda PNA interspersi, ha permesso di spiegare il pattern di distribuzione delle ITS osservato come risultato di riarrangiamenti cromosomici verificatesi nel corso dell'evoluzione in Primates, in particolar modo in Platyrrhinae. Queste evidenze hanno inoltre permesso di discutere le possibili implicazioni delle ITS come marker filogenetici. In ultimo, da un'analisi dei dati presenti in letteratura sulla distribuzione delle ITS in Primates ed alla luce dei risultati ottenuti si ipotizza che gli ITS possano essere stati sottostimati e si evidenzia l'importanza dell'approccio citogenetico nello studio degli ITS, sequenze il cui ruolo e ancora poco conosciuto e che meriterebbe maggiori approfondimenti.

A survey of opportunistic biocenosis (macro and micro organisms) associated with a rest of human mummy samples was carried out to characterise the biocenosis and to detect the potential of biodeteriogens. The rests of the human modern mummies come from a hypogeic site. Since mummies are relevant from a historic-artistic-scientific point of view, an aspect of this study was the identification and characterization of the biological systems related with biodeterioration of organic matter. In a first step, different sampling methods, according to the taxa, were applied. Technological procedures were combined in order to have an interdisciplinary approach to the conservation actions for testing future restoration protocols. Specimens were collected, identified and characterized by Microscopy (light, SEM, CLSM) and molecular analyses (DNA extraction, in vitro target sequence amplification, sequencing, sequence analysis). The results highlight a rather complex biocenonsis consisting of fungi, cyanobacteria, several insects and other arthropods.

Gli aspetti religiosi ricoprivano un ruolo essenziale nella vita degli antichi greci. Tale ritualità si esprimeva attra- verso un’articolazione multiforme e diversif icata, spesso di diff icile lettura per gli archeologi. Tuttavia, è possibile identif icare all’interno di queste pratiche religiose un denominatore comune nella presenza degli animali come principale offerta sacrif icale. Il presente lavoro riguarda i primi dati zooarcheologici provenienti dalle recenti ricerche che hanno interessato l’area del santuario della Malophoros a Selinunte. La nostra indagine si pone come obiettivo principale l’esplora- zione delle modalità sacrif icali utilizzate dagli antichi frequentatori del santuario, ponendo particolare attenzione su tutti quegli elementi tafonomici riferibili ad un particolare trattamento subito dall’animale a scopo rituale. Le analisi f ino ad ora effettuate hanno riguardato un totale di 2299 resti faunistici di cui 805 attribuiti a livello specif ico. L’analisi incrociata dei reperti combusti e della distribuzione dei diversi elementi anatomici all’interno del campione ha mostrato che durante i riti che prevedevano la combustione dell’animale veniva preferita una particolare porzione: la coscia o le sue ossa. Sebbene si tratti di dati preliminari, le informazioni provenienti dallo studio delle faune sembrerebbero evidenzia- re la presenza di diversi utilizzi dell’animale a scopo rituale (olocausto, moirocausto, θυσία) che ben si accorda con la generale complessa articolazione del santuario selinuntino. Rituals played an essential role in the life of the ancient Greeks. These rituals were often expressed through multifaceted and diverse ways that are often diff icult to read in the archaeological record. However, it is possible to identify a common denominator in the use of animals as the main sacrif icial offering within these religious practices. We are presenting here the f irst zooarchaeology data from recent excavations in the area of the sanctuary of Malophoros at Selinunte. The main aim of our investigation, which is still ongoing, is the exploration of ancient sacrif icial rituals. We are paying particular attention to taphonomic aspects that are indicative of any specif ic treatment of animals for ritual purposes. The analysis carried out has included a total of 2,299 animal remains, of which 805 are attributed to species level. The combined analysis of burnt remains and that of the distribution of body parts showed that the preferred part offered to some deities was the thigh bone. The preliminary results of our data seem to highlight the presence of different uses of the animals for ritual purposes (holocaust, moirocaust, θυσία). The evidence is consistent with the articulation of the sanctuary.

The vast wealth of cultural artifacts and ancient biological samples can today be investigated using a great variety of methods and technologies. The result is a growing diffusion of studies on DNA, isotopes and morphometrics, and the exponential growth of publications and bio-archaeological discoveries of inestimable value for different areas of interpretation, such as phylogeny, history and archaeology. This paper describes the morphological and molecular study of a rare specimen of Felis from an Early Bronze Age horizon. The report offers the opportunity for a brief discussion on cat taming, on the origin of this practice and on the archaeological importance of this specimen for the reconstruction of taming practices in the Western Mediterranean Basin., Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage, Vol 15, No 2 (2015): Special Issue for Second Conference on Biology and Archaeobiology – from Knowledge to Preventive Conservation

Genetic and cytogenetic comparison in between man and non-human primates has largely contributed to the knowledge of the evolution of the Order Primates, and in particular of man. Recently, the "Chromosome painting" approach indicated a strong conservation of syntenies in Eutheria. At present, a more precise identification of breakpoints and evolutionary related rearrangements can be obtained by BAC and locus specific in situ hybridi- sation. In spite to this situation the evolutionary history of different human autosomes remains a dilemma; at the same time, high resolution banded chromosome analysis confirms to be a valuable tool for the preliminary detection of fine rearrangements. This review critically describes current information concerning the evolution of human chro- mosome 7 orthologous in several Eutherian groups. Included in this analysis are data on species belonging to 11 or- ders. Nevertheless, this study has been mainly focused on Primates were we considered data from 9 species of Prosimians, 25 species of Platirrhinae, and 51 species of Catarrhinae. Chromosome 7 synteny appeared in a mamma- lian ancestor in a dual form, generally described as 7a and 7b forms. These chromosomes underwent to several line- specific rearrangements in the different orders. A particular complexity in chromosome rearrangements has been highlighted in Primates. A chronologically fossil-tuned dynamic of the synteny is proposed, starting from classical and molecular cytogenetics specific landmarks which appeared throughout evolution.

The relationship between genetic and linguistic diversification in human populations has been often explored to interpret some specific issues in human history. The Albanian-speaking minorities of Sicily and Southern Italy (Arbereshe) constitute an important portion of the ethnolinguistic variability of Italy. Their linguistic isolation from neighboring Italian populations and their documented migration history, make such minorities particularly effective for investigating the interplay between cultural, geographic and historical factors. Nevertheless, the extent of Arbereshe genetic relationships with the Balkan homeland and the Italian recipient populations has been only partially investigated. In the present study we address the genetic history of Arbereshe people by combining highly resolved analyses of Y-chromosome lineages and extensive computer simulations. A large set of slow- and fast-evolving molecular markers was typed in different Arbereshe communities from Sicily and Southern Italy (Calabria), as well as in both the putative Balkan source and Italian sink populations. Our results revealed that the considered Arbereshe groups, despite speaking closely related languages and sharing common cultural features, actually experienced diverging genetic histories. The estimated proportions of genetic admixture confirm the tight relationship of Calabrian Arbereshe with modern Albanian populations, in accordance with linguistic hypotheses. On the other hand, population stratification and/or an increased permeability of linguistic and geographic barriers may be hypothesized for Sicilian groups, to account for their partial similarity with Greek populations and their higher levels of local admixture. These processes ultimately resulted in the differential acquisition or preservation of specific paternal lineages by the present-day Arbereshe communities.European Journal of Human Genetics advance online publication, 1 July 2015; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2015.138.

All’interno del S.I.C, “Rupi di Catalfano e Capo Zafferano”, alcune delle grotte presenti sono state frequentate dall’uomo fin dalla preistoria. Mettendo a confronto la genesi delle cavità e la loro ubicazione topografica, è evidente che la scelta dei siti consoni a essere usati dall’uomo è marcatamente strategica e ponderata. L’indagine è stata condotta dapprima individuando e raggiungendo i siti noti in bibliografia, dai quali si è cercato di elaborare un modello per individuare nuovi siti che potessero presentare evidenze di frequentazione umana risalenti alla preistoria, soprattutto recente. All’interno di una grotta, Zubbio di Cozzo San Pietro, ubicata ad una quota di 300 m s.l.m sul versante est di Cozzo San Pietro, ad una profondità di 15 m, è stato rinvenuto e fotografato un deposito contenente resti umani, ossa, denti, alcuni frammenti d’industria litica, fra cui una scheggia di ossidiana, e numerosi frammenti fittili, alcuni databili all’età del Bronzo Medio, facies di Thapsos. A breve, all’interno del sito verrà effettuato un saggio di scavo. Sulla base delle osservazioni precedenti, sono stati considerati tutti gli elementi noti sul popolamento umano del territorio indagato, con un approccio mirato alla comprensione delle dinamiche di utilizzo dell’ambiente secondo le economie del passato.

The archaic necropolis at Motya has been long recognized as a site of great interest for the study of Phoenician burial customs in the West. Since its discovery by Joseph Whitaker more than a century ago, over 300 burials have been brought to light - mainly dating to the late 8th-7th century BC. Burials are characterized by jars used as urns and box-shaped stone cists containing the ashes and burnt bones of the dead. These are indeed secondary cremations, a very common funerary ritual of the Iron Age in the Phoenician homeland and in the colonies overseas. Despite the relevant bearing of this cemetery on historical and cultural grounds, anthropological analysis unfortunately has been mostly neglected in the past. Recent fieldwork undertaken last spring by a team from the University of Palermo now sheds new light on this aspect. The excavation took place in the eastern sector of the archaic cemetery (Area N), where two trenches (namely N15 and N16) were opened. In N15 a work of maximum retrieval and analysis of human skeletal remains has been undertaken in relation with ten obvious burials (both urns and cist graves); humans remains were further identified in a number of other loci, generally associated with lenses of ashes and clear traces of fire. In N16 evidence of cremation was mainly detected in a grave (T.510) in plain soil, adjacent to an empty stone cist, apparently belonging to a much later period. Our analysis has considered the morphology of the skeletal remains in order to establish the minimum number of individuals, their age, the appearance of the bones as a symptom of the procedure of combustion and the firing temperature. In two cases (locus 15040 and T.192) the mixed association of the inhumations was manifest. In fact, locus 15040 contained one individual infans and one adult in the same urn. Grave T.192 instead contained materials related to two adults and one infans. The temperatures of combustion usually were relatively high and constant, at around 600 degrees C°. Burial T.185 moreover was quite interesting, since the body of an infans was still buried inside a jar in partial anatomical connection, lying upside down in a vertical position, with the skull on the bottom. These new data therefore suggest that this portion of the Motya cemetery was not exclusively devoted to the incineration of particular classes of age, and that urns and cists could contain multiple interments of even very different age, a feature the latter which needs to be confirmed by further discoveries.