Subsistence strategies of prehistoric hunter-gatherers on the Tibetan Plateau during the Last Deglaciation

The study of prehistoric hunter-gatherer subsistence strategies on the Tibetan Plateau is important for understanding the mechanisms and processes of human adaption to high altitude environments.But to date,only a few Paleolithic sites have been found on the Tibetan Plateau with clear stratigraphy and reliable dating.These sites are mainly distributed in the Qinghai Lake Basin on the northeastern part of the plateau,and the sporadic fauna and flora remains excavated provide limited information about the subsistence strategies of hunter-gatherers.In 2014,relatively abundant animal remains were unearthed in the Lower Cultural Layer (LCL,15400-13100 cal yr BP) of the"151 site"located in the Qinghai Lake Basin,providing important information about human subsistence strategies on the Tibetan Plateau during the Last Deglaciation.Zooarchaeological analysis of these faunal remains indicates that hunter-gatherers at the"151 site"mainly targeted large ungulates of Bos and wild horse/ass,and only brought back the most nutritious parts of animal carcasses including upper and intermediate limb bones,heads,and trunks (ribs and vertebrae).People then processed and consumed the carcasses around single hearths.Our comprehensive analyses of contemporaneous sites in the Qinghai Lake Basin show that a subsistence strategy involving opportunistic hunting of ungulates,high mobility,and short occupation of campsites was used by terminal Pleistocene huntergatherers to adapt to the high-altitude environment on the Tibetan Plateau.This subsistence strategy may have been a first step of gradual hunter-gatherer adaptation to the extreme conditions on the Tibetan Plateau after the Last Glacial Maximum,and laid the foundation for the widespread distribution of hunter-gatherers on the plateau during the Holocene.

A Hunter-Gatherer Exercise Prescription to Optimize Health and Well-Being in the Modern World

There has been considerable innovation and advancement in the field of exercise and physical activity (PA).In regards to the battle against chronic non-communicable disease,however,we believe the model of PA that would prove most salu-tary is one closely mimicking that of our hunter-gatherer ancestors.For the purpose of longevity,the human body and our genetic makeup have been evolutionarily adapted to respond best to moderate amounts of high-intensity interval training,in conjunction with high amounts of low intensity exercise.Moreover,to optimize resiliency and cardiorespiratory fitness,a hunter-gatherer fitness regimen must include cross training targeted at flexibility,balance and strength.Though not com-monly understood,the health benefits from exercise comprise a reverse J-curve.The endurance athletes residing on the furthest reaches of the PA spectrum appear to lose a substantial portion of the exercise-related longevity and cardiovascular benefits due to cardiac overuse injury.Conversely,there is an emerging body of evidence suggesting leisure time exercise done with peers in a natural environment is significantly superior to that training done in solitude.This idea of the "power of play" lends support to the ancestral model of PA whereby humans are evolutionary adapted to be highly social,outdoor creatures capable of a diverse range of PA at varying intensities.