The Archaeology of Prehistoric Oceania

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan E. Cochrane ◽  
Terry L. Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scale ◽  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Social Complexity ◽  
Historical Linguistics ◽  
Human Genetics ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Different Populations ◽  
Geographic Regions

The archaeological record of Oceania stretches over one-third of the earth’s surface with the first humans entering Oceania 50,000 years ago and with the last major archipelago settled approximately a.d. 1300. Oceania is often divided into the cultural-geographic regions of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia, but these divisions mask much variation, and they do not always accurately characterize the historical relationships among Oceania’s populations. Since the 1950s, archaeological researchers have investigated Oceania’s human and environmental past and have focused on colonization chronologies and the origins of different populations, the intensity and spatial scale of interaction between groups, and changes in social complexity through time and space with a particular concern for the development of chiefdoms. Oceanic archaeologists often use historical linguistics, human genetics, and cultural evolution models to structure their research on ancient Pacific island populations.

scholarly journals Taking the Historical-Social Dimension Seriously: A Reply to Bandini et al.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Noël Haidle ◽  
Oliver Schlaudt
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Recent Article ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Cumulative Culture ◽  
Fundamental Notion ◽  
Dynamic Interpretation

AbstractIn our recent article, "Where Does Cumulative Culture Begin? A Plea for a Sociologically Informed Perspective" (Haidle and Schlaudt in Biol Theory 15:161–174, 2020) we commented on a fundamental notion in current approaches to cultural evolution, the “zones of latent solutions” (henceforth ZLS), and proposed a modification of it, namely a social and dynamic interpretation of the latent solutions which were originally introduced within an individualistic framework and as static, genetically fixed entities. This modification seemed, and still seems, relevant to us and, in particular, more adequate for coping with the archaeological record. Bandini et al. (Biol Theory, 2021) rejected our proposition and deemed it unnecessary. In their critique, they focused on: (1) our reservations about an individualistic approach; (2) our objections to the presumption of fully naive individuals; and (3) our demand for an extended consideration of forms of social learning simpler than emulation and imitation. We will briefly reply to their critique in order to clarify some misunderstandings. However, the criticisms also show that we are at an impasse on certain crucial topics, such as the meaning of ZLS and the scope and nature of culture in general. Thus, we consider it necessary to make an additional effort to identify the conceptual roots which are at the very basis of the dissent with Bandini et al.

The Epidemiology of Diabetes in Pacific Island Populations

2008 ◽  
pp. 225-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Colagiuri ◽  
Taniela Palu ◽  
Satupaitea Viali ◽  
Zafiml Hussain ◽  
Ruth Colagiuri
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Island ◽  
Island Populations

scholarly journals Changes in Dietary Consistency and the Epidemiological Occlusal Transition

COMPASS ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Elsa Morgan Van Ankum
Keyword(s):  
Orthodontic Treatment ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Tooth Wear ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Dietary Changes ◽  
The Past ◽  
Curve Of Spee ◽  
Different Populations ◽  
Health Transitions ◽  
Craniofacial Complex

            Malocclusion is the misalignment of the human dentition and craniofacial complex. Orthodontic treatment to correct this is quite common in modern Western contexts, and has variable prevalence in other areas as well. The archaeological record stands in stark contrast, with most past humans having teeth that align well. What could cause different populations to exhibit these characteristics? There is evidence in both modern and archaeological contexts that levels of dietary masticatory stimulation during development greatly change occlusal characteristics. Additional bite force and number of chewing cycles creates a flatter Curve of Spee, greater subnasal prognathism, and increased progressive tooth wear, which together facilitate better occlusion. With dietary changes such as those seen in the Industrial Revolution, the comparatively softer food creates widespread malocclusion in the effected population. These ideas are explored in terms of archaeological and contemporary case studies. Health transitions such as this commonly coincide with major changes to subsistence style, and can help biological anthropologists better understand the experiences of those in the past.

Opiates and deer mouse behaviour: differences between island and mainland populations

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 2504-2512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan G. L. Innes ◽  
Martin Kavaliers
Keyword(s):  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Opiate Receptor ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Substantial Evidence ◽  
Endogenous Opioid ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Mouse Behaviour ◽  
Different Populations ◽  
Μ Opiate Receptor ◽  
Neurochemical Correlates

A number of the behavioural and ecological characteristics of island populations of small mammals differ from their mainland counterparts. Little is known, however, about possible neurochemical correlates of these behavioural differences. Substantial evidence indicates that endogenous opioid peptides are differentially involved in the regulation of the expression of fundamental behavioural and physiological functions, including responses to aversive stimuli and enhanced nociceptive thresholds (analgesia). In the present study, we compared the effects of peripherally administered δ- κ-, and μ-opiate receptor directed agonists and antagonists on the analgesic responses and locomotor activity of four different populations of male and female deer mice: Peromyscus maniculatus artemisiae and P. m. nebrascensis from mainlands, and P. m. angustus and P. m. triangularis from small islands. The insular deer mice displayed markedly greater μ-opiate and significantly lower δ- and κ-opiate mediated responses than the mainland animals. In all of the populations males displayed significantly greater opiate-induced analgesic responses and locomotory changes than females. These results demonstrate that there are marked population and sex differences in the opiate-mediated behavioural responses of deer mice. These "pharmaco-ecological" findings also suggest that the behavioural differences between island and mainland populations of deer mice may, in part, be related to differences in opioid activity.

Reconnecting Genes, Languages and Material Culture in Island Southeast Asia: Aphorisms on Geography and History

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Denham ◽  
Mark Donohue
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Human Genetics ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Austronesian Languages ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Island Southeast Asia ◽  
Multidisciplinary Data ◽  
History Of

The Holocene history of Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) is dominated by the ‘Out-of-Taiwan’ hypothesis and derivatives, such as the spread of the Island Southeast Asian Neolithic. According to these ideas, approximately 4500–4000 years ago, farmer-voyagers from Taiwan migrated southward into ISEA to subsequently acculturate, assimilate or displace pre-existing inhabitants. These processes are considered to have produced a consilience between human genetics, Austronesian languages and the archaeological record within ISEA, although recurrent critiques have questioned these putative correspondences. These critiques have proposed that each line of evidence should be independently evaluated and considered, rather than assumed to correspond. In this paper, the authors advocate a fuller engagement with and a deeper understanding of the spatial and temporal processes that structure archaeological, genetic and linguistic distributions within Island Southeast Asia. Geography and history are often marginalized in discussions of the Holocene history of ISEA, yet both are fundamental to the interpretation and reconciliation of multidisciplinary data within the region. These themes are discussed using aphorisms that are designed to be illustrative, namely to promote thought and reflection, rather than to be comprehensive.

Is the diabetes risk test useful for pacific island populations?

2000 ◽  
Vol 50 ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
JoanneW. Williams ◽  
MaximilianP.J. de Courten ◽  
PaulZ. Zimmet
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Risk ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Island Populations
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