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Autumn/winter births in traditional and Pre-Pottery Neolithic caprine husbandry in Cyprus: Evidence from ethnography and stable isotopes

2018; Elsevier BV; Volume: 53; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.jaa.2018.12.001

1090-2686

Angelos Hadjikoumis, Jean-Denis Vigne, Alan H. Simmons, Jean Guilaine, Denis Fiorillo, Marie Balasse,

Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History

• Sequential oxygen isotope analysis in enamel reveals caprine birth patterns in PPNB Cyprus. • PPNB caprines were breeding outside their wild ancestors’ restricted season. • Autumn/winter births in PPNB caprines echo a similar pattern in traditional Cypriot husbandry. • The distribution of births reflects adaptation to the Mediterranean precipitation regime. • The ability of caprines to quickly adapt to new environments enables potentially fast diffusion of domestic caprines.