bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic variation within two linguistic Amerindian groups: Relationship to geography and population size
Authors: Callegari‐Jacques Sidia M. , Salzano Francisco M.
Published: February 2006

Nine Carib and eight Tupi groups were studied for a minimum of eight common polymorphic systems and compared in terms of genetic distances using the methods of Nei and Edwards. Two levels of genetic information were distinguished, one with a maximum of 20 loci and another with a maximum of 12 loci considered. The dendrograms produced consistent, reproducible results, independent of the method used, when a minimum of ten polymorphic systems were included in the analysis. Irrespective of the number of systems or the method used, the Tupi showed two to three times higher average interpopulation genetic distances than the Carib groups, which may be due to their lower average population sizes, allowing for the action of genetic drift and/or founder effects, as these two sets of populations do not differ significantly in geographic range, years of contact with non‐Indians, or degree of acculturation.
Spondylolysis and its relationship to degenerative joint disease in the prehistoric Southeastern United States
Authors: Bridges Patricia S.
Published: February 2006

Spondylolysis, a fatigue fracture in the neural arch of lumbar vertebrae, is common in Eskimos and some athletes. In Archaic Indians from northwestern Alabama, 17% of males and 20% of females with complete lumbar regions showed this defect. It is found at a fairly early age in adult males in this group, but in females it does not appear until after age 40 years. Spondylolysis is associated with higher levels of osteoarthritis around the fifth lumbar vertebra, where this defect typically occurs. Otherwise, there is little relationship between its presence and degenerative joint disease, especially in the weight‐bearing joints. The incidence in young males may be related to activities necessitating a high level of mobility around the lumbar spine. The late occurrence in females suggests that osteoporosis may have been a contributing factor.
Allocation and discrimination based on human odontometric data
Authors: Kieser J. A. , Groeneveld H. T.
Published: February 2006

This study contrasts the confience with which individuals may be grouped and then re‐allocated on the basis of odontometric data. These data are derived from the mesiodistal and buccolingual diameters of 202 Len‐gua Indians of Paraguay (100 males, 102 females), 125 Caucasoid schoolchildren (59 male, 66 female), and 206 Negroes (106 male, 100 female). Multivariate intergroup discrimination is effected by means of canonical and stepwise discriminant analysis, whilst allocation is evaluated by means of posterior and typicality probabilities. Bias is reduced by means of a jackknifing procedure. High levels of discriminatory confidence (each Wilk's Lambda, P < 0.01) are matched by high percentage correct classification (Caucasoid, 67.4–75.0%; Negro, 71.0–77.3%; Amerindian, 65.2–78.1%). However, these results are not matched by allocatory procedures: only 21.7% of caucasoids, 21.4% of Negroes, and 28.8% of Amerindians could be re‐allocated with probabilities in excess of 80%. It is concluded that while multivariate discriminant techniques may be usefully employed in the separation of different populations, individuals may not be assigned with the same degree of confidence, even with an a priori knowledge of their group membership.
Structural adaptations of the femur and humerus to arboreal and terrestrial environments in three species of macaque
Authors: Burr David B. , Ruff Christopher B. , Johnson Cary
Published: February 2006

One reason to measure cross‐sectional structural properties of primate long bones is to define mechanically relevant complexes of traits that describe the adaptation of bone to different biomechanical environments. This can be effectively accomplished when congeneric species having different postural and locomotor behaviors are compared. This paper compares the cross‐sectional geometry of the femur and humerus in three behaviorally different macaque species as a basis for defining such patterns. Cross‐sectional moments of inertia in the standard anatomical planes were calculated at five locations along the diaphyses of the femur and humerus in Macaca fascicularis, M. nemestrina, and M. mulatta. The data suggest that the “barrel‐shaped” femur is associated with behaviors for which long limbs and small body size are an asset. This may be associated with, but is not restricted to, leaping behaviors. The data also suggest that structural rigidity of the femur and humerus is greater per unit body weight in primates that spend significant amounts of time in terrestrial environments than in those that are more restricted to climbing in arboreal environments.
Biomechanics of cross‐sectional size and shape in the hominoid mandibular corpus
Authors: Daegling David J.
Published: February 2006

Mandibular cross sections of Pan, Pongo, Gorilla, Homo, and two fossil specimens of Paranthropus were examined by computed tomography (CT) to determine the biomechanical properties of the hominoid mandibular corpus. Images obtained by CT reveal that while the fossil hominids do not differ significantly from extant hominoids in the relative contribution of compact bone to total subperiosteal area, the shape of the Paranthropus corpora indicates that the mechanical design of the robust australopithecine mandible is fundamentally distinct from that of modern hominoids in terms of its ability to resist transverse bending and torsion. It is also apparent that, among the modern hominoids, interspecific and sexual differences in corpus shape are not significant from a biomechanical perspective.

While ellipse models have been used previously to describe the size, shape, and subsequent biomechanical properties of the corpus, the present study shows that such models do not predict the biomechanical properties of corpus cross‐sectional geometry in an accurate or reliable manner.

The traditional “robusticity” index of the mandibular corpus is of limited utility for biomechanical interpretations. The relationship of compact bone distribution in the corpus to dimensions such as mandibular length and arch width may provide a more functionally meaningful definition of mandibular robusticity.
Race differences in pubic symphyseal aging patterns in the male
Authors: Katz Darryl , Suchey Judy Myers
Published: February 2006

A well‐documented multiracial sample of 704 male pubic bones allows for rigorous testing for racial differences in pubic symphyseal metamorphosis. The relationship between estimated age (using a modified Todd six‐stage system) and age is examined as a function of race (White, Black, Mexican). One set of analyses incorporates linear regression models, while a second set does not impose such structure on the relationship. The latter analyses incorporate analysis of variance and related procedures. Significant differences in age are found across racial groups; it is seen that Blacks and Mexicans with advanced pubic symphyseal patterns tend to have lower ages than Whites. We do not address the question of causality, which may involve genetic factors and/or environmental variables such as diet, alcoholism, or drug abuse.
Bone strontium in pregnant and lactating females from archaeological samples
Authors: Blakely Robert L.
Published: February 2006

Because plants and animals consume or absorb different amounts of strontium and calcium, anthropologists are able to use strontium/calcium (Sr/Ca) ratios from archaeologically recovered human bone to estimate the relative contributions of meat and plants to paleodiets. Often females exhibit higher Sr/Ca ratios than males, a fact usually attributed to lower meat intake among women. However, in vivo and in vitro experiments with laboratory animals show that pregnancy and lactation elevate maternal bone strontium and depress maternal bone calcium because 1) strontium is discriminated against in favor of calcium in the transport of ions to the placenta and mammary glands and 2) pregnancy and lactation facilitate absorption of alkaline earth metals from the gut. In this study, bone Sr/Ca ratios and strontium concentrations were compared between reproductive‐age females, postmenopausal females, and adult males from two late prehistoric Native American sites in Georgia: the King site (N = 43) and the Etowah site (N = 51). At the King site, the mean Sr/Ca ratio of females was over 14% greater than that of males. At Etowah, the mean strontium level of reproductive‐age females exceeded that of postmenopausal females by almost 25%. Most of the difference, it is argued, is due to pregnancy and lactation. A dietary preference among pregnant and lactating women for foods high in alkaline earths, particularly nuts and corn, may also be partially responsible. Until we assess the influence variables other than nutrition exert on trace element concentrations, our reconstructions of paleodiets will be suspect.
Porotic hyperostosis: Relationship between orbital and vault lesions
Authors: Stuart‐Macadam Patty
Published: February 2006

The exact nature of the relationship between orbital and skull vault lesions of porotic hyperostosis has remained a controversial issue among anthropologists. Many researchers believe that lesions in both areas are related and have a common etiology; others remain unconvinced of any relationship and prefer to consider orbital and vault lesions as separate conditions with their own etiology. This paper explores the issue by comparing data on microscopic, macroscopic, radiographic, and demographic aspects of orbital and vault lesions from both clinical and anthropological studies. The results of these comparisons support the views that there is a relationship between lesions on both areas and that they share a common etiology.
Anatomical brain asymmetry in monkeys: Frontal, temporoparietal, and limbic cortex in Macaca
Authors: Heilbroner Peter L. , Holloway Ralph L.
Published: February 2006

Measurements evaluating possible cerebral hemispheric asymmetries were taken by hand on frontal, parietal, and temporal cortex on 60 formalin‐fixed Macaca mulatta and Macaca fascicularis brain specimens. No statistically significant (P < 0.05) right/left side differences in the mean length of four sulci in visual‐processing areas of the cortex were found. The sulcus adjacent to the region cytoarchitecturally homologous to the motor speech area in the human brain did not show pronounced asymmetry. In both species, however, a small parietal lobe sulcus showed greater development on the left hemisphere than in the right. In measurements made using digital planimetry, right/left side differences in the area of the dorsal cingulate gyrus were not found. Behavioral evidence suggests that monkeys do not exhibit a consistent pattern of cerebral dominance for functions associated with most of these regions of the brain.
Gestation length, metabolic rate, and body and brain weights in primates: Epigenetic effects
Authors: Little Bertis B.
Published: February 2006

The relationship of brain and body weights can be expressed in log‐log regression: log (brain weight) = log (A) + B log (body weight). To investigate further the weights' similarity, gestation length and brain and body weights were determined from the literature for 46 primate genera. The results of allometric and path regression analyses suggest that the relationship between brain and body weights may not be mainly pleiotropic in the order Primates. The correlation between brain and body weights appears to be due to epigenetic factors in hyperplastic growth related to time constraint by gestation length and to energy utilization limitations imposed by metabolic rate.
Variations in blood supply allocations for quadrupedal and for bipedal posture and locomotion
Authors: Abitbol M. Maurice
Published: February 2006

Hemodynamics and orthodynamics were investigated in quadrupeds (dogs) and in bipeds (humans). The subjects were investigated at rest in supine or lateral posture, in quadrupedal and then in bipedal posture, and during locomotion. Quadrupedalism in humans was with subjects on their hands and knees. Bipedalism in dogs was on hindlimbs with the forelimbs held by a technician. Blood flow in the main arteries of the body (aorta, external and internal carotid, subclavian, and femoral) was measured by sonography. Positional variations between the main bones of the body were determined from X‐rays. This study investigated the reallocation of blood supply to different regions of the body when it switches from quadrupedal to bipedal posture and locomotion. Compared with resting posture, the principal findings are 1) cardiac output shows a minimal increase for humans in bipedal stance and a noticeable increase for dogs as well as humans in quadrupedal stance; 2) quadrupedal stance in humans and dogs and bipedal stance in dogs require increased blood supply to the muscles of the neck, back, and limbs, while human bipedal stance requires none of these; 3) cerebral blood flow (internal carotid) in humans did not change as a result of bipedal posture or locomotion, but showed a noticeable drop in quadrupedal posture and an even further drop in quadrupedal locomotion. The conclusion is that erect posture and encephalization produced a noticeable readjustment and reallocation of blood flow among the different regions of the body: This consisted in shifting a large volume of blood supply from the musculature to the human brain.
Blood genetic markers in the Chinese of two eastern provinces
Authors: Saha N.
Published: February 2006

A total of 205 Han Chinese from two eastern provinces (155 from Fujien and 50 from Hopeh) were tested for the distribution of six blood groups—A1A2BO, MN, Rhesus (CcDEe), Lewisa, Kell (Kk) and Fya—four serum proteins—albumin and haptoglobin types; transferrin and groupspecific component subtypes—haemoglobin, and twelve red cell enzyme systems—glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase, 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, lactate and malate dehydrogenases; acid phosphatase, esterate‐D, glyoxalase I, adenylate kinase, glucose‐phosphate isomerase, phosphoglucomutase (locus 2), and superoxide dismutase types; and phosphoglucomutase (locus 1) subtypes.

The frequencies of blood groups were more or less within the reported frequencies in the Chinese. However the frequency of le was much lower in the present series. The Chinese are characterized by low p1, Ro, k, le, and a high Fya in general. P2 was lacking in the Chinese. There were some differences in the blood group frequencies in the two provinces.

The frequencies of Hp alleles; Tf and Gc subtypes show characteristic mongoloid features with high Hp1, TfD, and GcIF. The frequency of TFC2 was higher in the Fujien province than that in Hopeh.

At the hemoglobin locus only one Hb AD was detected, while the frequency of the β‐thalassemia trait was 0.03. No red cell G6PD deficiency or variant was detected. The distribution of red cell enzymes showed Mongoloid characteristics with low PGDC, AK2, ESD1, GLO1, and higher Pa. PGM1 subtypes also had Mongoloid characteristics with lower PGM2+ and higher PGM2−. The phenotypic distribution of all the fifteen polymorphic loci was at Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium in both the Chinese populations.
Allogrooming, partner choice, and dominance in male anubis baboons
Authors: Easley Stephen Phillip , Coelho Anthony M. , Taylor Linda L.
Published: February 2006

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that among unrelated male baboons (Papio cynocephalus anubis) in single‐gender social groups there is no significant association between dominance status and allogrooming performance. The hypothesis was tested using behavioral measures obtained by focal animal sampling techniques. The results indicate that unrelated male baboons established well‐defined linear dominance hierarchies, formed allogrooming relationships with one another, and exhibited a nonrandom distribution of allogrooming; however, there were no significant relationships between dominance rank and the frequency of allogrooming. We further tested our results by grouping individuals into three dominance status classes (high, middle, and low) and comparing the classes. Analysis of variance demonstrated no significant differences in rates of allogrooming by dominance class. These results suggest that dominance did not account for the variation in observed allogrooming behavior: Dominance status did not appear to determine the frequency with which animals groomed others, the number of grooming partners, or frequency of grooming that any individual received in comparison to that performed. High‐ranking animals did not have significantly more grooming partners than low‐ranking animals, and there appeared to be little competition within the groups for subordinates to groom high‐ranking animals. When age, kinship, and group tenure are controlled, performance and reception of allogrooming are not strongly associated with dominance in single‐gender social groups of male anubis baboons.
Seasonal or ecological differences in diet and molar microwear in Cebus nigrivittatus
Authors: Teaford Mark F. , Robinson John G.
Published: February 2006

Dental microwear analyses have raised new hopes and questions for functional morphologists. One hope is that analyses will allow insights into subtle dietary differences of extinct species. One major question is whether seasonal and/or habitat differences in dental microwear are reliably detectable.

The extensive collections of Cebus nigrivittatus obtained by the Smithsonian Venezuelan Project allowed us to examine seasonal and habitat differences in dental microwear. Specimens were collected from three distinct ecological life zones that are distinguished by both the amount of rainfall and its seasonability. Environmental variation is generally correlated with variation in resource availability which, in C. nigrivittatus, affects diet. Published field studies indicate that these animals depend more on dry hard fruit and chitinous invertebrates during drier times and succulent fruits and caterpillars during wetter times of the year.

As in previous microwear analyses, epoxy replicas were prepared from dental impressions, and the replicas were examined under a scanning electron microscope. Two micrographs were taken of facet 9 on M2 of each specimen. Mean values for the proportion of pits (vs. scratches), pit wdith, and scratch width were computed for each of 62 individuals and compared between ecological zones and collecting dates by using a multiple comparison test.

Results indicate that, while seasonal differences in molar microwear in C. nigrivittatus are perhaps reliably detectable, 1) they are small in magnitude, 2) they are only detectable in certain ecological life zones, and 3) they are not of the order of magnitude that will obscure major interspecific differences in molar microwear such as those between C. apella and C. nigrivittatus.
Endocranial suture closure in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)
Authors: Falk Dean , Konigsberg Lyle , Helmkamp R. Criss , Cheverud James , Vannier Michael , Hildebolt Charles
Published: February 2006

Endocasts from skulls of 330 rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) of known age are scored for closure of nine bilateral and three unilateral sutures or segments of sutures. A variety of tests reveals a strong relationship between age and stages of suture closure, although increasingly broad confidence intervals prevent sutures from being very useful for precisely aging older macaques. The order in which endosutures begin to close, as well as that in which closure is finally achieved, is determined for macaques, and these sequences compared to those for endosutures of humans (Todd and Lyon, 1924). The basilar suture is the earliest to close, while the masto‐occipital and rostral and caudal squamosal sutures achieve closure quite late in both species. On the other hand, humans and macaques differ in their schedules for the sphenofrontal suture and in the initiation of closure for the rostral portion of the squamosal suture. Two sutures close significantly sooner on the right than on the left side (the rostral squamosal and masto‐occipital) and asymmetry favoring closure of the right lateral lambdoid suture also approaches significance at the 0.05 level. No sutures close significantly sooner on the left side. It is suggested that macaque sutures may close from the inside out, that endosutures are more sensitive than ectosutures for detecting sequences in which cranial sutures begin to close, and that directional asymmetries in suture closure of macaques may be related to minor asymmetries in brain/skull shape (petalias).
Craniometrical variation among South American prehistoric populations: Climatic, altitudinal, chronological, and geographic contributions
Authors: Rothhammer Francisco , Silva Claudio
Published: February 2006

The independent contributions of climate, altitude, chronology, and geographic location of archeological sites to craniometrical variation are analyzed in a sample of 1,119 skulls from South America. Geographic location is responsible for the highest proportion of craniometrical variation, followed by climate and altitude. It is concluded that geographic isolation has partially prevented gene flow from counterbalancing craniometrical microdifferentiation produced by founder effect.
Temporal aspects of biological distance: Serial correlation and trend in a prehistoric skeletal lineage
Authors: Konigsberg Lyle W.
Published: February 2006

A number of previous studies have examined biological variability within individual human skeletal samples, using internal chronology as an explanatory source for variation. In this paper time series and matrix comparison methods are used to examine temporal serial correlation and trend of biological characteristics within a skeletal sample. These methods follow appropriately upon the assumption that the processes of genetic drift and migration lead to temporal autocorrelation of the mean genotype within individual genetic lineages. In the current analysis, using skeletal material from the Pete Klunk Mound Group, temporal serial correlation is demonstrated between samples from different mounds. This indicates that a previous provisional archaeological ordering of the mounds is probably correct. Absence of temporal trend for any of the nonmetric traits examined here suggests a lack of directional evolutionary forces operating on these traits.
Canine “honing” in Australopithecus afarensis
Authors: Greenfield Leonard O.
Published: February 2006

The maxillary canines of Australopithecus afarensis show a distal wear facet that extends from the apex of the crown to a point near the distal cingulum. Although these facets bear a superficial resemblance to the honing facets found on the projecting portions of the canines of other anthropoids, a more detailed examination provided in this paper shows that they are not homologous or functionally equivalent. The facets are not related to the use of the maxillary canine as a weapon or as an additional masticatory surface. Instead, their presence in A. afarensis represented a blunting or dulling of the posterior edge of C so that its occulusion with P3 would be consistent with cheek tooth occlusion.
Changes in the eruption order of the first permanent tooth and their relation to season of birth in Japan
Authors: Nonaka K. , Ichiki A. , Miura T.
Published: February 2006

In order to examine the eruption order of the first two permanent teeth, kindergarten children 5 to 6 years old were examined in Hakone, Japan. Among a total of 817 children examined from 1976 to 1984, 349 were determined as I‐type children, whose mandibular first incisor erupted earlier than the mandibular first molar, and 183 were as M‐type children, whose first molar erupted earlier in the mandible. The mandibular I‐type rate, i.e., the proportion of the I‐type among a total of I‐ and M‐type children, was 66% (349/532). In 1983–1984, the I‐type rate was 70% among boys and 62% among girls, but the overall I‐type rate did not differ significantly by the sex of the subject or by the year of examination. The I‐type rate varied significantly with the season of subject's birth. Those born in October or November showed a significantly lower I‐type rate (33%) than the other subjects (P < 0.001), in spite of a shift of birth season with low I‐type rate toward winter in 1983–1984. The difference of the I‐type rate according to birth season suggests that the causes responsible for this change are primarily environmental and act at the prenatal or perinatal stage of life.
Studies of ancient crania from northern Africa
Authors: Keita S. O. Y.
Published: February 2006

Historical sources and archaeological data predict significant population variability in mid‐Holocene northern Africa. Multivariate analyses of crania demonstrate wide variation but also suggest an indigenous craniometric pattern common to both late dynastic northern Egypt and the coastal Maghreb region. Both tropical African and European metric phenotypes, as well intermediate patterns, are found in mid‐Holocene Maghreb sites. Early southern predynastic Egyptian crania show tropical African affinities, displaying craniometric trends that differ notably from the coastal northern African pattern. The various craniofacial patterns discernible in northern Africa are attributable to the agents of microevolution and migration.
Mass‐to‐surface area index in a large cohort
Authors: Armstrong Lawrence E. , De Luca Jane P. , Christensen Elaine L. , Hubbard Roger W.
Published: February 2006

Many biological and anthropological investigations have described the role between mass‐to‐surface area index (M/SA) and heat tolerance. No large M/SA database exists that can be used as a reference standard to interpret previous or future M/SA studies. This report presents the M/SA data of a large military cohort (1,170 males aged 17–54 years, 305 females aged 17–40 years). The effects of gender, ethnic group, and age on the distribution of M/SA, as well as the relationship between M/SA and other physical characteristics, were described. It was observed that the increase of M/SA with increasing age (over the 17–75 years category) were not significant. All descriptive characteristics (including M/SA) were different (P < .001) between males and females. M/SA was not statistically different between ethnic groups among both males and females. These data may be utilized to compare the M/SA values of U.S. citizens to those of other ethnic groups and to identify those laborers or athletes who possess the greatest theoretical risk of heat intolerance.
The VCL hypothesis revisited: Patterns of femoral morphology among quadrupedal and saltatorial prosimian primates
Authors: Anemone Robert L.
Published: February 2006

The descriptive and functional morphology of the postcranium of the vertical clinging and leaping prosimians is of great interest in both adaptational and phylogenetic studies of extant and extinct primates. An analysis of patterns of femoral morphology among quadrupedal and saltatory living prosimians indicates the presence of at least two, and possibly three, distinct femoral adaptations to the demands of an arboreal, saltatory existence. Osteological measurements were taken on 277 postcranial skeletons representing eight prosimian families, with skeletal trunk length (Biegert and Maurer, Folia Primatol. 17:142–156, 1972) used as an estimator of body size in both bivariate and multivariate (discriminant function) statistical analyses. Whereas all extant vertical clingers and leapers share certain femoral traits (i.e., long femur, proximally restricted trochanters, ventrally raised patellar articular surface), Galagidae and Tarsiidae share features of the proximal femur (i.e., cylindrical head, large posterior expansion of articular surface onto the neck) that clearly distinguish them from the specialized leapers of the Malagasy Republic (Indriidae and Lepilemur). These latter animals closely resemble active quadrupedal Lemuriformes in possessing spherical femoral heads, with little posterior expansion of articular surface and a distinctive greater trochanter shape. Some traits suggested as being characteristic of vertical clingers and leapers (i.e., deep femoral condyles facing posteriorly, narrow patellar groove with prominent lateral margin, greater trochanter overhanging anterior aspect of shaft) are shown to be common to all prosimians except the slow‐climbing lorisids. The functional significance of aspects of femoral morphology among saltators is discussed, along with the relevance of these results to an assessment of vertical clinging and leaping among extant and extinct primates.
New fossil platyrrhine tali from the early miocene of Argentina
Authors: Meldrum D. Jeffrey
Published: February 2006

Five platyrrhine tali have been recovered from early Miocene localities in the Pinturas Formation of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. These new fossil tali show overall greater similarities to the slightly older Gaiman talus attributed to Dolichocebus gaimanensis than to tali of the younger primate taxa from La Venta, Colombia. The smallest and oldest talus from the Pinturas Formation displays features similar to the extant atelines and Pithecia, and is provisionally referred to Soriacebus ameghinorum. The four larger Pinturas tali are provisionally referred to Carlocebus cf. carmenensis, and most resemble tali of the extant small‐bodied cebids and callitrichids. The differences in talar morphology exhibited by these two genera suggest that Soriacebus had a more derived locomotor repertoire than Carlocebus, which included more climbing and possibly suspensory behaviors.
Ventral arc of the os pubis: Anatomical and developmental considerations
Authors: Anderson Bruce Edward
Published: February 2006

The ventral arc is a ridge of bone which may occur on the ventral surface of the corpus of the os pubis in adult females. Recently, this feature of the human pubic bone has regained attention as being of value in ascribing sex. The ventral arc should not be confused with a somewhat similar crest that can occur in adult males, which is characterized by a different position and configuration than that of the ventral arc. The corpus is the site of both muscular and ligamentous attachments. The tissues correlated with adult bony morphology and its development in females and males during growth are described. The primary research question addresses the factors involved in the determination of bony differences between the sexes. Sexual dimorphism in bony features of the ventral aspect of the human os pubis relates to muscular origin and to differential growth patterns between males and females.
Stature loss among an older United States population and its relation to bone mineral status
Authors: Galloway Alison , Stini William A. , Fox Sherry C. , Stein Patricia
Published: February 2006

Age‐related statural loss has been recorded but incompletely assessed in modern populations. In this study, data collected on stature during annual bone mineral assessments are analyzed for 1,024 Caucasian individuals from southern Arizona. Continued stabilization in reported maximum heights is seen in this population. With advancing age there is a gradual decrease in height apparently beginning in the mid‐40s. Thereafter, there is a relatively rapid decrease in measured height. This contrasts to the much slower rates predicted from earlier populations (Trotter and Gleser: American Journal of Physical Anthropology 9:311–324, 1951). The rate of stature loss is associated with diminution of bone mineral density as well as with maximum height. Since there are suggestions of a secular trend toward greater reductions in bone mineral density, this study suggests there may be a secular trend toward an increase in statural loss with age.
Curvature of the forelimb bones of anthropoid primates: Overall allometric patterns and specializations in suspensory species
Authors: Swartz Sharon M.
Published: February 2006

It has previously been reported that brachiating primates, particularly gibbons, are characterized by distinctively straight forelimb long bones, yet no hypotheses have been proposed to explain why straight limb bones may be adaptive to suspensory locomotion. This study explores quantitatively the curvature of the long bones in 13 species of anthropoid primates and analyzes the functional consequences of curvature in biomechanical terms. These analyses demonstrate that, whereas the humeri of gibbons and spider monkeys are functionally less curved than those of other taxa, the ulnae of brachiators are neither more nor less curved than those of other anthropoids, and the gibbon radius is far more curved than would be predicted from body size alone. The humerus is likely significantly less curved in brachiators because of its torsion‐dominated loading regime and the greatly increased stress magnitude developed in torsionally loaded curved beams. The large curvature of the radius is localized in the region of attachment of the supinator muscle. Analysis presented here of muscle mass allometry in catarrhines demonstrates that gibbons are characterized by an extremely massive supinator, and the large radial curvature is therefore most likely due to forearm muscle mechanics. This study also demonstrates that the overall pattern of limb bone curvature for anthropoids is distinct from the pattern reported for mammals as a whole. This distinctive scaling relationship may be related to the increased length of the limb bones of primates in comparison to other mammals.
Tooth and bone development in a Danish medieval mandible with unilateral absence of the mandibular canal
Authors: Jakobsen Jan , Jørgensen JØRgen Balslev , Kjær Inger
Published: February 2006

A Danish anthropological collection of medieval human skeletons excavated in 1986 involves a mandible (No. 212) from an adult female born without the lower alveolar nerve and mandibular canal. It is believed that the defect has resulted in lack of tooth development on the affected side and that the mylohyoid nerve has partially compensated for this defect by development of teeth in localized areas. The defective mandibular dentition has caused a compensatory development of the alveolar process in the maxilla. The missing occlusal support has altered muscular traction on the mandible. This has caused an alteration in mandibular shape. Whether the asymmetric development of the mandible is caused by muscular dysfunction, by failure in angular growth apposition, or by a combination of these factors is discussed. The case presents valuable data in the ongoing discussion about the interaction between nerve tissue and tooth formation and about the interaction between occlusion, jaw morphology, and muscular traction. The study shows how archeological material in an interdisciplinary cooperation between archeological, embryological and orthodontic research can contribute to the clarification of current biological problems.
Coat color and biochemical variation in Amazonian wild populations of Alouatta belzebul
Authors: Schneider H. , Sampaio M. I. C. , Schneider M. P. C. , Ayres J. M. , Barroso C. M. L. , Hamel A. R. , Silva B. T. F. , Salzano F. M.
Published: February 2006

A comparative study of 13 blood genetic systems and pelage color variation was performed in four wild populations of Alouatta belzebul. The animals from the west bank of the Tocantins River showed less color variation than those from the east bank, as well as less than those from Tocantins Island. The blood genetic markers, however, revealed an opposite pattern of variation. A previously undescribed morphological variant (completely red) was observed in one specimen of the east bank, where pelage color of the local population varied from completely black to completely red. Levels of heterozygosity and interand intralocus variances for the blood systems are compared with those observed in five other species of New World primates.
Ontogenetic perspective on mechanical and nonmechanical models of primate circumorbital morphology
Authors: Ravosa Matthew J.
Published: February 2006

Dimensions of the supraorbital torus, postorbital bar, and postorbital septum were collected in an ontogenetic series of Macaca fascicularis and compared with expectations based on models that attribute morphological variation in these features to spatial factors, allometry, anterior dental loading, and neurofacial torsion. Each model was evaluated using correlation, partial correlation, and regression techniques (model I/least squares; model II/reduced major axis) applied to log‐transformed and size‐corrected data. Results indicate clearly that face or skull size is the primary determinant of variation in circumorbital structures. Strong support is found for the influence of spatial influences on anteroposterior supraorbital torus development (Moss and Young, Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 18:281–292, 1960). Only minor support is noted for the neurofacial torsion model of Greaves (J. Zool. 207:125–136, 1985), and no support is indicated for the anterior dental loading model. The sexes do not differ significantly in any relevant comparisons of ontogenetic trajectories.
Skin color variation in Eastern Nepal
Authors: Williams‐Blangero S. , Blangero J.
Published: February 2006

The purpose of this paper is to provide skin color data on several endogamous groups of eastern Nepal and to demonstrate genetic microdifferentiation in skin color. Skin reflectance measures were taken at the upper inner arm and forehead sites, using the British DSL Model 99 Reflectance Spectrophotometer fitted with blue, green, and red filters. Measurements on 484 males representing six endogamous groups (Jirel, Sunwar, Sherpa, Tamang, Brahman, Chetri) were utilized. After adjusting for group‐specific age effects, multivariate likelihood ratio permutation tests were used to assess ethnic differences in skin reflectance means and covariance matrices. Ethnic group membership had a highly significant effect on skin color at the upper inner arm site and at the forehead site. Differential tanning responses among groups were also detected and may represent the influence of genotype‐environment interaction on reflectance traits. Mahalanobis distance analysis revealed patterns of microdifferentiation that are inconsistent with oral historical accounts. Little support was found for the ethnohistorical belief that Jirels are a hybrid group descended from Sunwars and Sherpas, even though this scenario is supported by linguistic, anthropometric, and dermatoglyphic data. We suggest that while reflectometric studies of skin pigmentation may be useful in assessing the macrodifferentiation of human populations, the use of skin color in differentiation studies at the local population level needs to be carefully evaluated.
On the etiology of interproximal grooves
Authors: Frayer David W.
Published: February 2006

The recent suggestion by Brown and Molnar (1990) that the common etiology of sinew processing is responsible for the production of interproximal tooth grooves is contested. Based on a review of the Australian evidence and presentation of a previously undescribed dentition from Central Europe, it is argued tookpicks are a likely cause of many artificial grooves in human teeth.
Gm and Km allotypes in four Sardinian population samples
Authors: Walter Hubert , Matsumoto Hideo , de Stefano Gian Franco
Published: February 2006

Serum samples of 683 unrelated male and female individuals of four Sardinian population samples (Sassari, Nuoro, Oristano and Cagliari) were typed for G 1 m (1, 2, 3, 17), G 3 m (5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 26), and Km (1). Phenotype, haplotype (Gm), and allele frequencies (Km), respectively, show a remarkable variability between these four population samples. Comparisons with other Italian populations reveal the considerable genetic difference of the Sardinians, which is in particular caused by the presence of the haplotype Gm1, 3, 5, 10, 11, 13, 14, 26 in them. This haplotype is quite uncommon in Europeans and may reflect gene flow from Eastern populations (Phoenicians?) who came to this island in ancient‐history times.
Foot morphology and evolution in early Eocene Cantius
Authors: Gebo Daniel L. , Dagosto Marian , Rose Kenneth D.
Published: February 2006

More than one hundred undescribed foot elements of Cantius and other closely related notharctine adapids (7 species in all) from throughout the early Eocene (Wasatchian) Willwood Formation of the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, have been analyzed. For four species (Cantius ralstoni, “Copelemur” feretutus, Cantius frugivorus, and? Pelycodus jarrovii) these represent the first described postcranial material. The clade of Cantius and allied genera in the Bighorn Basin includes several speciation events and both increases and decreases in body size. The largest species represented by tarsal remains (? Pelycodus jarrovii) is several times larger than the smallest, Cantius ralstoni. However, despite the number of species, temporal duration, and range of body size represented, there are no obvious changes in foot morphology as measured by various indices or by observation of qualitative features. This contrasts with the more obvious changes in dental features (e.g., development of hypocone and mesostyle) in the same group of species described by earlier authors. The fossil record of Cantius thus illustrates different kinds of evolutionary change in the dentition and tarsus. The dentition changes in both size and shape while the tarsus changes only in size. We describe significant differences in foot anatomy which distinguish notharctines from extant strepsirhines, including the nature of the articulations between the navicular and cuboid and the distal tarsus with the metatarsus. These features indicate that the fossil taxa are not particularly closely allied phylogenetically to either extant strepsirhines in general or lemurids in particular.
Relative dental development in hominoids and its failure to predict somatic growth velocity
Authors: Simpson Scott W. , Lovejoy C. Owen , Meindl Richard S.
Published: February 2006

Estimates of age‐at‐death are a function of the sidereal growth rate of the tissue(s) being employed to gauge development, and cannot be made without a priori knowledge of that growth rate. The latter cannot be determined from any inherent differences in pattern in the developing tissues of extant taxa. Such similarities and/or differences are usually the result of functional specialization and are independent of somatic developmental rate. The primary differences in dental maturational pattern among hominoids, for example, are a direct consequence of dentognathic functional specializations, and bear no direct relationship per se with somatic growth velocity. The similarities of developmental patterns between dentitions of individual fossil specimens and those of extant taxa, therefore, cannot be used to estimate age‐at‐death.
Investigation into the relationship between perikymata counts and crown formation times
Authors: Mann Alan E. , Monge Janet M. , Lampl Michelle
Published: February 2006

This study reports on a sample of 12 modern human incisors (from two archaeological sites) that were viewed with a scanning electron microscope and whose perikymata were counted. These 12 incisors more than doubles the previously published sample size of modern human incisors that have served as the published standard for perikymata number in human incisors and have been employed to define taxonomic relationships in fossil hominids. All previously published fossil specimens fall within the expanded range of modern human perikymata counts and can no longer be considered distinctively nonhuman in dental formation time.

Five neandertal incisors from the Krapina site in Croatia, Yugoslavia, were also examined. These incisors substantially expand the previous data base for counts of perikymata in Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, likewise overlapping the previously published modern human range.

Finally, the validity of methods that have been employed for deriving crown formation times from perikymata counts in fossil hominines is called into question. Utilizing the presently known perikymata ranges for modern humans, these methods do not predict the range of known crown formation times of modern humans as assessed from studies of living children.
Dental development of known‐age chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes (primates, pongidae)
Authors: Anemone Robert L. , Watts Elizabeth S. , Swindler Daris R.
Published: February 2006

Interpretation of dental development of fossil hominids requires understanding of and comparison with the pattern and timing of dental development among living humans and pongids. We report the first study of crown and root calcification in the lower permanent molar teeth among chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) of known chronological age. A series of 99 lateral head radiographs of 16 captive‐born chimpanzees were analyzed. Radiographs were taken at irregular intervals throughout the entire postnatal period of dental development from birth to 13 years of age. Permanent mandibular molars were rated on an eight‐point maturation scale from initial radiographic appearance through crown and root calcification and apical closure of the root canals. In addition, we were able to document initial crown calcification and completion, as well as root completion and apical closure in incisors, canines, and premolars. Our results show several differences from the widely cited developmental schedule for pongid dentitions of Dean and Wood (Folia Primatol. 36:111–127, 1981). We found a much greater degree of temporal overlap in calcification of the crowns of adjacent molars, a pattern very unlike that usually seen in human dental development, which is characterized by delays between the onset of crown calcification in the molar series. Also, the ages and durations of crown and root formation in our chimp sample differ from the estimates proposed by Dean and Wood. By more clearly establishing the nature of developmental schedules and the timing of major events in the pongid dentition, these results should aid in the ongoing controversies concerning the human or pongid nature of dental development among Plio‐Pleistocene hominids.
Innervation of the human upper primary dentition: Implications for understanding tooth initiation and rethinking growth and eruption patterns
Authors: Schwartz Jeffrey H. , Langdon Herbert L.
Published: February 2006

Recent comparisons of humans with apes and early fossil hominids have prompted renewed interest in the study of sequences of dental growth and development. Such comparisons, however, rely on certain assumptions about tooth development and dental homology and the biological reality of distinguishing “deciduous” from “permanent” teeth. In light of earlier suggestions by Schwartz that there might be a correlation between nerves and the stem progenitors of tooth classes, and thus between nerve branch number and number of tooth classes, we studied a large sample of ∼ 3 month fetuses to elucidate the nature of nerve branching patterns and the development of the primary dentition (i.e., the “deciduous” incisors, canine, and molars, and the first “permanent” molar). Contrary to expectation, variation in nerve branch patterning was the rule. If nerve fibers do have a role in tooth development, it can only be at the time of initiation, with definitive innervation occurring late in tooth development. In taking into consideration the entire span of tooth development—from initiation to innervation to eruption—and the process by which successional teeth arise (each from the external dental epithelium of a predecessor tooth), we suggest that dividing tooth growth and eruption into patterns of the “deciduous” teeth vs. those of the “permanent” is artificial and that a more meaningful approach would be the study of the entire dentition.