American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Walker, Phillip L.

doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(2000)112:2<145::AID-AJPA1>3.0.CO;2-Tpmid: 10813697

EDITOR'S NOTE The year 2000 marks the onset of the 21st century. In this transitional year, prominent physical anthropologists will provide brief reflections on our discipline, including what attracted them to it, and their views on the directions our discipline may pursue as we enter, in January 2001, the third millennium. Am J Phys Anthropol 112:145–148, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Bravi, Claudio M.; Bailliet, Graciela; Martínez‐Marignac, Verónica L.; Bianchi, Néstor O.

doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(2000)112:2<149::AID-AJPA2>3.0.CO;2-Mpmid: 10813698

We screened a total of 841 Y‐chromosomes representing 36 human populations of wide geographical distribution for the presence of a Y‐specific Alu insert (YAP+ chromosomes). The Alu element was found in 77 cases. We tested 5 biallelic and 8 polyallelic markers in 70 out of the 77 YAP+ chromosomes. We could identify the existence of a hierarchical and chronological structuring of ancestral and derived YAP+ lineages, giving rise to 4 haplogroups, 14 subhaplogroups and 60 haplotypes. Moreover, we propose a monophyletic origin for each one of the YAP+ lineages. Out‐of‐Africa and out‐of‐Asia models have been suggested to explain the origin and evolution of ancestral and derived YAP+ elements. We analyze the evidence supporting these two hypotheses, and we conclude that the information available does not allow one to decide between the out‐of‐Asia or out‐of‐Africa models. Am J Phys Anthropol 112:149–158, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Crooks, Deborah L.

doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(2000)112:2<159::AID-AJPA3>3.0.CO;2-Gpmid: 10813699

In the U.S., child overweight is on the rise and is implicated in later adult chronic illness. Given that overweight is hardly tractable, prevention as compared to treatment is seen as a better alternative for lowering the risk of long‐term health consequences. To increase the success of prevention efforts, many argue that programs must be “culturally sensitive” and targeted toward specific populations at greater risk. However, there exists a limited understanding of how overweight is distributed across the landscape, among and within populations and groups. This paper reports the prevalence of overweight among 54 school children in a rural, Appalachian community with a high rate of poverty, and it compares boys to girls. Thirty‐seven percent of boys and 10.3% of girls are overweight, based on the 90th percentile body mass index (BMI). Analysis of food intake indicates a pattern of food consumption that is high in fatty and sugary foods and low in fruit and vegetable consumption. Analysis of activity indicates that children report more low‐intensity activity than high; that overweight children report more episodes of video/computer play compared to nonoverweight children; and that boys spend more time than girls in front of the computer/television screen. Am J Phys Anthropol 112:159–170, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Remis, M.J.

doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(2000)112:2<171::AID-AJPA4>3.0.CO;2-Fpmid: 10813700

Large body size has been traditionally seen as the primary dietary adaptation of gorillas, facilitating their consumption of fibrous foods (Schaller [1963] The Mountain Gorilla; Watts [1990] Int. J. Primatol. 11:21–45). Nevertheless, recent research has emphasized frugivory among western lowland gorillas, as well as the influence of habitat and seasonality on gorilla diet and behavior across subspecies (Watts [1990] Int. J. Primatol. 11:21–45; Tutin et al. [1991] Philos. R. Soc. Trans. Lond. Biol. 334:179–186; Remis [1994] Ph.D. Thesis, [1997a] Am. J. Primatol. 43:87–109, [1997b] Am. J. Primatol. 43:111–133, [1998] Primate Locomotion: Recent Advances, p 95–1108, [1999] Primates 40:383–396; Nishihara [1995] Primates 36:151–168; Goldsmith [1999a] Int. J. Primatol. 20:1–23, Goldsmith [1999b] Nonhuman Primates, p 58–63). This study provides preliminary data to address the physiological underpinnings of dietary flexibility among gorillas, and their consumption of a broad range of fibrous and tannin‐rich foods. To date, little is known about the digestive physiology of the African apes (but see Milton [1984] Adaptations for Foraging in Nonhuman Primates, p 249–279, Milton [1984] [1999]Evol. Anthropol. 8:11–20; Milton and Demment [1988] J. Nutr. 118:1082–1088; Lambert [1997] Ph.D. Dissertation), although gastrointestinal morphology and proportions are roughly similar among species ( Chivers and Hladik [1980] J. Morphol. 166:337–386). This study provides additional experimental data on the gastrointestinal passage times of gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) fed a captive diet in a zoological park setting and discusses results in relation to field research on gorilla feeding ecology. In this study, 480 small plastic markers were fed to six captive gorillas. The mean gut retention time (MRT) of the adult gorillas in this study was 50 hr, longer than the 31 hr reported for chimpanzees fed a similar diet (Lambert [1997] Ph.D. Dissertation). These data suggest that gorillas may retain foods in their gastrointestinal tracts longer than smaller hominoids, and that the large body size likely forms the primary basis for consumption of fiber. This research provides additional data to contribute to our understanding of the relationships of body size and morphology to ecology, and the evolution of body size, foraging strategy and social organization among the African apes. Am J Phys Anthropol 112:171–180, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Paine, Richard R.

doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(2000)112:2<181::AID-AJPA5>3.0.CO;2-9pmid: 10813701

Catastrophic episodes (e.g., epidemics, natural disasters) strike with only limited regard for age. A large percentage of catastrophic mortality in a population can lead to a death distribution that resembles the living distribution, which includes greater numbers of older children, adolescents, and young adults than typical mortality profiles. This paper examines both the population implications of a large catastrophic mortality event, based on the Black Death as it ravaged medieval Europe, and its long‐term effects on age‐at‐death distributions. An increased prevalence of epidemic disease is a common feature of reconstructions of the shift to agriculture and the rise of urban centers. The model begins with a hypothetical Medieval living population. This population is stable and characterized by slow growth. It has fertility and mortality rates consistent with a natural‐fertility, agrarian population. The effects of catastrophic episodes are simulated by projecting the model population and subjecting it to one large (30% mortality) catastrophic episode as part of a 100‐year population projection. A pair of Leslie matrices forms the basis of the projection. The catastrophic episode has important, long‐term effects on both the living population and the cumulative distribution of death. The living population fails to recover from plague losses; at the end of the projection, population is still less than 75% its pre‐plague level. The age‐at‐death distribution takes on the juvenile‐young adult‐heavy profile characteristic of many archaeological samples. The cumulative death profile based on the projection differs from that produced by the stable model significantly (P < 0.05) for 25–50 years after the plague episode, depending on sample size. Am J Phys Anthropol 112:181–190, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Feik, S.A.; Thomas, C.D.L.; Bruns, R.; Clement, J.G.

doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(2000)112:2<191::AID-AJPA6>3.0.CO;2-3pmid: 10813702

Modern lifestyle changes may result in site‐specific alterations in the skeleton. Our aim was to determine sex and age differences in regional geometry at the mid‐femur. Complete cross sections from 113 individuals aged 20–97 years from a modern Australian population were obtained. A further subsample of 24, in whom the precise orientation of specimens was known, was subsequently collected. Microradiographs were made of 100‐μm sections and the bone was analyzed using image processing software (Optimas, Media Cybernetics). The periosteal boundary was extracted automatically and the centroid of the periosteal outline was calculated. Fourier shape analysis was used to delineate the endocortical surface. Radial and cortical widths in each quadrant were determined. The posterior was identified by the linea aspera, and the medial and lateral were indistinguishable and therefore grouped together. For analysis, the entire sample was divided into three groups: young (20–40 years), middle (41–60 years), and old (61+ years). Raw and height‐normalized values were analyzed with SPSS using t‐tests, analysis of variance, and Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) tests. The results show that with age the femoral mid‐shaft in both sexes becomes larger and more circular, with a slight shift towards the anterior. Apposition is least on the posterior and resorption greatest on the anterior, the latter being particularly evident in postmenopausal females. The greatest sex differences are seen in the middle years, lessening again in the old. We conclude that differential circumferential modeling in response to functional and postural changes occurs in both sexes with age. Am J Phys Anthropol 112:191–205, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Ledger, Michael; Holtzhausen, Lucy‐May; Constant, Deborah; Morris, Alan G.

doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(2000)112:2<207::AID-AJPA7>3.0.CO;2-Kpmid: 10813703

This study aims to quantify the physical demands of a sample of late 18th century skeletons from an unmarked burial site on Cobern Street, Cape Town, South Africa. Historical studies suggest that these individuals were either slaves or “free black” people of low socioeconomic standing. Cortical cross‐sectional areas of paired humeri and tibiae from the Cobern Street collection (N = 29), a modern cadaver collection (N = 31), and a hunter‐gatherer collection (N = 30) were compared by means of biomechanical beam analysis on computerized tomography scans. Results showed that the Cobern Street sample, both males and females, were closer to the modern group in total tibial cortical area and in the second moments and polar moments of cortical area, than to the hunter‐gatherer group. It is assumed that these results can be explained by differences in lower limb activity. Tibial strength properties showed the hunter‐gatherer peoples to be highly mobile and active walkers in comparison to the Cobern Street and modern samples. The males from the Cobern Street sample showed significantly higher values for humeral strength properties than either the hunter‐gatherer or modern individuals, attesting to their status as manual laborers. The humeral cross‐sectional strength properties for females were very similar between the Cobern Street and modern groups but again significantly different from the hunter‐gatherer sample. The domestic chores performed by females of the recent cadaver sample may be very similar to those performed by the Cobern Street sample. Am J Phys Anthropol 112:207–216, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Bridges, Patricia S.; Blitz, John H.; Solano, Martin C.

doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(2000)112:2<217::AID-AJPA8>3.0.CO;2-Epmid: 10813704

This study examines changes in long bone diaphyseal strength in west‐central Illinois from the Middle Woodland through the Mississippian periods. Significant differences occur between the Middle Woodland and the Late Woodland periods, at the time when use of native seed crops intensifies. In females, both humeral and femoral strength increases, which may be related to their role in growing and processing these crops. In males, right arm strength declines, which may be tied in part to the replacement of the atlatl by the bow. Fewer significant changes occur between the earlier and later Late Woodland periods, at the time when maize is introduced as a dietary staple, possibly because maize is at first grown as only one of a series of other starchy seeds. Finally, in the Mississippian period, when maize use intensifies, female left arm strength declines. This may be because maize is easier to process than native seeds, or it may reflect innovations in processing technology in the Mississippian period. External dimensions and shape indices, in part, reflect the trends seen in biomechanical strength. Comparisons are made to similar studies in other regions. Am J Phys Anthropol 112:217–238, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Standen, Vivien G.; Arriaza, Bernardo T.

doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(2000)112:2<239::AID-AJPA9>3.0.CO;2-3pmid: 10813705

One hundred and forty‐four Chinchorro skeletons, stored at the Museo Arqueológico San Miguel de Azapa in Arica, Chile, were examined to test the following alternative hypotheses concerning skeletal trauma: either observed trauma was a consequence of interpersonal violence, or was the result of work‐related accidents. Trauma found in subadults was rare, with 1.8% (1/55) contrasted with 30% (27/89) in the adult population. The location of most adult trauma was the skull with 24.6% (17/69), followed by the upper extremities with 8.7% (7/80), the trunk with 2.9% (2/68), and the lower extremities with the least trauma at 1.1% (1/89). Skull trauma corresponded to well‐healed, semicircular fractures, with males being three times more affected than females at 34.2% (13/38) and 12.9% (4/31), respectively. Most fractures were nonlethal, appearing to have been caused by impacts from stones, suggesting interpersonal violence rather than accidents. This study indicates that the egalitarian, maritime, hunter‐gatherer Chinchorro culture (circa 4000 years B.P.) may not have lived as peacefully as once thought. Am J Phys Anthropol 112:239–249, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Churchill, Steven E.; Smith, Fred H.

doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(2000)112:2<251::AID-AJPA10>3.0.CO;2-Gpmid: 10813706

Implicit in much of the discussion of the cultural and population biological dynamics of modern human origins in Europe is the assumption that the Aurignacian, from its very start, was made by fully modern humans. The veracity of this assumption has been challenged in recent years by the association of Neandertal skeletal remains with a possibly Aurignacian assemblage at Vindija Cave (Croatia) and the association of Neandertals with distinctly Upper Paleolithic (but non‐Aurignacian) assemblages at Arcy‐sur‐Cure and St. Césaire (France). Ideally we need human fossil material that can be confidently assigned to the early Aurignacian to resolve this issue, yet in reality there is a paucity of well‐provenanced human fossils from early Upper Paleolithic contexts. One specimen, a right humerus from the site of Vogelherd (Germany), has been argued, based on its size, robusticity, and muscularity, to possibly represent a Neandertal in an Aurignacian context. The morphological affinities of the Vogelherd humerus were explored by univariate and multivariate comparisons of humeral epiphyseal and diaphyseal shape and strength measures relative to humeri of Neandertals and Early Upper Paleolithic (later Aurignacian and Gravettian) modern humans. On the basis of diaphyseal cross‐sectional geometry, deltoid tuberosity morphology, and distal epiphyseal morphology, the specimen falls clearly and consistently with European early modern humans and not with Neandertals. Along with the other Vogelherd human remains, the Vogelherd humerus represents an unequivocal association between the Aurignacian and modern human morphology in Europe. Am J Phys Anthropol 112:251–273, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.