Anthropometry

Samples from two Southeastern populations classified as
a "Koger's Island type" are re-examined using non-metrical
osteological data. A populationist viewpoint is adopted and the
data is analyzed statistically. This paper;diecusses the method
and some problems inherent in its utilization. It is concluded
that the two samples do not belong to the same breeding
population. Anthropological implications of the method are
briefly discussed.

Diagnosing the sex of subadult skeletal material is a difficult task for bioarchaeologists and forensic anthropologists. Metric and nonmetric techniques have been tested utilizing both fetal (Boucher 1957, Weaver 1980) and juvenile (Loth and Henneberg 2001, Weaver 1980) skeletal remains. Some metric techniques show promise in estimating the sex of juvenile skeletons, but most are found to be lacking in adequate accuracies (Holcomb and Konigsberg 1995, Weaver 1980). Nonmetric techniques have been found to be more accurate, performing better than chance (Loth and Henneberg 2001, Mittler and Sheridan 1992, Weaver 1980). This study adds to this conversation, utilizing the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, testing the accuracy of eight nonmetric traits of the subadult mandible and ilium for use in forensic investigations and bioarchaeological research.

The Briarwoods Site (8PA66) was first excavated by Jeffrey M. Mitchem and Dr. Stephen J. Gluckman, from the University of South Florida, in 1980. It was a burial mound with scattered human skeletal fragments on the surface. The salvage excavation had to be expedited due to the fact that a building development on the site was in progress. Iscan and Gomez (1982) suggested that there were skeletal elements recovered that provided evidence for the existence of Paget's disease (Osteitis deformans ) in the population. However, this study reanalyzes the elements and using new technology such as Computed Tomography scans shows that there was no conclusive evidence of Paget's disease. Instead, the skeletal morphology of the affected bones is comparable to the characteristics of treponemal disease which, unlike Paget's disease, is found in sites contemporaneous to Briarwoods.

Skeletal remains provide an exceptional opportunity to document the biological adaptations that a population undergoes in response to environmental, political and economic changes (Perry, 2007). For over 35 years, bioarchaeological analyses have documented such changes indigenous Ecuadorians. In 2007, Victoria Dominguez excavated remains at the Plaza San Marcos in Quito, Ecuador. I analyzed these remains, documented evidence of pathologic conditions and trauma, and compared this native population to other indigenous populations and to European cohorts. My analyses revealed increased violence and pathologic conditions in the Plaza San Marcos population when compared to populations occupying Quito prior to colonization and during Spanish control. Indigenous remains also exhibited more pathologic conditions and trauma than European remains. Historic accounts of life in Quito describe increased violence and hardships for natives following emancipation from Spain. My analyses did not reveal increased interpersonal violence, but did demonstrate evidence of increased general pathologies following independence.

The timing of skeletal growth spurts in modern humans is unique among mammals. In modern humans, peak growth occurs after puberty during the adolescent period, whereas large-bodied non-human primates exhibit an earlier juvenile growth spurt. Based on limited data, previous researchers have suggested that Neanderthals experienced a late, modern human-like adolescent growth spurt. In this study, I examined the timing of stature and facial growth spurts in Neanderthals to test the hypothesis that Neanderthals grew like modern humans. In order to assess the timing of Neanderthal growth spurts, I plotted a non-human primate regression estimate of age at puberty onto Neanderthal stature and mandibular velocity growth curves. The mandibular growth curve exhibits a discernible growth spurt after puberty, reminiscent of the modern human adolescent growth spurt. Future research on additional regions of the skeleton is necessary to further refine this estimate for the timing of Neanderthal growth spurts.

This study examines whether obesity affects the accuracy of estimating age-at-death as measured by the age-related changes of the pubic symphysis and auricular surfaces. I scored the hip bones of 119 adults of normal body mass and 126 obese adults (total n = 254) using the SucheyBrooks (1990) method for the pubic symphysis and the Buckberry and Chamberlain (2002) method for the auricular surface. Compared to normal weight individuals, obese individuals exhibited greater inaccuracy in age-at-death estimates when aged from the auricular surface, but not the pubic symphysis. However, age was estimated with less precision in obese individuals using both methods. Obese males are more likely to be aged inaccurately than obese females. The pubic symphysis method may be the preferred method when estimating age in obese individuals, especially males, but forensic anthropologists should use caution when assessing age-at-death in obese adults using either method.

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) continues to be an object of intensive study with respect to its genetic heterozygosity and its drastic decline in the wild. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) has been used to evaluate the levels of inbreeding and monomorphism in the cheetah. A measurement of craniodental FA was undertaken to compare the southern African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) with previously collected craniodental FA measurements from the East African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus raineyi). Unlike their counterparts, the southern African cheetah did not show significant asymmetry. These findings suggest that fluctuating asymmetry cannot be used as a determination of genetic depletion in cheetahs.