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Gregg, John B.; Bass, William M.; Steele, James P.
doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330580303pmid: 6751095
Unusual osteolytic defects in eight skulls culled from over 4000 ancient South Dakota burials are presented, discussed briefly, and assigned to what we think is their most likely cause. Because these are collection skeletons, histological and microbiological confirmation of interpretations concerning specific lesions are not possible. Corroboration of our opinions has been sought through radiographs and by expert consultation elsewhere. Although our opinions are interpretative and subject to rebuttal, they can serve as a base for future research if and when similar specimens are discovered elsewhere. In addition, these specimens are indicators of other than usual ancient skull pathology from a limited geographic area, representing people who lived there during a known time frame.
Fish, Dale R.; Mendel, Frank C.
doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330580304pmid: 7124919
Although common tree shrews have long been considered a model system for early eutherian mastication, little information on mandibular movement patterns relative to specific food types has been reported. Detailed analysis of mandibular movement patterns when related to resulting attrition facets may permit more accurate extrapolations regarding the dietary habits of primitive mammals.
Ohtsuki, Fumio; Mukherjee, Debabrata; Lewis, Arthur B.; Roche, Alex F.
doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330580305pmid: 7124920
Lengths within the cranial base and vault were measured in cephalometric radiographs of 220 boys and 177 girls ranging in age from 0 to 15 years; all these children are participants in The Fels Longitudinal Growth Study. The present study is based on mixed longitudinal data derived from 1640 radiographs for boys and 1260 radiographs for girls. Factor analysis was applied separately for boys and girls for each age group; i.e., 0–3, 4–6, 7–9, 10–12, and 13–15 years. For the 0–3 year age group, two factors were extracted in each sex, whereas four factors were extracted in the rest of the age groups. The factor structures are similar in the three older age groups of boys (7–9, 10–12, and 13–15 years). The first four factors for these groups are labelled, respectively: cranial vault size, posterior cranial base length, presphenoid length, and basisphenoid length. The order of the third and fourth factors is reversed in the 7–9 year olds. For girls, the factors extracted were also the same in both the 7–9 and 10–12 year age groups, even though the order of factors was different between age groups; i.e., anterior cranial base length, cranial vault size, basisphenoid length, and basioccipital length. Differential growth rates among cranial base dimensions probably cause changes in factor patterns. Obliteration of the spheno‐occipital synchondrosis is suggested as the mechanism responsible for the change of factor pattern in the girls. Closure of this synchondrosis would have occurred too late to affect the patterns in boys.
Smith, B. Holly; Garn, Stanley M.; Cole, Patricia E.
doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330580306pmid: 7124921
Randomly distributed or “fluctuating” dental asymmetry has been accorded evolutionary meaning and interpreted as a result of environmental stress. However, except for congenital malformation syndromes, the determinants of human crown size asymmetry are still equivocal. Both a computer simulated sampling experiment using a combined sample size of N = 3000, and the requirements of adequate statistical power show that sample sizes of several hundred are needed to detect population differences in dental asymmetry. Using the largest available sample of children with defined prenatal stresses, we are unable to find systematic increases in crown size asymmetry. Given sampling limitations and the current inability to link increased human dental asymmetry to defined prenatal stresses, we suggest that fluctuating dental asymmetry is not yet established as a useful and reliable measure of general stress in human populations.
doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330580307pmid: 7124922
Diaphyseal lengths of the humerus, radius, femur and tibia of upper‐middle class White children between two months and 11 years of age show positive allometric growth, indicating substantial shape or proportional change. The segments of the lower extremity display greater allometric increase than the humerus and radius; variation in relative growth within each extremity is small and inconsistent. Sex differences are consistent, with slightly greater proportional increases demonstrated for boys. The results suggest that absolute intralimb variation in growth, following a disto‐proximo growth or maturity gradient, is due to initial differences in size or scale and not to differences in patterns of growth. Developmental variation between extremities is due to scaling plus variation in relative growth patterns.
doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330580308pmid: 7124923
Skull base height increases significantly with better nutrition and health conditions, as seen in comparing 163 nineteenth to twentieth century dissecting‐room skeletons (Terry Collection) with 237 modern American middle‐class adults (forensic and willed skeletons). The increase parallels the change in pelvic inlet depth index, known to respond sensitively to nutrition, and in stature, and is over six times greater than the general skull size change. Skull base height (porion‐basion) is easy to measure with depth gauge and sliding caliper, or by subtraction, and is in adults a sensitive indicator of childhood growth stress.
Borkan, Gary A.; Hults, David E.; Cardarelli, John; Burrows, Belton A.
doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330580309pmid: 7124924
Ultrasound (A‐scan mode) and skinfold methods were evaluated in the measurement of subcutaneous fat thickness and prediction of total fat weight (by whole body potassium counting). Based on intraobserver correlations on 39 men at 15 body sites, skinfold caliper measurements were more reproducible than ones obtained by ultrasound. Measurements made with the two techniques at the same site typically produced different mean estimates of fat thickness. However, scores were often highly correlated with each other, indicating similar relative rankings of subjects by each technique. Skinfolds were more highly correlated with total fat weight than were ultrasound measurements, but body weight and anthropometric measures had even higher correlations with total fat weight. Anthropometric measurements were highly correlated with fatness because of their association with body weight, and when this relationship was statistically controlled for, they typically lost their predictive effectiveness. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the best predictors of fat weight were body weight along with skinfold and ultrasound measurements. These results suggest that skinfolds are a more effective means of assessing subcutaneous fat than ultrasound, especially when the large difference in cost of equipment is considered.
doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330580310pmid: 7124925
The research presented here offers new information on the recent evolution of Khoisan populations of southern Africa through the new study of Holocene skeletons. When combined with subfossil and historical remains, these archeological specimens provide a skeletal record for the last 5000–9000 years of southern African prehistory. Multivariate statistical analyses of cranial measurements were used to determine patterns of morphological variation in the skeletal record with which hypotheses of biocultural evolution were tested. These analyses yielded the following results. First, the traditional distinction between Bushmen and Hottentots holds for recent inland individuals. Second, there is a suggestion of a morphologically distinct San population living on the coast of South Africa. The idea of a “Strandloper” population suggested by early scholars is here revived. The third result is that there is little evidence of complete population succession on the coast of South Africa, suggesting that there were no massive population movements associated with the spread of Hottentot pastoralism throughout southern Africa.
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