bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A twin study of dental dimension. I. Discordance, asymmetry, and mirror imagery
Authors: Potter Rosario H. , Nance Walter E.
Published: August 2005

Bilateral tooth measurements in twins were partitioned into three orthogonal contrasts, each associated with one degree of freedom, to estimate three parameters: discordance, asymmetry, and mirror imagery. The probability levels of the within‐pair variance ratios were used to test for significance of these estimates. The results provided strong evidences for the existence of significant genetic determinants of almost all of the individual tooth dimensions, but little or no evidence for a genetic basis of asymmetry. The analysis gave no indication that monozygotic twinning was associated with an increased degree of either fluctuating asymmetry or mirror imagery, when compared to dizygotic twins. The data on monozygotic twins further suggested that for most variables examined, the increment of environmental discordance resulting from the twinning phenomena was greater than the developmental noise that caused asymmetry within individual cotwins.
Prenatal origins of brachymesophalangia‐5
Authors: Garn Stanley M. , Babler William J. , Burdi Alphonse R.
Published: August 2005

As shown in 91 embryos and fetuses in the 41–235 mm crown‐rump length, brachymesophalangia‐5 may be identified in prenatal time. Although the ratios involving different combinations of length of mid‐5 relative to other segments yield different frequencies of BMP‐5, the short middle segment of the little finger is already associated with clinodactyly and developmental eccentricity as early as the ninth week of prenatal development.
Head posture and craniofacial morphology
Authors: Solow Beni , Tallgren Antje
Published: August 2005

The associations between craniofacial morphology and the posture of the head and the cervical column were examined in a sample of 120 Danish male students aged 22–30 years. Two head positions were recorded on lateral cephalometric radiographs, one determined by the subject's own feeling of a natural head balance (self balance position), and the other by the subject looking straight into a mirror (mirror position). Craniofacial morphology was described by 42 linear and angular variables, and postural relationships by 18 angular variables.

A comprehensive set of correlations was found between craniofacial morphology and head posture. The correlations were similar for both head positions investigated. Of the postural variables, the position of the head in relation to the cervical column showed the largest set of correlations with craniofacial morphology. Extension of the head in relation to the cervical column was found in connection with large anterior and small posterior facial heights, small antero‐posterior craniofacial dimensions, large inclination of the mandible to the anterior cranial base and to the nasal plane, facial retrognathism, a large cranial base angle, and a small nasopharyngeal space.

The possible role of functional factors in mediating the relationship between morphology and posture was discussed.
A comparative study of tooth and dental arch dimensions in Jewish children of different ethnic descent. I. Kurds and Yemenites
Authors: Koyoumdjisky‐Kaye Edith , Zilberman Y. , Zeevi Z.
Published: August 2005

Dental casts of 99 Kurdish and 98 Yemenite Jewish children evenly distributed between the sexes, aged 12 years, were measured for mesio‐distal and buccolingual tooth dimensions, and arch depth and width. Dental dimensions showed significant differences between the two groups in certain permanent teeth in mesiodistal length, while in the buccolingual diameter the differences did not reach statistical significance. Dental arch form in Kurdish children was more rounded due to significantly bigger arch width, while arch depth was not significantly different from Yemenites. Intragroup sex differences were found in both groups with reference to arch dimensions, while in the dental parameters they were more strongly expressed in Kurdish children.
Multidimensional scaling and the analysis of human biological diversity in Subsaharan Africa
Authors: Rightmire G. P.
Published: August 2005

Much information concerning intergroup variation in Subsaharan Africa has been collected by Hiernaux, who has calculated measures of biological distance (Δg) between pairs of 101 African human populations. The resulting very large matrix of distances is not easily interpreted through simple inspection. Therefore non‐metric multidimensional scaling is here applied in order to produce a configuration of 60 selected groups in a space of reduced dimensionality. A three dimensional solution shows acceptable stress, and this map of populations is used to support and extend Hiernaux's earlier conclusions.
The etiology of porotic hyperostosis among the prehistoric and historic Anasazi Indians of Southwestern United States
Authors: El‐Najjar Mahmoud Y. , Ryan Dennis J. , Turner Christy G. , Lozoff Betsy
Published: August 2005

Porotic hyperostosis was studied in 539 crania from maizegrowing prehistoric and historic groups who occupied two dissimilar ecological zones of the Plateau country of Arizona and New Mexico—canyon bottoms and sage plain. Defined as abnormal localized sieve‐like structural changes involving the hematopoietic areas of the cranium, it was found in 185 (34.3%) of these skulls. More frequent in children than in adults, it shows significant frequency differences between both children and adults of the two ecological zones.

The two ecological zones differ in the availability of iron in the diet; the canyon inhabitants depended heavily on maize (which interferes with iron absorption) while the sage plain people consumed more iron‐rich animal products. We hypothesize that an increased dependence on maize produced more iron deficiency anemia and resulted in more porotic hyperostosis. Maize is known to have permitted a food surplus which in turn allowed for increased South‐western population growth in marginal areas like the canyon bottoms. Heavy dependency on a single food type with consequent hematologic problems may have been an important reason for the subsequent abandonment of the Anasazi region.
The association between Harris lines and enamel hypoplasia in prehistoric California Indians
Authors: McHenry Henry M. , Schulz Peter D.
Published: August 2005

Hypoplastic defects of tooth enamel and Harris lines in the long bones have been heralded as potentially useful indicators of health conditions in prehistoric populations. Both result from temporary cessation of growth processes due to similar types of disease, malnutrition, or other metabolic insult. An association test for the first six years of life was conducted on a large series of prehistoric California Indians, using femora and canines from young adults. No significant association was found. This is ascribable to differences in etiology and stability.
A note on interobserver error in multivariate analyses of populations
Authors: Page John William
Published: August 2005

The effect of interobserver error on a principal components analysis of a small sample of human crania is examined. A comparison of individual specimen scores for components is made to find rotated principal components which identify interobserver error. The individual variables which load highly on such components are then tested for interobserver error univariately. Multivariate components which must identify interobserver error contain no high loadings for variables which demonstrate interobserver error in the univariate case. Principal component analysis, in defining new component variables, extracts such error in an easily identified way which makes comparison of samples measured by more than one anthropometrist more reliable.
Tooth, chin, bone and body size correlations
Authors: Anderson D. L. , Thompson G. W. , Popovich F.
Published: August 2005

Correlations of size of teeth, chin, bone and body were investigated in 118 males and 102 females of the Burlington Growth Centre. In the males, the mesiodistal widths of the mandibular lateral incisors and canines were independently related to the thickness of the cortex of the second metacarpal and to body weight. Bone cortex thickness was significantly related to metacarpal width in males and to body weight in females. Chin depth of the males was significantly related to bone width and to body height, and negatively related to tooth width when bone width or body weight was held constant in partial correlations. Bone width and length were significantly related to body height in both sexes.
Morphometrics of the Neandertal talus
Authors: Rhoads John G. , Trinkaus Erik
Published: August 2005

A number of morphometric analyses of Neandertal tali since the turn of the century have failed to reach a consensus on the functional affinities of these fossil foot bones. To clarify the problem a univariate and multivariate analysis of the available Neandertal and Skhūl tali in relation to those of modern humans was performed using nine linear dimensions and four angles. Our analysis indicates that Neandertal tali are indistinguishable from modern human tali in the implied locomotor capabilities and similar in overall size and proportions. The primary differences between the fossil and modern tali involve the greater articular robustness of the fossils, probably to compensate for higher levels of biomechanical stress.
The Chipaya of Bolivia: Dermatoglyphics and ethnic relationships
Authors: Murillo Federico , Rothhammer Francisco , Llop Elena
Published: August 2005

Dermatoglyphic data on 15 traits (digital arches, digital radial loops, digital ulnar loops, digital whorls, I loops, Ir loops, H loops, Ĥ loops, III loops, IV loops, mainline C absence, total ridge count, a‐b ridge count, atd angle, and mainline index) are presented for 141 Chipaya Indians of Bolivia.

Ethnic relationships of these Indians to nine South American Indian tribes (Alacaluf, Atacameño, Aymara, Cashinahua, Chácobo, Chama, Chané, Quechua, and Sirionó) are explored by means of a genetic distance analysis using 21 alleles. Genetic distances are complemented with linguistic and geographic distances between the Chipaya and the other tribes. Genetic distances were found not to be significantly correlated with linguistic and geographic distances. Combining the information available, it is concluded that the Chipaya are most likely ethnically related to the Arawak speakers of the tropical forest.
A collation of marker gene and dermatoglyphic diversity at various levels of population differentiation
Authors: Rothhammer Francisco , Chakraborty Ranajit , Llop Elena
Published: August 2005

The use of dermatoglyphic traits to describe interpopulational diversity among human populations at various levels of differentiation is compared with similar analysis of gene frequency data by means of nonparametric methods employing distance matrices and dendrograms, and by a partition of total variability into its between and within population components. Congruence of dermatoglyphics and gene markers appears to vary with level of population differentiation — the association remains insignificant until racial level of differentiation is considered. Different pitfalls of the data used are mentioned. The interpretation of these findings is discussed by comparison with other non‐human studies.
Hominid tool‐making versus carnivore scavenging
Authors: Shipman Pat , Phillips‐Conroy Jane
Published: August 2005

The effects of hyena scavenging on the remains of 75 animals in the Awash National Park, Ethiopia, were examined to provide a modern analogy to the fossil assemblage from Makapan. Brain's recent work ('70, '76) suggests that the actions of carnivores may account for the characteristics of the Makapan assemblage, a theory which contrasts with Dart's ('49, '55, '57, '59) interpretation of the fossils as osteodontokeratic tools and weapons manufactured, collected, and used by australopithecines.

The modern assemblage was like that from Makapan in terms of relative representation of skeletal elements and patterns of bone breakage. Observations of hyenas in the Awash also lend support to the hypothesis that the Makapan assemblage may represent the uneaten remains of carnivore kills.

The representation of major vertebrate groups at Makapan was compared with their representation at Awash and with their representation in hyena diets in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater (Kruuk, '72). This technique of faunal analysis was unable to detect differences between these groups, despite the fact that the three modern assemblages represent animals that died of different causes. Thus extreme caution must be used in deducing any specific information about the mode of death or taphonomic history of the animals represented in an assemblage on the basis of such faunal analyses.
On the meaning of increased fluctuating dental asymmetry: A cross populational study
Authors: Doyle William John , Johnston Olivia
Published: August 2005

Suarez reports a greater magnitude of fluctuating dental asymmetry for Neandertal sample when compared with a sample of modern Ohio whites. He postulates that this greater antimeric variance could be due to a greater degree of inbreeding in the Neandertal populations. In the present investigation, the magnitude of fluctuating dental asymmetry is evaluated for Eskimo and Pueblo populations.

These populations were found to exhibit dental variance of equal magnitude to that of the Neandertal population. As these populations are not highly inbred, a stress related mechanism is suggested to explain these observations and the inbreeding hypothesis is rejected. The implications of this mechanism to Brace's Probable Mutation Effect are discussed.
The use of penrose's C for an intra‐ and inter‐population analysis of quantitative dermatoglyphic traits
Authors: Rudan Pavao
Published: August 2005

Results of a part of multidisciplinary studies in six villages on the island of Hvar (Yugoslavia) are presented. Six quantitative properties of dermatoglyphics were analysed (TRC, PII, a‐b, b‐c and c‐d ridge counts, and atd angle). “Biological distances” among the surveyed couples from all six villages were analysed using Penrose's C2H, and its components: C2Q and (v‐l/v)C2Z with regard to sex and possibility of determining the direction of endogamy or exogamy. Significant correlation between “geographical distances” and (v‐l/v)C2Z is obtained for males, indicating that the social organisation in the examined rural population, from the point of view of demography, has some influence on the distribution of the dermatoglyphical characters.
Prenatal selection and dermatoglyphic patterns
Authors: Babler William J.
Published: August 2005

Although human dermatoglyphics have been extensively studied, little is known of the prenatal origins of dermatoglyphic patterns. Digital patterns, i.e., loops, whorls, and arches, were obtained from 81 human abortuses, ranging in age from 11 to 25 weeks post‐fertilization. Patterns were discernible with the earliest indications of epidermal ridge development. Findings indicate that pattern frequencies during early prenatal development differ from those of later fetal and postnatal periods. Furthermore, a high frequency of arches is seen associated with spontaneous abortion, suggesting evidence for prenatal selection in human abortuses.
Calculation of the maximum amount of gene admixture in a hybrid population
Authors: Szathmary Emöke J. E. , Reed T. Edward
Published: August 2005

Evidence is presented to show that “Caucasian” genes (B, K, Lua, r, AK2, Pc, and Gm3,5,11) in hybrid North American Indian populations follow a Poisson distribution. A method of determining the maximum amount of admixture, given an observed count of Caucasian genes, is developed. Establishment of the upper limit of admixture is suggested as the preferred estimate of gene flow in situations where absence of specific genes at particular loci precludes the calculation of a mean admixture estimate.
Sexual dimorphism in the tooth‐crown diameters of the deciduous teeth
Authors: Black Thomas K.
Published: August 2005

Mesiodistal and buccolingual crown dimensions of the right deciduous teeth of 133 white children were analyzed for information on sexual dimorphism and sex discrimination using discriminant analysis. Even though consistent differences were found for only 15 out of 20 paired measurements, five of them significant at p = 0.05 or better, discriminant analysis showed the possibility of correctly sexing up to 75% of the juvenile sample, using a maximum of seven deciduous teeth.
Phenice's visual sexing technique for the os pubis: A critique
Authors: Kelley Marc A.
Published: August 2005

Innominate bones from 362 California Indians were sexed with Phenice's three non‐metrical features of the os pubis. The frequencies of marked, intermediate, and absent cases of these three morphological features were tabulated in males and females to see if unambiguous and reliable distinctions were consistently available. The results suggest that Phenice's technique offered extremely reliable sex evaluations in this material.
Supernumerary molars in anthropoidea, adapidae, and Archaeolemur: Implications for primate dental homologies
Authors: Jungers William L. , Gingerich Philip D.
Published: August 2005

The model of primate dental homologies and development recently proposed by Schwartz ('75, '78) is re‐evaluated in view of documented exceptions to his account of postcanine supernumerary teeth in both anthropoids and prosimians. Schwartz concluded that catarrhines and living indriids retain only two true molars in each dental quadrant. As many as six molars on one side of the jaw can develop in rare instances in catarrhines, and supernumerary molars are also known for a wide range of other primates, including Cebidae, Adapidae, and subfossil Indriidae. Polydontia cannot be explained exclusively by atavistic development. More convincing explanations regard supernumerary teeth as the result of excessive growth of the dental lamina or localized twinning of tooth buds during early development. Conventional dental formulae of catarrhines and indriids including three permanent molars remain the most plausible.
The inheritance of digital dermatoglyphic patterns in 54 American Caucasian families
Authors: Juberg Richard C. , Morgan Leslie Y. , Faust Charles C.
Published: August 2005

We searched for single gene effects in determining digital patterns and compared with the evidence for monogenic determination in Israelis (Slatis et al., '76). Our subjects were 108 parents from central Louisiana and 123 of their offspring; there were 127 females and 104 males ranging in age from eight to 66 years.

Arches on the Among–thumb 11 subjects, two were bilateral, and three pairs were related, two as parent–child and one as sib–sib; the findings support the concept of an incompletely penetrant dominant gene. Radial loops on the thumb–three occurred unilaterally in unrelated subjects. Ulnar loops (U) and whorls (W) on the thumb–Phenotype frequency was 104 UU, 65 UW, 47 WW, 15 other. The proportion of UU offspring was highest with both UU parents and diminished as the parents had increasingly more W, supporting the single locus hypothesis. Arches (A) on the fingers–71 A, 160 non–A showed a greater A frequency than in the Israelis. The proportion of A offspring was highest with both A parents and diminished as the parents become non‐A. Sequence WWUWW–Among nine subjects, one was bilateral, two left, and six right; two pairs related as parent–child and sib–sib. Sequence WUUWW–Among five subjects, one was bilateral, and three were related as parent–offspring. Radial loops on index fingers–Frequency of 32% was greater than in the Israelis. Middle fingers–86% were U, 73% being bilateral. Radial loops on ring and little fingers–Among eight unilateral subjects, none was related. Ulnar loops and whorls on ring fingers–Proportion of UU offspring was greatest with both UU parents and diminished as parents became WW. We conclude that the Louisianians showed evidence for single gene effects similar to that of the Israelis.
A quantitative comparison of the hominoid thalamus: II. Limbic nuclei anterior principalis and lateralis dorsalis
Authors: Armstrong Este
Published: August 2005

Structures in the limbic system are commonly thought to be similar in form and function in all mammalian brains. In the study reported here, two thalamic limbic nuclei, N. anterior principles and N. lateralis dorsalis, were compared among a group of extant of extant hominoids. The nuclear volumes, neuronal densities, number of neurons per nucleus, and volumes of neuronal perikarya were measured. Humans have much larger nuclei but the nuclei constitute a similar proportion of the whole thalamus as found in the other hominoids. Whereas the human limbic nuclei were observed to have a decrease in the densities of nerve cells compared with those of the other hominoids, this difference is less than that found in most other thalamic nuclei. Consequently the estimated number of neurons is much higher for humans. The total number of neurons best separates the human limbic nuclei from those of the other hominoids. This preliminary study suggests that during hominid evolution neurons were preferentially added to the limbic nuclei of the thalamus.
Functional articulation of some hominoid foot bones: Implications for the Olduvai (hominid 8) foot
Authors: Oxnard Charles E. , Lisowski F. Peter
Published: August 2005

Previous observations on twelve fossil foot bones (Olduvai 8; Day and Napier, 64) together with multivariate morphometric studies of one of them, the talus (Day and Wood, '68) suggested human–like bipedality for this foot. Subsequent studies showed the conclusions on the talus to be wrong: The fossil talus, as defined by eight measures, does not resemble that of man but is reminiscent of those of creatures known (extant—orangutans) or believed (extinct—some fossil apes and monkeys) to be arboreal in habitus (Oxnard '72; Lisowski, et al., '74, '76). A reassessment of the entire Olduvai 8 foot is therefore necessary to answer the problem posed by a foot that has a non–human talus with, apparently, a human arched pattern of the remaining tarsal and metatarsal bones.

The dry bones of a series of feet of extant hominoids have been rearticulated and are found to be close to the actual relationships presented by dissected specimens in which ligaments, articular cartilages and soft tissues are present.

Similar rearticulation applied to casts of the individual Olduvai foot bones produces a structure that is not arched in the same manner as the human foot; it displays features that ally it more closely with the feet of various apes. Sections of casts of the already rearticulated Olduvai foot (from both the Wenner Gren Foundation and the Kenya National Museums) show that the human–like appearance of the original rearticulation is due to a series of incorrect osteological alignments. Although casts do not permit study of surface features, the dimensions of the casts are sufficiently accurate to permit rearticulation in this manner.

It is thus clear, (a) that the Olduvai foot is not adapted for bipedality in the manner of man, and (b) that it displays features in which it resembles the feet of arboreal creatures. Such anatomical characters as relate to bipedality in the fossil suggest usage as in an arboreal species that also walks bipedally with flattened arches (like a chimpanzee or gorilla) rather than with the high arches of man.
Components of racial variation in finger ridge‐counts
Authors: Jantz Richard L. , Hawkinson Cleone H.
Published: August 2005

Principal components analysis was used to evaluate finger ridge–count variability as an indicator of genetic relationships between populations. The analysis was carried out on American White, American Black and African Black samples, each including both sexes. Each individual is represented as a vector of 20 counts, a radial and an ulnar count for each digit. No assumptions were made prior to analysis concerning the number of meaningful components, and all were examined sequentially. The first five eigenvectors extracted from the within‐group correlation matrix have loadings very similar to those previously described by Roberts and Coope ('75). However, it is the component scores derived from the sixth eigenvector which show the most marked variation, accounting for 45% or more of the D2in all Black‐White comparisons. A number of other components also show significant intergroup heterogeneity, but they often do not accord with what is known of the genetic relationships between the populations. Apparently a large amount of ridge‐count variation is not genetically meaningful, at least as far as these populations are concerned.
Skin reflectance relationships with temperature and skinfolds
Authors: Little Michael A. , Sprangel Christopher J.
Published: August 2005

Skin reflectance measurements were taken with six filters at a site on the medial aspect of the upper arm (underarm) prior to and following topical application of a cold compress. Skinfolds were measured at the underarm and triceps sites. The experiment was designed to test for effects of skin surface temperature and subcutaneous fat variations on skin color as determined by reflectometry.

Topical cold‐induced erythema of the skin produced marked declines in % reflectance at the shorter visible wavelengths over the range of violet, blue, and green, and only slight declines in % reflectance at the longer visible wavelengths (red range). This is consistent with the observation from past work that there is little hemoglobin absorptance at the red end of the visible spectrum. A positive relationship between the change in % reflectance following topical cold application and underarm skinfold was recorded. Hence, the thickness of fat deposits may contribute to variation in skin reflectance. Since only large temperature differences influenced skin reflectance measurements, the need is not great for fieldworkers to control for surface temperature at the underarm site during skin reflectance survey.
The emissary foramina: Their value in platyrrhine systematics
Authors: Conroy Glenn C.
Published: August 2005

A discriminant analysis was performed on 226 ceboid skulls using data on emissary foramina size and shape. The purposes of the study are to 1) measure the success with which these discriminating variables can distinguish among platyrrhine genera and 2) derive a set of classification functions which will permit the classification of new cases with unknown group membership (i.e., fossil skulls). This technique is able to correctly classify 80% of the 226 ceboid skulls. Support is given to the allocation of Chiropotes, Cacajao, and Pithecia into one morphologically unified subfamily, Pitheciinae. Alouatta, Ateles, and Lagothrix also share many similarities in emissary foramina size and shape and their inclusion into one subfamily, Atelinae, is probably warranted. The distinctiveness of Cebus in these same morphological features is apparent. Possibilities for extending this procedure to study fossil lineages in platyrrhines are discussed.
Cone‐shaped epiphyses in Japanese children
Authors: Wetherington Ronald K.
Published: August 2005

Cone‐shaped epiphyses (CSE) are reported in left‐hand radiographs of a sample of 1,399 otherwise normal Japanese children aged 5–11 years. CSE occurred in only three centers: distal thumb, mid‐index finger, and mid‐fifth finger. The overall frequency of 23% shows a female bias (32% to 16%), which disappears when mid‐5 cones are excluded. Chi‐squared analyses show significant gender bias for mid‐5 cones alone or in combination with the other phalanges, and show significant center associations: CSE in distal‐1 and/or mid‐2 are more common in association with mid‐5 cones than they are without mid‐5 cones. The CSE female bias in mid‐5 is essentially unchanged across age‐cohorts when bone‐age is controlled for precocity, and no significant trends in CSE frequency with age are noted for either gender.
Bilateral asymmetry in cone epiphysis of the middle phalanx, fifth finger
Authors: Wetherington Ronald K.
Published: August 2005

The form of epiphyseal‐diaphyseal dysostosis in the phalanges of the hand having the appearance of a cone‐and‐crater (cone‐shaped epiphysis) is a common variant in otherwise normal individuals. Dysplasia on the radial margins of the epiphysis and diaphysis, typically resulting in clinodactyly, is another variant and is also common in Down's syndrome. Both variants frequently involve brachymesophalangia. The strong female bias in cone epiphyses and the lack of such bias in dysplasia not involving cones has led to the interpretation of distinct etiologies for the two patterns. A single case displaying brachymesophalangia with cone epiphysis in the middle phalanx of the left fifth finger and brachymesophalangia with clinodactyly in the corresponding bone of the right hand is reported. This is evidence that in certain cases the two patterns of mid‐5 dysostosis are manifestations of the same condition.
On the assumption of equality of variance‐covariance matrices in the sex and racial diagnosis of human skulls
Authors: Uytterschaut H. T. , Wilmink F. W.
Published: August 2005

Many papers have been devoted to the assumption of equality of variance‐covariance matrices (Σg) with respect to the use of discriminant analysis. Most of them concentrate on the “effect” of inequality on the results, in particular on discriminant functions. In the present paper, the assumption of equality of covariances itself was investigated for measures on human skulls. Data for both sexes were compared, as well as data on several racial groups. A likelihood ratio test was used. It was concluded that the equality of Σg between the sexes and among subraces was not questioned, whereas the results warrant some caution as to the equality of Σg among the main racial groups.
Adult stature and age at menarche in Zapotec‐speaking communities in the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, in a secular perspective
Authors: Malina Robert M. , Selby Henry A. , Buschang Peter H. , Aronson Wendy L. , Wilkinson Richard G.
Published: August 2005

Adult stature and the age at menarche among individuals from Zapotec‐speaking communities in the Valley of Oaxaca in southern Mexico are considered in a secular perspective. Four sets of observations are utilized: (1) adult stature in males and females from five rural communities; (2) age at menarche in adult women and school girls from a single rural community; (3) earlier studies of adult stature in the Valley of Oaxaca; and (4) estimated stature from long bones excavated in various archaeological sites in the Valley of Oaxaca. There were no significant differences among the five communities for stature; hence, the data were pooled for analysis and comparison. Results of linear regression of stature and stature adjusted for the estimated effects of aging after 30 years of age on year of birth indicate negligible secular changes in either sex. Comparisons with statures from earlier surveys, the earliest dates to 1899, also indicate negligible changes. When adult women are grouped according to age, there are no differences in mean ages at menarche between the older and younger women. Mean age at menarche for the total adult sample is 14.53 ± 0.08 years, which compares favorably with the probit estimate for school girls, 14.70 ± 0.32 years. These results thus suggest virtually no secular change in adult size and maturity of the Zapotec‐speaking population in the Valley of Oaxaca over the past 80 years. Differences in stature between contemporary populations and estimated statures from long bones from several archaeological sites in Oaxaca are small, and thus suggests little secular change over the past one to two–thousand years.
Changes in maternal postpartum adiposity and infant feeding patterns. Juan comas prize–1981
Authors: Quandt Sara A.
Published: August 2005

The relationship between maternal fatness and infant feeding practices was studied in 46 healthy Caucasian women from parturition to 6 months postpartum. Mothers reported infant feeding practices in diary form throughout the study. Weight, triceps and subscapular skinfolds, and midarm circumference were measured on seven occasions. Upper arm fat area was computed. All women breast fed their infants for at least 5 months, with no nonbreast milk food introduced for at least 2 months. All women had declining or stable postpartum weights. Linear regressions of upper arm fat area on days since parturition were used to ascertain overall direction of change in adiposity for each woman. Declining fat area occurred in 17 cases and was associated with a breast‐feeding pattern of short frequent feeds. In the remaining 29 cases, increasing fat area was associated with significantly longer and less frequent feeds. It is hypothesized that these different fat change patterns result from differential activity of adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase, which is itself mediated by serum prolactin concentration. Relevance of these findings for resolution of the controversy surrounding the critical body composition hypothesis and lactation amenorrhea is discussed.
The Taung endocast: A reply to Holloway
Authors: Falk Dean
Published: August 2005

Indices of rostrality (ir, ir′) are developed to assess the extent to which the medial end of the lunate sulcus (L) is rostrally positioned in photographs and figures of lateral views of primate brains and endocasts, and indices are determined for chimpanzees, SK 1585 and the Taung endocast. Ir quantifies the extent of rostrality as it has traditionally been viewed (in A‐P projections) while ir′ takes dorsal curvature into account. The ir of the feature that I have identified as the lunate sulcus of Taung is within one standard deviation of the mean ir for Pan and its ir′ is within 1.5 standard deviations from the mean ir′ for Pan. Both findings are compatible with my earlier statement that the medial end of the lunate sulcus of the Taung endocast is in a pongid‐like position. Use of stereoplotting to transfer the position of L from chimpanzee endocasts and brains to australopithecine endocasts is critically assessed: Holloway stereoplotted five chimpanzee brains and then transferred their mean coordinates that describe the lunate sulcus to the Taung endocast. If stereoplotting successfully transfers the extent to which L is rostrally located, one would expect the mean L of Pan and its transferred counterpart in Taung to have identical index values of rostrality. However, the ir of the lunate sulcus that Holloway located on Taung is over two standard deviations lower than the mean ir for the five chimpanzees he stereoplotted to determine its angular coordinates, and Holloway's ir′ for Taung is one standard deviation lower than the five chimpanzees' mean ir′. These discrepancies are shown to be due to shape differences, and it is concluded that stereoplotting should not be used to transfer sulci between differently shaped endocasts without correcting for these differences. I also reply to Holloway's criticisms of my use of L/H indices, palpation, techniques for sampling endocasts, and illustration of the Taung endocast. It is shown that there is room on the Taung specimen for the lateral end of L, and the pongid‐like sulcal pattern of Taung is reaffirmed. Thus, we do not yet know when human‐like sulcal patterns first appeared in the hominid fossil record.
The O.H.7 (Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania) parietal fragments and their reconstruction: A reply to Wolpoff
Authors: Holloway Ralph L.
Published: August 2005

Given Wolpoff's (1981) dimensions for lambda‐bregma and biparietal breadth, it was possible to reconstruct a new version of the O.H.7 hominid parietals. The constraints of the anatomical features of the original parietal fragments plus Wolpoff's constraints from his own reconstruction, permit testing his claims as a hypothesis. By comparing the resulting distortion of Wolpoff's proposed reconstruction with that of the original reconstruction by Tobias, it is clear that the latter's is far superior to the former's, and that the cranial capacity of O.H.7 of roughly 700 ml is most probable.
Humidity as a source of measurement error in osteometrics
Authors: Albrecht Gene H.
Published: August 2005

A simple experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that variation in humidity causes expansion of bone and, thereby, affects measurements of dried, preserved skulls. The experiment consisted of subjecting ten macaque skulls to increased humidity for 24 hours. Measurements of nine skull dimensions taken immediately before and after humidification revealed a statistically significant treatment effect of increased skull size with increased humidity. The length of the molar tooth row increased by about 0.1 mm (0.50%) while the greatest length of the skull increased by about 0.9 mm (0.57%). The specimens returned to their original dimensions within 1–2 days after being removed from the humidity chamber. These results confirm the impression gained by the practical experience of measuring museum specimens in different locations and environments. It appears that bony changes associated with humidity differences represent a real, though minor, source of measurement error in osteometrics.
Observations of physical abnormalities among the wild bonobos (Pan paniscus) of Wamba, Zaire
Authors: Kano Takayoshi
Published: August 2005

The wild bonobos (Pan paniscus) of Wamba, Zaire have an extremely high frequency of external abnormal traits. Out of 96 animals in a sample comprising all age and sex classes from two different natural groups, 46 individuals had at least one limb defect. The frequency of abnormalities was greater in males than in females, and increased directly with age. Almost all infants and juveniles had completely normal limbs, but virtually all males and over half the females which had reached their prime were found to have one or more limb defects. These findings indicate that congenital factors contribute little to the frequency of abnormalities in this sample. Survival rate is the same in individuals with defects as in those without defects. It appears that individual social status is far more important in procuring foods than locomotor ability. Thus, the operation of such abnormalities as a selective factor in intraspecific competition is minimized in the network of their social relations.
Stride length and speed for adults, children, and fossil hominids
Authors: Alexander R. McN.
Published: August 2005

Research workers studying the relationship between stride length (L) and speed (u) in human walking have often expressed their results as multiples of stature (h): they have given values of L/h and u/h. They have claimed or implied that this takes account of differences of body size and that L/h should be the same function of u/h for people of all sizes. It is shown that this is not true for comparisons of children with adults. Further, it is argued by dimensional analysis that \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ {\rm u/}\sqrt {{\rm gh}} $\end{document} is a more appropriate speed parameter that u/h (g is the acceleration of free fall). It is shown that L/h is approximately the same function of \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ {\rm u/}\sqrt {{\rm gh}} $\end{document} for children aged 4 or more years as for adults. The empirical relationship between L/h and \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ {\rm u/}\sqrt {{\rm gh}} $\end{document} is used to make new estimates of walking speed for the early hominid footprints found at Laetoli, Tanzania. The speeds obtained are equivalent to mean speeds of human walking observed in small towns (i.e., they give approximately equal values of \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ {\rm u/}\sqrt {{\rm gh}} $\end{document}).
A commingling analysis of quantitative neuromuscular performance in a Kansas Mennonite community
Authors: Devor Eric J. , Crawford Michael H.
Published: August 2005

The method of commingling analysis is applied to distributions of six quantitative neuromuscular traits. Results show that only two of these traits may be described by the single normal distribution commonly associated with quantitative variables. The remaining four traits show significant skewness which is best accounted for by a mixture of three component distributions. The pattern of commingling found suggests the presence of a major (megaphenic) effect operating in these traits. Further, evidence is found which links the major effect in three of the four commingled traits to a single process which may be related to neurological control. The etiology of the major effect (i.e., whether genetic or environmental) cannot be determined from commingling analysis, but some suggestions are offered based upon the nature of the traits themselves and the major effects.
Patterns of molar wear in hunter–gatherers and agriculturalists
Authors: Smith B. Holly
Published: August 2005

Tooth wear records valuable information on diet and methods of food preparation in prehistoric populations or extinct species. In this study, samples of modern and prehistoric hunter–gatherers and agriculturalists are used to test the hypothesis that there are systematic differences in patterns of tooth wear related to major differences in subsistence and food preparation. Flatness of molar wear is compared for five groups of hunter–gatherers (N = 298) and five groups of early agriculturalists (N = 365). Hunter–gatherers are predicted to develop flatter molar wear due to the mastication of tough and fibrous foods, whereas agriculturalists should develop oblique molar wear due to an increase in the proportion of ground and prepared food in the diet.

A method is presented for the quantitative measurement and analysis of flatness of molar wear. Comparisons of wear plane angle are made between teeth matched for the same stage of occlusal surface wear, thus standardizing all groups to the same rate of wear. Agriculturalists develop highly angled occlusal wear planes on the entire molar dentition. Their wear plane angles tend to exceed hunter–gatherers by about 10° in advanced wear. Wear plane angles are similar within subsistence divisions despite regional differences in particular foods. This approach can be used to provide supporting evidence of change in human subsistence and to test dietary hypotheses in hominoid evolution.
Dating and rating of Harris's lines
Authors: Maat George J. R.
Published: August 2005

Well‐preserved skeletons of 50 Dutch whalers from the 17th and 18th centuries, buried on the island of Zeeusche Uytkyck, were excavated during the Spitsbergen Expedition 1980

A research program of the Arctic Center of the University of Groningen.

In order to estimate the biological age of these skeletons at the time that Harris's lines were formed, a method which was developed from routine X‐ray data on tibial growth was tested. Formation ages of diaphyseal lines and strong metaphyseal lines appear to correspond well with hypoplastic enamel deformations within the same individuals. Because of the involvement of both the bone and tooth developmental systems, and of the resistance of these lines to bone remodeling, it can be assumed that they generally are the result of serious health insults.
A statistical test for differences in sexual dimorphism between populations
Authors: Relethford John H. , Hodges Denise C.
Published: August 2005

Many studies involve comparison of measures of sexual dimorphism between two samples. This comparison is used to test a variety of hypotheses, such as changing environmental conditions. Methods for testing the significance of the difference between two populations tend to be complex, and/or require access to complete original data. We offer a simplified approach which is based on a linear regression model using dummy variables. Our method is computationally simple and can be used with summary statistics (sample size, means, standard deviations) instead of raw data. We present three examples of the application of our method to problems in physical anthropology. We also note that our method has a broader range of applications apart from that of sexual dimorphism.
Deciduous enamel defects in prehistoric Americans from Dickson Mounds: Prenatal and postnatal stress
Authors: Blakey Michael L. , Armelagos George J.
Published: August 2005

The month of onset, duration, and incidence of dental enamel hypoplasia and hypocalcification was determined in sub‐adults from the Dickson Mounds (Illinois) skeletal series (A.D. 950–1300). The onset of enamel defects occurred predominantly during the intrauterine period, suggesting maternal stress. There are marked differences in survivorship and the duration of enamel disruption in those affected prenatally and postnatally. The relationship between these data and studies of adult dentition is examined.
Longitudinal study of growth status and airport noise exposure
Authors: Schell Lawrence M. , Hodges Denise C.
Published: August 2005

A study of children living adjacent to an international airport was conducted to learn whether noise exposure affected physical growth. Prenatal and postnatal noise exposures were estimated for each subject based on noise levels at their residences during jetplane takeoffs. Subjects' birthweights were standardized for sex and parity, and their postnatal heights and weights were standardized for sex and age (range 6–11 years). The difference between standardized birthweight score and postnatal height score, and between birthweight score and postnatal weight score, represent a change in growth status of a more or less permanent nature, respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors, children from the exposed community (n = 103) had a significantly smaller mean of status change by height (p < 0.05), and a somewhat smaller mean of status change by weight (0.10 < p < 0.05) in comparison to children from an unexposed community (n = 94). A dose‐response curve was then expected in the exposed community. However, in multiple regression analyses of the exposed children, noise exposure was not related to either change in growth status variable. This second result is inconsistent with the differences between communities and suggests that they are a result of factors other than noise exposure. We conclude that the moderate to severe noise levels of the areas surrounding most subjects' homes did not adversely affect postnatal growth. Further studies of noise and growth should concentrate observations on people exposed to even more severe noise levels than those experienced by most subjects in this study.
A reappraisal of variation in hominid mandibular corpus dimensions
Authors: Chamberlain A. T. , Wood B. A.
Published: August 2005

The relationship between breadth and height of the mandibular corpus has been investigated in a sample of 77 hominid mandibles. An interspecific allometric increase in robusticity with size occurs between four taxonomic subgroups of Australopithecus, but subgroups of Homo vary in robusticity while differing little in size. Within taxonomic subgroups, variation in breadth is not significantly related to variation in height among the “gracile” australapithecines; however, it is isometrically related to height in the “robust” australopithecines and bears an allometric relationship to height in Homo. Thus, robusticity, in conjunction with size, may provide a useful indicator of the taxonomic affinities of hominid mandibles.