The history of permanent human settlement in the high-altitude regions (>3000 m above sea level [masl]) of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is important in understanding human adaptation to this cold “Third Pole” region. The Qinghai Lake Basin was an important corridor used by prehistoric humans migrating to the inner QTP. Pastoralism is currently the most important means of sustaining permanent human settlement in the high-altitude regions of the QTP. However, the lack of reliable proxy measures reflecting prehistoric pastoral activities impedes our understanding of how pastoralism developed. The identification of coprophilous fungi in prehistoric cultural deposits may help refine the history of pastoralism. We collected 21 modern domesticated herbivore dung samples and 66 surface soil samples from the Qinghai Lake Basin for fungal spore analyses. We then evaluated how useful such analyses are for identifying grazing activities. Fifty-three samples were also collected from the JXG2 stratigraphic profile (∼10.0–0 ka; 3312 masl) for fungal spore analysis. Results indicate that low and stable values of the total concentration of coprophilous fungi were present from ∼10.0 to ∼5.5 ka. Concentrations gradually increased from ∼5.5 to ∼4.2 ka, significantly increased from ∼4.2 to ∼2.6 ka, and then increased dramatically after ∼2.6 ka. By combining these results with charcoal concentrations (>50 µm), lithic artifacts, bones and potsherds recovered from the JXG2 site, we infer that early pastoralism in Qinghai Lake Basin appeared between ∼6.0 to ∼5.5 ka and gradually intensified throughout the remainder of the Holocene as herding and farming gradually replaced hunting–gathering as the primary subsistence strategies. These results are supported by pollen records, archeological remains and historical records in the northeastern QTP.

中文翻译：

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利用粪菌重建青藏高原东北部青海湖流域牧区史

青藏高原（QTP）高海拔地区（海拔> 3000 m [masl]）永久人类定居的历史对于了解人类对这个寒冷的“第三极”地区的适应具有重要意义。青海湖流域是史前人类迁徙到青藏高原内陆的重要通道。畜牧业是目前青藏高原高海拔地区维持人类永久定居的最重要手段。然而，缺乏反映史前畜牧活动的可靠替代措施阻碍了我们对畜牧业如何发展的理解。在史前文化沉积物中鉴定出嗜粪真菌可能有助于完善畜牧业的历史。我们从青海湖流域收集了 21 个现代驯化草食动物粪便样本和 66 个表层土壤样本，用于真菌孢子分析。然后，我们评估了此类分析对于识别放牧活动的有用程度。还从 JXG2 地层剖面（~10.0-0 ka；3312 masl）中收集了 53 个样品用于真菌孢子分析。结果表明，从~10.0 到~5.5 ka，存在低且稳定的嗜粪真菌总浓度值。浓度从~5.5 逐渐增加到~4.2 ka，从~4.2 显着增加到~2.6 ka，然后在~2.6 ka 后急剧增加。通过将这些结果与从 JXG2 遗址回收的木炭浓度 (>50 µm)、岩屑、骨骼和陶片相结合，我们推断青海湖流域的早期牧区出现在 ∼6.0 到∼5 之间。5 ka 并在整个全新世的剩余时间内逐渐加剧，因为放牧和农业逐渐取代狩猎 - 采集成为主要的生存策略。这些结果得到了青藏高原东北部的花粉记录、考古遗迹和历史记录的支持。