8,000 years of domestic plants and animals evolution

allowen Evin

ISEM, CNRS-Université de Montpellier, France

Allowen.evin@umontpellier.fr

Link to onsite registration: https://duo.dr13.cnrs.fr/public/evenement/index

Link to seminar: https://umontpellier-fr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EDPDLZQNSUmPRfEqejYCaQ

The development of agricultural societies is closely linked to the domestication and selection of plants and animals. The north-western Mediterranean basin, rich in archaeological sites, offers a unique repository of archaeozoological and archaeobotanical remains. The DEMETER project (ERC-St Grant) analyses plant and animal remains from 586 sites to trace the long-term biological and cultural evolution of domestic species since their introduction to the region 8,000 years ago. Focus-ing on morphometric variation, the project explores the diversification of domestic populations into the breeds and varieties seen today. We have primarily analysed geometric morphometric data of animal teeth (sheep, pigs, goats) and cereal grains (barley), along with linear biometric data from both wild and domestic species. Our findings reveal distinct patterns of morphometric change, with similarities and divergences between species interpreted through archaeological, palaeoclimatic, and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions specific to the region. These results underscore the complex interaction between anthropogenic and environmental factors over the past 8,000 years, suggesting a greater influence of environmental conditions on domestic populations than previously recognized.

Watch previous seminars on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrX4IsZ8WIFcDa0ZmC7rcQg