Cuban Archaeology in the Caribbean

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Greater Antilles ◽  
Environmental Archaeology ◽  
Indigenous Groups ◽  
History Of ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Research Initiatives ◽  
Patterns Of Interaction ◽  
Key Questions

Cuba is not only the largest island of the Caribbean but also the most centrally located one, as it is accessible from the mainland by different routes and was therefore subject to several waves of migration. The history of the early colonization of this island—and of the Greater Antilles in general—is extremely complex. The research initiatives presented in this book strive to solve some of the main problems in understanding that complexity, and to give answers to key questions regarding the patterns of successive migrations and colonization of the island, the patterns of interaction between the foraging and the agriculturalist groups, and the fate of the indigenous groups at the time of contact with the Spanish. A methodical multidisciplinary approach, necessary to tackle the full scope of the proposed research questions, is reflected in the variety of the contributions included in this volume, such as archaeology, physical anthropology, environmental archaeology, paleoecology; paleodemography; isotope analysis; bathymetry; paleobotany; linguistics; and ethnohistory. While the immediate focus of the book is region-specific, it will also contribute to ongoing debates in anthropological archaeology concerning migration and colonization; the importance of landscape and seascape in shaping human experience; the role that contact and interaction between different groups play in building identity; and the contribution of native groups to the biological and cultural identity of post-contact and modern societies.

literature review of the Polychaeta of the Caribbean Sea

Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3596 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
HARLAN K. DEAN
Keyword(s):  
Caribbean Sea ◽  
Greater Antilles ◽  
South American ◽  
Polychaete Species ◽  
The North ◽  
Primary Literature ◽  
South American Region ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Caribbean

A list of all known polychaete species reported in the primary literature is presented for the Caribbean Sea. The most spe-cies-rich polychaete faunas are those of Cuba in the North Caribbean ecoregion and Trinidad-Tobago and Colombia in theSouth Caribbean ecoregion while the ecoregion with the greatest number of species is the Greater Antilles. While part ofthe explanation for these higher diversity areas may be due to collection effort, these areas may also be higher in speciesnumber as a result of being ecotones between the Gulf of Mexico in the north and the northern South American region tothe south. The most species-rich families are the Syllidae, Eunicidae, Nereididae, Polynoidae, Sabellidae, Serpulidae, Ter-ebellidae, and Spionidae. A brief discussion of the history of polychaete research identified many of the more importantworkers in the characterization of the polychaete fauna of the region. An analysis of the species-record accumulation curvefor polychaetes indicated that this fauna has not yet been fully characterized. One portion of the polychaete fauna identified as being especially poorly known is that from the deep-water areas of the Caribbean.

Ideology, Chiefly Power, and Material Culture: An Example from the Greater Antilles

1996 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Antonio Curet
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Puerto Rican ◽  
Cultural History ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Social Structures ◽  
Greater Antilles ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Caribbean

AbstractTemporal changes in material culture normally have been used by archaeologists to reconstruct the cultural history of an area or site. In the case of the Caribbean, shifts in artifactual style have been used to trace prehistoric migrations and interactions between different cultural groups. Unfortunately, there have been few attempts to explain these changes in terms of the social structures of these cultures. This paper reviews the archaeological evidence for cultural change in eastern Puerto Rico and proposes a model to explain it. Basically, the model suggests that changes in material culture in Puerto Rican prehistory are related to the development of social complexity. Shifts in decoration and types of artifacts are seen as an attempt by elite groups to have greater control over the symbolism represented in the artifacts in order to acquire and maintain their power. These changes are not abrupt, but gradual, as social organization evolves from simple to more complex chiefdoms.

scholarly journals A phylogeny of the genus Limia (Teleostei: Poeciliidae) suggests a single-lake radiation nested in a Caribbean-wide allopatric speciation scenario

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Montrai Spikes ◽  
Rodet Rodríguez-Silva ◽  
Kerri-Ann Bennett ◽  
Stefan Bräger ◽  
James Josaphat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Incomplete Lineage Sorting ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Greater Antilles ◽  
Lineage Sorting ◽  
Complete Sequences ◽  
History Of ◽  
Adaptive Radiations ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
High Level

Abstract The Caribbean is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots on the planet due to the high level of species diversity and endemism in plants and animals. As elsewhere, adaptive radiations in the Caribbean lead to many speciation events within a limited period and hence are particularly prominent biodiversity generators. The general prediction from Island Biogeography that relates species richness to island size is valid for livebearing fishes in general in the Greater Antilles, where larger islands have higher numbers of species mainly due to in situ speciation. A prime example of this speciation process can be seen in the genus Limia, endemic to the Greater Antilles. Within Hispaniola, nine species have been described from a single isolated site, Lake Miragoâne, pointing towards extraordinary sympatric speciation in Limia. Few studies have examined the evolutionary history of the fishes found in Lake Miragoâne. Here, we address the gaps in present knowledge by providing a preliminary phylogeny of Limia and testing whether the species found in Lake Miragoâne may originated from an in situ radiation. We targeted the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, a well-established marker for lower-level taxonomic relationships for which we obtained almost complete sequences for 13 species. The general topology of the phylogenies we produced are in concordance with other published phylogenies of Limia. There is also strong support that the species found in Lake Miragoâne in Haiti are indeed monophyletic (BS=97; PP=1.0), confirming the hypothesis of a recent local radiation. Within Lake Miragoâne, speciation is likely extremely recent, leading to incomplete lineage sorting in the mtDNA. Future studies are needed using multiple unlinked genetic markers to disentangle the relationships within the Lake Miragoâne clade.

scholarly journals Engaging Caribbean island communities with indigenous heritage and archaeology research

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (04) ◽  
pp. C06 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tibisay Sankatsing Nava ◽  
Corinne Hofman
Keyword(s):  
Community Engagement ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Island Communities ◽  
History Of ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Indigenous Heritage

This paper describes community engagement activities with indigenous heritage and archaeology research in the Caribbean. The practice of local community engagement with the archaeological research process and results can contribute to retelling the indigenous history of the Caribbean in a more nuanced manner, and to dispel the documentary biases that originated and were perpetuated from colonial times. From the conception of the ERC-Synergy NEXUS 1492 research project, a key aim has been to engage local communities and partners in the research process and collaboratively explore how the research results can be positively incorporated in contemporary cultural heritage. In the context of community engagement with scientific research, this paper explores the question of who represents a community and highlights key examples in community participation in archaeological research. These examples emphasize participation throughout the research process, from the development of research questions, to data analysis, dissemination and conservation action.

scholarly journals A phylogeny of the genus Limia (Teleostei: Poeciliidae) suggests a single-lake radiation nested in a Caribbean-wide allopatric speciation scenario

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Montrai Spikes ◽  
Rodet Rodríguez-Silva ◽  
Kerri-Ann Bennett ◽  
Stefan Bräger ◽  
James Josaphat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Incomplete Lineage Sorting ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Greater Antilles ◽  
Lineage Sorting ◽  
Total N ◽  
Complete Sequences ◽  
History Of ◽  
Adaptive Radiations ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Local Radiation

Abstract Objective The Caribbean is an important global biodiversity hotspot. Adaptive radiations there lead to many speciation events within a limited period and hence are particularly prominent biodiversity generators. A prime example are freshwater fish of the genus Limia, endemic to the Greater Antilles. Within Hispaniola, nine species have been described from a single isolated site, Lake Miragoâne, pointing towards extraordinary sympatric speciation. This study examines the evolutionary history of the Limia species in Lake Miragoâne, relative to their congeners throughout the Caribbean. Results For 12 Limia species, we obtained almost complete sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, a well-established marker for lower-level taxonomic relationships. We included sequences of six further Limia species from GenBank (total N  = 18 species). Our phylogenies are in concordance with other published phylogenies of Limia. There is strong support that the species found in Lake Miragoâne in Haiti are monophyletic, confirming a recent local radiation. Within Lake Miragoâne, speciation is likely extremely recent, leading to incomplete lineage sorting in the mtDNA. Future studies using multiple unlinked genetic markers are needed to disentangle the relationships within the Lake Miragoâne clade.

scholarly journals Collagen Sequence Analysis Reveals Evolutionary History of Extinct West Indies Nesophontes (Island-Shrews)

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. 2931-2943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Buckley ◽  
Virginia L Harvey ◽  
Johanset Orihuela ◽  
Alexis M Mychajliw ◽  
Joseph N Keating ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Greater Antilles ◽  
Cayman Islands ◽  
Geographical Isolation ◽  
Sequence Analyses ◽  
Evolutionary Patterns ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Caribbean

Abstract Ancient biomolecule analyses are proving increasingly useful in the study of evolutionary patterns, including extinct organisms. Proteomic sequencing techniques complement genomic approaches, having the potential to examine lineages further back in time than achievable using ancient DNA, given the less stringent preservation requirements. In this study, we demonstrate the ability to use collagen sequence analyses via proteomics to assist species delimitation as a foundation for informing evolutionary patterns. We uncover biogeographic information of an enigmatic and recently extinct lineage of Nesophontes across their range on the Caribbean islands. First, evolutionary relationships reconstructed from collagen sequences reaffirm the affinity of Nesophontes and Solenodon as sister taxa within Solenodonota. This relationship helps lay the foundation for testing geographical isolation hypotheses across islands within the Greater Antilles, including movement from Cuba toward Hispaniola. Second, our results are consistent with Cuba having just two species of Nesophontes (N. micrus and N. major) that exhibit intrapopulation morphological variation. Finally, analysis of the recently described species from the Cayman Islands (N. hemicingulus) indicates that it is a closer relative to N. major rather than N. micrus as previously speculated. This proteomic sequencing improves our understanding of the origin, evolution, and distribution of this extinct mammal lineage, particularly with respect to the approximate timing of speciation. Such knowledge is vital for this biodiversity hotspot, where the magnitude of recent extinctions may obscure true estimates of species richness in the past.

White Zombie as Captivity Narrative and the Death of Certainty

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 19-25
Author(s):  
Mark C Anderson
Keyword(s):  
American Indians ◽  
American Slavery ◽  
Captivity Narrative ◽  
Early American ◽  
Arts And Culture ◽  
History Of ◽  
American Black ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
American Society ◽  
Black Other

Horror films such as White Zombie (1932) reveal viewers to themselves by narrating in the currency of audience anxiety. Such movies evoke fright because they recapitulate fear and trauma that audiences have already internalized or continue to experience, even if they are not aware of it. White Zombie’s particular tack conjures up an updated captivity narrative wherein a virginal white damsel is abducted by a savage Other. The shell of the captivity story, of course, is as old as America. In its earliest incarnation it featured American Indians in the role as savage Other, fiendishly imagined as having been desperate to get their clutches on white females and all that hey symbolized. In this way, it generated much of the emotional heat stoking Manifest Destiny, that is, American imperial conquest both of the continent and then, later, as in the case of Haiti, of the Caribbean Basin. White Zombie must of course be understood in the context of the American invasion and occupation of Haiti (1915-1934). As it revisits the terrain inhabited by the American black Other, it also speaks to the history of American slavery. The Other here is African-American, not surprisingly given the date and nature of American society of the day, typically imagined in wildly pejorative fashion in early American arts and culture. This essay explores White Zombie as a modified captivity narrative, pace Last of the Mohicans through John Ford’s The Searchers (1956), the Rambo trilogy (1982, 1985, 1988), the Taken trilogy (2008, 1012, 2014), even Mario and Luigi’s efforts to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser.

scholarly journals Pleistocene aridification underlies the evolutionary history of the Caribbean endemic, insular, giant Consolea (Opuntioideae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas C. Majure ◽  
Duniel Barrios ◽  
Edgardo Díaz ◽  
Bethany A. Zumwalde ◽  
Weston Testo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Caribbean

HURRICANES, CROPS, AND CAPITAL: THE METEOROLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF AMERICAN EMPIRE IN THE WEST INDIES

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie L. Pietruska
Keyword(s):  
West Indian ◽  
The United States ◽  
American Empire ◽  
The West ◽  
Knowledge Infrastructure ◽  
Military Security ◽  
Symbolic Extension ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Weather Service

This article examines the mutually reinforcing imperatives of government science, capitalism, and American empire through a history of the U.S. Weather Bureau's West Indian weather service at the turn of the twentieth century. The original impetus for expanding American meteorological infrastructure into the Caribbean in 1898 was to protect naval vessels from hurricanes, but what began as a measure of military security became, within a year, an instrument of economic expansion that extracted climatological data and produced agricultural reports for American investors. This article argues that the West Indian weather service was a project of imperial meteorology that sought to impose a rational scientific and bureaucratic order on a region that American officials considered racially and culturally inferior, yet relied on the labor of local observers and Cuban meteorological experts in order to do so. Weather reporting networks are examined as a material and symbolic extension of American technoscientific power into the Caribbean and as a knowledge infrastructure that linked the production of agricultural commodities in Cuba and Puerto Rico to the world of commodity exchange in the United States.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document