bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dental arch shape and tooth wear variability
Authors: Molnar Stephen , Molnar Iva M. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractThe rapid rate of tooth wear frequently reported among certain contemporary aboriginal populations has often been attributed to dietary form and abrasives. Several investigators have reported a close correlation between food bulk and the wear planes formed over the dental arches, i.e., steep oblique wear vs. flat horizontal planes. In this investigation we demonstrate that arch shape is an additional and a significant factor influencing the distribution of wear facets and exposed dentin over occlusal surfaces. We examined 64 dental stone casts of Aboriginals from Yuendumu, Central Australia, born between 1900 and 1940. These casts offer a record of the variety of tooth wear and arch forms and their interrelationships. This group of individuals, some subsisting on abrasive and some on soft diets, have dentition which exhibit various wear rates and wear patterns probably due to the diversity of arch shape, size, and occlusal relationships. Hypsiloid or U‐shaped maxillas had a more buccally directed wear in contrast to the parabolic or hyperbolic forms, which exhibit a heavier lingual loading. Varying occlusal conditions also contribute to differing wear patterns over the arches. Individuals with alternate intercuspation, for example, have a more horizontally directed wear. These and other conditions of shape, size, and occlusion emphasize the importance of morphological factors in the production of tooth wear rates and patterns in addition to dietary abrasives.
The capitular joint of the first rib in primates: A re‐evaluation of the proposed link to locomotion
Authors: Stern Jack T. , Jungers W. L. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractEvidence exists that in Australopithecus afarensis the head of the first rib articulated with the body of the first thoracic vertebra but not with the body of the seventh cervical vertebra (Ohman, 1983, 1986). Thus, the Hadar hominid would have differed from most primates, in which both these vertebrae are involved in formation of the first costal capitular joint. Indeed, Ohman (1986) has claimed that a univertebral pattern is unique to modern and fossil hominids among primates. He offered various theories on the adaptive significance of this trait, chief among which was a link to freeing the upper limb from any role in locomotion. Believing that Ohman's statement about the distribution of the univertebral pattern in living forms was based on inadequate samples, we have compiled data on the first costal capitular joint in a wider range of primate genera. Our observations demonstrate that the univertebral pattern, rather than being unique to hominids, is common among siamangs, occurs in an occasional gibbon, and is typical of the larger indriids. Consequently, one can no longer accept any contention that the univertebral first costal capitular joint of A. afarensis implies that it did not use its upper limbs for locomotion. Rather, the formation of this joint is correlated with orthogrady and body size. We discuss a possible explanation of this correlation in terms of movement of the first rib during breathing in an orthograde primate, be it one that stands on two legs, swings by two arms, or clings to trunks using all four appendages.
Positional behavior in Saimiri boliviensis and Ateles geoffroyi
Authors: Fontaine Roy 
Published: February 2006

AbstractPositional behavior, associated context, and substrate use in Ateles geoffroyi and Saimiri boliviensis were quantified using instantaneous focal animal sampling and a hierarchically organized nomenclature to describe posture and locomotion. This paper then examines behavioral predictions derived from pseudo‐behavioral locomotor classifications, multivariate morphometric studies, and studies of the behavioral consequences of body size.The principal interspecific contrasts include (1) the superiority of Ateles with respect to locomotor and postural use of the forelimbs in tension, brachiation, arm swinging, dropping, quadrupedal climbing, forelimb dominated leaping/dropping take‐offs and landings, suspensory posture, forelimb suspension, and use of larger and more complex supports; and (2) the superiority of Saimiri with respect to most forms of quadrupedal‐cursorial locomotion and leaping, quadrupedal leaping/dropping take‐off and landing patterns, locomotor and postural use of the limbs under compression, nonsuspensory postures, sitting, quadrupedal standing, and the use of twigs and single supports. In both animals, however, nonsuspensory postures and quadrupedal locomotion prevailed.Although behavioral findings were generally consistent with predictions derived from morphological accounts, the fit was loose. Discrepancies arose, especially concerning climbing and leaping. These were attributed to inadequacies in current nomenclature descriptive of positional behavior arising from the indiscriminate use of overinclusive vernacular and pseudo‐behavioral terms.
Morphology of the pubis and preauricular area in relation to parity and age at death in Macaca mulatta
Authors: Tague Robert G. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractSome adult human females show bone resorption (pitting) at the dorsal aspect of the pubis and preauricular area of the ilium. The etiology of pelvic bone resorption is attributed alternatively to reproduction and to pelvic anatomy. While most researchers infer that pelvic pitting is related to reproduction, only a few studies are based on women of known parity. Degree of pubic resorption is directly associated with both parity (Suchey et al.: Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 51:517–539, 1979; Bergfelder and Hermann: J. Hum. Evol. 9:611–613, 1980) and age (Suchey et al.: Am. J Phys. Anthropol. 51:517–539, 1979). The relationship between parity and degree of resorption of the preauricular area is equivocal, found to be significant by Dunlap (A Study of the Preauricular Sulcus in a Cadaver Population. Ph.D. dissertation, East Lansing, Michigan State University, 1981) but not by Spring et al. (Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 79:247–252, 1989); both studies report that age is not associated with resorption of the preauricular area. Other mammals evidence pubic resorption, but the morphology of the preauricular area is less well known. This study addresses the issue on the etiology of pelvic bone resorption using a sample of Macaca mulatta (the free‐ranging population from Cayo Santiago) for which parity and age at death are known for all specimens.The following results are reported. Resorption of the pubis is common among females but infrequent among males. Contrary to Rawlins (Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 42:477–488, 1975), the degree of pubic resorption in female macaques is significantly related to both parity and age at death. Importantly, not one female or male shows resorption of the preauricular area. The results suggest that there may be different etiologies for resorption of the pubis and preauricular are in humans. The proposed explanation for resorption of the pubis in macaques is that resorption inhibits synostosis of the symphysis pubis and allows for increased pelvic joint mobility during parturition; elevated levels of estrogen during pregnancy promote resorption of the pubis.
Deconstructing reconstruction: The OH 62 humerofemoral index
Authors: Korey Kenneth A. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractThe humerus and femur of the fossil hominid OH 62 are badly damaged and their lengths are not directly measurable (Johanson et al., 1987). Nevertheless, using relatively intact reference materials from another early hominid, AL 288‐1, Johanson et al. (1987) reconstructed the bones to estimate the humerofemoral index, which falls well above the range for modern Homo, above the estimate for AL 288‐1, and within the range for Pan paniscus. The reconstruction of missing bone by the method originally employed for OH 62 is broadly reproducible in a representative modern sample of Homo, making possible the estimation of an associated error term intrinsic to this method. Using the approximate variance of the ratio mean (Kish, 1965), shown here to be a good estimator of the sample variance of the humerofemoral index, the analysis of this modern sample extrapolated to other living hominoids gives quite acceptable results. Applied to OH 62, it suggests an error term associated with the estimated humerofemoral index so substantial that it is only possible to situate the index somewhere between the distributions for Homo and Gorilla, and quite possibly not above the index for AL 288‐1. On the other hand, the predicted distribution for the humerofemoral index of AL 288‐1 is more securely placed between the distributions for Homo and Pan paniscus.
Uralic genes in Europe
Authors: Guglielmino C. R. , Piazza A. , Menozzi P. , Cavalli‐Sforza L. L. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractWe have analysed data of three European populations speaking non‐Indoeuropean languages: Hungarians, Lapps, and Finns. Principal coordinate analysis shows that Lapps are almost exactly intermediate between people located geographically near the Ural mountains and speaking Uralic languages, and central and northern Europeans. Hungarians and Finns are definitely closer to Europeans. An analysis of genetic admixture between Uralic and European ancestors shows that Lapps are slightly more than 50% European, Hungarians are 87% European, and Finns are 90% European. There is basic agreement between these conclusions and historical data on Hungary. Less is known about Finns and very little about Lapps.
Differences between the hand–wrist and the knee in assigned skeletal ages
Authors: Xi Huanjiu , Roche Alex F. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractSkeletal ages were assessed for 4,902 pairs of hand–wrist and knee radiographs of children aged 2–17 years. The FELS method was used to assess the hand–wrist, and the RWT method was used to asses the knee. These methods have the same conceptual and statistical basis. The mean absolute differences, within age‐ and sex‐specific groups, ranged from 0.34 to 0.87 years. The SD of the differences ranged from 0.31 to 0.68 years and, like the means, tended to increase with age until about 8–11 years. The means and SD were generally larger for the boys than for the girls, except after 14 years. Within age‐ and sex‐specific groups, the maximum absolute differences were from 1.45 to 2.99 years. These maximum differences changed irregularly with age but tended to increase until 11 years in the boys and 9 years in the girls. These large absolute differences between the skeletal ages of the hand–wrist and the knee cannot be explained completely by the effects of observer errors. The means of the relative (signed) differences between the skeletal ages of the hand–wrist and the knee were all close to zero, but there was a wide range within age‐ and sex‐specific groups. These skeletal ages of the hand–wrist and the knee are not interchangeable. The 95th percentiles of the absolute differences show that, in at least 5% of children, the choice of the area for skeletal age assessment will markedly influence the evaluation of individuals. They also demonstrate that descriptions of populations based on distributions of skeletal ages from one part of the skeleton may be misleading.
An epidemiologic study of sacroiliac fusion in some human skeletal remains
Authors: Waldron Tony , Rogers Juliet 
Published: February 2006

AbstractA case‐control study was undertaken to generate some hypotheses concerning the etiology of sacroiliac fusion in a group of skeletons dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. Forty‐one skeletons with fusion of the sacroiliac joint were compared with eighty‐two adult skeletons without the condition. The sacroiliac joints were most frequently fused with bridging osteophytes and no preference for site or side of fusion could be detected. Except where there were other features in the skeleton suggestive of a sero‐negative arthropathy, radiography demonstrated that there was no intra‐articular ankylosis.We were able to confirm earlier observations that the condition is more prevalent in males and in older age‐groups. The study also showed a significant association between sacroiliac fusion and the presence of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) and osteoarthritis of the spine but not for osteoarthritis at any other site. There was a highly significant association between sacroiliac fusion and the phenomenon that we refer to as “bone forming.” We devised a series of bone‐former scores and were able to show a significant excess of cases with high scores compared with the controls. This association persisted when allowance had been made for potential confounding factors such as DISH, osteoarthritis of the spine, and age.
A reappraisal of the anatomical basis for speech in Middle Palaeolithic hominids
Authors: Arensburg B. , Schepartz L. A. , Tillier A. M. , Vandermeersch B. , Rak Y. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractThe recovery of a fossil hominid skeleton with a complete hyoid bone from Mousterian deposits in Kebara Cave, Israel, provides new evidence pertaining to the evolution of speech. Previous studies of speech in the Middle Palaeolithic (most notably those on Neandertals) have focused on the basicranium as an indicator of speech capabilities. This work critiques the use of the basicranium and instead presents the anatomical relations of the hyoid and adjacent structures in living humans as a basis for understanding the form of the vocal tract. The size and morphology of the hyoid from Kebara and its relations to other anatomical components are almost identical to those in modern humans, suggesting that Middle Palaeolithic populations were anatomically capable of fully modern speech.
Neandertal scapular glenoid morphology
Authors: Churchill Steven E. , Trinkaus Erik 
Published: February 2006

AbstractAnalysis of Neandertal and recent human scapular glenoid fossae reveals that the former had long, narrow, and flat glenoid articular surfaces relative to those of modern humans. Comparison of glenoid length, breadth, and curvature to humeral articular dimensions demonstrates that Neandertal glenoid length and curvature scale to proximal and distal humeral articular dimensions in the same manner as those of modern humans. The remaining contrast is in the relatively greater glenoid fossa width seen in modern humans. This difference in morphology implies differences in the habitual degree of dorsoventral glenohumeral movement between Neandertals and modern humans. This in turn may be related to contrasts in tool use, especially with respect to throwing and projectile use.
Birth spacing patterns in humans and apes
Authors: Galdikas Biruté M. F. , Wood James W. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractComparative studies of birth interval dynamics in wild primates suffer from several problems of analysis and interpretation: (1) the data are always right‐censored, (2) sample sizes are usually small, (3) the distribution of birth intervals is expected to be non‐normal, (4) early offspring mortality is a confounding variable, and (5) differences in life history (e.g., presence or absence of menopause) can complicate interpretation of the results. A survival analysis designed to minimize these problems is applied to published data on wild chimpanzees and gorillas from Gombe and Virunga Parks, respectively, and to new data on wild orangutans from Tanjung Puting National Park and on a human population, the Gainj of highland Papua New Guinea. According to this analysis, the estimated median birth interval (when the offspring whose birth opens the interval does not die within the interval) is 43.3 ± 1.0 months for the Gainj, 45.5 ± 1.2 months for gorillas, 66.6 ± 1.3 months for chimpanzees, and 92.6 ± 2.4 months for orangutans.
Age‐ and sex‐associated variations in the directional asymmetry of rhesus macaque forelimb bones
Authors: Helmkamp R. Criss , Falk Dean 
Published: February 2006

AbstractSeveral investigators have questioned the significance of handedness as an explanation of directional forelimb asymmetries, yet little has been done to isolate other explanatory factors. In this investigation, we analyze 61 female and 76 male rhesus macaque skeletons for evidence of age‐and/or sex‐associated variations in ten forelimb bone measurements. All significant directional asymmetries are found to favor the right side. Although some of these asymmetries are found to favor the right side. Although some of these asymmetries are compatible with the interpretation of muscle hypertrophy associated with preferential use of the right forelimb, the overall pattern suggests that age‐ and sex‐related ontogenetic factors deserve equal consideration. Significant sex differences in asymmetry means are present within and across age groups (juveniles, subadults, and adults), and numerous changes in asymmetry with age are also found. A pattern of decreasing asymmetry with age was found in males, with 40% of the ten measures being asymmetrical in juveniles, 30% in subadults, and 20% in adults. Among females, this pattern is reversed. No significant asymmetries were found for juvenile or subadult females, whereas 40% of the measures were asymmetrical in adult females. We conclude that greater consideration of age‐ and sex‐related factors is necessary when drawing samples for the purpose of investigating asymmetries, and an awareness of trait‐specific age and sex patterns of variation is necessary when citing forelimb asymmetries in demographically nonrepresentative populations as evidence of handedness or other behavioral asymmetries.
Postnatal protein deprivation in rhesus monkeys
Authors: Riopelle Arthur J. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractWe studied the growth of 97 rhesus monkeys (M. mulatta) that from birth until 120 days of age were fed a diet containing 13.4%, 6.7%, 3.35% protein or a commercial simulated human‐milk formula (SMA) affording 9% protein. After 120 days, all animals were fed SMA. Females fed the diet lowest in protein, but not the other diets, were moderately affected, gaining less weight than their well‐fed counterparts did, but they recovered their deficit during the repletion period, so that at 240 days no group differences remained. Males fed the two lowest‐protein diets were severely and profoundly affected, in keeping with the depth of their protein deficiency. Moreover, unlike the females, they recovered none of their weight deficit during the repletion period. Food intake during deprivation was lower in the animals eating the low‐protein diets. During SMA repletion, intakes followed no simple rule, but they did not converge. Except for the males fed the 3.35% protein diet, relative food intake (ml formula/kg body weight) did not differ substantially between diets or sexes at any time during the deprivation and diminished as the animals got older. Those males' relative intakes did not decline. During repletion, the SMA females ate the most in proportion to weight and the 13.4% group the least. The lowest‐protein males, in contrast, ate the most in proportion to their weight during both deprivation and repletion. Males fed the lowest‐protein diet gained little for what they ate; those fed the highest‐protein diet gained much. Females were more efficient than males were when eating the low‐protein diet and less efficient when eating the high‐protein diet. When fed SMA during repletion, males' food efficiencies (grams gained/liter of diet) were nearly equal; females still differed: the SMA group was the least efficient and the low‐protein group most efficient. Its counterpart, protein efficiency, was greatest (during deprivation) for females eating the low‐protein diet and least (among females) for those eating the high‐protein diet. Males were least protein efficient if eating the low‐protein diet. Evidently, a 4 month bout of protein deprivation had prolonged effects on the amount of food the animals needed to produce a given gain in weight.
Aging and reproductive performance in langur monkeys (Presbytis entellus)
Authors: Harley Diane 
Published: February 2006

AbstractAnalysis of data on age and reproductive performance in 16 captive female Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus) shows that adult females under the age of 6 years and over the age of 19 years had the lowest rates of reproductive success as measured by the production of viable young that survived beyond 30 days of age. With the possible exception of one female, females over the age of 19 years experienced a variety of idiosyncratic reproductive problems but did not experience a true menopause as defined by total cessation of menstrual cycles. There was no support for the hypothesis that langur monkey females have evolved a lengthy postreproductive period.
Efficiency of cranial bilateral measurements in separating human populations
Authors: Hershkovitz I. , Ring B. , Kobyliansky E. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractA set of 31 nonconventional paired cranial measurements, as well as six conventional nonpaired measures, were taken on 266 skulls, representing two related populations: Bedouins of the Israeli Negev Desert and Bedouins of the Sinai. The data were subjected to univariate and discriminant analyses to determine the relative efficacy of paired vs. conventional measures in sorting individuals according to tribal and sex affiliation. It was found that paired measures have greater discriminatory power (87%) than conventional ones (47%) in terms of classifying individuals belonging to human isolates derived from a common ancestor and sharing similar environmental conditions. This greater discrimination attests to the value of the level of “developmental noise” (a measure provided by fluctuating asymmetry) in sorting human populations. Possible explanations are proffered for the above finding.