Papers by Gloria Cuenca-Bescos
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
The Encyclopedia of Archaeological Sciences
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Sep 1, 2021
Aim The common vole is a temperate rodent widespread across Europe. It was also one of the most a... more Aim The common vole is a temperate rodent widespread across Europe. It was also one of the most abundant small mammal species throughout the Late Pleistocene. Phylogeographic studies of its extant populations suggested the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 26.5−19 ka ago) as one of the main drivers of the species' population dynamics. However, analyses based solely on extant genetic diversity may not recover the full complexity of past population history. The main aim of this study was to investigate the evolutionary history and identify the main drivers of the common vole population dynamics during the Late Pleistocene. Location Europe Taxon Common vole (Microtus arvalis) Methods We generated a dataset comprising 4.2 kb-long fragment of mitochondrial DNA from 148 ancient and 51 modern specimens sampled from multiple localities across Europe and covering the last 60 thousand years (ka). We used Bayesian inference to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships and to estimate the age o...
Spanish Journal of Palaeontology, 2021
Se describe una nueva especie de Microtus (Allophaiomys), M. (A.) lavocati nov. sp., a partir de ... more Se describe una nueva especie de Microtus (Allophaiomys), M. (A.) lavocati nov. sp., a partir de material del relleno cárstico Sima del Elefante de la Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos). El análisis biométrico realizado utilizando 19 variables medidas sobre los primeros molares inferiores per mite su separación de las especies M. (A. pliocaenicus, M. (A.) hintoni nutiensis, M. (A.) burgondiae, M. (A.) vale rotensis y M. (A.) cf. ruffoi, presentes en el sur y oeste de Europa. M. (A.) lavocati nov. sp. se caracteriza por un gran desarrollo de la parte anterior del primer molar inferior junto a una amplia comunicación de los triángulos T4 y T5 y un trifingulo T4 inclinado. La asociación de roedores que acompaña a esta especie en la Sima del Elefante junto a sus propias características morfológicas sugieren que se trata de una de las especies más modernas de Microtus (Allophaiomys) conocidas hasta ahora
Palaeontology, 2021
In contrast with the well documented strain on extant amphibian and reptile populations today, th... more In contrast with the well documented strain on extant amphibian and reptile populations today, the Quaternary fossil record of these groups is very conservative showing few changes over long periods of time. In order to establish the non‐human‐induced effect of climate change on herpetofaunal diversity, we collected data from Pleistocene sites in the Sierra de Atapuerca complex (Burgos, Spain), which records the last few million years of changes. Diversity was measured in terms of richness and evenness indices and its relationship to the climatic parameters was analysed with OLS regression models. The highest diversity (richness and evenness; 1‐D) occurred in periods considered to be analogues of the current interglacial, whereas minimum diversity values were reached during periods when conditions were harsher (cooler or glacial stage). In all cases, the diversity values were always restored subsequently, pointing to great resilience. Temperature proves to be the most influential cl...
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2021
Abstract Fish bones are common in Pleistocene cave deposits in Europe. In this paper, we report o... more Abstract Fish bones are common in Pleistocene cave deposits in Europe. In this paper, we report on fish remains from the Gran Dolina cave (Trinchera del Ferrocarril) in the Sierra de Atapuerca in Spain, to increase what is known of the freshwater ecosystems close to the cave. The 19-m-thick section, divided into 11 stratigraphic levels, represents an Early to Middle Pleistocene time span as dated by biostratigraphy, ESR, U-series, and magnetostratigraphy. We focus on the Sondeo South site, excavated from 1993 to 1999, which has yielded 1087 fish bones comprising the following taxa: brown trout (Salmo trutta), the common European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and chub (Squalius sp.). Taphonomic studies suggest that the European eagle owl (Bubo bubo) was the most likely predator responsible for the accumulation. Changes observed in the body size of brown trout through the sequence cannot be attributed to climate change (contravening Bergmann's rule). Our study documents the presence of a pre-mountain river system characterized by permanent, oxygen-rich, relatively cold flowing waters around the Sierra de Atapuerca during Early-Middle Pleistocene times.
Journal of Human Evolution, 2021
Gene TarGeTinG and Gene CorreCTion i mutation and correction of SMN2 aberrant splicing, by exploi... more Gene TarGeTinG and Gene CorreCTion i mutation and correction of SMN2 aberrant splicing, by exploiting the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway. Plasmids encoding Cas9-GFP under the control of CMV promoter, and selected gRNAs downstream to the Pol-III U6 promoter (Addgene) were transfected in HEK-293T cell line and in immortalized myoblasts derived from either healthy donors or SMA patients. Transfection efficiency was estimated as percentage of GFP-expressing cells (20-50% and 1-10%, respectively) and nuclease activity detected by Surveyor assay and target site sequencing. In particular, in SMA patient-derived myoblasts we detected mutations (indels) at the level of the induced DNA double-strand break at ~30% frequency. Levels of SMN restoration will be investigated by qPCR of the different species of SMN transcripts and by western blotting of SMN protein. The goal of this study is to provide an in vitro proof of principle of effective gene correction in SMA patient-derived cells. In the context of a multisystemic, complicated disease such as SMA, targeted genome editing strategy could represent an additional therapeutic tool.
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2020
Traditionally, the harsh climatic conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) period have be... more Traditionally, the harsh climatic conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) period have been considered the cause of local extinctions and major faunal reorganizations that took place at the end of the Pleistocene. Recent studies have shown, however, that many of these events were associated with abrupt climate changes during the so-called Late Glacial and the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. Here we used ancient DNA to investigate the impact of those changes on common vole (Microtus arvalis) populations in Europe. The common vole is a temperate rodent species widespread in Europe. The genetic diversity of modern populations and the fossil record suggests that the species may have survived cold episodes, like Last Glacial Maximum, not only in the traditional Mediterranean glacial refugia, but also at higher latitudes in so-called cryptic northern refugia located in Central France, the northern Alps as well as the Carpathians. However, the course of post glacial recolonization and the impact of the Late Glacial and Early Holocene climate changes on the evolutionary history of the common vole 3 remains unclear. To address this issue we analysed mtDNA cytochrome b sequences from more than a hundred common vole specimens from paleontological sites scattered across Europe. Our data suggests that populations from the European mid-and high latitudes suffered a local population extinction and contractions as a result of Late Glacial and Early Holocene climate and environmental changes. The recolonization of earlier abandoned areas took place in the Middle to Late Holocene. In contrast at low latitudes in Northern Spain there was a continuity of vole population. This indicates different responses of common vole populations to Late Glacial climate and environmental changes across Europe and corroborates the hypothesis that abrupt changes, like those associated with Younger Dryas and the Pleistocene/Holocene transition, had a significant impact on populations at the mid-and high latitudes of Europe.
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2019
Quaternary International, 2017
One of the main characteristics of the soricines (Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) is the red pigmentation... more One of the main characteristics of the soricines (Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) is the red pigmentation of the outer part of the enamel in the cusps of the teeth. This gives the group its popular name: the red-toothed shrews. Several studies of extant species show that they have a complex enamel structure with three different parts and that the pigmentation is related to the presence of Fe oxides or hydroxides in the outer enamel. We have prepared transverse sections of the incisors of fossil shrews. These belong to the Early Pleistocene shrew Dolinasorex glyphodon and to an indeterminate species of Sorex. FESEM and EDS analyses of the sections show that Fe percentages reach their highest values in the outer part of the intermediate layer of the enamel and in the internal part of the outermost layer. The variations in Fe content are related to the change in direction of the enamel prisms in the intermediate parts of the enamel, instead of being at the surface as previous studies suggested. The location of the Fe seems to be related to the strength of the tooth.
The Holocene, 2017
The human impact on the environment in the Holocene has usually been characterized on the basis o... more The human impact on the environment in the Holocene has usually been characterized on the basis of palaeobotanical records, but attempts to distinguish the anthropogenic impact from natural events in landscape evolution have been the subject of much debate in recent years. The aim of this paper is to analyse small-mammal diversity and the presence of synanthropic species, whose small size makes them more sensitive to any changes in their environment that may occur. This study has allowed us to characterize palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental changes, recording small changes whether resulting from a human influence or otherwise. Our object of study is El Mirador cave, which has a sequence with a well-documented human occupation extending from 7200 to 3000 cal. BP. The study has led us to differentiate two phases. In one phase, we can see small changes in diversity related to climatic oscillations from ca. 7200 to 6800 cal. BP, while in the second phase, lasting from ca. 6800 to 30...
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2017
is a cave in the Sierra de Atapuerca (northern Iberian Peninsula) that contains 27 archaeological... more is a cave in the Sierra de Atapuerca (northern Iberian Peninsula) that contains 27 archaeological layers from the Lateglacial to the Late Holocene. A total of 4436 small-mammal remains have been analysed from these layers, and 19 taxa have been identified (three insectivores, seven chiropters and nine rodents). The palaeoenvironmental reconstruction based on a small-mammal analysis suggests that the entire sequence is dominated by a woodland landscape. Our climatic analysis characterises the climate in terms of an evolution from a cool and arid period in the Pleistocene layers (16000 to 14000 cal yr BP), probably related to Heinrich Event 1, to humid conditions and temperatures similar to nowadays in the Holocene layers in general. In MIR23 and MIR22 (7300 to 6800 cal yr BP) we detect an increase in temperature to levels above current values and an important decrease in rainfall. These
Historical Biology, 2016
Abstract The discovery of small, very well-defined and perfectly preserved tooth marks on the hum... more Abstract The discovery of small, very well-defined and perfectly preserved tooth marks on the humerus of a mole, Talpa cf. europaea (TE9, Sima del Elefante, Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos), is extraordinary. To date, no micromammal fossil is known with puncture prints produced by a bite with a clear or delimited morphology that would permit its detailed study. The exceptional character of the finding may raise questions and suspicions about alteration and taphonomic agents. However, we have evidence that both the marks in the mole humerus are due to the action of biting and that this bite corresponds to the dentition of Beremendia fissidens. After all, not only large predators bite, as this article intends to demonstrate.
Comptes Rendus Palevol, 2016
Les petits vertébrés et la biochronologie, la biostratigraphie et la paléoécologie du Quaternaire... more Les petits vertébrés et la biochronologie, la biostratigraphie et la paléoécologie du Quaternaire Small vertebrates and the biochronology, biostratigraphy and paleoecology of the Quaternary Avant-propos Foreword Ce numéro thématique This thematic issue the 1970s and 1980s, the work of French, Dutch, German, Schaub. Au cours des années 1970 et 1980, le travail de cher-Polish, Hungarian, Czech, and Italian researchers laid the cheurs franç ais, hollandais, allemands, polonais, hongrois, basis for European biostratigraphy and biochronology built tchèques et italiens a jeté les bases de la biostratigraphie with small mammals. It is worth mentioning the most et de la biochronologie européennes à partir des faunes representative among them such as Mein, Chaline, Van der de petits mammifères. Il est intéressant de mentionner les
Quaternary International, 2016
Cuaternario y geomorfología, Dec 15, 2022
Derechos de reproducción bajo licencia Creative Commons 3.0. Se permite su inclusión en repositor... more Derechos de reproducción bajo licencia Creative Commons 3.0. Se permite su inclusión en repositorios sin ánimo de lucro.
Spanish Journal of Palaeontology
En el trabajo de Cuenca (1986), se definió una nueva especie de Heteroxerus que, posteriormente, ... more En el trabajo de Cuenca (1986), se definió una nueva especie de Heteroxerus que, posteriormente, en Cuenca (1988), se designó como la especie tipo de un nuevo género Aragoxerus Cuenca, 1988. Tanto en el trabajo de 1986 como en el ·de 1988 se omitió la designación formal de un holotipo para esta nueva especie. Según el Artículo 73 del Código Internacional de Nomenclatura Zoológica (versión española de 1962), si una especie nominal nueva no tiene holotipo, bien porque no haya sido basada en un ejemplar único o bien porque no se designe un ejemplar como "tipo", todos los ejemplares de la serie típica son "sintipos" de igual valor nomenclatorial. El objetivo de esta nota taxonómica es el de designar uno de estos "sintipos" como holotipo de Aragoxerus ignis (Cuenca).
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Papers by Gloria Cuenca-Bescos