Philippe Fernandez - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Philippe Fernandez

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Mar 8, 2021

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2017

International audienc

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), May 11, 2023

International audienceMorocco is a geographically and climatically highly fragmented territory oc... more International audienceMorocco is a geographically and climatically highly fragmented territory occupied for about 300,000 years by Homo sapiens. This area is currently characterized by the presence of four large mountain ranges but also plateaus, plains and coastlines subject to a Mediterranean-type and temperate Atlantic climate from the North to more open landscape in the South. The analysis of environmental parameters at a local level is therefore crucial for understanding the context and living environments of human populations. We present here a study of tooth wear analysis of different herbivores in human settlements distributed along a North-South axis in the sequences of Taforalt (Oujda region), El Khenzira (El Jadida region) and Bizmoune (Essaouira region) in order to review their diet. By considering these faunal associations and inferring the evolution of plant cover, we document paleoenvironmental variations according to the geographic distributions of theses 3 sites during the Upper Pleistocene

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Oct 8, 2014

La date et les causes de l'extinction de l'ours brun (Ursus arctos) durant l'Holocène en Afrique ... more La date et les causes de l'extinction de l'ours brun (Ursus arctos) durant l'Holocène en Afrique du nord restent à ce jour imprécises, c'est pourquoi nous avons entrepris une étude comparative des restes d'ours brun dans deux sites holocènes nord-marocains. Les fouilles de ces deux gisements ont livré entre 2001 et 2003 cinquante-sept restes d'U. arctos, datant du début de l'Holocène pour les restes d'El Hammar et d'environ 8 ka BP pour ceux d'Hattab II. Dans ces deux sites l'ours est présent dans presque toutes les couches mais celui-ci semble moins abondant dans les niveaux les plus récents de chacun des gisements.

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Jun 14, 2019

International audienc

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Dec 4, 2018

International audienceBizmoune cave is located in southwestern Morocco on the south-facing slopes... more International audienceBizmoune cave is located in southwestern Morocco on the south-facing slopes of JebelHadid, about 15 km northeast of the modern city of Essaouira. The cave was first identifiedas a Paleolithic site in 2008. The current project, a collaboration between Moroccan, French,German and American researchers and institutions, began in 2014. Archaeological deposits atthe site span the Neolithic, Upper Paleolithic/LSA (Ibero-Maurusian) and MSA (Aterian):the majority of the stratigraphic sequence contains Aterian assemblages. Bizmoune caveholds the potential to provide much unique information about Aterian adaptations in alittle-explored area of western North Africa. Current chronometric information places theAterian deposts in MIS 4 and 5, but it is likely that the earliest archaeological depositspredate the last Interglacial. Aterian layers document changing occupational intensity, withsparse remains at the top of the sequence and deposits very rich in organics and archaeologicalmaterials in the lower part of the sequence. Typical Aterian shaped tools such as tangedpieces and bifacial foliates are relatively abundant, and shell beads have been recoveredfrom the earliest Aterian layers as well. The faunal assemblages, which consist mainly ofAfrican bovids, appear to be primarily or entirely anthropogenic in origin. The presence ofshells of typical marine food species such as Mytilus is noteworthy given the site’s distancefrom the sea during the Pleistocene. The density of land snail shells is very high in theNeolithic, Ibero-Maurusian but also in the earliest MSA deposits. Further study is requiredto determine whether the Aterian snail shells were accumulated by hominins or were theresults of natural deaths within the cave

Presses universitaires de Provence eBooks, 2021

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Sep 2, 2021

International audienc

Palethnologie

Archéologie et sciences humaines 3 | 2011 Halte de chasse en préhistoire

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Jul 25, 2019

International audienceThe Mediterranean realm in Southeast France is located between three mounta... more International audienceThe Mediterranean realm in Southeast France is located between three mountainous regions (Alps, Pyrenees and Massif-Central) and divided by a main north-south river and valley named The Rhône. The hydrological basin of this river is very important and presently the influence of the Mediterranean climate is sensitive higher in this Rhône’ corridor. These geomorphological features condition some partitioning, with two sub-regions (Provence at east of Rhone, and Occitanie at west), as well as a wide coastal plains and more elevated zones at the border of reliefs. In this contribution we will propose a synthetic view and multi-approaches studies (paleontology, paleoecology, biogeography, ecometry…) about the large mammalian associations considered within a diachronic perspective, namely from Late Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene (from MIS 12 to MIS2). This time period is contemporaneous of major climatic phases (especially glacial vs interglacial stages), the succession of Neanderthal and Modern Human cultures, as well as a marked turnover in the faunal biomes known as an important limit between two sub-series: the Middle and the Late Pleistocene. More of 35 archeo-paleontological sites (and many more levels) record as many herbivore and carnivore associations through this space-time which can be analyzed in their dynamic sequence, quantifying several eco-biological factors (body-size, diet category..), including peculiar forms (ex. Cervid: Haploidoceros) and evolutive lineage or taxa replacement (ex. Canis, Bison, Equus…). We must note the importance of geographical factors in the taxa distribution together with the sea-level fluctuation especially marked in the west part of the region (Occitanie). Moreover, the area of Rhone delta and the corridor of this river condition strong wind flow which develop some thick deposits of eolian sands (loess), indicators of locally quite cold condition. Among evolutive traits, the particular case of caballine horses is interesting because showing special adaptive features related to the mild Mediterranean clime (peripheral zones) regardless of global climate conditions. Lastly, ecometrical analysis (meso- and micro-dental wear) developed on some sites and taxa are a valuable tool to precise local environmental features within the global climatic variations. It generally suggests a high resilience and adaptive capacities from the large and medium size herbivores (Equids, Bovids, Cervids). Paleofaunas constitute a well-documented terrestrial archives for paleoclimate reconstruction, raising issues about interactions with climate and local geographic factors; our study allow us to envision the real biological changes, responses or resilience of the mammalian guilds/biomes within this peculiar Western Mediterranean space

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2010

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Mar 8, 2021

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2017

International audienc

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), May 11, 2023

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Oct 8, 2014

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Jun 14, 2019

International audienc

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Dec 4, 2018

Presses universitaires de Provence eBooks, 2021

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Sep 2, 2021

International audienc

Palethnologie

Archéologie et sciences humaines 3 | 2011 Halte de chasse en préhistoire

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Jul 25, 2019

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2010

Unravelling the timing of human settlement for the Palaeolithic site of Kozarnika using multiple luminescence-dating methods, 2021

Kozarnika cave is a renowned prehistoric site in the Balkans. It contributes significantly to our... more Kozarnika cave is a renowned prehistoric site in the Balkans. It contributes significantly to our understanding of the human past due to its rich assemblages associated with the Lower to Upper Palaeolithic periods. The cave was first mentioned in the prehistoric survey carried out before 1933. Years after, in 1996, the site was excavated systematically by Bulgarian-French researchers (Guadelli et al., 2005). Notably, various chronological dating methods have been employed alongside the excavation to unravel the timing of humans' occupation in Kozarnika. Radiocarbon dating was applied to unfold the timeframe for the Kozarnikian tradition uncovered in the Upper Palaeolithic sequence of the cave, and paleomagnetic dating assigned the Brunhes-Matuyama reversal to the layer beneath the Lower Palaeolithic assemblages with the age of 780 ka (Muttoni et al., 2017) This study presents our contribution of employing luminescence-dating methods (OSL, IRSL, pIRIR, VSL, IR-RF) to unravel the reliable timeframes for several geological units and archaeological assemblages. A vast body of techniques has been put together, enabling us to

Ziani I., Morales J., Vidal-Matutano P., Humphrey L., Barton N., Fernandez P. & A. Bouzouggar , 2018

In this work we aim to present the preliminary results of a Masetr dissertation that deals about ... more In this work we aim to present the preliminary results of a Masetr dissertation that deals about the exploitation of plant resources in the Later Stone Age of Morocco (c. 23-12 ka cal BP). The dissertation tries to complete two principal objectives: reconstructing the vegetal landscape and discussing the role of plants in subsistence and fuel management during the LSA. The research is based on two main sources of information: analysis of plant macro-remains (wood charcoals and seeds) from archaeological sites in Morocco and ethnoarchaeological data from ethnobotanical records in Morocco and experimental studies. The work is at initial stage, and here we present the main line of research and the preliminary results obtained at Taforalt, in north-western Morocco.

Three years ago we started the multidisciplinary project NeDeMo (Neandertal Demise Modelisation) ... more Three years ago we started the multidisciplinary project NeDeMo (Neandertal Demise Modelisation) with the explicit goal of identifying crucial demographic parameters that resulted in Neandertal demise by evaluating vital statistics [ESHE 1, 2, 3]. In order to improve our models, the group NeMoMo was created. We present here the preliminary palaeoecological trends focusing initially on a faunal database [4] that now includes 149 French local faunal assemblages from OIS 5 to OIS 2. The database incorporates 120 large and small mammals (including Chiroptera) determined at species level with a few exceptions such as Bos/Bison, Oryctolagus/Lepus and Vulpes/Alopex. First we tested our sample with the Completeness Index (CI) between time intervals and thanks to taxon free method, we combined, diet, habitat, evolution of body mass, Predators Preys Ratio (PPR), Sørensen–Dice index (QS), species richness and rarefaction curves of faunal associations through time. Finally, factorial analysis is used to detect underlying structures from these associations in order to identify the dynamics and the main ecological trends for each temporal unit during the Upper Pleistocene (OIS 5 to 2).

The NEDEMO project is a network of pluridisciplinary research aiming at iden fying the demographi... more The NEDEMO project is a network of pluridisciplinary research aiming at iden fying the demographic parameters (ferr lity, survival, structure and varia on in the size of the popula on) that resulted in Neandertal demise. Three scenarios have been proposed: • Modern humans replaced Neandertals in Europe; • Modern humans assimilated the Neandertal popula on; • Modern humans replaced and partly assimilated Neandertals. To determine which of the three proposed scenarios is most likely, we will use an approach based on demographic modeling, which is widely employed in ecology for the study of the dynamics of animal populaa ons. As in all modeling work, we will simplify and interlink biological, social and environmental processes that may explain the disappearance of the Neandertals. This approach will also enable us to test diff erent hypotheses and, in addii on, to determine the value of a priori parameters that are not measurable. To model the past popula on dynamics of Neandertals, we use the Leslie matrix which requires knowledge of the survival and the ferr lity rates for each age group from birth to 50 years-old. Although the Neandertal demographic parameters are not known with precision, they can be inferred through the integra on of data provided by other disciplines and by compara ve analyses. First results. It is not necessary to infer dras c demographic changes. Very small diff erences in ferr lity or in survival rates may cause enormous diff erences over a period of ten thousand years in total popula on size and they can also account for ex ncc on. We aim to design models of popula on gene cs to test whether Modern humans (MHS) have assimilated the Neandertal popula on (HN) or not. Analysis of three models of admixture, with varying demographic parameters, will allow quan fi caa on of three possible sources of HN contribuu on: (i) a sole instantaneous event in Middle-East at-50Ka; (ii) an introgression in Middle-East at-100Ka, then a backward migra on of admixed MHS in Africa, followed by a peopling of Europe and Asia (founder eff ect + possible admixture during expansion); (iii) a long term sex-biased gene fl ow during MSH expansion (mtDNA, which is maternally transmii ed, does not support an admixture). ! Available mammalian fossil datasets (e.g. Paleobiology database; pers. data) will provide a palaeological framework including structural proxies such as diversity, body size/ mass, diet and habitat, in order to iden fy their possible interacc ons in the framework of Neandertal popula on dynamics. Starr ng from well documented faunal units in me and space, the main clima c shii s (e.g. GIPS2 pulses) will also be integrated and cons tute the background of this palaecological analysis. One of the main challenges presented by this work will be to link key environmental changes to the Neandertal popula on in the limited me-scale of the last part of the Upper Pleistocene. The project's fi rst step involves the design and implementa on of a complex rela onal database employing quan taa ve and qualita ve data useful for iden fying rela onships between diff erent data sources. It will be easy for all the members of the consorr um to use this database. At present, researchers involved in the project come from anthropobiology, gene cs, ecology, paleoanthropology, and archeozoology. We hope to s mulate interest in this project among researchers in view of presen ng a broader interna onal project. This work has been produced within the framework of the Unit of Excellence LabexMed –Social Sciences and Humanii es at the heart of mull disciplinary research for the Mediterranean –which holds the following reference 10 – LABX-0090. This work has benefi ted from a state grant administered by the Agence Na olane de la Recherche for the project Inves ssements d'Avenir A*MIDEX which holds the reference n° ANR-11-IDEX-0001-02

There is striking diversity in evolutionary trajectories across Africa and Eurasia between 200,00... more There is striking diversity in evolutionary trajectories across Africa and Eurasia between 200,000 and 30,000 years ago. North Africa was home to a distinctive population of humans as well as a unique archaeological complex, the Aterian, characterized by “precocious” appearance of traits such as personal ornaments. Recent research has done much to clarify (though not resolve) the temporal limits and climatic associations of the Aterian. However, understanding the uniquely derived cognitive and behavioral features of late
Pleistocene hominins requires documenting their behavioral
flexibility and societal resilience. Consequently, the next challenge is to understand the nature and causes of variability in the Aterian (and contemporaneous complexes).Excavations at Bizmoune have been initiated with the general goal of expanding the ecological range of well excavated Aterian sites in Morocco. The site was selected in part because of its location: it is situated well to the south of better-knownAterian sites near Rabat, Casablanca and Oujda