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Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons™
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- Biomechanics (3)
- Fossil hominids (3)
- Bioarchaeology (2)
- Body size (2)
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- Evolution (2)
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- Cucuteni-Trypillia culture (1)
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Articles 1 - 20 of 20
Full-Text Articles in Biological and Physical Anthropology
Chromosome 7 Microdeletions: A Literature Review, Catherine Davi
Chromosome 7 Microdeletions: A Literature Review, Catherine Davi
ALL - Honors Theses
Microdeletions, deletions of part of a chromosome that are too small to be detected by light microscopy using conventional cytogenetic methods, have become a hot topic for geneticists over the past decade or so. Occurring in around one in every 4000 live births, some of these microdeletions do not allow for a viable offspring, while others have distinctive developmental consequences. Many of the genes on chromosome 7 play a large role in the early development of the head, face, and limbs and more generally on cell growth and division (Bethesda 2022). This research study reviews known microdeletions on the seventh …
Limb Stiffness Increases With Hopping Frequency And Sprinting Speed In Elite Sprinters, Laurent Dorvilier
Limb Stiffness Increases With Hopping Frequency And Sprinting Speed In Elite Sprinters, Laurent Dorvilier
ALL - Honors Theses
During sprinting and hopping, the lower limbs act as a mechanical spring as it compresses and recoils to store and release elastic potential energy during each step. This is important because for individuals such as high performing sprinters, the stiffer the spring acting limb is, the more efficient it will be for the sprinter to maintain maximal velocity and optimal performance. The basis of this experiment lies in the fact that the mechanics of the lower limbs are modeled using to the mechanics of a spring, therefore, to calculate an approximate limb stiffness, Hooke’s Law can be used. Hooke’s Law …
An Investigation Into Peak Limb Compliance In College Sprinters, Lilian Sahibdeen
An Investigation Into Peak Limb Compliance In College Sprinters, Lilian Sahibdeen
Anthropology
During running, the limb acts as a mechanical spring where it compresses and recoils to release elastic potential energy with each ground contact. Maintaining maximal running speed is particularly important during sprinting. Individuals with stiffer limb springs are more efficient because of this. Limb stiffness can be calculated using Hooke’s law (k=F/ ΔL), where k is the spring constant, F is the peak ground reaction force, and ΔL is the change in hip height between the initiation of limb contact and the middle stance phase. Many factors contribute to limb stiffness and this study examines how stiffness variers with contact …
Error Rates In Sex Determination Of Human Skeletal Remains, Vanessa Slone
Error Rates In Sex Determination Of Human Skeletal Remains, Vanessa Slone
Anthropology
The possible fallibility of forensic methods has been under scrutiny for over a decade. Left out of the initial reviews were methods within forensic anthropology. A literature review was conducted to examine modern methods in determining the biological sex of human skeleton remains and their associated error rates in making a correct determination. Results showed no significant correlation between the number of traits being considered the subsequent error rate in determining sex. The skull was shown to be the least accurate in determining biological sex with the pelvis showing the lowest rate of error. Finally, between regression line-based methods and …
The Evolution Of Sex Differences In Mandrills (Mandrillus Sphinx): Micro- And Macroevolution, Jerred Klint Schafer
The Evolution Of Sex Differences In Mandrills (Mandrillus Sphinx): Micro- And Macroevolution, Jerred Klint Schafer
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Primates show diverse patterns of adaptive color and body size dimorphism produced by inter- and intrasexual selection. However, the specific microevolutionary processes that produce variation in secondary sexual characteristics remain largely unexplored in primates. Furthermore, sexual conflict theory predicts that female and male secondary sexual traits can coevolve in an antagonistic manner and promote speciation. This dissertation explores the microevolution of secondary sexual characteristics in mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) and the macroevolution of these characters in anthropoid primates. I address the microevolution of mandrill facial coloration and body mass by estimating the heritability, phenotypic selection, and genetic evolution of these traits …
Intergenerational Embodiment Of Stress : How The Broader Sociocultural Environment Can Shape Child Growth And Development, Elizabeth A. Holdsworth
Intergenerational Embodiment Of Stress : How The Broader Sociocultural Environment Can Shape Child Growth And Development, Elizabeth A. Holdsworth
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Childhood growth has been a means of identifying systemic, material inequalities within populations. The plasticity of growth is responsive to multiple environmental factors, most notably adequate nutrition, but also psychosocial stress. Psychosocial stress can be a function of the social and political economic ecology, reinforcing power hierarchies within societies. This dissertation proposes that childhood growth can also reflect inequality in the distribution of psychosocial stress exposure through mothers’ feelings of a chronically stressful environment conveyed through maternal-infant interactions.
Hippocampal Extracellular Potassium Levels And Formation Of Spatial Memory In Response To Retrodialysis Insulin Administration, Gabrielle Shames
Hippocampal Extracellular Potassium Levels And Formation Of Spatial Memory In Response To Retrodialysis Insulin Administration, Gabrielle Shames
Anthropology
Insulin is the most common treatment for hyperglycemia, such as that caused by type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus. Insulin causes cellular uptake and storage of glucose to maintain homeostasis and also plays important roles in other systems; an important example is regulation of potassium. In the periphery, insulin administration has been shown to increase the cellular uptake of potassium via Na+/K+ ATPase, leading to hypokalemia. Research in our lab and others has shown that insulin is a key regulator of cognitive function and local metabolism within the hippocampus. To date, however, no studies have examined whether insulin acts …
Bayesian Analysis In Adult Skeletal Age-At-Death Estimation, With Additional Consideration Of Pathological Variables, Jessica L. Campbell
Bayesian Analysis In Adult Skeletal Age-At-Death Estimation, With Additional Consideration Of Pathological Variables, Jessica L. Campbell
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
A common task bioarchaeologists face is to estimate age-at-death in populations that have no corresponding documentation. This poses many challenges, the first of which is that age-at-death is highly variable within and among populations and can be further confounded by genetic and environmental influences, as well as other components of the biological profile. Estimating age-at-death in a historic sample can be even more challenging due to missing age indicators or taphonomic changes that obscure the features. Bayesian Analysis offers the potential to mitigate these challenges and to estimate age-at-death with lower degrees of uncertainty and higher probabilities of increased accuracy …
Rack1 Facilitates Efficient Translation Of Viral And Cellular Iress, Natasha Permaul
Rack1 Facilitates Efficient Translation Of Viral And Cellular Iress, Natasha Permaul
Anthropology
Ribosomes, the cellular machinery that translates mRNA sequences into protein sequences, are surprisingly heterogeneous molecules. More and more ribosomal proteins have been shown to facilitate translation of mRNA subsets. These mRNA subsets include mRNAs that can initiate translation using non-canonical pathways, for example using an internal ribosome entry site (IRES). IRESs are RNA structures that facilitate translation with fewer translation initiation factors than are required for canonical cap-dependent translation initiation. The ribosomal protein Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK1) has been previously shown to be required for translation of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) IRES, but not required for …
Evolution Of Lemur Pelage Color Variation, Amanda Nicole Spriggs
Evolution Of Lemur Pelage Color Variation, Amanda Nicole Spriggs
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
This dissertation investigates the selective pressures that may be driving variation in pelage color patterns in Eulemur, Varecia, and Propithecus. This is addressed by exploring the relationship between the lemur pelage colors and ecological variables, such as habitat type, predation pressures, visibility variables, and level of sympatry. The following model is presented here to describe the evolutionary mechanisms that are thought to be maintaining pelage coloration in lemurs: Pelage color and pattern are potentially used to (1) signal to conspecifics information such as mate quality, (2) signal to congenerics species identity, and (3) avoid signaling the individual’s presence to predators. …
Antibiotics, The Microbiome, And Immunity : A Case Study In Bangladesh, Carmen Fagnani
Antibiotics, The Microbiome, And Immunity : A Case Study In Bangladesh, Carmen Fagnani
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The purpose of this study was to establish a theoretical impact of antibiotic misuse on the microbiome and its effects on immunity. Recent studies indicate the importance of a microbiome on the immune system. Both the leptin signaling pathways and CD4T cell production are influenced by the microbiome (Mazmanian, et al. 2005). The use of antibiotics has been associated with dysbiosis, a microbial imbalance in the digestive tract. The immune system is limited when the microbiome is dysbiotic.
Human Feeding Biomechanics : Intraspecific Variation And Evolution, Justin Ledogar
Human Feeding Biomechanics : Intraspecific Variation And Evolution, Justin Ledogar
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
This study examines feeding biomechanics in modern human crania and those of extinct early members of the human lineage in order to better understand the selective pressures that influenced human craniofacial evolution. Specifically, this study uses finite element analysis to examine: 1) human feeding performance, in terms bite force production and craniofacial strength; 2) intraspecific variation in human feeding biomechanics; 3) feeding biomechanics in fossil hominins, including Australopithecus sediba and Homo habilis, species that are potentially at the root of modern human lineage, and 4) the functional role of purported facial buttresses.
Examining The Craniofacial Biomechanics Of Paranthropus Boisei, Amanda L. Smith
Examining The Craniofacial Biomechanics Of Paranthropus Boisei, Amanda L. Smith
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
An engineering method, finite element analysis (FEA), was used to examine the craniofacial biomechanics of Paranthropus boisei. The craniofacial morphology of Paranthropus boisei exhibits a number of highly derived characteristics that have commonly been thought to be related to feeding. This series of studies includes an ex vivo strain gage study (validation of techniques), an assessment of the effects of intraspecific craniofacial shape variation in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), and an examination of the feeding biomechanics of Paranthropus boisei. Modeling experiments were also conducted to test mechanical hypotheses regarding the effects of specific derived craniofacial features on Paranthropus feeding function.
The Biomechanical And Behavioral Significance Of The Neanderthal Femur, Kelli Hamm Tamvada
The Biomechanical And Behavioral Significance Of The Neanderthal Femur, Kelli Hamm Tamvada
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis) femur is distinct from that of recent modern humans (Homo sapiens). Broadly speaking, the Neanderthal femur is more "robust", meaning that it appears to be biomechanically stronger, and it is more curved, which may enhance the predictability of the stresses and strains experienced by the bone. It has been hypothesized that the Neanderthal morphology is an adaptation to withstand elevated and repetitive loads associated with increased mobility. This study tests the mobility hypothesis using comparative and biomechanical methods. Specifically, this study sought to test the mobility hypothesis by a) determining whether or not a relationship exists …
A Biocultural Perspective On The Transition To Agriculture In Ukraine, Jordan Kenneth Karsten
A Biocultural Perspective On The Transition To Agriculture In Ukraine, Jordan Kenneth Karsten
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The development of agriculture and its spread around the globe is one of the most consequential events in the history of our species. The transition to agriculture is associated with many cultural developments, such as craft specialization, urbanization, and the creation of social hierarchies. Many social theorists believe that these changes associated with the adoption of farming were beneficial to the human condition, however, not all agree. The goal of this research is to evaluate the impact of the adoption of agriculture on human health. To do this, bioarchaeological analysis is employed, comparing the skeletal and dental health of Mesolithic …
Developmental Adaptation Hypothesis : Aerobic Capacity, Submaximal Arterial Saturation And Pulmonary Volumes In Peruvian Quechua Natives, Melisa Kiyamu Tsuchiya
Developmental Adaptation Hypothesis : Aerobic Capacity, Submaximal Arterial Saturation And Pulmonary Volumes In Peruvian Quechua Natives, Melisa Kiyamu Tsuchiya
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The Quechua populations have inhabited the Andes for hundreds of generations. The ability to thrive in this hostile environment, leading an active and healthy life has generated research questions about the special phenotype of Andean highlanders compared to their sea-level counterparts, such as their higher pulmonary volumes and their outstanding work capacity in spite of the challenge of oxygen transport and delivery in hypoxia. In high altitude natives, there have been two main explanations for the origins of the aforementioned traits: genetic adaptation through natural selection and developmental adaptation through the exposure to hypoxia during growth.
Anthropometric Correlates Of Reproductive Success, Facial Configuration, Risk Taking And Sexual Behaviors Among Indigenous And Western Populations : The Role Of Hand-Grip Strength And Wrist Width, Jeremy Andrew Atkinson
Anthropometric Correlates Of Reproductive Success, Facial Configuration, Risk Taking And Sexual Behaviors Among Indigenous And Western Populations : The Role Of Hand-Grip Strength And Wrist Width, Jeremy Andrew Atkinson
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Correlating a sexually dimorphic trait with reproductive success (RS) remains the `gold standard' in evolutionary psychology research. Within each sex, if more dimorphic individuals have increased RS then this is strong evidence that the trait is an important phenotypic fitness marker and potentially used as a same-sex and/or mate-assessment criterion. Many studies have investigated some of these traits, like shoulder to hip ratio (SHR) in males and waist to hip ratio (WHR) in females and have found that a more sex-typical body configuration does indeed indicate higher phenotypic quality and is used in mate assessment. However these traits are aggregate …
A Comparison Of Robusticity Of Archaic, Woodland, And Historic Period Populations Within New York State As Based On Musculoskeletal Markers, Julie Emily Ferguson
A Comparison Of Robusticity Of Archaic, Woodland, And Historic Period Populations Within New York State As Based On Musculoskeletal Markers, Julie Emily Ferguson
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The purpose of this project is to compare the relative robusticity between native populations in New York State from the Archaic, Woodland, and Historic time periods. Musculoskeletal markers are used to determine any similarities and differences in robusticity between ages, sexes, and time periods. Relative robusticity is also assessed in terms of upper and lower limbs to further investigate any habitual activity patterns that can be discerned between groups. It is hypothesized that the Archaic populations would be comparatively more robust than the Woodland and Historic periods. In addition, males would be more robust than females, and robusticity would increase …
Body Size And Mortality In Post-Medieval England, Gail Margaret Hughes-Morey
Body Size And Mortality In Post-Medieval England, Gail Margaret Hughes-Morey
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Short stature and body mass at both extremes of the distribution have consistently been linked to poor health outcomes in modern populations, but the nature of the relationship between body size and mortality is poorly understood. This dissertation examines the relationship between stature, body mass, and mortality, and how that relationship may have varied with socioeconomic status and evidence of morbidity in post-medieval England. Adults from Chelsea Old Church, an 18th-19th century high status skeletal collection from the outskirts of London, and Lower Saint Bride's, an 18th-19th century low status skeletal collection from central London, both housed at the Museum …
Glossolalia Influences On Stress Response Among Apostolic Pentecostals, Christopher Dana Lynn
Glossolalia Influences On Stress Response Among Apostolic Pentecostals, Christopher Dana Lynn
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
This study tests the hypothesis that long–term experience of Apostolic Pentecostal glossolalia or “speaking in tongues” reduces the reactivity of biological stress response to normal or "daily" stressors. Glossolalia is a form of religious dissociation. Dissociation is a universal capacity often conflated with “trance.” It refers to the partitioning of awareness associated with a variety of cross–cultural forms, from daydreaming and denial to possession trance, shamanic spirit journeys, and dissociative identity disorder. Dissociation is believed to reduce or filter stress by mediating evaluation of potential stressors and reactivity of the mechanisms of biological stress response. Previous studies have examined these …