papers pertaining to cultural and biological tran- sitions, subjects on which Ofer has devoted con- siderable energies. The Middle–Upper Paleolithic transition is a topic of particular import in Ofer’s work and one that I should like to address in this volume. My short contribution will consider this watershed event in human evo- lution from the simple perspective of change, namely, what examples of continuity or disconti- nuity within the realms of technology, mobility, subsistence, and biology can be documented between the Late Middle Paleolithic (LMP) and Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP). This discussion will be based on case studies from the Caucasus region (Figure 8.1), specifically the Georgian Republic where, since 1996, Ofer has directed a project of Paleolithic research focused on the re- excavation and analysis of three caves and rock- shelters: Ortvale Klde, Dzudzuana Cave, and Kotias Klde. While a graduate student, I was for- tunate enough to be enlisted as codirector of excavations at Ortvale Klde, which became the centerpiece of my doctoral research completed under Ofer’s guidance (Adler 2002). Aspects of this research, published and cited in detail elsewhere, will be reconsidered in the following pages as I contrast Paleolithic lifestyles prior to and following the demise of the Neanderthals in the southern Caucasus. These lifestyles will be discussed in terms of technolo- gy (lithic and bone), mobility, and subsistence, Introduction Anyone interested in studying paleoanthropolo- gy, regardless of specific temporal, regional, or topical focus is quickly confronted with the prodigious, wide-ranging, and thought-provok- ing writings of Prof. Ofer Bar-Yosef. His publica- tions span almost every conceivable aspect of paleoanthropological enquiry, and he has made significant intellectual contributions in most major arenas of prehistoric research (e.g., human evolution, cultural transitions, technolo- gy and economy, subsistence and diet, origins of agriculture, and rise of social complexity). As former or current students, or close col- leagues, each of us has a clear sense of how pro- found Ofer’s impact has been, I dare say contin- ues to be, on our ongoing individual development as paleoanthropologists. I find this aspect of Ofer’s legacy particularly significant as it illus- trates the great investment he makes in each of his students and colleagues at the instructional, advisory, and collaborative level. And I do not use the word “legacy” lightly. Since the 1970s, Ofer has overseen the training of several generations of paleoanthropologists, many of whom now hold tenured positions at major universities and set the agenda for paleoanthropological research. The diversity of contributions to this volume is as clear an expression as any of Ofer’s long- standing dedication to academic excellence in his pursuit of the past. Among these is a series of 8 CULTURAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND BIOLOGICAL DISCONTINUITIES AT THE MIDDLE–UPPER P ALEOLITHIC TRANSITION IN THE SOUTHERN CAUCASUS Daniel S. Adler