Approaches to the study of developmental variability in human skeletal populations.
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The adult Easter Island population was fingerprinted in 1965 as part of an overall study of their human biology. Major findings of the dermatoglyphic analysis are as follows. Digit and bimanuar percentages of patterns (arches, loops, and whorls) were similar to those observed in Europeans. However, in terms of total pattern type distributions, the Islanders had many more whorls and a correspondingly much higher Pattern Intensity Index than those found in European groups. This difference was even present, although in lesser magnitude, in Easter Islanders known to be admixed with Europeans. Corresponding to a high occurrence of whorls, Mean Total Ridge Count (TRC) was also notably high. An association between TRC as a measure of pattern size and incidence of patterns was clearly evident in several groups available for comparison.
The study compares distance relationships in Eskimoid populations based on metric and attribute data with linguistic relationships based on structural and lexicostatistical data. Taxonomic congruence and the non-specificity hypothesis are investigated by matrix correlations and by a clustering procedure. The matrix correlation approaches employed are the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient and the Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient. An unweighted pair-group clustering procedure provides a visual comparison of biological and linguistic relationships. Data consist of 74 craniometric measurements and 28 cranial observations taken on 12 Eskimoid populations. Mahalanobis' D2 and Balakrishnan and Sanghvi's B2 were used to compute the metric and attribute distances, respectively. The results indicate that a strict adherence to the non-specificity hypothesis is untenable. Also, there is better concordance between the sexes for metric distances than for attribute distances, and the metric data are more concordant with linguistic relationships than are the attribute data.
The discovery (in 1971) of a nearly complete right ulna from the Shungura Formation of the Omo basin provides the opportunity to abalyze the forelimb structure of the Australopithecus boisei form of early hominid. Results from multivariate morphometric analyses show that this bone is unique in shape among the extant hominoids although it is most similar to Pan and Homo. Despite its long slender shaft and large distal articular surface the bone's overall morphology is quite unlike Pongo.
A comparative study was made to determine race and sex differences in the temporal bone, to investigate growth relationships, and to establish a basis for phylogenetic studies of the temporal bone and the temporal lobe of the brain. Data on Eskimo, Indian, and white crania were collected from radiographs and directly from the skulls. Of the 25 variables studied, only the minimum diameter of porus failed to demonstrate some difference among the races. Variation between sexes was found for all measurements except the cranial base angle (of deflection) and three angles related to the petrous pyramids. Correlation coefficients indicated that none of the angles are related in any consistent manner to the other variables studied. This is interpreted as further evidence of cranial base stability. The Indians have the lowest, longest squamae, differing most from the whites. The position of squama is more anterior in the Eskimos. Females of each race possess more anteriorly positioned squamae than males. When the squama is more anteriorly located, the porus is in a more posterior position within the squama itself. Strong race variation exists in the shape of porus. In order to establish a basis for phylogenetic studies of the temporal lobe of the brain better reference points for reflecting its size and shape must be found.
Reported here are two forms of skeletal pathology identified in an inclusive sample of Caribou Eskimo skeletons. Harris Lines, nonspecific indicators of stress, show marked periodicity in approximately one-half of the observable adults. This pattern is interpreted as the result of a recurrent, annual stress cycle, perhaps attributable to late winter famine. A second form of pathological change comprises resorptive lesions primarily localized in the spinal column and infrequently found on articular surfaces of the appendicular skeleton. Differential diagnosis is developed utilizing attributes of lesion form, lesion distribution, and epidemiology. Emphasis is placed upon deriving objective models which reflect disease in the absence of modern medical intervention. Major forms of pathology known to produce vertebral lesions are included. The model which best fits the Caribou Eskimo data is that of tuberculosis.