Snow mediates climatic impacts on Arctic herbivore populations

Arctic ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to impacts of climate change; however, the complex relationships between climate and ecosystems make incorporating effects of climate change into population management difficult. This study used structural equation modelling (SEM) and a 24-year multifaceted monitoring data series collected at Zackenberg, North-East Greenland, to untangle the network of climatic and local abiotic and biotic drivers, determining their direct and indirect effects on two herbivores: musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) and collared lemming (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus). Snow conditions were determined to be the central driver within the system, mediating the effects of climate on herbivore abundance. Under current climate change projections, snow is expected to decrease in the region. Snow had an indirect negative effect on musk ox, as decreased snow depth led to an earlier start to the Arctic willow growing season, shown to increase fecundity and decrease mortality. Musk ox are therefore expected to be more successful under future conditions, within a certain threshold. Snow had both positive and negative effects on lemming, with lemming expected to ultimately be less successful under climate change, as reduction in snow increases their vulnerability to predation. Through their capacity to determine effects of climatic and local drivers within a hierarchy, and the relative strength and direction of these effects, SEMs were demonstrated to have the potential to be valuable in guiding population management.

The Swiss Magdalenian portable art and supra-regional parallels

There are about fifty Magdalenian sites known in Switzerland. Most of these sites were discovered and excavated at the end of the 19th and in the first half of the 20th century. Consequently, it is not always possible today to establish clear research contexts and dating is often based on typo-chronological statements. The Swiss Magdalenian portable art can be divided into two main groups: engravings and figurative sculptures. Engravings mostly appear on reindeer antlers, bones, and rarely on stone or jet. They are more common than figurative sculptures. The majority of engravings are on everyday objects such as perforated batons and projectile points. They are mainly signs and other ornamental motifs. In addition, there are also figurative subjects such as animals and a animal-human representation. The term “figurative sculptures” refers to partially sculptured objects, such as decorated spear thrower ends and stylized female figurines. With the exception of a musk ox head no other evident animal sculptures have been found in Switzerland. Some of the Magdalenian portable art objects found in Switzerland show supra-regional parallels with finds from other parts of Europe. The aim of this article is to present the most important Swiss finds in a broader European geographical context.

THE SWISS MAGDALENIAN PORTABLE ART AND SUPRA-REGIONAL PARALLELS

The Upper Paleolithic in Switzerland is so far only known by the Magdalenian (ca. 18000 12000 BP). Only in seven of the about fifty Magdalenian sites known in Switzerland pieces of portable art were found (Braun, 2019). The most well-known Swiss site where portable art was found is the Kesslerloch. According to Hneisen (1993) Swiss Magdalenian portable art can be divided into two groups: engravings and figurative sculpture. Some of them are decorated either with signs or animal figures. The engravings are mostly on rein-deer antlers, but also on bones, stone and jet. The majority of the engravings are on objects of utility as btons percs, spear points and other tools. In addition to figurative themes such as animals and a possible animal-human representation, there are mainly signs and other ornamental patterns (Bosinski, 1982 Braun, 2019 Hneisen, 1993). The term figurative sculptures is used to describe objects of utility, some of which are sculpted, such as spear thrower ends decorated with horse heads, so-called spindle-shaped sculptures and very stylized female statuettes. Apart from a musk ox head from the Kesslerloch, no other animal sculptures have yet been found in Switzerland. The figurative sculptures are less frequent than the engravings (Bosinski, 1982 Braun, 2019 Hneisen, 1993). Numerous works of portable art in Switzerland are similar to works of portable art of Southwest France and of the French Pyrenees, as f.i. the sculptured spearthrowers (Bandi, Delporte, 1984 Bosinski, 1982 Braun, 2019 Garrod, 1955 Leesch et al., 2019 Stodiek, 1993). But there are also characteristic features which are typical of Swiss and South German portable art, as f.i. the use of jet. Fig. 1. Kesslerloch. Spear thrower ends decorated with horse heads (Guyan, 1944). Электронная библиотека ИА РАН: https://www.archaeolog.ru/ru/el-bib 9 Bandi, H.-G., Delporte, H. (1984). Propulseurs dcors en France et en Suisse. Elments de Pr- et Protohistoire europenne. Hommage Jacques-Pierre Millotte, 203211. Annales littraires de lUniversit de Besanon. Paris: Les Belles Lettres. Bosinski, G. (1982). Die Kunst der Eiszeit in Deutschland und der Schweiz Bonn: Habelt. Braun, I. M. (2019). Ausgewhlte Beispiele der Kleinkunst des Sptglazials aus der Schweiz und berregionale Parallelen. In Floss, H. (Ed.), Das Magdalnien im Sdwesten Deutschlands, im Elsass und in der Schweiz (pp. 277296). Kerns: Tbingen. Garrod, D. A. E. (1955). Paleolithic Spear-Throwers. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 21, 2135. Guyan, W. U. (1944) Eine Speerschleuder vom Kesslerloch. Zeitschrift fr Schweizerische Archologie und Kunstgeschichte, 6, 7584. Hneisen, M. (1993). 4.7. Die Kunst des Jungpalolithikums der Schweiz. In Le Tensorer, J.-M., Niffeler, U. (Hrsg.), SPM I Die Schweiz vom Palolithikum bis zum frhen Mittelalter. Band 1: Palolithikum und Mesolithikum (pp. 187199). Basel: Schweizerische Gesellschaft fr Ur- und Frhgeschichte. Leesch, D. Bullinger, J., Mller, W. (2019). Vivre en Suisse Le Magdalnien. Basel: Archologie Schweiz. Stodiek, U. (1993). Zur Technologie der jungpalolithischen Speerschleuder Eine Studie auf der Basis archologischer, ethnologischer und experimenteller Erkenntnisse. Tbingen: Archaeologica Venatoria (Tbinger Monographien zur Urgeschichte, Band 9).

Chemical composition of indigenous raw meats

Using non-traditional raw meats is a promising direction of the meat industry. They include venison and meat from yak, elk, red deer, rabbits, ostriches, upland game, and musk-ox. The study aimed to compare the biochemical and physicochemical parameters of the meat from reindeer, elk, and musk-ox living in the Yenisei North. We found that these meats had a high biological value. First, we studied the composition of amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals in the meat from reindeer of various sex and age groups. We found that the difference between the contents of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids and their ratio in adult and young reindeer males was in favour of young males, while these parameters did not differ in the meat from reindeer females of various age groups. Nevertheless, reindeer females had a higher content of saturated acids compared to reindeer male meat. Further, we studied the composition of amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals in Taimyr elk and musk-ox meats. According to the results, the contents of essential amino acids in Taimyr elk and musk-ox meats were 60% and 55%, respectively. In both cases, the dominant amino acids were leucine, isoleucine, lysine, and valine. The study revealed the benefits of using indigenous meats in sausage production. Finally, we showed the influence of starter cultures on the quality of dry sausages and developed formulations of venison-based sausages.