bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The dental morphology of Pima Indians
Authors: Scott G. Richard , Potter Rosario H. Yap , Noss John F. , Dahlberg Albert A. , Dahlberg Thelma
Published: February 2006

Fourteen morphologic crown traits were observed in a sample of 1528 Pima Indians of south‐central Arizona. Pima dentitions are characterized by high frequencies of shoveling, incisor winging, the hypocone, the lower canine distal accessory ridge, cusp 6, and the protostylid. They exhibit low frequencies of the metaconule and lower premolar multiple lingual cusps and moderate frequencies of the canine tubercle, Carabelli's trait, cusp 7, and lower second molars with four cusps and X groove patterns. When Pima crown trait frequencies were compared to those of 13 Southwest Indian samples, their closest affinities were to other Uto‐Aztecan groups, the Papago and Hopi. The Pima are most divergent from Athapaskans and are also clearly removed from Yuman speaking groups and the Zuni. In general, the pattern of dental morphologic variation in the Southwest corresponds closely to linguistic divisions.
True grit: A microwear experiment
Authors: Kay Richard F. , Covert Herbert H.
Published: February 2006

Recently we noted the effects of experimental diets on microscopic dental wear in the American opossum and concluded that it might prove difficult to distinguish the microwear produced by an insectivorous diet from that produced by some kinds of herbivorous ones. We also noted that wear caused by gritty diets and those containing plant opal, although they might be confused with one another, are easily distinguished from other sorts of dietary wear. Our conclusions have been challenged on the basis that possibly we did not allow sufficient time in the experiments for diagnostic wear patterns to emerge. Additional data reported here show that this is not so. Even in our n “control” animals, fed a relatively soft unabrasive diet, enough time elapsed to produce significant dental wear.

A new technique is described which for the first time allows the study of changing patterns of microscopic wear in a living animal over a period of time, thus allowing each animal to serve as its own control. A solution containing a broad‐spectrum proteolytic enzyme when applied to the teeth of an anesthetized animal removes the proteinaceous coat (pellicle) which will otherwise obscure wear scratches. Precision dental impressions can then be made which reveal the details of the pattern of microwear on the teeth.
Measurements of tooth wear among Australian Aborigines: I. Serial loss of the enamel crown
Authors: Molnar Stephen , McKee Jeffrey K. , Molnar Iva
Published: February 2006

The dental casts made from Aboriginal children during the course of a longitudinal growth study in Central Australia provided material for analyzing tooth wear under known environmental conditions. The wear facets produced on the occlusal surfaces were clearly preserved on the dental stone casts and recorded the progress of enamel attrition from ages 6 to 18. These casts were photographed and traced by electronic planimetric methods that automatically recorded the location and size of wear facets on the first and second permanent molars. These areas of worn tooth surface were compared to the total tooth surface. The worn surface was regressed on age to calculate wear rates of each tooth. Discriminant analyses were also performed to determine the significance of dental attrition differences between the sexes at each age group. The total wear on each tooth was highly correlated with age as expected but females wore their teeth at a significantly higher rate than males. The mandibular molars wore more rapidly than maxillary teeth in both sexes. The discriminant analysis successfully grouped 91% of the cases according to age and sex. Pattern of wear, the location, and size of wear facets also differed between age groups and sex. The questions of why there is a difference between male and female wear or why there is greater wear on one arch or arch region have no ready answers. The differing rates and pattern of dental wear do suggest that arch shape and growth rates may be the answer though it has yet to be tested. However, the occlusal surface wear is useful for age estimation in a population and provides a record of shifting masticatory forces during growth.
Social class, admixture, and skin color variation in Mexican‐Americans and Anglo‐Americans living in San Antonio, Texas
Authors: Relethford John H. , Stern Michael P. , Gaskill Sharon P. , Hazuda Helen P.
Published: February 2006

Social class may act in different ways as a barrier to gene flow in urban populations, depending on ethnicity. We test the hypothesis that biological variation is affected by social class subdivision using skin reflectance data collected for 393 Anglo‐American and 930 Mexican‐American adults in the major urban population of San Antonio, Texas. Two socioeconomic groups were sampled for the Anglo‐American population: a middle‐income transitional group and a high‐income suburban group. In addition, we sampled a third socioeconomic group for Mexican‐Americans: a low income barrio. Sex and age effects on skin color are minimal. Social class has no effect on skin color variation for Anglo‐Americans, whereas there is a highly significant effect on social class subdivision for Mexican‐Americans. Admixture estimates were derived from skin reflectance data and show that the proportion of native American ancestry decreases as social class increases.
Consequences of first pregnancy in rhesus monkeys
Authors: Wilson Mark E. , Walker Margaret L. , Gordon Thomas P.
Published: February 2006

Female primates have been thought to be reproductively dis‐advantaged during their early reproductive years. In order to assess the effects of first pregnancy on a female's subsequent reproductive activity, the breeding records of female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) living in provisioned, outdoor‐housed, social groups were examined with respect to age of sexual maturity. Of the 78 colony‐born females contributing to the analysis, 20.5% had their first parturition at 36 months of age. The majority of females, 73.1%, had first parturition at 48 months; 6.4% did so at 5 years of age. Of the early‐maturing females, 75% were from high‐ranking matriarchies. But high social rank did not guarantee early first parturition, as 55.6% of the females from high‐ranking matriarchies had first birth at 48 months. An examination of outcomes of successive pregnancies revealed that both early‐ and typical‐maturing females experienced a significant decline in live births, owing to a significant increase in sterile years, for the reproductive year following a successful first parturition. This decline was even more pronounced for early‐maturing females. The frequency of birth tragedies remained constant throughout the second and succeeding pregnancies. Thus, the capacity to conceive was reduced for some females in the reproductive year following their first pregnancy. Those females that did conceive in the year following a successful first pregnancy had a significantly longer interbirth interval between their first and second parturitions than between subsequent parturitions. Sex of offspring at first parturition did not influence reproductive outcome in the following year. The nutritional costs of lactation associated with a successful first pregnancy may preclude or delay ovulation the following year, and this effect may be greater for young females that are still in a growth phase at first pregnancy. Although these early‐maturing females had proportionally fewer live births during their second reproductive year, they were equal to their age‐mates when compared on the basis of offspring produced by a female at any given age. In addition, since early‐maturing females have offspring entering the breeding pool a full year earlier, they may not necessarily be reproductively disadvantaged.
The contribution of cancellous bone to long bone strength and rigidity
Authors: Ruff Christopher B.
Published: February 2006

A recent article (Burr and Piotrowski, 1982) suggested that structural analyses of long bone cross‐sectional geometry will be inaccurate and should be considered inappropriate when cancellous bone accounts for 10–15% or more of the cross‐sectional area. Consideration of material property differences between compact and cancellous bone, however, indicates that even significant proportions of cancellous bone (10–40% of total cross‐sectional area) will very likely have negligible effects on bone strength and rigidity, and can be effectively ignored in geometrical analyses of diaphyseal sections. In metaphyseal and epiphyseal regions, however, geometric analyses of section properties such as area moments of inertia are inappropriate, both because of significant trabecular bone effects, and because of the inherent constraints of mechanical beam models.
Relation of cranial base flexure to cranial form and mandibular position
Authors: Anderson Donald , Popovich Frank
Published: February 2006

From the annually examined sample of the Burlington Growth Centre, the 10% of the boys and girls with the largest, most open cranial base angles were contrasted with the 10% with the smallest, most closed cranial base angles at ages 4, 8, 12, and 16 years with respect to cranial length, width and height, cranial base length, mandibular condyle position, and Angle Class of occlusion. Both groups had crania of similar length, width, and cephalic index, and similar anterior cranial base length. The children with the flattest cranial bases had significantly larger upper cranial height, but much smaller lower cranial height, and as a result had smaller total cranial height than the children with the most closed cranial base angles. Children with the flattest cranial bases had a slightly shorter posterior cranial base region, and the mandibular condyles were located further backward and upward. These children showed a strong tendency to Class II molar relationships. The condyles of the closed cranial base angle groups were more forward and downward, but none of the children had Class III occlusions, and most were normal or Class I. These results do not support the views of Weidenreich (1943, 1945, 1946, 1947), Enlow with others (1973, 1975, 1980) and Lavelle with others (1977, 1979), but agree with the findings of Björk (1955) in 20‐year‐old males.
Studies of endemic cretinism in Papua New Guinea: Digital and palmar dermatoglyphic patterns
Authors: Larrick James W. , Plato C. C. , Hornabrook R. W.
Published: February 2006

We have tested the hypothesis that the abnormal development of the central nervous system seen in endemic cretinism might be accompanied by concurrent abnormal dermatoglyphic patterns. We compared digital and palmar dermatoglyphics of normal individuals and endemic cretins inhabiting the Huon Peninsula of Papua New Guinea. The population sampled from the Irumu River Valley included 118 males and 114 females with 22 male cretins and 23 female cretins. The population sampled from the Wantoat River Valley included 72 males and 38 females with 12 male cretins. No pathognomonic patterns were found that could identify the endemic cretin subpopulation. However, the occurrence of a number of differences between controls and cretins suggests that subtle changes in dermatoglyphic patterns accompany the anomalous development of the CNS secondary to maternal iodine deficiency. We discuss the significance of these findings and compare the dermatoglyphic patterns of normal Irumu and Wantoat natives and 21 other populations of Papua New Guinea.
The Lake Ndutu cranium and early Homo Sapiens in Africa
Authors: Rightmire G. Philip
Published: February 2006

The partial cranium from Lake Ndutu, near Olduvai Gorge in northern Tanzania, has generally been viewed as Homo erectus, although points of similarity to H. sapiens have also been recognized. Bones of the vault are in fact quite thick, and the cranium is small. Length and breadth dimensions are comparable to those of earlier H. erectus from Koobi Fora and Ileret, and the Ndutu individual is more similar in size to O.H. 12 than to O.H. 9. Unfortunately, the facial skeleton and frontal bone are very incomplete, and little useful information can be obtained from these parts of the existing reconstruction. The parietals are also damaged, but the left temporal is more satisfactorily preserved, and the occiput is nearly complete. Occipital morphology, mastoid shape, and characteristics of the glenoid cavity and tympanic plate probably provide the best available guide to affinities of the Ndutu hominid. In many of these features the cranium resembles Broken Hill, Elandsfontein, and other African fossils referred to archaic H. sapiens. There are some similarities to modern humans also, but no ties to the Neanderthals of Europe. Allocation of Ndutu to an African subspecies of H. sapiens seems most appropriate, even if the pattern of relationships between such archaic populations and recent humans is still unclear.
Gait characteristics of two macaques, with emphasis on relationships with speed
Authors: Vilensky Joel A.
Published: February 2006

The gait of a juvenile rhesus monkey as he walked, ran, underwent a run–gallop transition, and galloped on a motor‐driven treadmill is described. Additionally, gait data for an adult animal during walking are also presented. Footfall sequences, stride durations, and absolute and relative swing and stance durations for all four limbs are reported, and, where possible, correlated with speed. Furthermore, support patterns and delays between footfalls are presented as a function of speed. The analysis revealed many similarities with previous studies on both primates and other species, but additionally demonstrated that the fore‐ and hindlimbs may not relate to speed in an identical manner and that galloping is initiated asymmetrically by a single diagonal couplet. The implications of these results in terms of understanding the neural mechanisms by which quadrupeds increase speed are discussed.
Functional implications of skeletal diversity in two South American tamarins
Authors: Glassman David M.
Published: February 2006

This study examines the relationship between positional behavior and morphology for two closely related South American tamarin species, Saguinus fuscicollis illigeri and Saguinus oedipus oedipus. Although never systematically documented, the two species are suspected of exhibiting highly similar yet subtly different locomotor behaviors with a greater propensity for climbing, springing, and more powerful leaping in S. oedipus. Fourteen measurements reflecting biomechanical structuring were taken from the postcranial skeleton of 28 individuals of each species. The data were reduced to principal component scores and subjected to a multiple analysis of variance to determine the extent of intergroup skeletal variation. Areas of significant skeletal diversity were interpreted functionally. The results suggest that the differences in functional patterning among the two species is consistent with the behavioral hypothesis. It is concluded that subtle changes in positional behavior may be capable of altering skeletal morphology.
Multiple discriminant function analysis of sex and race in the postcranial skeleton
Authors: Dibennardo Robert , Taylor James V.
Published: February 2006

Terry Collection femora and innominates of 260 American Whites and Blacks (65 males and 65 females of each race) were analyzed by multiple discriminant function analysis. A stepwise procedure produced three optimal discriminant functions using 15 of our 32 measurements. These functions correctly identified 95% of the sample. The first two–one for sex and one for race–are statistically and biologically significant and form the basis of our analysis. The sexing function manifested both size and shape elements. Prominent among the former was joint size–acetabular diameter and epicondylar diameter of the femur. The shape elements included form of the greater sciatic notch and of the inferomedial aspect of the pubic body. The racing function highlighted a pattern of greater innominate dimensions, exclusive of the acetabular joint, in Whites. This was in contrast to the greater length of the Black femur. Overall, the function seems to express the established differences between the races in the ratio of lower limb length to torso length. While these functions have been applied successfully to forensic cases with confirmed identifications, questions regarding the breadth of applicability of discriminant functions make it desirable to validate our results on new material from the Terry and other collections.
Models for lineal effects in rhesus group fissions
Authors: Buettner‐Janusch J. , Olivier T. J. , Ober C. L. , Chepkosade B. D.
Published: February 2006

Gene distributions in daughter groups produced by three rhesus monkey group fissions are analyzed. Data employed are for the Tf, 6PGD, and CA II electrophoretic marker systems in the fissions producing new daughter groups F and M, F and O, and J and N in the Cayo Santiago rhesus colony. Wide variations in FST values were observed among the different markers in the various fissions. Overall, the observed FST values exceeded predictions of simple random fissioning models. However, on average, observations on electrophoretic markers fitted well with predicted values from lineal fissioning models. One of these lineal fissioning models, a simulation, incorporated the propagation of alleles in the matrilines of the fissioning groups. The second, an algebraic expression, utilized group sizes and average kinship values as parameters.
A new hominid parietal from Bodo, middle Awash Valley, Ethiopia
Authors: Asfaw Berhane
Published: February 2006

A piece of left parietal of a Middle Pleistocene hominid, recovered from the Upper Bodo Sand Unit, in the Middle Awash, Ethiopia, is described anatomically and compared to Middle Pleistocene hominids and modern Homo sapiens. It bears several primitive features and has important implications for the original Bodo skull, found at the same stratigraphic level in the same area. The new fossil skull represents a different individual from the original Bodo skull.
A morphometric and taxonomic assessment of a hominine femur from the lower member, Koobi Fora, Lake Turkana
Authors: Kennedy G. E.
Published: February 2006

Previous research by this author and others has indicated that species‐level differentiation within the hominines can be detected in the femur. The femoral shaft of Homo erectus, relative to H. sapiens, demonstrates small anteroposterior diameters, a distally placed point of minimum shaft breadth, and increased cortical thickness resulting in medullary stenosis. This pattern has been identified in specimens from Choukoutien (I and IV), Olduvai (OH 28), and Lake Turkana (KNM ER 737). Findings reported here include anatomical comparisons and univariate and multivariate analyses based on external and internal shaft morphology. These results indicate that the femoral pattern characteristic of H. erectus can be identified in KNM ER 1481a recovered at Lake Turkana below the KBS tuff. Recent dating of that tuff indicates a date of ca. 1.8 mya, thereby yielding a date for KNM ER 1481a of ≏ 2.0 mya. Known H. erectus femora extend over a broad span and yet show very low, variability; this pronounced stasis would strongly suggest that, at least in this portion of the postcranium, H. erectus was in a period of profound morphological stasis.
Fluctuating asymmetry in molar dimensions and discrete morphological traits in Pima Indians
Authors: Noss John F. , Scott G. Richard , Potter Rosario H. Yap , Dahlberg Albert A.
Published: February 2006

Asymmetry in mesiodistal and buccolingual crown diameters and in eight morphologic crown traits of permanent first and second molars was analyzed in a large Pima Indian sample. Analysis of antimeric differences indicates no consistent evidence for directional asymmetry in Pima molars for either dimensions or morphologic traits. Second molars show greater degrees of metric and morphologic asymmetry than first molars. There is no conclusive evidence for either sex differences in magnitude of asymmetry or relationships between tooth size and morphologic asymmetry. Nonparametric correlations computed between asymmetry in crown dimensions and morphological traits show no significant interaction except where morphological trait development affected crown measurements. The distributions of antimeric differences for dimensional and morphologic traits demonstrate significant leptokurtic deviations from normality. This indicates fluctuating asymmetry in Pima Indians may result from several different sources of developmental variation.
Airport noise exposure and the postnatal growth of children
Authors: Schell Lawrence M. , Norelli Richard J.
Published: February 2006

To determine whether chronic exposure to airport noise affects children, a study was conducted of the physical growth of children, aged 5–13 years, from two communities, one exposed to airport noise (n = 148) and another, not exposed (n = 102). Ten standard anthropometric measurements were made according to U.S. Health Examination Survey guidelines, and information on the social and biological characteristics of each family was collected in interviews. Hotelling's T2‐tests were performed comparing the noise‐exposed and nonnoise‐exposed samples. There was no significant difference between the sample for measurements of social and biological characteristics of the families (including socioeconomic status and maternal reproductive history). Parental anthropometrics differed significantly (T2 = 24.32, P = 0.0001) as did child anthropometrics (T2 = 21.01, P = 0.032). For the child anthropometrics, noise‐exposed children's slightly smaller measures of body bulk, together with their larger facial breadths, contributed to the significant T2. When the entire sample (n = 250) was analyzed by multiple linear regression, noise exposure was a significant predictor only of male triceps and subscapular skinfolds. For these two variables, and most other anthropometrics, however, the beta coefficients were negative for both sexes. In order to include information on covariance structure among all variables, a canonical correlation analysis was performed. Noise exposure loaded negatively on the third canonical variate and was paired with positively loaded measures of body bulk. Taken together, the three analyses suggest that while there is some evidence for a slight effect of airport noise on measures of body bulk for males in this sample, most measures of postnatal growth for both males and females were unaffected by the noise levels experienced.
Patterns of cancer in geographic and endogamous subdivisions of the Hutterite Brethren of Canada
Authors: Morgan Kenneth , Holmes T. Mary , Grace Michael , Kemel Sam , Robson Diane
Published: February 2006

The Hutterite Brethren comprise a religious isolate and live on communal agricultural farms (colonies) in North America. In 1976 there were approximately 15,000 Canadian Brethren living in 179 colonies of the three endogamous subdivisions, the Dariusleut, Lehrerleut, and Schmiedeleut. Dariusleut and Lehrerleut colonies are located in both Alberta and Saskatchewan, and the Schmiedeleut are in Manitoba. Brethren were identified on population‐based cancer registries of the three Prairie Provinces and among death registrations in the vital statistics of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The method of ascertainment was by a search for the 15 contemporary surnames and verification by address. 89 male and 91 female Brethren were identified who had cancer during the period, 1956–1975. The numbers of observed cancers were less than expected from provincial incidence rates for males and females in each province. The largest deficits were for female Brethren in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. There is a marked deficiency of cancer of the uterine cervix among female Brethren. In males there is a significant deficit of lung cancer. The Hutterite way of life contributes to a low risk for cancers of smoking‐associated sites. However, there is evidence that male Brethren in Alberta may be at relatively increased risk for stomach cancer and leukemias. The site distribution patterns of cancers among the three endogamous leut are similar.
Epidemiology and genetics of neural tube defects: An application of the Utah genealogical data base
Authors: Jorde L. B. , Fineman R. M. , Martin R. A.
Published: February 2006

The distribution and prevalence of births with neural tube defects in Utah from 1940 to 1979 are analyzed with regard to prevalence rates, secondary sex ratios, seasonality, yearly rates, and time–space clustering. The overall prevalence rate of 1.00 per thousand live births is comparable to that of other populations in the western United States. Analysis of sex ratios indicates a substantially higher proportion of females than males. No significant secular trends or time–space clustering are observed. No seasonality is seen for spina bifida; however, the anencephaly cases are delivered more frequently in the early spring and fall months. Following linkage of the neural tube defect cases to the Utah Genealogical Data Base, application of the genealogical index method shows substantial familial clustering of the disease. The average inbreeding coefficient of the neural tube defect cases is not elevated over that of matched controls. The empirical recurrence risk for the disease is calculated to be 3%, and the heritability estimate is 70%. Likelihood analysis of pedigrees containing spina bifida occulta and spina bifida cystica indicates that they may segregate as an autosomal dominant trait with a penetrance of 75%.
Genetic epidemiology
Authors: Roberts D. F.
Published: February 2006

From the papers in this symposium, an attempt is made to establish the scope and aim of genetic epidemiology. Specifically, its objective is seen as the elucidation of the role of genetic factors in the etiology of a disease whose distribution is related to individual genetic constitution and population genetic structure. A study of multiple sclerosis in the Orkney Islands provides an example.
Genetic and evolutionary implications in peptic ulcer disease
Authors: Petersen Gloria M. , Rotter Jerome I.
Published: February 2006

The evidence for a genetic component in peptic ulcer disease has been based on twin, family, and blood group studies. A polygenic model for the inheritance of peptic ulcers has been displaced by a genetic heterogeneity model based on several lines of evidence, some of the most powerful being recent work using subclinical markers. One marker in particular, an elevated level of serum pepsinogen I (PG I), a pepsin precursor produced by the gastric mucosa, secreted into the stomach lumen and also appearing in the bloodstream, has been found to be associated with a subgroup of duodenal ulcer patients. Segregation analysis of elevated serum PG I in duodenal ulcer sibships demonstrates familial aggregation consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance. Elevated PG I is also accompanied by gastric hyperacidity and presumably indicates those individuals with an increased mass of chief and parietal cells, and thus an increased capacity for peptic activity, an important element in the pathogenesis of ulcer disease. An evolutionary hypothesis based on selection for peptic activity and acidity is offered to explain several of the epidemiologic and genetic elements of this group of chronic diseases.
Age and sequence of permanent‐tooth emergence among Khasis
Authors: Jaswal Sushma
Published: February 2006

The times and emergence of permanent teeth were ascertained by examining 1,263 Khasi children (615 males and 648 females), aged 5 to 15 years. Gingival emergence of the first 28 permanent teeth was recorded and the data were subjected to probit analysis to compute the mean (and standard deviation) emergence time of each individual tooth. Tooth emergence in females was markedly earlier than in males, and canines were most advanced in this respect. Females acquired all their teeth in shorter time span (5.5 years) than males (6.5 years). There were no decisive sex differences in the sequence of tooth emergence. The differences in emergence times between antimeres were statistically nonsignificant. The length of hiatus between two active emergence dental stages was shorter for the maxilla than for the mandible. It occurred between lateral incisor and first premolar in the maxilla of both the sexes, while in case of the mandible, it was spaced between lateral incisor and canine. The Khasis showed early emergence when compared to other populations. The findings support the earlier reports that the controls of deciduous‐tooth emergence continue to play some part in emergence of the permanent dentition, especially the first permanent teeth that emerge.
Skeletal maturity of Japanese children in Western Kyushu
Authors: Takai Shozo , Akiyoshi Toshio
Published: February 2006

This paper describes the skeletal maturity status of Japanese children in Western Kyushu and its variation within Japanese populations. Hand‐wrist skeletal maturity was assessed by the Tanner‐Whitehouse (1975) (TW2) method from radiographs of 500 boys and 485 girls aged from 4 to 15 years. Western Kyushu children showed retarded skeletal maturity scores (RUS, carpals, and 20‐bone) under the age of 12 years for boys and 10 years for girls, and thereafter they were advanced in relation to the British standard. Within Japanese populations the present sample showed delayed maturity compared to Tokyo children, but was close to that of Sapporo children throughout the age range studied. However, the expected effect of secular trend suggested skeletal maturity more advanced for Tokyo children and somewhat advanced one for Sapporo children compared to that of Western Kyushu children.
Interobserver reliability of methods for paleopathological diagnosis of dental caries
Authors: Rudney Joel D. , Katz Ralph V. , Brand John W.
Published: February 2006

There is disagreement as to whether clinical methods of caries diagnosis will produce reliable results in skeletal material, and studies vary greatly in the extent to which such methods are employed. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to evaluate the interobserver reliability of visual, tactile, and radiographic methods of scoring dental caries in ancient populations. Thirty‐three individuals from a Mogollon skeletal sample were scored on three occasions by pairs of examiners. The first exam employed visual criteria alone. In the second exam, visual methods were supplemented with the dental explorer. For the third exam, mesial and distal surfaces were scored from “intraoral” radiographs. Examiners worked independently, but did calibrate on material from clinical populations prior to the second and third exams. Exams were conducted on a “blind” basis, and analysis was delayed until all exams were completed. Caries scores were expressed as a percentage of total surfaces present per individual. Repeat‐measures ANOVA and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to estimate interobserver reliabilities. For visual scores, ICC = 0.97, and there is no significant difference between examiners (P = 0.897). For visual plus explorer scores, ICC drops to 0.90, and there is a significant difference between examiners (P = 0.003). For the radiographs, ICC = 0.86, and there is no significant difference between observers (P = 0.117). These results suggest that clinical methods are less reliable in skeletal populations. Probable sources of error include postmortem dehydration of carious dentin, confusing radiolucencies engendered by worn or fractured enamel, and inadequate radiologic standards for root caries. These problems can be avoided through reliance on visual criteria.
A replication technique for scanning electron microscopy: Applications for anthropologists
Authors: Rose Jennie J.
Published: February 2006

Scanning electron microscopy has become an increasingly useful tool for anthropologists, particularly because of the development of improved methods of replicating specimens. One of the best replication techniques involves silicone‐based dental impression materials to make negative impressions, in conjunction with epoxy resins, which are used to make positives or casts. The technique outlined here is particularly useful for anthropologists. Using this technique allows the examination of bone surfaces, teeth, and fossils for taphonomic, microwear, and experimental studies. Reproduction of detail is faithful at magnifications of × 1,500 to × 2,000, routinely giving resolutions of .1 to .25 μm.
Seasonal variation in pre‐ and postpartum maternal body measurements and infant birth weights
Authors: Adair Linda S. , Pollitt Ernesto
Published: February 2006

A sample of 225 rural Taiwanese women were followed longitudinally through two successive pregnancy and lactation periods. Maternal pre‐ and postpartum weight and skinfold thicknesses and infant birth weights showed considerable seasonal variation. The lowest mean maternal weights, irrespective of pregnancy or lactation status, occurred in the summer months of June, July, and August, when temperatures and rainfall reach their yearly maxima. The lowest mean birth weights were also recorded for the warm, rainy summer months. Furthermore, a disproportionate number of infants weighing less than one standard deviation below the mean birth weight were born between May and October. The observed seasonal variations most probably reflect annual cycles of agricultural activities and food availability.
A population genetic study of the Banks and Torres Islands (Vanuatu) and of the Santa Cruz Islands and polynesian outliers (Solomon Islands)
Authors: Blake N. M. , Hawkins B. R. , Kirk R. L. , Bhatia K. , Brown P. , Garruto R. M. , Gajdusek D. C.
Published: February 2006

As part of a multidisciplinary survey of populations in the Banks and Torres Islands of Vanuatu and the Southern and Central Districts of the Solomon Islands, nearly 2,400 persons have been tested for ABO blood groups and a number of serum protein and red cell enzyme genetic marker systems.

For the ABO system, the populations are characterized in general by high gene O and low gene B frequencies except in two of the Polynesian Outlier Islands, Rennell and Bellona, which have high frequencies of B. Among the serum proteins, several alleles have distributions indicating significant movement of people between islands. These include Albumin New Guinea and the transferrin alleles Tf, and Tf, and Tf.

Similar specific alleles for red cell enzymes also show distributions reflecting interisland population movement as well as contact with persons from outside the southern Pacific region. Examples are ACP in the acid phosphatase system, PGM and PGM, PGM and PGM, PGK4 and also HbJTongariki.

The data available for 11 polymorphic systems were used to generate genetic distances. Of the four Polynesian Outlier Islands, Anuta is most remote genetically, with Rennell and Bellona also relatively isolated. The fourth Polynesian Outlier, Tikopia, occupies a position genetically close to the Melanesian populations of the Banks and Torres Islands and the southern Solomons.

The history of early European contact and voyaging in the Pacific, as well as archaeological and linguistic evidence and local legends, indicate that significant movements of people occurred between islands and provided opportunities for genes to be introduced from Europeans, Africans, and Asians. The genetic marker studies give evidence for genes from all these sources, though at a low level. Despite this admixture, the Polynesian Outlier and Melanesian populations have preserved their own distinctive genetic patterns.
Dental formulae and dental eruption patterns in parapithecidae (primates, Anthropoidea)
Authors: Kay Richard F. , Simons Elwyn L.
Published: February 2006

The eruption sequence for the lower teeth of Apidium phiomense based on 18 juvenile specimens in dP3, dP4, M1, M2, P2, P4 (P3, M3), C. Only five specimens of Parapithecus grangeri show developing lower teeth. P2, M1, and M2 all erupted before P3 and P4; C and M3 were the last cheek teeth to erupt. Late eruption of the lower canines in parapithecids is a possible shared derived resemblance linking these species with Anthropoidea and Adapidae and distinguishing both from Omomyidae, Tarsiidae, and tooth‐combed lemurs. Late eruption of M3 in parapithecids is a shared derived resemblance with Anthropoidea alone.

The lower dental formula of Apidium phiomense is confirmed as 2·1·3·3 by additional specimens which show the incisors. Based in part on tooth socket counts, the deciduous lower dental formula was 2·1·3. New specimens of Parapithecus grangeri now demonstrate an adult mandibular dental formula of 0·1·3·3 (not 2·1·3·3 as previously thought) and a juvenile formula of 1·1·3. The number of incisors possessed by Parapithecus fraasi is again open to debate. Material is insufficient to judge whether this species had a pair of incisors in each lower jaw quadrant, by analogy with Apidium, or had undergone reduction to just one incisor. In any event, the presence of two incisors in another parapithecid Apidium shows anterior tooth reduction of Parapithecus grangeri occurred independent of, and should not be considered a shared derived similarity with, Tarsiidae, as was once thought.
Determination of sex from the Tibia
Authors: İşcan M. Yaşar , Miller‐Shaivitz Patricia
Published: February 2006

Determination of sex from the tibial shaft as well as the entire bone itself has not been generally investigated by osteologists. This paper is an attempt to fulfill this need. The purpose is to determine sex from both the complete tibia and the shaft at the nutrient foramen level. The sample was obtained from the Terry Collection and included 159 specimens of whites and blacks. The tibial length, and circumference, anteroposterior, and transverse measurements at the nutrient foramen level were analyzed by means of step‐wise discriminant function analysis. It was found that the circumference alone could give, on the average, 80% accuracy in determining sex. The addition of other dimensions to the function increased the accuracy by about 4%. Comparisons of this study with those on the femur indicated that sexual dimorphism in the tibia was a result not only of the general growth and musculo‐skeletal activity, but also of the genetic structure of the population, i.e., racial variation.
Postembryonic dimensional allometry of the human femur
Authors: Sumner Dale R.
Published: February 2006

Developmental constraints can affect evolution. McMahon's (1973, 1975a) hypothesis of elastic similarity is tested as an epigenetic rule. This is an ontogenetic hypothesis that previously has not been tested with ontogenetic data. Cross‐sectional data from the human femur are analyzed. Length‐diameter relationships for phases of growth and aging are calculated with bivariate allometry. McMahon's hypothesis cannot be rejected, although most of the calculations are not consistent with it. Ontogenetic skeletal allometry is complex because both material and geometric properties change during development.
A family study of anthropometric traits in a Punjabi community: II. An investigation of familial transmission
Authors: Byard P. J. , Sharma K. , Russell J. M. , Rao D. C.
Published: February 2006

Path analysis is used to characterize family resemblance for anthropometrics in twins and nuclear families from the Punjabi population of India. Significant positive assortative mating exists with respect to many body measurements, but not for cranial or facial variables. Evidence of a maternal effect for five measurements of bone diameter is reported. Twin resemblance is increased by a component not found in other pairs of relatives for all variables except nasal height, facial length, ear length, and head breadth. Although all variables have significant transmissible components, many have parameter estimates which are not consistent with strictly polygenic inheritance. Some form of cultural transmission is implicated for such variables, especially for those related to fatness levels.
Structural changes in the femur with the transition to agriculture on the Georgia coast
Authors: Ruff Christopher B. , Larsen Clark Spencer , Hayes Wilson C.
Published: February 2006

Structural characteristics of the femur are compared in preagricultural (2200 B.C.–A.D. 1150) and agricultural (A.D. 1150–1550) subsistence strategy groups from the Georgia coast. Using an automated technique, cross‐sectional geometric properties used in structural analyses (areas, second moments of area) were determined at midshaft and distal to the lesser trochanter in 20 adults from each group. A significant decline in magnitude of almost every geometric property occurs in the agricultural group. The differences between groups are reduced but still significant for many properties after standardizing for bone length differences. In addition, a remodeling of the femoral cortex to one of relatively smaller medullary and subperiosteal diameter, as well as a more circular cross‐sectional shape, is characteristic of agricultural femora. Thus, while the relative cross‐sectional area of bone remains the same, the spatial distribution of bone area is different in the two groups. The results strongly suggest a relative reduction in mechanical loadings of the femur in the agricultural group, implying different levels and possibly types of activity involving the lower limb in the two groups. The data are also compared with similar data available for the Pecos Pueblo (agricultural) sample. The comparison indicates that types of activity may have been more similar in the two agricultural samples, but that general levels of activity were more similar in the Pecos Pueblo and Georgia coast preagricultural samples.
Does KNM‐ER 1481A establish Homo erectus at 2.0 myr BP?
Authors: Trinkaus Erik
Published: February 2006

Kennedy (1983) has proposed that the KNM‐ER 1481A femur represents Homo erectus and establishes the presence of this species at ca. 2.0.myr BP. A reconsideration of her criteria for taxonomic attribution indicates that its morphology implies only that it is an archaic member of the genus Homo. Its geochronological position, in conjunction with its morphology, suggest that it is best referred to H. habilis.
The emergence of biomedical anthropology and its implications for the future
Authors: Wienker Curtis W.
Published: February 2006

Primarily during the past 15 years a distinct new area within physical anthropology has emerged, biomedical anthropology. Physical anthropologists have become heavily involved in studying problems of relevance to the health and illness patterns of living humans.

There has been a proportionate increase in biomedically focused papers published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, in biomedically focused papers presented at annual meetings of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, and in physical anthropology doctoral dissertations oriented toward modern biomedical phenomena. Proportionately more physical anthropologists are now employed in medical schools and there has been recent growth in the proportion of physical anthropologists in anthropology departments who claim some aspect of biomedical anthropology as a research interest. Increasingly, physical anthropologists are focusing their research on cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in America.

These distinct trends are partially a result of the nature of physical anthropology and its unique biocultural perspective. However the growth of applied anthropology, the present academic marketplace, and the availability of research funds are probably also contributing factors.

The emergency of biomedical anthropology holds promise for the future of physical anthropology and for its current employment crisis. Careers with academic and nonacademic organizations engaged in biomedical research appear to be a viable alternative to careers in departments of anthropology, for biomedical anthropologists. This will entail some reorientation of graduate training for physical anthropologists. More emphasis will have to be placed on substantive biomedical subjects, research methods, and data management and analysis.
Anthropometry and numerical taxonomy in clinical genetics: An example of applied biological anthropology
Authors: Ward Richard E. , Meaney F. John
Published: February 2006

Biological anthropologists can contribute a unique perspective as well as technical expertise to the diagnosis and classification of genetic disorders. Anthropometry has been used with increasing frequency to characterize syndromes and to establish ranges of variation within syndromes. The specific anthropometric‐radiologic technique of metacarpophalangeal pattern profile analysis has proven useful in discriminating individuals with the Prader‐Labhart‐Willi (PLW) syndrome from unaffected persons. Analysis of these data also indicate a negative correlation between age and Z‐score transformations of individual hand bone lengths. These findings sound a cautionary note to clinical investigators who would use the Z‐score transformation to standardize for age and sex.

Problems encountered in the classification of genetic syndromes afford many parallels with those faced by anthropologists in the classification of living and fossil populations. The reliance on “key” traits and the necessity of focusing on pedigree analysis results in a deemphasis of the total range of variation and typological thinking. Application of numerical taxonomic techniques to the classification of the heterogeneous connective tissue disease osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) illustrates the heuristic value of this technique and points out the need to consider phenotypic overlap when defining typologies.

Clinical genetics affords just one example of an area in medicine where the unique training and generalist perspective of the biological anthropologist is in demand. The decline in the availability of positions in the traditional academic habitat for biological anthropologists makes it imperative that graduate students be aware of alternatives and that they obtain training in the practical skills which such alternatives will demand.
Interpretation of scanning electron microscopic images of abraded forming bone surfaces
Authors: Bromage Timothy G.
Published: February 2006

The experimental abrasion of forming bone surfaces was conducted so that such surfaces could be characterized. This is particularly important to bone remodeling studies utilizing scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging of archeological material. Forming surfaces derived from subadult macaque cranial bone were treated by particle abrasion, water abrasion, sliding abrasion, brushing, manual rubbing, weight, exfoliation, chipping and replication. Acetic acid treatments were also performed. The effects of abrasive agents are specific but generally fall into rough (particle and water abrasion) and smooth (sliding abrasion, brushing, rubbing and weight) categories.

Protohistoric human and Plio‐Pleistocene hominid subadult craniofacial remains were observed with the SEM for comparison with experimental data. The more recent material appeared smooth, probably as a result of specimen preparation procedures using brushes. Surfaces were still interpretable as forming, however, using a more abrasion‐resistant feature called intervascular ridging (IVR) described in this study. The IVR pattern is also recognized on the hominid sample, confirming the possibility of performing remodeling studies on abraded fossil material. The abrasion characteristics are somewhat more difficult to classify, however.

Abrasion is defined and discussed relative to remodeling studies and taphonomy. The usefulness of the experimental data reported here, however, in paleoenvironmental reconstruction, has yet to be fully realized. Acid and mechanical preparation techniques are briefly addressed. It is concluded that it is possible to characterize a forming surface as abraded according to the findings of this study and that acid, if handled with care, will more likely preserve microanatomical surface detail. It would also be in everyone's interest to employ a less abrasive cleaning regime on archeological specimens.