Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons^™

Testing For The Effects Of Locomotion On Intraspecific Variability In The Prosimian Skeleton, Ethan Lucas Fulwood

University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects

No abstract provided.

Interpreting Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Ratios In Archaeological Remains: An Overview Of The Processes Influencing The Δ13c And Δ15n Values Of Type I Collagen, Alexander J. Leatherdale

Totem: The University of Western Ontario Journal of Anthropology

The application of isotopic ratio mass spectrometry to archaeological science has produced many important contributions to the study and understanding of ancient human and animal populations. Paleodietary reconstruction through the analysis of stable isotope ratios in skeletal, dental, and soft tissue remains presents another avenue for interpreting the past. The methodology employed to obtain isotopic data from archaeological remains directly influences the types of questions that can be addressed and the interpretation of the data. Furthermore, there are fundamental idiosyncrasies of archaeological specimens and their ante- and post-mortem environments that may influence the results of an isotopic study. This paper ...

Records Of The Institut Fuer Deutsche Ostarbeit (1940-1943): Using Anthropometrics Of Polish Populations To Examine Secular Trends And Region Specific Variation, Alicja Karolina Lanfear

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to describe population variation and secular trends in anthropometrics of Polish people before, during, and after World War II. The records of the Institute fü[ue]r Deutsche Ostarbeit (USHMM, 2008a), a dataset containing anthropometrics of the Polish population that were taken by Nazi Germans during WWII, was used in combination with other published data sources (Boas, 1928; Sikora, 1956; Stołyhwo et al., 1956; Miszkiewicz, 1956; Miszkiewicz, 1960; Total n= 17,732). Population structure was analyzed at three levels; town, municipality and county. Secular trends in cranial and body dimensions were investigated over an ...

New Insights On The Peopling Of The New World: Analysis Of Migration Waves And Ancestral Areas Of The First Americans, Barbara Kathleen Alsup

Doctoral Dissertations

There is much debate regarding the ancestral area(s) and migration patterns of the first migrants into the Americas, referred to here as Paleoamericans. Using craniometric data of a comprehensive sample of Paleoamericans, Archaic Americans and modern, worldwide populations, various statistical analyses were conducted to further investigate these research questions, such as principal component analysis, Mahalanobis squared distance matrices and matrix permutation and design matrix analysis.

Most results indicate that the Single Wave model for movement into the New World is best supported by this data. This finding is among the first in providing craniometric support for a single wave ...

Morphometric Analysis Of Acetabular Rim Shape Among Ancient Mongolian Pastoralists, Jacqueline T. Eng, Andrew Baker, Pingbo Tang, Shannon Thompson, Jamie M. Gomez

Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award (FRACAA) Recipients

The adoption of nomadic pastoralism may have marked new physiological stresses to the hip for the bipedally-adapted human rider. Relatively few studies have examined differences in acetabular shape resulting from long-term equestrianism. Steppe populations of Mongolia began a nomadic pastoral lifestyle during the Late Bronze Age, which has persisted to the present day, with whole communities of men, women, and children riding horses as part of their lifeway.

Foreigners Among The Dead At Túcume, Peru: Assessing Residential Mobility Using Isotopic Tracers, Barbara R. Hewitt

University of Western Ontario - Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Inhabited from the Late Intermediate Period (A.D. 1000-1470) until the time of Spanish conquest, Túcume was a religious and ceremonial site that was transformed over time into a major urban centre. Archaeological excavations at Túcume have revealed that hundreds of individuals were victims of human sacrifice at the site, where their remains were interred in distinct groupings that are most likely defined by the motivation behind different sacrificial rites. This research employs biogeochemical, archaeological and ethnohistoric data to explore residential mobility related to human sacrifice in and around the site of Túcume, Peru.

This dissertation has two primary foci ...

Metal Detecting: One Step To Better Consideration Of African American Resources, Chris Espenshade, Patrick Severts

African Diaspora Archaeology Newsletter

Difficulties in discovering, delineating, and evaluating ephemeral archaeological sites is a recognized issue in African American archaeology. It is argued that the addition of metal detecting to the methodological toolbox for survey, boundary definition, and testing will result in the better treatment of ephemeral sites of African American occupation.

Dental Microwear Analysis Of Fossil Parapapio And Theropithecus From Makapansgat Cave, South Africa, Haley V. Sheehy

Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Paternal Lineage Analysis Supports An Armenian Rather Than A Central Asian Genetic Origin Of The Hamshenis, Ashot Margaryan, Ashot Harutyunyan, Zaruhi Khachatryan, Armine Khudoyan, Levon Yepiskoposyan

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

The Hamshenis are an isolated geographic group of Armenians with a strong ethnic identity who, until the early decades of the twentieth century, inhabited the Pontus area on the southern coast of the Black Sea. Scholars hold alternative views on their origin, proposing eastern Armenia, western Armenia and Central Asia, respectively, as their most likely homeland. To ascertain whether genetic data from the non-recombining portion of the Y chromosome is supportive any of these suggestions, we screened 82 Armenian males of the Hamsheni descent for 12 biallelic and 6 microsatellite Y-chromosomal markers. These data were compared with the corresponding datasets ...

La Isla Foundation: An Investigation Of The Epidemic Of Ckd Epidemic Among Sugar Cane Workers In The La Isla And Candelaria Communities, Marissa Ocampo

Engaged Learning Projects Journal

This past summer I interned with La Isla Foundation (LIF) for 2 months as a public health intern. In the small amount of time I worked with La Isla Foundation I grew as both an individual and a researcher. The primary mission of LIF is to determine the cause of the Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) epidemic in western Nicaragua that is affecting sugar cane workers and their families. This summer LIF's main project was a 2-part causality study on CKDu. As part of the GIS-Public Health team, I was able to help implement both phases. For ...

Choosing The Best Plant For The Job: A Cost-Effective Assay To Prescreen Ancient Plant Remains Destined For Shotgun Sequencing, Nathan Wales, J. Alberto Romero-Navarro, Enrico Cappellini, M. Thomas P. Gilbert

Articles

DNA extracted from ancient plant remains almost always contains a mixture of endogenous (that is, derived from the plant) and exogenous (derived from other sources) DNA. The exogenous ‘contaminant’ DNA, chiefly derived from microorganisms, presents significant problems for shotgun sequencing. In some samples, more than 90% of the recovered sequences are exogenous, providing limited data relevant to the sample. However, other samples have far less contamination and subsequently yield much more useful data via shotgun sequencing. Given the investment required for high-throughput sequencing, whenever multiple samples are available, it is most economical to sequence the least contaminated sample. We present ...

A Comparative Ontogenetic Study Of Biomechanical Adaptations In The Long Bones Of South African Khoisan And Sadlermiut Inuit, Kaye-Lynn Boucher

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This research examines and compares the biomechanical adaptations of juveniles from two different climate-adapted populations: Khoisan foragers from South Africa and Sadlermiut Inuit from Nunavut, Canada. Cortical bone measurements were recorded at three diaphyseal locations on the Sadlermiut and Khoisan humeri, tibiae and femora using biplanar radiographs. Biomechanical strength properties were calculated using the Eccentric Ellipse Method (EEM). EEM calculations were interpreted with consideration to the known behavioural patterns of the two groups. Humeral AP and torsional bending strength were greater in the Sadlermiut compared to the Khoisan – most likely caused by kayak paddling among the Sadlermiut. Few differences were ...

Investigating Diet And Regional Origins In The Smith's Knoll Skeletal Sample, Stoney Creek, Using Stable Isotopes, Matthew V. Emery

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

This thesis uses stable isotopic analysis to identify diet, geographic origins and long-term residency in a sub-sample of the Smith’s Knoll skeletal collection, soldiers who died during the June 6^th 1813 Battle of Stoney Creek. The major objectives of this study have been to differentiate between two major modes of dietary consumption, one wheat-based, the other maize-based, in an attempt to decipher British colonial from American soldiers. These objectives were paired with stable oxygen and strontium isotopes, two isotopic elements presently used to identify migration and regional origins. Oxygen isotopic results from teeth suggest that, as children, 5 ...

Bioarchaeological Analysis Of Trauma In A Skeletal Sample From Smith's Knoll Historic Cemetery, Laura Lockau

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

The Smith’s Knoll collection is composed of the disarticulated, fragmentary, and commingled remains of battle dead from the War of 1812. Historical and archaeological context of this site can be well established, making it particularly valuable in helping to unveil the conditions experienced by individuals in the past. In this thesis, the Smith’s Knoll collection was analyzed for evidence of postcranial perimortem traumatic skeletal lesions. Further context for these injuries was provided through comparison with contemporaneous skeletal and surgical collections, historical documentary sources, and other bioarchaeological studies on violence and warfare in the past.

Injuries associated with fractures ...

Investigations Of The Biological Consequences And Cultural Motivations Of Artificial Cranial Modification Among Northern Chilean Populations, Christine E. Boston

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study is to build on existing normative models of craniofacial growth and previous craniofacial studies of artificial cranial modification (ACM) in order to deepen the cultural and biological understanding of the this practice. Areas of concentration include a study of the biological changes to cranial epigenetic traits and facial metrics related to ACM, an examination of the biological effects of ACM in order to assess their implications on morbidity and mortality, and an investigation into the cultural motivations for ACM. Three hypotheses were tested: 1) ACM did not affect epigenetic trait incidence or facial metrics; 2 ...

Behavioural Changes In Parenting Female Mantled Howler Monkeys (Alouatta Palliata), Emma Cancelliere

Totem: The University of Western Ontario Journal of Anthropology

Parenting in mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) requires a new set of energetic and behavioural demands. Because of constraints presented by the infant, as well as the increased energy requirements associated with mothering, parenting females need to change their activity patterns to ensure the successful upbringing of their offspring. This study of wild mantled howler monkeys was conducted to examine differences in activity between parenting and non-parenting adult females. Twenty two hours of continuous sampling on focal individuals was collected over the course of ten days in August at a study site in Nicaragua. It was found that the two ...

Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis And The Osteological Paradox, Andrea E. Bombak

Totem: The University of Western Ontario Journal of Anthropology

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is of interest to bioarchaeologists due to its strong associations with male sex, increased age, and potential associations with obesity, related metabolic conditions, and high social status. However, these possible associations and DISH’s contested status as a pathologic condition raise issues concerning how DISH must be viewed through the lens of the osteological paradox, particularly relating to selective mortality and heterogeneity of frailty. This article explores these concerns by examining recent clinical and bioarchaeological research on the symptomatology, etiology, and epidemiology of DISH and examines how bioarchaeologists should approach the paleoepidemiological interpretation of DISH.

Tracing Our Lineage: Molecular Contributions To The Construction Of The Human Phylogeny, Randa Stringer

Totem: The University of Western Ontario Journal of Anthropology

One of the most novel and important contributions to biological anthropology in the last two decades has been the implementation of the techniques of molecular genetics to address some of the field’s fundamental debates. The ordering of the extant hominids into monophyletic clades has long been a source of contention, with human-chimpanzee, human-gorilla, and human-orangutan clades being proposed in various studies. An expanding genetic analysis culminating in over 20,000 sequence alignments of all extant hominids has shown that chimpanzees and humans form a monophyletic clade, the closest relative of which is the gorilla. Since the discovery of the ...