Biomolecular evidence reveals mares and long-distance imported horses sacrificed by the last pagans in temperate Europe.

Horse sacrifice and deposition are enigmatic features of funerary rituals identified across prehistoric Europe that persisted in the eastern Baltic. Genetic and isotopic analysis of horses in Balt cemeteries [1st to 13th centuries CE (Common Era)] dismantle prevailing narratives that locally procured stallions were exclusively selected. Strontium isotope analysis provides direct evidence for long-distance (~300 to 1500 kilometers) maritime transport of Fennoscandian horses to the eastern Baltic in the Late Viking Age (11th to 13th centuries CE). Genetic analysis proves that horses of both sexes were sacrificed with 34% identified as mares. Results transform the understanding of selection criteria, disprove sex-based selection, and elevate prestige value as a more crucial factor. These findings also provide evidence that the continued interaction between pagans and their newly Christianized neighbors sustained the performance of funerary horse sacrifice until the medieval transition. We also present a reference 87Sr/86Sr isoscape for the southeastern Baltic, releasing the potential of future mobility studies in the region.

Prevalence and Characterization of Dental and Skull-Bone Pathologies of the Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Lithuania.

The present investigation endeavours to discern dental and non-dental pathologies affecting cranial structures of raccoon dogs, while focusing on cases of periodontitis. Furthermore, the study aims to conduct a comparative analysis based on sex and the nature of the pathologies encountered. The number of investigated skulls amounted to 126, including 76 males and 50 females. The predominant pathology identified was hypodontia, which accounted for 26.7% of males and 20% of females. Notably, the majority of hypodontia cases involved the absence of the mandibular third molar. Another noteworthy pathology was various stages of periodontitis, with rates ranging from 21.3% in males to 8% in females. Other pathologies, like tooth fractures and abrasion, were significantly less encountered. Excessive bone formation was relatively abundant and localized in specific areas-the parietal bone and the occipital regions. This tendency was observed in 8% of male cases and 6% of females. We found that the total number of dental and skull-bone pathologies is significantly more common in males than in females (p = 0.003). Additionally, the total number of various cases of periodontitis is more common in males too (p = 0.04).

Morphometric analysis of the red fox molar teeth in Lithuania.

The objective of the study was to investigate the lengths and widths of maxillary (P4 , M1 and M2 ) and mandibular (M1 , M2 and M3 ) molar teeth, lengths of dental rows and dental features of sexual dimorphism in the red fox. The correlation analysis between teeth measurements and dental row length was included too. The osteometric analysis was performed by the A. von den Driesch (1976) method. A total of 230 skulls and mandibles were investigated (n = 230): 113 males (n = 113) and 117 females (n = 117). The findings of the research revealed that most dimensions are higher in males compared with females (p < 0.001). Contrarily, Wilks' Lambda analysis showed results in the interval from 0.821 to 1, which leads to the conclusion that a teeth measurement study is unreliable to determine the sex of the red fox. The trustworthy measurements were the length of the whole dental arcade in the maxilla and mandible (UDR and LDR); Wilks' Lambda UDR = 0.860; LDR = 0.821; p < 0.001). Evaluation of the correlation between measurements revealed that results vary from very weak (0.047) to moderate strength (0.543). There were no strongly correlating measurements found. The correlation between the upper and lower molars with the length of the teeth arcade is quite weak, and only solitary measurements (M2 , L and B) had a weak correlation.

Tracking Five Millennia of Horse Management with Extensive Ancient Genome Time Series.

Horse domestication revolutionized warfare and accelerated travel, trade, and the geographic expansion of languages. Here, we present the largest DNA time series for a non-human organism to date, including genome-scale data from 149 ancient animals and 129 ancient genomes (≥1-fold coverage), 87 of which are new. This extensive dataset allows us to assess the modern legacy of past equestrian civilizations. We find that two extinct horse lineages existed during early domestication, one at the far western (Iberia) and the other at the far eastern range (Siberia) of Eurasia. None of these contributed significantly to modern diversity. We show that the influence of Persian-related horse lineages increased following the Islamic conquests in Europe and Asia. Multiple alleles associated with elite-racing, including at the MSTN "speed gene," only rose in popularity within the last millennium. Finally, the development of modern breeding impacted genetic diversity more dramatically than the previous millennia of human management.