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Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Biological and Physical Anthropology

Linguae Biologiae: Biomedical Terminology And Its Real World Applications, Sydney Wong Apr 2023

Linguae Biologiae: Biomedical Terminology And Its Real World Applications, Sydney Wong

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Interdisciplinary studies between Linguistics and STEM are lacking in current educational institutions, leading to the preconception that they are separate, unrelated fields. Medical fields in particular, however, utilize extensive jargon and terminology based on Greek and Latin roots. Understanding these roots can provide a more widespread understanding of the human body and conditions affecting it, which is relevant to every person at some point in their life. Currently, biomedical terminology courses are advertised and reserved almost exclusively for students in biomedical fields. Therefore, despite its practical relevance, instruction of this topic is largely inaccessible for the general population, which encompasses …


The Interdisciplinary Study Of Genetically Modified Salmon And Their Effects On The Environment And Indigenous Communities, Victoria Fair, Kaydee Mittleider Jan 2022

The Interdisciplinary Study Of Genetically Modified Salmon And Their Effects On The Environment And Indigenous Communities, Victoria Fair, Kaydee Mittleider

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This project is an interdisciplinary view of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), specifically GMO salmon, through a biological, anthropological, and economic lens. The interconnection of these disciplines is shown through looking at GMO salmon and aquaculture effects on the Lummi Nation and the environment, while taking a close look at the first company to be approved for GMO salmon for human consumption that occurred in 2015 and the processes that are involved for approval of GMOs. The essay, through a biological lens, will explore the importance of salmon and their role in the ecosystem. Through an anthropological lens a discussion of …


Computed Tomography Of The Mandibles Of A Stranded Offshore Killer Whale (Orcinus Orca), Karisa N. Tang, J. N. Winer, Tori L. Mcklveen, Michael A. Etnier, L. Legendre, M. Haulena, Martha Ann Delaney, Joseph K. Gaydos Apr 2019

Computed Tomography Of The Mandibles Of A Stranded Offshore Killer Whale (Orcinus Orca), Karisa N. Tang, J. N. Winer, Tori L. Mcklveen, Michael A. Etnier, L. Legendre, M. Haulena, Martha Ann Delaney, Joseph K. Gaydos

Anthropology Faculty and Staff Publications

A mature, adult female, offshore killer whale (Orcinus orca) was stranded deceased in Portage Bay, Alaska, in October 2015. Full necropsy examination with histopathology was performed. Consistent with previous studies of offshore killer whales, and thought to be a result of their unique elasmobranch diet, all the teeth were significantly abraded and almost flush with the gingival margin. Age was estimated at 30–35 years based on annuli and growth arrest lines in a remaining tooth. The dentate portion of the mandibles were excised en bloc and frozen until imaging could be completed. Radiography and computed tomography revealed …


Occam's Razor Vol. 9 - Full (2019) Jan 2019

Occam's Razor Vol. 9 - Full (2019)

Occam's Razor

No abstract provided.


Using Machine Learning To Classify Extant Apes And Interpret The Dental Morphology Of The Chimpanzee-Human Last Common Ancestor, Tesla A. Monson, David W. Armitage, Leslea J. Hlusko Aug 2018

Using Machine Learning To Classify Extant Apes And Interpret The Dental Morphology Of The Chimpanzee-Human Last Common Ancestor, Tesla A. Monson, David W. Armitage, Leslea J. Hlusko

Anthropology Faculty and Staff Publications

Machine learning is a formidable tool for pattern recognition in large datasets. We developed and expanded on these methods, applying machine learning pattern recognition to a problem in paleoanthropology and evolution. For decades, paleontologists have used the chimpanzee as a model for the chimpanzee-human last common ancestor (LCA) because they are our closest living primate relative. Using a large sample of extant and extinct primates, we tested the hypothesis that machine learning methods can accurately classify extant apes based on dental data. We then used this classification tool to observe the affinities between extant apes and Miocene hominoids. We assessed …


Allometric Variation In Modern Humans And The Relationship Between Body Proportions And Elite Athletic Success, Tesla A. Monson, Marianne F. Brasil, Leslea J. Hlusko Jan 2018

Allometric Variation In Modern Humans And The Relationship Between Body Proportions And Elite Athletic Success, Tesla A. Monson, Marianne F. Brasil, Leslea J. Hlusko

Anthropology Faculty and Staff Publications

In many sports, greater height and arm span are purportedly linked to athletic success. While variation in body proportions has been explored across an array of scientific disciplines, studies focusing on humans of tall stature outside of clinical cases are limited. We investigated body size proportions in a sample of elite athletes, employing data on recruits for the National Basketball Association (NBA, n=2,990), mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters (mixed-sex, n=1,284), as well as a control sample of healthy young adults who are not professional athletes, represented here by male (n=4,082) and female (n=1,986) recruits for the United States Army, to …


Occam's Razor Vol. 7 - Full (2017) Jan 2017

Occam's Razor Vol. 7 - Full (2017)

Occam's Razor

No abstract provided.


Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Cause To Treatment, Tavleen Aulakh Jan 2016

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Cause To Treatment, Tavleen Aulakh

Occam's Razor

Imagine two individuals, both suffering from severe liver damage. With excess fat molecules concentrated in the hepatic cells, their livers are inflamed and scarred. These deteriorating livers are also supplementing the development of chronic obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and hyperlipidemia. While one of these individuals is a middle-aged male with a long history of alcohol addiction and abuse, the other is only thirteen years old and has never consumed alcohol. This adolescent is suffering from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).


Occam's Razor Vol. 6 - Full (2016) Jan 2016

Occam's Razor Vol. 6 - Full (2016)

Occam's Razor

No abstract provided.


Community Based Pilot Study Of Diagnostic Paths To The Gluten Free Diet, Joan C. Stevenson, Kelle Rankin-Sunter, Crystal Maki, Sean Bruna, M.J. Mosher, Christopher E. Barrett Jan 2015

Community Based Pilot Study Of Diagnostic Paths To The Gluten Free Diet, Joan C. Stevenson, Kelle Rankin-Sunter, Crystal Maki, Sean Bruna, M.J. Mosher, Christopher E. Barrett

Anthropology Faculty and Staff Publications

Wheat consumption is increasing worldwide and also increasing is the frequency of celiac disease (CeD), a pathological response to wheat protein (gluten) in genetically susceptible individuals. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is another, less studied wheat-induced pathology. The treatment for both is a gluten-free diet (GFD). More individuals choose the diet than predicted by the epidemiological 1-2% prevalence. A preliminary survey by questionnaire asked members and attendees of the local gluten information group (GIG) meetings and functions about their diagnostic experiences and symptom levels in order understand the increased demand for gluten-free foods. Same-aged and -sex friends participated as a comparative …


"What Is Love?" The Sounds Of Love From William S. Burroughs, Kathryn Cronin Jan 2015

"What Is Love?" The Sounds Of Love From William S. Burroughs, Kathryn Cronin

Occam's Razor

William Burroughs, his life and works, have a set beginning and end, but the biological and spiritual connections he draws between language, sound, and the human body appear to have undefined points of origin. Sound has always been. Language has always been. To exist outside of language and sound is to exist outside of time and space and thus outside the body. Burroughs’ theories on language, the word, and their connection to the body are woven through texts filled with structural and narrative convolutions. ­ Nova Trilogy, especially The Ticket that Exploded, as well as the early novel …


Occam's Razor Vol. 5 - Full (2015) Jan 2015

Occam's Razor Vol. 5 - Full (2015)

Occam's Razor

No abstract provided.


Occam's Razor Vol. 4 - Full (2014) Jan 2014

Occam's Razor Vol. 4 - Full (2014)

Occam's Razor

No abstract provided.


Concrete Shroud, Jake Reller, Mariah Tate Klemens Jan 2013

Concrete Shroud, Jake Reller, Mariah Tate Klemens

Occam's Razor

Concrete shroud is an exhibition originating from a dialogue between the two artists, culminating in a series of lectures written by Mariah Tate Klemens and Jake Reller.


Community, Culture And Identity In An Age Of Globalization, Katie Wiggins Jan 2013

Community, Culture And Identity In An Age Of Globalization, Katie Wiggins

Occam's Razor

As we move further into the age of globalization, we are seeing changes not only at a global level but at individual and communal levels; changes that we cannot wholly identify but that we recognize in ourselves. We are adapting to a global world, one that is affecting our identity and culture and, as we attempt to hold on to this identity and still converse with a larger world, we ultimately are forced to reshape our identities. Some may wonder what this will mean for the future and to what extent it affects us as individuals and communities. To answer …


Occam's Razor Vol. 3 - Full (2013) Jan 2013

Occam's Razor Vol. 3 - Full (2013)

Occam's Razor

No abstract provided.


Occam's Razor Vol. 2 - Full (2012) Jan 2012

Occam's Razor Vol. 2 - Full (2012)

Occam's Razor

No abstract provided.


Preservation And Use Of Natural Resources In The Developing World: A Case Study Of The Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Emily Green Jan 2011

Preservation And Use Of Natural Resources In The Developing World: A Case Study Of The Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Emily Green

Occam's Razor

Developing nations often overlook the environmental effects of industrialization. However, these nations need healthy, sustainable resources in order to become prosperous and stable countries. Additionally, developed nations depend upon the natural resources of developing nations as raw materials. Loss of natural resources in developing nations therefore has effects at both national and global levels. A key challenge across the globe is balancing the human need for development with the necessity of the sustainable use and protection of natural resources. In the process of finding this balance, developing nations are revising both their national definition of conservation as well as the …


Occam's Razor Vol. 1 - Full (2011) Jan 2011

Occam's Razor Vol. 1 - Full (2011)

Occam's Razor

No abstract provided.


Mitochondrial Dna Diversity In Mennonite Communities From The Midwestern United States, Phillip Edward Melton, M.J. Mosher, Rohina C. Rubicz, Mark Zlojutro, Michael H. Crawford Jun 2010

Mitochondrial Dna Diversity In Mennonite Communities From The Midwestern United States, Phillip Edward Melton, M.J. Mosher, Rohina C. Rubicz, Mark Zlojutro, Michael H. Crawford

Anthropology Faculty and Staff Publications

We examined mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in six Mennonite communities from Kansas (Goessel, Lone Tree, Garden View, Meridian, and Garden City) and Nebraska (Henderson) to determine their genetic structure and its relationship to population history. Mitochondrial DNA haplogroup and haplotype information were obtained from blood samples from 118 individuals. Molecular genetic variation was analyzed using diversity measures, neutrality test statistics, spatial analysis of molecular variance (SAMOVA), and multidimensional scaling plots. The Mennonite samples exhibited eight western European mtDNA haplogroups: H, HVO, I, J, K, T, U, and X. Comparable to other populations of European descent, haplogroup H was the most …


Sex-Specific Interaction Between Apoe Genotype And Carbohydrate Intake Affects Plasma Hdl-C Levels: The Strong Heart Family Study, M.J. Mosher, L. A. Lange, B. V. Howard, E. T. Lee, L. G. Best, R. R. Fabsitz, J. W. Maccluer, K. E. North Jul 2008

Sex-Specific Interaction Between Apoe Genotype And Carbohydrate Intake Affects Plasma Hdl-C Levels: The Strong Heart Family Study, M.J. Mosher, L. A. Lange, B. V. Howard, E. T. Lee, L. G. Best, R. R. Fabsitz, J. W. Maccluer, K. E. North

Anthropology Faculty and Staff Publications

Low plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are identified as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Sexual dimorphism, however, is widely reported in both HDL-C and CVD, with the underlying explanations of these sexual differences not fully understood. HDL-C is a complex trait influenced by both genes and dietary factors. Here we examine evidence for a sex-specific effect of APOE and the macronutrient carbohydrate on HDL-C, triglycerides (TG) and apoprotein A-1 (ApoA-1) in a sample of 326 male and 423 female participants of the Strong Heart Family Study (SHFS). Using general estimating equations in SAS to account for …


Applications Of Pooled Dna Samples To The Assessment Of Population Affinities: Short Tandem Repeats, M. H. Crawford, P. Banerjee, D. A. Demarchi, M. Zlojutro, J. Mccomb, G. Livshits, M. Henneberg, M.J. Mosher, M. S. Schanfield, J. A. Knowles Dec 2005

Applications Of Pooled Dna Samples To The Assessment Of Population Affinities: Short Tandem Repeats, M. H. Crawford, P. Banerjee, D. A. Demarchi, M. Zlojutro, J. Mccomb, G. Livshits, M. Henneberg, M.J. Mosher, M. S. Schanfield, J. A. Knowles

Anthropology Faculty and Staff Publications

Pooled DNA samples have been used in association studies of Mendelian disease genes. This method involves combining equal quantities of DNA from patients and control subjects into separate pools and comparing the pools for distributions of genetic markers. In this study identical quantities of DNA from 300 individuals representing 6 populations were pooled and amplified for 296 loci using the touchdown polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of pooled DNA markers in the reconstruction of the genetic structure of human populations. The populations sampled included Chuvash, Buryats, Kizhi, Native Americans, South …