Comparative Bioinformatic Methodologies In Paleogenetic Pathogen Identification In The Casas Grandes,
2025
The University of Montana
Comparative Bioinformatic Methodologies In Paleogenetic Pathogen Identification In The Casas Grandes, Victoria Lynne Giovannangelo
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
The application of metagenomic tools to further elucidate ancient DNA (aDNA) holds promise in paleopathology, particularly for inferring disease patterns in ancient populations, especially in those that are understudied. This study conducts a comparative analysis of the efficacy of taxonomic pipelines--Kraken 2, HOPS/MALT, and HAYSTAC--in detecting pathogens within highly degraded aDNA samples extracted from 22 Medio Period Paquimé individuals from the Casas Grandes archaeological site in Northwest Mexico. The taxonomic results from the pipelines are compared with contamination detection program mapDamage, although concerns arose about the latter program’s ability to work with prokaryotes. Additionally, the findings are compared against prior …
Umfc #132: A Comprehensive Forensic Case Report,
2025
University of Montana, Missoula
Umfc #132: A Comprehensive Forensic Case Report, Allison Paige Mitchell
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
This case report of an individual designated as University of Montana Forensic Case 132 (UMFC 132) serves to partially fulfill the requirements for the Master of Arts (MA) degree in Forensic and Biological Anthropology. UMFC 132 is a complete human skeleton, used as part of the teaching collection in the University of Montana Forensic Anthropology Laboratory. The minimum number of individuals (MNI) of UMFC 132 is 1. The analysis of UMFC 132 was conducted according to bioarchaeological and forensic anthropological standards of skeletal assessment. UMFC 132 was estimated to be a mid-adult, between the ages of [30-40 years] of age …
Endocrine Responses To Two Distinct Foraging Contexts In The Bonobo (Pan Paniscus),
2025
Kennesaw State University
Endocrine Responses To Two Distinct Foraging Contexts In The Bonobo (Pan Paniscus), Lauren Mitchell
Master's Theses
In gregarious animals, a social structure characterized by female dominance is relatively rare. However, bonobos (Pan paniscus), one of the two species most closely related to humans, are characterized by partial female dominance, with females forming close social bonds. In contrast, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), a close relative of the bonobo, are characterized by strong male-male bonding and social dominance with female chimpanzees lacking close social bonds. There is a lack of consensus concerning the reasons for these behavioral differences in Pan, specifically, the physiological processes responsible for female dominance in bonobos. The role of hormones …
Geophysics, And Capturing Ethnographic Interviews Of A Tidal Plantation Burial Ground,
2025
Georgia Southern University
Geophysics, And Capturing Ethnographic Interviews Of A Tidal Plantation Burial Ground, Kristin M. Meeuwen (Dew)
College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations
Plantation development in Chatham County has a rich but incomplete history. Silk Hope, an Ogeechee District tidal plantation, is located seven miles from the city of Savannah on the Northern banks of the Little Ogeechee River. This project focuses on identifying the site boundaries of portions of Silk Hope Plantation and its historical background. Specifically, the project focused on delineating the boundaries of the associated cemetery and/or burial grounds, while estimating the number of individuals interred there using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). Finally, collaborative work with community members, including stakeholder and descendant interviews, will provide ethnographic insights into the site's history …
Scavenging As An Accelerant In The Postmortem Interval Estimate: Refining Quantitative Regressions For Decomposition Analyses In Southeast Nebraska,
2024
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Scavenging As An Accelerant In The Postmortem Interval Estimate: Refining Quantitative Regressions For Decomposition Analyses In Southeast Nebraska, Jenna L. Alexander
Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research
In forensic anthropology, the postmortem interval (PMI) is an estimation of the time elapsed from the moment of death to the point of discovery or examination. Contemporary approaches for estimating PMI have sought to refine broad quantitative regressions by addressing variance among intrinsic and extrinsic influences of decomposition at a regional level. Southeast Nebraska and the broader Great Plains region encompass one of the most influential agricultural ecosystems, featuring a unique climate type and a diverse spectrum of vertebrate scavengers. While there has been minimal research addressing how the biogeoclimatic conditions of Nebraska affect predicted estimates for PMI using known …
Literature Review: Parkinson's Disease And Non-Motor Symptoms, With A Focus On Constipation And Potential Therapeutics,
2024
University at Albany, State University of New York
Literature Review: Parkinson's Disease And Non-Motor Symptoms, With A Focus On Constipation And Potential Therapeutics, Daria Smirnova
ALL - Honors Theses
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that tends to affect elderly individuals and is most commonly associated with the emergence of motor symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, and bradykinesia. However, non-motor symptoms (NMS), such as gastrointestinal (GI) issues, namely constipation, are also prevalent, and deeply affect the lives of individuals suffering with the disease. Among these, constipation stands out as one of the most common and frustrating problems for patients, typically arising from a variety of interrelated factors including disruptions in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), diminished dopamine activity, gut microbiota imbalances, inflammation, and side effects from PD …
The Identity Of A Gymnast: How Health, Wellbeing, And Injury Become Embodied In The Identity Of Collegiate Gymnasts,
2024
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
The Identity Of A Gymnast: How Health, Wellbeing, And Injury Become Embodied In The Identity Of Collegiate Gymnasts, Skyler M. Yakes
LSU Master's Theses
Gymnastics scholarship has traditionally focused on the physicality of the sport and what the body can and cannot do. This research expands upon gymnastics scholarship by exploring the individual experiences and histories of college gymnasts in the United States through a series of interviews. The goals of this research are to better understand the gymnastics experience and to explore health and wellbeing in gymnastics as it pertains to the formation of a gymnast’s identity. A combined approach using medical anthropology and anthropology of sport serves as a guiding framework for analyzing interview data. Definitions of health and wellbeing change between …
Physiology Of Pe'a And Malu: Biocultural Case Studies Of Endocrine And Immune Responses To Samoan Tatau,
2024
University of Alabama
Physiology Of Pe'a And Malu: Biocultural Case Studies Of Endocrine And Immune Responses To Samoan Tatau, Christopher D. Lynn, Tomasz Nowak, Courtney Manthey, Michael Muehlenbein
Pacific Journal of Health
Tattooing has become a prominent form of body modification worldwide since the 20th century, leading to a revival of traditional hand-tap techniques, especially those from Samoa. The Samoan traditional pe’a (male tattoo) and malu (female) are distinctive, as they are administered by hand-tap tools in open-air bungalows and are to be completed in a short period of time, usually 1-2 days for the malu and a week to a month for the pe’a. This study involved systematically collecting saliva samples from participants undergoing traditional Samoan tattooing practices facilitated by Sulu’ape Tatau in Apia, Samoa. The Sulu’ape Tatau lineage …
Incisal Trait Variations Between Javanese And Chinese-Indonesians In Surabaya,
2024
Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social and Political Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Incisal Trait Variations Between Javanese And Chinese-Indonesians In Surabaya, Rahmat Avianto, Sayf Muhammad Alaydrus, Myrtati Dyah Artaria, Yao-Fong Chen
Journal of Dentistry Indonesia
Human teeth are unique since one population’s dental pattern might differ from another. Such specific dental characteristics, such as the incisor, are observable in each dentition. Objective: his study analyzed the population differences in Javanese and Chinese-Indonesian populations through observations of the incisal traits, namely winging, shoveling, and double shoveling. Methods: 50 dental casts (76 Javanese samples and 74 Chinese- Indonesian samples) were obtained from Dr. Myrtati Dyah Artaria’s private collection, stored in the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga. The traits were observed and scored using the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS) and analyzed statistically using crosstab …
Dental Modification Among The Classic Maya Of Chac Balam And San Juan, Ambergris Caye, Belize,
2024
University of Mississippi
Dental Modification Among The Classic Maya Of Chac Balam And San Juan, Ambergris Caye, Belize, Katherine Kelly
Honors Theses
Perceptions of beauty and health are embedded within everyday actions, even a simple smile. How do dental modification practices among the Classic Maya from Ambergris Caye, Belize relate to these perceptions and a person’s identity and status? This thesis analyzes the practice of notching, filing, and placing inlays in maxillary incisors and canines through a qualitative analysis of Classic period AD 250-1000 Maya teeth from the sites of San Juan and Chac Balam. A lack of patterns related to sex, socioeconomic status, and the type of modification in the dentition of five individuals, including two males, two females and one …
Sex Differences In The Diets Of Forest-Dwelling Baboons (Papio Anubis),
2024
CUNY Hunter College
Sex Differences In The Diets Of Forest-Dwelling Baboons (Papio Anubis), Kara Hartunian
Theses and Dissertations
The ability to eat and switch between many food sources is an adaptative feeding strategy utilized for meeting nutritional needs across different environments, seasons, and physiological conditions. Baboons (genus Papio) excel at both dietary flexibility and foraging selectively, and consequently have one of the most widespread geographic distributions in the Order. To further expand to our understanding of baboon feeding ecology, I analyzed foraging activity and the nutritional characteristics of the diets of the relatively understudied rainforest baboons (Papio anubis) living in Kibale National Park, Uganda. I also investigated if there are differences in food type choice …
Social Identity And Personhood At An Early Byzantine Cemetery: Late Antique Child Burials At Syedra, Turkiye.,
2024
University of Louisville
Social Identity And Personhood At An Early Byzantine Cemetery: Late Antique Child Burials At Syedra, Turkiye., Mekenzie Riley Davis
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Bioarchaeological studies of children in the past have proliferated in recent years and illustrate the informational depths accessible through investigations of mortality, age, and health and disease. Alongside analyses of childhood stress and mortality, the mortuary treatment of children provides critical insight into the social structures and identity formation processes that individuals or groups are subject to in life. This thesis will investigate the intersections of childhood, gender and sex, space, and mortuary treatment as seen in a Byzantine cemetery comprised primarily of children at the site of Syedra, Türkiye through bioarchaeological and proteomic analysis. Specifically, it seeks to explore …
Seed Dispersal By Martu Peoples Promotes The Distribution Of Native Plants In Arid Australia,
2024
The Pennsylvania State University
Seed Dispersal By Martu Peoples Promotes The Distribution Of Native Plants In Arid Australia, Rebecca Bliege Bird, Douglas Bird, Christopher T. Martine, Chloe Mcguire, Leanne Greenwood, Desmond Taylor, Tanisha M. Williams, Peter M. Veth
Faculty Journal Articles
Commensal relationships between wild plants and their dispersers play a key ecological and evolutionary role in community structure and function. While non-human dispersers are often considered critical to plant recruitment, human dispersers have received much less attention, especially when it comes to non-domesticated plants. Australia, as a continent historically characterized by economies reliant on non-domesticated plants, is thus a key system for exploring the ecological role of people as seed dispersers in the absence of agriculture. Here, we utilize a controlled observation research design, employing ecological surveys and ethnographic observations to examine how seed dispersal and landscape burning by Martu …
A Case Study Of Endocrine And Immune Responses To Traditional Hand-Tap Tattooing,
2024
University of Alabama
A Case Study Of Endocrine And Immune Responses To Traditional Hand-Tap Tattooing, Lauren A. Landgraf, Tomasz Nowak, Jeffrey Gassen, Michael Muehlenbein, Christopher D. Lynn
Pacific Journal of Health
Tattooing is a stressor that could have adaptive benefits. Previous research indicates that endocrine and immune systems adjust to the stress of modern electric tattooing over lifetime experience, but it is unclear how these systems react to traditional hand-tap tattooing. The objective of this study was to explore how the body responds to this intense cultural stressor through examining traditional tattooing in Samoa, where saliva samples were collected throughout the first day from a Samoan man receiving the tattoo. Morning elevations and diurnal profiles of cortisol, C-reactive protein (CRP), secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), and bacteria killing activity (BKA) are described, …
Female Foragers Sometimes Hunt, Yet Gendered Divisions Of Labor Are Real: A Comment On Anderson Et Al. (2023), The Myth Of Man The Hunter,
2024
University of Calgary
Female Foragers Sometimes Hunt, Yet Gendered Divisions Of Labor Are Real: A Comment On Anderson Et Al. (2023), The Myth Of Man The Hunter, Vivek V. Venkataraman, Jordie Hoffman, Kyle Farquharson, Helen Elizabeth Davis, Edward H. Hagen, Raymond B. Hames, Barry S. Hewlett, Luke Glowacki, Haneul Jang, Robert Kelly, Karen Kramer, Sheina Lew-Levy, Katie Starkweather, Kristen Syme, Duncan N. E. Stibbard-Hawkes
Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications
Gendered divisions of labor are a feature of every known contemporary hunter-gatherer (forager) society. While gender roles are certainly flexible, and prominent and well-studied cases of female hunting do exist, it is more often men who hunt. A new study (Anderson et al., 2023) surveyed ethnographically known foragers and found that women hunt in 79% of foraging societies, with big-game hunting occurring in 33%. Based on this single type of labor, which is one among dozens performed in foraging societies, the authors question the existence of gendered division of labor altogether. As a diverse group of hunter-gatherer experts, we find …
The Evolution Of Body Posture In The Sagittal Plane In The Sensitive Growth Period Of Children And Adolescents Undergoing Individual Scoliosis Therapy: A Pilot Study,
2024
The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Poland
The Evolution Of Body Posture In The Sagittal Plane In The Sensitive Growth Period Of Children And Adolescents Undergoing Individual Scoliosis Therapy: A Pilot Study, Barbara Rosołek, Katarzyna Smółka, Diana Celebańska, Monika Szarajew, Anna Zwierzchowska
Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity
Introduction: The shape of the spine in the sagittal plane undergoes evolution, which occurs specifically in children and adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis (IS). The aim of the study was to verify the variability of body features and indicators in relation to the features and parameters of body posture in children and adolescents with IS. Materials and Methods: 61 measurements of children and adolescents (three age groups) with IS were collected. Body height, body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, scoliosis major curve angle, thoracic kyphosis angle, lumbar lordosis angle, spine length, and pelvic tilt were measured. BMI and WHtR were calculated. …
Identification Of Mandibular And Maxillary Molars Of Old World Monkeys (Primates, Cercopithecidae) Using 3d Geometric Morphometrics,
2024
CUNY Graduate Center
Identification Of Mandibular And Maxillary Molars Of Old World Monkeys (Primates, Cercopithecidae) Using 3d Geometric Morphometrics, Eric John Mazelis
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
The present study is an attempt to take steps towards quantifying 3D molar shapes of the primate family Cercopithecidae to construct a framework for the automation of identifying the anatomical position and taxonomic affiliations of isolated molars. I introduce a new landmark protocol and present a proposed workflow model which can be applied in the future. For the purpose of this study, I collected and compiled the largest sample of 3D surface scans of varying wear grades of all six cercopithecid molar positions (i.e., M1-M3 and M1-M3). The sample comprises 2641 specimens from …
Evolution Of The Extant And Fossil Colobinae (Primates, Cercopithecidae),
2024
CUNY Graduate Center
Evolution Of The Extant And Fossil Colobinae (Primates, Cercopithecidae), Julia L. Arenson
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
The Colobinae (leaf-eating monkeys) are one of two crown cercopithecoid subfamilies along with the Cercopithecinae (cheek-pouch monkeys). They are today represented by a diverse modern radiation comprising two reciprocally monophyletic geographic subtribes, the African Colobina and the Asian Presbytina, which are collectively united by shared adaptations to folivory and arboreality. In addition, the colobine fossil record documents a taxonomically and ecologically diverse, geographically widespread radiation from the late Middle Miocene onwards. Fossil colobines exhibit an array of body sizes, craniofacial morphologies, postcranial adaptations, and dental dietary signals that exceeds those of the modern radiation and are also widespread over Africa, …
Exploring The Evolution Of Altruistic Punishment Using A Pde Model For Multilevel Selection,
2024
Virginia Commonwealth University
Exploring The Evolution Of Altruistic Punishment Using A Pde Model For Multilevel Selection, Daniel Cooney
Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference
No abstract provided.
Evaluating Neanderthal Depopulation With Direct Neanderthal And Châtelperronian Radiocarbon Data,
2024
University of South Dakota
Evaluating Neanderthal Depopulation With Direct Neanderthal And Châtelperronian Radiocarbon Data, Thomas K. Lyman
Honors Thesis
Homo sapiens neanderthalensis (Neanderthals) inhabited Eurasia approximately 350,000 years ago before experiencing population decline and disappearing from the archaeological record around 40,000 years ago (Yaworsky et al. 1). Radiocarbon dating has played a major role in establishing the timing of the last Neanderthals by both dating their skeletal remains and animal bones associated with their material culture. Widely discussed in the context of the last Neanderthals are the Châtelperronian stratigraphic layers as they possibly contain the last of Neanderthal material culture in regions of France and Spain. Whether the Châtelperronian should be attributed to Neanderthals or Anatomically Modern Humans (AMHs) …
