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Otzi, whose Neolithic remains were found in the Alps, is believed to have been killed by rivals.
(By Augustin Ochsenreiter -- Associated Press)
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Arrow Felled Otzi the Iceman
Otzi, the 5,000-year-old frozen hunter found in a melting glacier by hikers in the Italian Alps, died from blood loss, shock and a heart attack caused by an arrowhead that severed an artery beneath his left collarbone. The arrow was pulled out, causing additional internal bleeding.
European researchers, who used the kind of three-dimensional computer imaging common in hospitals to avoid invasive procedures, said they have settled the debate about whether Otzi died from a fall, from freezing in the high mountains or from a wound. According to the analysis published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, the chances of surviving an arrow wound like Otzi's would be only about 40 percent today.
The frozen remains were found in 1991 and quickly became an international sensation. The cold preserved the man's body and the clothing he was wearing, which was made of deer and goat hides and included a bearskin hat and boots stuffed with straw. He carried a copper ax and flints to make fire.
Otzi is believed to have been a hunter or warrior who was killed in a fight with rivals. An analysis of four blood samples found previously on his clothes and weapons established that the blood came from four other individuals, suggesting that Otzi may have been in a spirited fight.
The high-resolution computer tomography used to examine his internal wound is frequently used in hospitals but is rarely used by archaeologists.
-- Marc Kaufman
Why Behavior Varies in Species
Some squirrels are timid, and others will snatch popcorn from your hand. One bird spoils for a fight around the birdbath, and another turns away from confrontation.
Such differences in behavior among individuals of the same species are evidence that animals have personalities, some scientists believe. Last week, two researchers from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and another from Stockholm University argued in the British journal Nature that personality differences in animals are a reflection of evolutionary strategy.
They said that personality is shaped by the animal's timetable for reproduction. Using complex mathematical simulations, the researchers considered two theoretical individuals, each of whom lives for two years and can reproduce at the end of each year. The animals' environments vary in the quality of resources. One animal spends lots of time exploring to find the best food and habitat, investing in future reproductive success. The other explores more superficially and quickly, a strategy that emphasizes current reproduction.
The simulation showed that the thorough explorer, who expects to have a good chance to reproduce later, would behave in a more risk-averse way. The superficial explorer, living more for the moment, would behave more boldly.
