scholarly journals Paleobiolinguistics of New World Crops and the Otomanguean Language Family

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecil H. Brown

Several studies recently published in Ethnobiology Letters treat respectively the paleobiolinguistics of chili pepper, manioc, maize, and the common bean in New World language families. This includes the Otomanguean family of Mexico, one of the oldest language groups of the hemisphere, whose parent language may have been spoken at the latest around 6500 years ago. This communication addresses the possibility that Otomanguean paleobiolinguistics should be considered tentative since languages of the grouping are not yet conclusively demonstrated to be descended from a common ancestor. This challenges the proposal that words for chili pepper, manioc, and maize were in vocabularies of languages spoken two thousand or more years before development of a village-farming way of life in the New World.

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 104-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecil H. Brown ◽  
Charles R. Clement ◽  
Patience Epps ◽  
Eike Luedeling ◽  
Søren Wichmann

Paleobiolinguistics is used to determine when and where the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) developed significance for prehistoric groups of Native America. Dates and locations of proto-languages for which common bean terms reconstruct generally accord with crop-origin and dispersal information from plant genetics and archaeobotany. Paleobiolinguistic and other lines of evidence indicate that human interest in the common bean became significant primarily with the widespread development of a village‐farming way of life in the New World rather than earlier when squash and maize and a few other crops became important.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Wang (汪鋒) ◽  
Wen Liu (劉文)

Rigorous sound correspondence is fundamental to historical linguistics. It serves as a solid start in studying genetic relationship. Regarding the genetic position of Miao-Yao languages, Li (1937) proposed a hypothesis that the Sino-Tibetan language family consists of Chinese, Tibeto-Burman, Kam-Tai, and Miao-Yao. Benedict (1942; 1975) excluded Miao-Yao from the Sino-Tibetan language family since sound correspondences between Miao-Yao and Chinese were considered to be caused by language contact. The key point in this debate has been ignored for a long time: are the related morphemes proposed in this debate supported by rigorous sound correspondence? In this paper, related morphemes across 11 Miao-Yao languages have been first identified under the requirement of complete sound correspondence, and then analyzed by the Rank Method. The result of the genetic relationship between the 11 Miao-Yao languages has been confirmed. The same procedure has been applied to Sino-Miao-Yao related morphemes, and similar pattern has been found. The Sino-Miao-Yao related morphemes were recognized to be inherited from the common ancestor of Chinese and Miao-Yao. Combined with the result from the perspective of pervasive sound correspondence (Wang 2015), the proposal of a genetic relationship between Chinese and Miao-Yao has been supported. The Inexplicability Principle has been used to weaken the possibility of Sino-Miao-Yao related morphemes being induced by borrowing from Chinese to Miao-Yao, since some sound correspondences are unlikely to be explained by natural phonetic mechanisms. Moreover, related morphemes in Chinese and Miao-Yao have been examined from the perspective of Old Chinese, and such an examination also supports the hypothesis of a genetic relationship between Chinese and Miao-Yao languages. 嚴格的語音對應是歷史比較的基礎,也是判定語源關係的必要條件。在苗瑤語的語源問題研究中,李方桂(1937)提出漢藏語系四語族學說,即漢語、藏緬語、侗台語和苗瑤語。Benedict(1942、1975)則將苗瑤語從漢藏語系中劃分出去,理由是苗瑤語和漢語有對應關係的語素是由接觸造成的。苗瑤語系屬問題的爭議焦點在於苗瑤語和漢語音近義同的一批關係語素是否有嚴格的語音對應支持,然而這一問題一直以來不被重視。本文基於完全對應得到苗瑤語族內部11個語言的關係語素,隨後應用詞階法分析,結果如願所示,這11個語言之間具有發生學關係。同樣的程序應用于漢-苗瑤語關係語素,結果與上述呈現的模式相同,即這些關係語素是來自漢語和苗瑤語共同的祖語,而非語言接觸的產物。結合普遍對應的研究(Wang 2015),漢語和苗瑤語的發生學關係可以得到支持。不可釋原則也顯示漢-苗瑤語關係語素是由苗瑤語從漢語借用的可能性較小,因為二者間的部分語音對應不可能通過自然音變來解釋。此外,從上古漢語的角度對漢-苗瑤語關係語素的校驗也支持二者的同源關係。


1994 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-344
Author(s):  
Cristopher Culy ◽  
Kungarma Kodio

The Dogon language family has received little attention in the linguistics literature to date. In this paper we examine the binding properties of the pronominal systems of three Dogon languages, Donno S:>, T:>r:> S:>, and Togo Ka. We also posit the pronominal system of their common ancestor, and the changes from the common ancestor to the contemporary languages. In doing so, we find two ways in which languages can lose logophoricity: (1) the logophoric pronoun becomes a subject oriented reflexive, and (2) the logophoric pronoun is lost without any reflex. The Dogon languages thus give us insight into the nature of pronominal systems and how they evolve.


2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (11) ◽  
pp. 1204-1213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth López ◽  
Carmen Asensio ◽  
Robert L. Gilbertson

Common bacterial blight (CBB) disease of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli and the brown-pigmented variant X. campestris pv. phaseoli var. fuscans. CBB first was described in Castilla y León County, Spain, in 1940, and is now a major constraint on common bean production. In this secondary center of diversity of the common bean, large-seeded Andean cultivars predominate, although medium-seeded Middle American cultivars also are grown. Xanthomonad-like bacteria associated with CBB in Castilla y León were characterized on the basis of carbohydrate metabolism, brown pigment production, genetic analyses (repetitive-element polymerase chain reaction [rep-PCR] and random amplified polymorphic DNA [RAPD]) and pathogenicity on cultivars representing the two common bean gene pools (Andean and Middle American). X. campestris pv. phaseoli was more prevalent (80%) than X. campestris pv. phaseoli var. fuscans (20%). Patterns of carbohydrate metabolism of Spanish CBB bacteria were similar to those of known strains; and only X. campestris pv. phaseoli var. fuscans strains utilized mannitol as a sole carbon source. rep-PCR and RAPD analyses revealed relatively little genetic diversity among Spanish X. campestris pv. phaseoli strains, and these strains were placed together with New World strains into a large cluster. Similar to other New World strains, representative Spanish X. campestris pv. phaseoli strains were highly pathogenic on bean cultivars of both gene pools, showing no gene pool specialization such as that found in certain East African strains. Genetic analyses and pathogenicity tests confirmed and extended previous results, indicating that these East African strains represent distinct xanthomonads that independently evolved to be pathogenic on common bean. X. campestris pv. phaseoli var. fuscans strains were more closely related and genetically distinct from X. campestris pv. phaseoli strains. However, two distinct clusters of X. campestris pv. phaseoli var. fuscans strains were identified, one having the most New World strains and the other having the most African strains. Spanish strains were placed in both clusters, but all strains tested were highly pathogenic on bean cultivars of both gene pools. Together, our results are consistent with multiple introductions of CBB bacteria into Spain. These findings are discussed in terms of breeding for CBB resistance and the overall understanding of the genetic diversity and evolution of CBB bacteria.


2004 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
T. Keith Philips ◽  
Clarke Scholtz

AbstractA phylogenetic analysis of Phanaeini based on 137 morphological characters supports the hypothesis that the nine included genera, Coprophanaeus, Dendropaemon, Diabroctis, Homalotarsus, Megatharsis, Oxysternon, Phanaeus, Sulcophanaeus and Tetrameira, form a monophyletic clade. Monophyly is unaffected by the inclusion of Gromphas, Oruscatus, and Bolbites and these should also be considered phanaeines. The sister lineage is Ennearabdus (Eucraniini) and both evolved from ancestral Dichotomiini within South America. There is no support for a close relationship with the Onitini or any other remaining tribe. All phanaeine genera appear to be monophyletic except Sulcophanaeus, of which two species groups appear as sister taxa while the remaining three form an independent paraphyletic clade. Ancestral phanaeines were coprophagous with necrophagy evolving at least twice. Myrmecophily is also derived and most likely evolved only once in the common ancestor of Dendropaemon, Homalotarsus, Megatharsis and Tetramereia. Bare dung ball construction for larval development is also the most likely ancestral condition with a soil covering on the exterior ball surface and parental cooperation evolving in the more derived lineages.


2004 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 593-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander B. C. Mkandawire ◽  
Robert B. Mabagala ◽  
Pablo Guzmán ◽  
Paul Gepts ◽  
Robert L. Gilbertson

Common bacterial blight (CBB), caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli and X. campestris pv. phaseoli var. fuscans, is one of the most important diseases of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in East Africa and other bean-growing regions. Xanthomonad-like bacteria associated with CBB in Malawi and Tanzania, East Africa, and in Wisconsin, U.S., were characterized based on brown pigment production, pathogenicity on common bean, detection with an X. campestris pv. phaseoli- or X. campestris pv. phaseoli var. fuscans-specific PCR primer pair, and repetitive element polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses. The common bean gene pool (Andean or Middle American) from which each strain was isolated also was determined. In Malawi, X. campestris pv. phaseoli and X. campestris pv. phaseoli var. fuscans were isolated predominantly from Andean or Middle American beans, respectively. In Tanzania, X. campestris pv. phaseoli var. fuscans was most commonly isolated, irrespective of gene pool; whereas, in Wisconsin, only X. campestris pv. phaseoli was isolated from Andean red kidney beans. Three rep-PCR fingerprints were obtained for X. campestris pv. phaseoli strains; two were unique to East African strains, whereas the other was associated with strains collected from all other (mostly New World) locations. RFLP analyses with repetitive DNA probes revealed the same genetic diversity among X. campestris pv. phaseoli strains as did rep-PCR. These probes hybridized with only one or two fragments in the East African strains, but with multiple fragments in the other X. campestris pv. phaseoli strains. East African X. campestris pv. phaseoli strains were highly pathogenic on Andean beans, but were significantly less pathogenic on Middle American beans. In contrast, X. campestris pv. phaseoli strains from New World locations were highly pathogenic on beans of both gene pools. Together, these results indicate the existence of genetically and geographically distinct X. campestris pv. phaseoli genotypes. The rep-PCR fingerprints of X. campestris pv. phaseoli var. fuscans strains from East African and New World locations were indistinguishable, and were readily distinguished from those of X. campestris pv. phaseoli strains. Genetic diversity among X. campestris pv. phaseoli var. fuscans strains was revealed by RFLP analyses. East African and New World X. campestris pv. phaseoli var. fuscans strains were highly pathogenic on Andean and Middle American beans. Breeding for CBB resistance in East African beans should utilize X. campestris pv. phaseoli var. fuscans and New World X. campestris pv. phaseoli strains in order to identify germ plasm with the highest levels of resistance.


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