Anthropology Commons^™

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

Anthropology 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 …

Why Do Women Have More Children Than They Want? Understanding Differences In Women's Ideal And Actual Family Size In A Natural Fertility Population, Lisa Mcallister, Michael Gurven, Hillard Kaplan, Jonathan Stieglitz

ESI Publications

Objectives—We develop and test a conceptual model of factors influencing women’s ideal family size (IFS) in a natural fertility population, the Tsimane of Bolivia. The model posits affects of socioecology, reproductive history, maternal condition, and men’s IFS. We test three hypotheses for why women may exceed their IFS despite experiencing socioeconomic development: (H1) limited autonomy; (H2) improved maternal condition; and (H3) low returns on investments in embodied capital.

Methods—Women’s reproductive histories and prospective fertility data were collected from 2002 to 2008 (n = 305 women). Semistructured interviews were conducted with Tsimane women to study the perceived value of …

Reconstructing Ohio's Ancient Past One Pot Sherd At A Time, Mack Cline, Caitlin Jones, Anthony Magnone

Undergraduate Research Posters 2012

The primary focus of our research was to analyze, conserve, and reconstruct ancient prehistoric pottery from the Cramer Village Site, a Fort Ancient-era (AD 900-1200) site located on the west bank of the Scioto River in Union Township, Ross County, Ohio.

Sex Selection And Technology In The United States: Is It Playing God?, Roberta M. Steinbacher, Audrianna V. Rodriguez

Undergraduate Research Posters 2012

Preferences for selecting male firstborn children have been well established through research in countries such as India, China, and the Middle East. The effects of this phenomenon have been devastating to these populations’ sex ratios and have led to a number of violent crimes against women. The number of participants who indicated a willingness to use sex selection technology (8%) was too small to calculate any relationship between potential users and firstborn sex preference.

Getting To The Root Of Dengidëk: A Preliminary Investigation Of Fagara Xanthoxyloïdes And Treatment-Seeking Behavior In Dakar, Senegal, Richard T. Powis Iii

Undergraduate Research Posters 2012

In Senegal, “traditional medicine” typically refers to the syncretism of Wolof or Serer medicine and Islamic beliefs, and includes not only consumables and procedures that fight off physical or mental ailments, but also spiritual acts to fight off sorcery. This is a preliminary investigation of the local and traditional knowledge that surrounds dengidëk, in particular, while assessing a rudimentary model of treatment-seeking behavior.

Editor’S Introduction, Filomeno V. Aguilar

Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints

No abstract provided.

Technically Speaking: On Equipping And Evaluating “Unnatural” Language Learners , Joshua Reno

Anthropology Faculty Scholarship

This article compares different communicative trials for apes in captivity and children with autism in order to investigate how ideological assumptions about linguistic agency and impairment are constructed and challenged in practice. To the extent that Euro-American techniques of “unnatural” language instruction developed during the Cold War era have been successful, it is because communicative interactions are broken down into basic components, and would-be language learners are equipped with materials, devices, and habits that make up for their distinct bio/social deficits. Such linguistic equipment can present a challenge to the ideological presumption of a subject inherently gifted with the rudiments …

Front Speed Of Language Replacement, Joaquim Fort, Joaquim Pérez-Losada

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

We use two coupled equations to analyze the space-time dynamics of two interacting languages. Firstly, we introduce a cohabitation model, which is more appropriate for human populations than classical (non-cohabitation) models. Secondly, using numerical simulations we …nd the front speed of a new language spreading into a region where another language was previously used. Thirdly, for a special case we derive an analytical formula that makes it possible to check the validity of our numerical simulations. Finally, as an example, we …nd that the observed front speed for the spread of the English language into Wales in the period 1961-1981 …

Ua12/2/30 Poster, Wku Saudi Student Club

Student Organizations

Poster advertising Saudi National Day sponsored by the WKU Saudi Student Club.

Variation In Genes Related To Cochlear Biology Is Strongly Associated With Adult-Onset Deafness In Border Collies, Jennifer S. Yokoyama, Ernst T. Lam, Alison L. Ruhe, Carolyn A. Erdman, Kathryn R. Robertson, Aubrey A. Webb, D. Colette Williams, Melanie L. Chang, Marjo K. Hytönen, Hannes Lohi, Steven P. Hamilton, Mark W. Neff

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The domestic dog offers a unique opportunity to study complex disorders similar to those seen in humans, but within the context of the much simpler genetic backgrounds of pure breeds, which represent closed populations. We performed a whole-genome search for genetic risk factors of adult-onset deafness in the Border Collie, a breed of herding dog that relies on acute hearing to perceive and respond to commands while working. Adult-onset deafness in Border Collies typically begins in early adulthood and is similar to age-related hearing loss in humans. This earlier onset has particular impact on the utility of working Border Collies …

El Proyecto Costa Escondida: Arqueología Y Compromiso Comunitario A Lo Largo De La Costa Norte De Quintana Roo, México / The Costa Escondida Project: Archaeology And Community Engagement Along Quintana Roo's North Coast, Mexico, Jeffrey B. Glover, Dominique Rissolo, Jennifer P. Mathews, C. A. Furman

Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Research

El Proyecto Costa Escondida iniciado en 2006 se diseñó para investigar las culturas marítimas previas y posteriores al contacto español, así como para estudiar el paisaje del norte de Quintana Roo, Península de Yucatán, México. Este proyecto no promueve una agenda de desarrollo “tradicional”, sino que se inserta en la crítica del desarrollo para ampliar los límites del compromiso comunitario a través del aprendizaje social. Al encontrarse lejos de los principales sitios turísticos de la costa del Caribe, el área cuenta con una industria de turismo en expansión asociada a la Isla Holbox. En este artículo se discuten las experiencias …

Hopkin, Rachel Claire (Fa 581), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding Aid only for Folklife Archives Project 581. Illustrated paper by Rachel Hopkin titled “A Reel in a Bottle: The Bottle Art of Chris Wood.” This illustrated project provides insight into the art of creating bottle art, or bottle whimsies. Folk artist Chris Wood’s path from observer to artist is detailed and includes his interpretations of the work of several historical and modern artisans within the genre. The project was submitted for the 2011 Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.

Chappell, Katherine (Fa 582), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding Aid only for Folklife Archives Project 582. Illustrated paper by Katherine Chappell titled “Fine, Folk, or Functional? The Art of Mark Whitley.” This illustrated project provides insight into the art of furniture making and the distinctions between the artistic formation of furniture and mass production. The project details the journey of one craftsman, Mark Whitley of Warren County, Kentucky, from one who makes furniture, into an artist whose work is practical, functional, and enduring. The project was submitted for the 2011 Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.

Faytullayeva, Shamira A. (Fa 584), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding Aid only for Folklife Archives Project 584. Illustrated paper by Shamira A. Faytullayeva titled “A Great Tailor in My Family.” This illustrated project describes the economic benefits of the tailoring skills of a Russian emigrant, Samisiya Faytullayeva. Samisiya’s mother taught her to sew when she was a child, and the skill has provided an income for her family in the years since her husband’s death and their subsequent immigration to the United States. This project was submitted for the 2011 Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.

Spraggins, Cody (Fa 585), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding Aid only for Folklife Archives Project 585. Video by Cody Spraggins titled “The Community of Dungeons and Dragons Players as a Folk Group.” The video is a compilation of interviews with three individuals who participate in the role playing fantasy game. The focus of the video is the sentiment that the “gamers” have created distinct folk groups within their community of play. Typescript of abstract only. The project was submitted for the 2011 Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.

Hopkin, Rachel Claire (Fa 586), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding Aid and full text paper (Click on "Additional File" below) for Folklife Archives Project 586. Independent study project conducted by Rachel Hopkin on George R. Gibson, a banjo player from eastern Kentucky. The project, contained on two DVDs, includes photos, audio interviews and transcripts, a paper, bibliography, and field notes. Participating in the interview are Gibson and musicians John W. Haywood and Kevin C. Howard, who describe Gibson’s influence on them. This project was executed for the folk studies program at Western Kentucky University.

Callis, Mariah (Fa 583), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 583. Illustrated paper by Mariah Callis titled “Grave Decoration in a Bowling Green Cemetery: An Analysis of Children’s Grave Adornment.” This illustrated project provides a brief yet detailed description of the author’s first field work experience. The work, an analysis of children’s grave adornment, provides information specific to Fairview Cemetery, Bowling Green, Kentucky, and categorizes the types of ornamentation placed on children’s graves and the frequency of such decoration. The project was submitted for the 2011 Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.

Simbolisme Dalam Tradisi Lisan Pasang Ri Kajang: Tinjauan Semiotik, Basrah Gising

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

Semiotics is a set of analytical approaches that has been applied in linguistics and anthropology. This article focuses on language and cultural symbols expressed in Pasang ri Kajang and analyzes them based on the grand theory of semantics. This research adopts a qualitative research perspective. Data validity was ensured through data collection methods including interviews, recordings, note-taking, elicitation, and focus group discussions. The results indicate that Pasang ri Kajang contains sacred ancestral messages transmitted through oral tradition. These messages embody forms of local wisdom related to sustainable environmental management. The focus of this research is the local knowledge system concerning …

Opening Our Anthropological Conversations: An Interview With Tom Boellstorff, Ryan B. Anderson

Faculty Publications

I had the chance to conduct an email-based interview with Tom Boellstorff during this past month to explore some of his views about Open Access (hereafter OA) publishing in anthropology.

Ryan Anderson: First of all, thanks for taking the time to do this interview, Tom. Here at Savage Minds we write about Open Access (OA) a lot, and many of our contributors seem to be in agreement about the need to look into alternative publishing options. But not everyone knows about OA or is in agreement with the push to head in that direction, and this includes many people who …

Wynn, Katie (Fa 580), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 580. Illustrated paper by Katie Wynn titled “The Art of Cake Decorating: An Examination of the Art of Callie Christian.” A detail account of the process of baking and decorating a cake, with an emphasis on cakes for celebratory events such as birthdays. Discusses the influence of popular culture on cake decorating themes. This project was submitted for the 2011Folklife Archives Award competition at Western Kentucky University.