Fiona Marshall
Washington University in St. Louis, Anthropology, Faculty Member
Genetic data from extant donkeys ( Equus asinus ) have revealed two distinct mitochondrial DNA haplogroups, suggestive of two separate domestication events in northeast Africa about 5000 years ago. Without distinct phylogeographic... more
Genetic data from extant donkeys ( Equus asinus ) have revealed two distinct mitochondrial DNA haplogroups, suggestive of two separate domestication events in northeast Africa about 5000 years ago. Without distinct phylogeographic structure in domestic donkey haplogroups and with little information on the genetic makeup of the ancestral African wild ass, however, it has been difficult to identify wild ancestors and geographical origins for the domestic mitochondrial clades. Our analysis of ancient archaeological and historic museum samples provides the first genetic information on the historic Nubian wild ass ( Equus africanus africanus ), Somali wild ass ( Equus africanus somaliensis ) and ancient donkey. The results demonstrate that the Nubian wild ass was an ancestor of the first donkey haplogroup. In contrast, the Somali wild ass has considerable mitochondrial divergence from the Nubian wild ass and domestic donkeys. These findings resolve the long-standing issue of the role of ...
Research Interests: Geography, Demography, Endangered Species, Biological Sciences, Phylogeny, and 14 moreMitochondrial DNA, Equidae, Haplotypes, Animals, Ancient DNA, Cluster Analysis, Skin, Biological evolution, Feces, Species Specificity, Base Sequence, Bone and Bones, Molecular Sequence Data, and Medical and Health Sciences
Bone modification patterns have been widely used to discuss early hominid diet and subsistence strategies. This paper presents the results of a study of bone modification at the Kenyan Postoral Neolithic site of Ngamuriak, and discusses... more
Bone modification patterns have been widely used to discuss early hominid diet and subsistence strategies. This paper presents the results of a study of bone modification at the Kenyan Postoral Neolithic site of Ngamuriak, and discusses its relevance to the interpretation of faunas ...
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Deloraine is the earliest known Iron-Age occupation site in the central Rift Valley of Kenya. Excavations were first conducted there in 1969 by Mark Cohen. His report (1972) briefly describes the stratigraphy and the pottery, with RM... more
Deloraine is the earliest known Iron-Age occupation site in the central Rift Valley of Kenya. Excavations were first conducted there in 1969 by Mark Cohen. His report (1972) briefly describes the stratigraphy and the pottery, with RM Gramly reporting on identifications of the teeth recovered in the ...
Research Interests: Archaeology and Africa
236 I CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY Fig. i. Criteria for differentiating B. indicus from B. taurus by orbital-rim shape (adapted from Grigson rçj6:i23; 1980:23). f, frontal-, о, orbital; 1, lacrimal; j jugal; a, B. taurus, with sharp, converging... more
236 I CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY Fig. i. Criteria for differentiating B. indicus from B. taurus by orbital-rim shape (adapted from Grigson rçj6:i23; 1980:23). f, frontal-, о, orbital; 1, lacrimal; j jugal; a, B. taurus, with sharp, converging borders to lower angle of orbital rim, ...
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Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Paleoecology, Food Production, Infectious Diseases, and 15 moreKenya, Multidisciplinary, African Archaeology, Humans, Carbon Isotopes, Holocene, Pollen, Animals, Stable Isotopes and Palaeoenvironment, Cattle, Ecosystem, Biological markers, Tooth, Animal Diseases, and Dental Enamel
... Department of Anthropology, Washington University, One Brookings Drive, St Louis, MO 63130, USA. Received 11 November 1993; accepted 12 April 1994. Available online 25 May 2005. ... 342348. L. Binford, Nunamiut Ethnoarchaeology,... more
... Department of Anthropology, Washington University, One Brookings Drive, St Louis, MO 63130, USA. Received 11 November 1993; accepted 12 April 1994. Available online 25 May 2005. ... 342348. L. Binford, Nunamiut Ethnoarchaeology, Academic Press, New York (1978). ...
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The development of pastoralism transformed human diets and societies in grasslands worldwide. The long-term success of cattle herding in Africa has been sustained by dynamic food systems, consumption of a broad range of primary and... more
The development of pastoralism transformed human diets and societies in grasslands worldwide. The long-term success of cattle herding in Africa has been sustained by dynamic food systems, consumption of a broad range of primary and secondary livestock products, and the evolution of lactase persistence (LP), which allows digestion of lactose into adulthood and enables the milk-based, high-protein, low-calorie diets characteristic of contemporary pastoralists. Despite the presence of multiple alleles associated with LP in ancient and present-day eastern African populations, the contexts for selection for LP and the long-term development of pastoralist foodways in this region remain unclear. Pastoral Neolithic (c. 5000 to 1200 BP) faunas indicate that herders relied on cattle, sheep, and goats and some hunting, but direct information on milk consumption, plant use, and broader culinary patterns is rare. Combined chemical and isotopic analysis of ceramic sherds (n = 125) from Pastoral N...
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Research Interests: Archaeology and Antiquity
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Grasslands are one of the world's most extensive terrestrial biomes and are central to the survival of herders, their livestock and diverse communities of large wild mammals. In Africa, tropical soils are predominantly... more
Grasslands are one of the world's most extensive terrestrial biomes and are central to the survival of herders, their livestock and diverse communities of large wild mammals. In Africa, tropical soils are predominantly nutrient-limited but productive grassy patches in wooded grassland savannah ecosystems grow on fertile soils created by geologic and edaphic factors, megafauna, fire and termites. Mobile pastoralists also create soil-fertility hotspots by penning their herds at night, which concentrates excrement-and thus nutrients-from grazing of the surrounding savannahs. Historical anthropogenic hotspots produce high-quality forage, attract wildlife and increase spatial heterogeneity in African savannahs. Archaeological research suggests this effect extends back at least 1,000 years but little is known about nutrient persistence at millennial scales. Here we use chemical, isotopic and sedimentary analyses to show high nutrient and N enrichment in on-site degraded dung deposits ...
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Dongodien (GaJi 4) is a site close to, the eastern shore of Lake Turkana, excavated by one of us GB) and already mentioned briefly in Azania (XII, 1977, pp. 37-40). It was occupied about four-thousand years ago by a community which fished... more
Dongodien (GaJi 4) is a site close to, the eastern shore of Lake Turkana, excavated by one of us GB) and already mentioned briefly in Azania (XII, 1977, pp. 37-40). It was occupied about four-thousand years ago by a community which fished and hunted but which also kept ...
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236 I CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY Fig. i. Criteria for differentiating B. indicus from B. taurus by orbital-rim shape (adapted from Grigson rçj6:i23; 1980:23). f, frontal-, о, orbital; 1, lacrimal; j jugal; a, B. taurus, with sharp, converging... more
236 I CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY Fig. i. Criteria for differentiating B. indicus from B. taurus by orbital-rim shape (adapted from Grigson rçj6:i23; 1980:23). f, frontal-, о, orbital; 1, lacrimal; j jugal; a, B. taurus, with sharp, converging borders to lower angle of orbital rim, ...
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Fiona Marshall (Department of Anthropology, Washington University-St. Louis, Campus Box 1114, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130; fmarshal@artsci.wustl.edu). AGRICULTURE AND USE OF WILD AND WEEDY GREENS BY THE PIIKAP OOM OKIEK OF... more
Fiona Marshall (Department of Anthropology, Washington University-St. Louis, Campus Box 1114, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130; fmarshal@artsci.wustl.edu). AGRICULTURE AND USE OF WILD AND WEEDY GREENS BY THE PIIKAP OOM OKIEK OF KENYA. ...
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Research Interests: Adaptation, Kenya, Economy, Settlement, Habitat, and 4 morePredation, Hunting, Pastoralism, and Environment
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We observed a group of three young female Somali wild asses to develop an ethogram of social behavior in the first phase of a longer term study of social, sexual, and maternal/infant behavior. The most unexpected finding was the frequency... more
We observed a group of three young female Somali wild asses to develop an ethogram of social behavior in the first phase of a longer term study of social, sexual, and maternal/infant behavior. The most unexpected finding was the frequency and extent of aggressive interactions, which included Charge, Drive, Neck Wrestle, Head Butt, and Body Slam, behaviors previously reported only for males of other equid species. The overall frequency of aggressive behavior was higher than that of affiliative behavior (84±16.5 vs. 32±5.5, P=0.03), yet no injuries occurred. The dyadic directionality of aggressive behavior suggested a dominance hierarchy, a feature not previously reported for either wild ass or domestic donkeys. The aggression observed may be an accurate representation of the behavior of this species, or their relatively young ages, or their recent transfer from their natal group through quarantine and into a new enclosure may have heightened agonistic tendencies. Further studies will determine whether with time their aggressive behavior becomes more intense or dissipates with maturity.
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Differences between body part representation of small and large domestic stock at Ngamuriak, a Pastoral Neolithic site in Kenya, are generally similar to those described for small and large wild animals at many other sites from different... more
Differences between body part representation of small and large domestic stock at Ngamuriak, a Pastoral Neolithic site in Kenya, are generally similar to those described for small and large wild animals at many other sites from different time periods. In order to explore ...
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... Department of Anthropology, Washington University, One Brookings Drive, St Louis, MO 63130, USA. Received 11 November 1993; accepted 12 April 1994. Available online 25 May 2005. ... 342348. L. Binford, Nunamiut Ethnoarchaeology,... more
... Department of Anthropology, Washington University, One Brookings Drive, St Louis, MO 63130, USA. Received 11 November 1993; accepted 12 April 1994. Available online 25 May 2005. ... 342348. L. Binford, Nunamiut Ethnoarchaeology, Academic Press, New York (1978). ...
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ABSTRACT
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Little is known about the beginnings and spread of food production in the tropics, but recent research suggests that definitions that depend on morphological change may hamper recognition of early farming in these regions. The earliest... more
Little is known about the beginnings and spread of food production in the tropics, but recent research suggests that definitions that depend on morphological change may hamper recognition of early farming in these regions. The earliest form of food production in Africa developed in arid tropical grasslands. Animals were the earliest domesticates, and the mobility of early herders shaped the development of social and economic systems. Genetic data indicate that cattle were domesticated in North Africa and suggest domestication of ...
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We address the interpretation of Plio/Pleistocene hominid" home-base" sites in East Africa by integrating data from archaeology, primatology, and carnivore biology. Revisionist views of Plio/Pleistocene... more
We address the interpretation of Plio/Pleistocene hominid" home-base" sites in East Africa by integrating data from archaeology, primatology, and carnivore biology. Revisionist views of Plio/Pleistocene sites have emphasized the limited capacities of early hominids and the ...
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Deloraine is the earliest known Iron-Age occupation site in the central Rift Valley of Kenya. Excavations were first conducted there in 1969 by Mark Cohen. His report (1972) briefly describes the stratigraphy and the pottery, with RM... more
Deloraine is the earliest known Iron-Age occupation site in the central Rift Valley of Kenya. Excavations were first conducted there in 1969 by Mark Cohen. His report (1972) briefly describes the stratigraphy and the pottery, with RM Gramly reporting on identifications of the teeth recovered in the ...
Research Interests: Archaeology and Africa
Dongodien (GaJi 4) is a site close to, the eastern shore of Lake Turkana, excavated by one of us GB) and already mentioned briefly in Azania (XII, 1977, pp. 37-40). It was occupied about four-thousand years ago by a community which fished... more
Dongodien (GaJi 4) is a site close to, the eastern shore of Lake Turkana, excavated by one of us GB) and already mentioned briefly in Azania (XII, 1977, pp. 37-40). It was occupied about four-thousand years ago by a community which fished and hunted but which also kept ...
Research Interests: Archaeology and Africa
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In an effort to understand the relative advantages and drawbacks of the minimum number of individuals (MNI) and number of identifiable specimens (NISP) for quantifying body-part representation in faunas from archaeological sites, we... more
In an effort to understand the relative advantages and drawbacks of the minimum number of individuals (MNI) and number of identifiable specimens (NISP) for quantifying body-part representation in faunas from archaeological sites, we analyzed relations among NISP, MNI, fragmentation, and bulk density in the fauna from Ngamuriak, a Kenyan pastoral Neolithic site. Our findings suggest that MNI is at least as sensitive as NISP to effects of fragmentation. While MNI decreases with increasing fragmentation, NISP moves in two directions with fragmentation, increasing at low levels of fragmentation and decreasing at high levels of fragmentation. In addition, MNI appears more sensitive than NISP to the relative identifiability of different body parts. We believe MNI may be a less representative descriptor of relative element frequency than NISP in highly fragmented assemblages.
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Domestication of the donkey from the African wild ass transformed ancient transport systems in Africa and Asia and the organization of early cities and pastoral societies. Genetic research suggests an African origin for the donkey, but... more
Domestication of the donkey from the African wild ass transformed ancient transport systems in Africa and Asia and the organization of early cities and pastoral societies. Genetic research suggests an African origin for the donkey, but pinpointing the timing and location of domestication has been challenging because donkeys are uncommon in the archaeological record and markers for early phases of animal domestication are hard to determine. We present previously undescribed evidence for the earliest transport use of the donkey and new paleopathological indicators for early phases of donkey domestication. Findings are based on skeletal data from 10 Ϸ5,000-year-old ass skeletons recently discovered entombed in an early pharaonic mortuary complex at Abydos, Middle Egypt, and a concurrent study of 53 modern donkey and African wild ass skeletons. Morphometric studies showed that Abydos metacarpals were similar in overall proportions to those of wild ass, but individual measurements varied. Midshaft breadths resembled wild ass, but midshaft depths and distal breadths were intermediate between wild ass and domestic donkey. Despite this, all of the Abydos skeletons exhibited a range of osteopathologies consistent with load carrying. Morphological similarities to wild ass show that, despite their use as beasts of burden, donkeys were still undergoing considerable phenotypic change during the early Dy-nastic period in Egypt. This pattern is consistent with recent studies of other domestic animals that suggest that the process of domestication is slower and less linear than previously thought.
Research Interests: Zooarchaeology, Morphometrics, Egyptian Archaeology, Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, Ritual Zooarchaeology, and 9 moreAncient Egypt, donkey, genetics, Equus africanus, Equus asinus, Animals in ancient Egypt, Donkeys, Royal Ideology In Egypt, Wild Ass, Ancient Egyptian Funerary Archaeology, and Osteopathology
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Ethnoarchaeological research on donkey-use among Maasai pastoralists in Kajiado District, Kenya provides new insights into the intersection between donkey biology, behavior, and husbandry. Significant findings include detailed... more
Ethnoarchaeological research on donkey-use among Maasai pastoralists in Kajiado District, Kenya provides new
insights into the intersection between donkey biology, behavior, and husbandry. Significant findings include detailed information on the gendered context of tasks for which donkeys are used, the amount of effort expended in
donkey management, patterns of herd growth, and the influence of donkeys on pastoral household labor and
rangeland management. Women’s use of donkeys to transport water and other crucial resources to people and
reliance on donkeys for transport during long-distance residential movements reduces energy expended in domestic work, contribute to flexible mobility, and allow herders to reconcile often conflicting needs for water and
pasture. Donkeys have relatively few costs and significantly enhance options for flexible mobility and survival in
the study area. These results contribute to understanding donkey domestication processes, increasingly mobile
African pastoral societies of the mid-Holocene, and strategies for sustaining ancient pastoral herds on long-distance
migrations and colonization events resulting from Saharan expansion. We hypothesize that reliance on
donkeys for transport underlies the successful mobile responses of food producers to climate change in northeastern Africa and the spread of food production on the continent.
insights into the intersection between donkey biology, behavior, and husbandry. Significant findings include detailed information on the gendered context of tasks for which donkeys are used, the amount of effort expended in
donkey management, patterns of herd growth, and the influence of donkeys on pastoral household labor and
rangeland management. Women’s use of donkeys to transport water and other crucial resources to people and
reliance on donkeys for transport during long-distance residential movements reduces energy expended in domestic work, contribute to flexible mobility, and allow herders to reconcile often conflicting needs for water and
pasture. Donkeys have relatively few costs and significantly enhance options for flexible mobility and survival in
the study area. These results contribute to understanding donkey domestication processes, increasingly mobile
African pastoral societies of the mid-Holocene, and strategies for sustaining ancient pastoral herds on long-distance
migrations and colonization events resulting from Saharan expansion. We hypothesize that reliance on
donkeys for transport underlies the successful mobile responses of food producers to climate change in northeastern Africa and the spread of food production on the continent.
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It is difficult to overstate the cultural and biological impacts that the domestication of plants and animals has had on our species. Fundamental questions regarding where, when, and how many times domestication took place have been of... more
It is difficult to overstate the cultural and biological impacts that the domestication of plants and animals has had on our species. Fundamental questions regarding where, when, and how many times domestication took place have been of primary interest within a wide range of academic disciplines. Within the last two decades, the advent of new archaeological and genetic techniques has revolutionized our understanding of the pattern and process of domestication and agricultural origins that led to our modern way of life. In the spring of 2011, 25 scholars with a central interest in domestication representing the fields of genetics, archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, geoarchaeology, and archaeology met at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center to discuss recent domestication research progress and identify challenges for the future. In this introduction to the resulting Special Feature, we present the state of the art in the field by discussing what is known about the spatial and temporal patterns of domestication, and controversies surrounding the speed, intentionality, and evolutionary aspects of the domestication process. We then highlight three key challenges for future research. We conclude by arguing that although recent progress has been impressive, the next decade will yield even more substantial insights not only into how domestication took place, but also when and where it did, and where and why it did not."
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For the last 150 y scholars have focused upon the roles of intentional breeding and genetic isolation as fundamental to understanding the process of animal domestication. This analysis of ethnoarchaeological, archaeological, and genetic... more
For the last 150 y scholars have focused upon the roles of intentional breeding and genetic isolation as fundamental to understanding the process of animal domestication. This analysis of ethnoarchaeological, archaeological, and genetic data suggests that long-term gene flow between wild and domestic stocks was much more common than previously assumed, and that selective breeding of females was largely absent during the early phases of animal domestication. These findings challenge assumptions about severe genetic bottlenecks during domestication, expectations regarding monophyletic origins, and interpretations of multiple domestications. The findings also raise new questions regarding ways in which behavioral and phenotypic domestication traits were developed and maintained.
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In many areas of the world, current theories for agricultural origins empha-size yield as a major concern during intensification. In Africa, however, the need for scheduled consumption shaped the development of food production. African... more
In many areas of the world, current theories for agricultural origins empha-size yield as a major concern during intensification. In Africa, however, the need for scheduled consumption shaped the development of food production. African cattle were domesticated during the tenth ...