Andrew Sherratt included horseback riding and chariotry in his conception of the Secondary Products Revolution, but his emphasis on the role of horses in warfare and on a Near Eastern influence in the earliest episode of horse domestication is viewed here as as an important shortcoming in his understanding of the process of horse domestication. Current evidence indicates that horses were domest...

We examined the presence of possible Recent refugia of Pleistocene mammalian faunas in Eurasia by analysing regional differences in the mammalian species composition, occurrence and extinction rates between Recent and Last Glacial faunas. Our analyses revealed that most of the widespread Last Glacial species have survived in the central Palearctic continental regions, most prominently in Altai-...

The work presents the results of author's own research on study seasonal dynamics biological productivity main associations complex steppes Western Kazakhstan. In various ecological and microclimatic conditions, accumulation above-ground underground phytomass during season is considered, as well production destruction processes in plant communities are analyzed. Based research, recommendations ...

Burrow-dwelling rodents are often considered ecosystem engineer species in arid environments. They create distinct habitat patches by building burrows: they move large amounts of soil, mix soil layers and change properties locally. Our aim was to explore the role Steppe Marmot as an shaping plant composition diversity steppes. First, we made a literature search gather information on engineering...

It’s been over century since the question «Did royal Russian government pursue a tough colonial policy in Central Asia and Turkestan including Kazakh steppes?» has matter of heated debate scientific literature. Many articles about region were published last decade. In particular, scientists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Japan, Italy, United States, France, Germany, Kingdom co...

BACKGROUND The Mongolian steppe is one of the most important grasslands in the world but suffers from aridization and damage from anthropogenic activities. Understanding structure and function of this community is important for the ecological conservation, but has seldom been investigated. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In this study, a total of 324 quadrats located on the three main types of...

A recent discovery of Iron Age burials (Pazyryk culture) in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia may shed light on the mode and tempo of the generation of the current genetic east-west population admixture in Central Asia. Studies on ancient mitochondrial DNA of this region suggest that the Altai Mountains played the role of a geographical barrier between West and East Eurasian lineages until the be...

In the spring of 1928 a doctor entered a remote village in southern Kazakhstan. Like hundreds of other physicians sent to the region, he came bearing information about germ theory, disease transmission, and ways to improve the Kazakhs’ health and well-being. He found a world very different from his own. Lying south of Siberia and east of the Caspian Sea, these arid steppes bore no resemblance t...

Abstract Changes in land use and climate are the main drivers of change soil organic matter contents. We investigated impact largest policy-induced conversion to arable land, Virgin Lands Campaign (VLC), from 1954 1963, massive cropland abandonment after 1990 on carbon (SOC) stocks steppes Russia Kazakhstan. simulated budgets pre-VLC period (1900) until 2100 using a dynamic vegetation model ass...

In spite of picturesque landscapes, natural beauties and authentic traditional lifestyles to be seen in East Kazakhstan, tourism is far from being developed. The Kazakh Altai (called the Switzerland) one most colourful parts country and, indeed, all Central Asia. attractiveness this geographically isolated region (formerly a part Imperial Russia), consisting rocky semi-deserts, vast parkland-st...