Many stone tools were found on a hill south of the Hor Al-Dalmaj which is located in the central part of the alluvial plain of Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The types of rocks from which the studied stone tools were made are not found in the alluvial plain, because it consists of friable sand, silt, and clay. All existing sediments were precipitated in riverine environments such as point bar, over bank, and floodplain sediments. The collected stone tools were described with a magnifying glass (10 x) and a polarized microscope after they were thin sectioned. Microscopic analysis showed that these stone tools are made of sedimentary, volcanic igneous and metamorphic rocks, such as: sandstones, limestones, chert, conglomerate, rhyolite, basalt, mica schist, and quartzite.
The current studied stone tools were used by ancient humans as pestles, querns, scrapers, and knives. The present study showed that these tools were transported from outside the alluvial plain of Mesopotamia. A stone tool at the archaeological site of Al-Dalmaj indicates that there were some trade routes that connected this site with its surrounding; in addition to the economic, and that might occurred cultural exchanges during the Neolithic Period.
The current study aims to assess zooplankton diversity in Bahr Al-Najaf depression using diversity index, specimens were collected from five sites at Bahr Al-Najaf depression, Iraq during April 2017 to March 2018.
Forty-eight taxa of zooplankton were identified including 26 taxa to Copepoda, 17 taxa belonged to Rotifers and 5 taxa to Cladocera: Copepoda was the most dominant group (54.2%); Rotifera comprised (35.4%); Cladocera comprised (10.4%).
Relative abundance index of zooplankton showed Copepodite and nauplii of Harpacticoid, Hexarthra mira, Daphnia sp., Harpacticoid sp., and Copepodite and nauplii of Cyclops were more abundant. According to the constancy index
... Show MoreThe quality of groundwater in the Al-Hawija area was assessed using a water quality index. Data of nine physico-chemical parameters of 28 groundwater wells were used to calculate the water quality index (WQI). A heterogeneous water quality was reported, where in close proximity to the Lesser Zab River (LZR), it has low WQI values and permissible for human consumptions due to the dilution processes by fresh water; whereas, it becomes deteriorated in areas located far away the river. The values of WQI ranges from 22 to 336, indicating a good to very poor groundwater quality.
Background: Dental erosion is a common oral condition which results due to consumption of high caloric and low pH acidic food such as carbonated drinks and fruit juices. It is expected that these food types can cause irreversible damage to dental hard tissues and early deterioration of the dental restorations. So, this study aimed to evaluate and compare the erosive potential effects of orange fruit juice and Miranda orange drink on the microhardness of an orthodontic composite material. Materials and methods: Thirty discs with a thickness of 2 mm and a diameter of 10 mm were prepared from orthodontic bonding composite. The prepared discs were equally divided into three groups (n=10). Microhardness analysis was carried out both prior to
... Show MoreIn recent decades, breeding deer populations in Iraq have expanded significantly in size and distribution. Owing to their role in pathogen transmission, these deer populations pose a risk to the livestock industry. However, little is known about the parasitic infection status of the breeding deer and the surrounding environment in Iraq. Atotal of 150 deer faecal samples were collected from male and female deer of various ages from four regions of Iraq and examined microscopically for intestinal parasites. Microscopic analysis revealed the presence of seven intestinal parasite species: Entamoeba spp. (48%), Giardia duodenalis (17%), Toxocara spp. (12%), Balantidium coli(9%), Taenia spp. (9%), Strongyloides spp. (3%) and Trichostrongy
... Show MoreAniera desert/cola was found new to science and to the Iraqi fauna. The description was
mainly based on external features and male genit
Among a collection of ground beetles from Iraq the new species Acinopus euphraticus was designated and described here. The erection of this new species was mainly built on external features and the description of male genitalia.
Objectives: Although the Frankfort Horizontal (FH) and sella-nasion were routinely used as craniofacial reference planes, the inter-individual orientations were changeable when related to true horizontal (HOR). Natural head position (NHP) is a reproducible, standardized position, with the head in an upright posture and eyes focused on a point in the distance at eye level so that the visual axis is horizontal. The natural head position has importance in anthropological as well as in orthodontic fields, as this position has a relatively fixed relationship to the true horizontal and vertical planes. However, NHP is clinically not simple and it takes long time to be recorded, in addition to a deficiency in the tools utilized in the NHP and l
... Show MoreCyprinidae species are the most abundant and widely distributed fish species in the inland waters of Iraq. Cyprinids are complex species, and it is difficult to identify them on the basis of morphology. Thus, the morphological characteristics must be achieved and confirmed by molecular analysis. Twenty specimens of Cyprinion kais Heckel, 1843 (Piscies, Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae) were collected from two localities at Tigris River in the middle of Iraq: five specimens from Al-Tharthar Lake, Saladin Province, and 15 specimens from Al- Zubaydiyah sub-district, Wasit Province. The DNA sequences of C. kais were done using the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b (cytb) gene. After analysis, the sequences were compared with sequences of ot
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