Anthropology Commons^™

Neandertal Craniofacial Growth: An Ontogenetic Model, Michael David Green

Masters Theses

This research seeks to develop a model, using modern fetal crania, of Neandertal craniofacial growth. An argument is made that the developmental approach offers greater insight into Neandertal adaptive morphology than the standard functional models. Discussion of the relation between allometry and heterochrony is followed by a general genetic overview and a description of modern fetal craniofacial growth. These patterns are then extrapolated to the Neandertal condition.

Samples for this work consist of modern fetal crania, three modern adult samples, one sample of early modern humans and a sample of Neandertal adults. Principle components analysis was utilized, as was least …

Of Berry Pickers, Shanty Boys, And The Jack Pine Bird: Patterns Of Settlement And Subsistence In Nineteenth Century Oscoda County, Rose Lockwood Moore

Masters Theses

The provisions of the Homestead Act of 1863 (U.S. Congress 1862a) required a settlement pattern of dispersed single families on small tracts of land, which, in turn, affected the subsistence strategies available to the homesteaders. The interaction of federal land legislation with the ecosystem of southern Oscoda County resulted in marked spatial and temporal differences between the tracts that were homesteaded as opposed to those acquired for their timber. A sample population of quarter sections was analyzed in terms of the physical and biotic environments, date of entry, and use. The analysis confirmed that the timber lands were located on …

Estimation Of Stature From Metacarpal Lengths, Lee Meadows

Masters Theses

Stature reconstruction is an important feature of any skeletal analysis including population studies, early hominid research, and personal identification. In 1978, Musgrave and Harneja provided formulae for the estimation of stature using metacarpal lengths. The sample in that study included white males and females, predominantly of British origin who had an injured hand presented for radiography. The study did not include both hands from the same individual, only the injured hand. In facing a human identification case involving only a partial hand, these formulae were applied. A test of Musgrave and Harneja (1978) stature formulae was conducted on known skeletons …

Prehistoric Subsistence Patterns On The North Carolina Coast: Nutritional Status As Measured By Cortical Bone Area, David C. Jones

Masters Theses

Measurements of percent cortical bone area in femoral sections recovered from two geographically distinct areas of North Carolina are presented. The femora were recovered from archaeological sites 1) on the North Carolina coast and 2) in the North Carolina Piedmont. Both groups represent the Late Woodland. The Piedmont group relied on hunting-gathering, supplemented with insipient agriculture. The coastal group relied primarily (almost exclusively) on estuarine resources as a subsistence base. The mean percent cortical area was significantly higher in the coastal group, suggesting a better dietary adaptation. Additionally, anteroposterior and mediolateral diameters of the femoral sections were taken in order …

The Acquisition Of Medicinal Plant Knowledge: A Cross-Cultural Survey, Anna Ruth Dixon

Masters Theses

Purpose of Study: A 10% random sample of fertility-related plants was taken from Table III of Farnsworth et al.'s article, "Potential Value of Plants as Sources of New Antifertility Agents I" (Farnsworth et al. 1975: 547-554), one of the most extensive compilations of cross-cultural and chemical information on fertility-related plants available in the literature. A single class of medicinal plants, fertility-related medicinals, was chosen because it is possible that the attributes that lead to the identification of fertility-related plants are different than for plants used to treat other conditions. Five objective criteria related to plant morphology, chemistry …

Analysis Of Guatemalan Textiles, Cristina Keiko Tomita

Masters Theses

This study applies John L. Fischer's (1961) hypothesis that design elements reflect certain social variables to 50 Guatemalan textiles from the collection of the Field Museum of Chicago, to test its applicability. The results of the analysis were consistent with expectations, but some modifications to the original hypothesis are suggested to minimize ambiguities. The modified analysis can be applied in areas such as archaeology, art history and museum work to expand the interpretative potential of material objects, including works of art.

Ethnography Of A Lesbian Community In Michigan, Carol W. Burton

Masters Theses

The purpose of this master's thesis is to describe the structure and workings of a community of women in a major western Michigan metropolitan area, who identify themselves as lesbians, and to describe how this subcommunity relates to the dominant American culture in the area. This study examines the ways in which these lesbians define themselves and their subculture.

To facilitate this research, the researcher participated in the group's meetings, both formal and informal, and spoke with individual members about the history of the group, organizational principles, problems and concerns, formal and Informal rules of conduct, values, and any other …