scholarly journals Non-Metric Dental Traits in Human Skeletal Remains from Transcaucasian Populations: Phylogenetic and Diachronic Evidence

2014 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anahit Yu. Khudaverdyan
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Morphological Traits ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Biocultural Diversity ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Biological Distance ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
Observer Error ◽  
Dental Traits ◽  
Armenian Highland

Abstract The aim of the study is the assessment of biological distance between populations from Transcaucasia on the basis of the frequency of dental morphological traits. It is well known that these traits are characterised by a high inter-population differentiation, low sexual dimorphism, and their recording is loaded by relatively small intra and inter observer error. The dental morphological traits are successfully used in the description and explanation of the microevolutionary and ethnogenetic processes. This paper presents the results of the odontological differentiation of human populations from Transcaucasia. The comparative analysis was carried out on the basis of 12 groups. From the obtained results, we can draw the following conclusions: The populations of Armenian Highland and Georgia can be differentiated as far as the frequency of dental morphological traits are concerned. They also do not exhibit similar intragroup variability. Biocultural diversity of ancient Transcaucasian populations has not been studied extensively; therefore, delineating some of the patterns of phenotypic variation may be useful for understanding their ongoing evolution.

scholarly journals Diachronic Evidence in Nonmetric Morphological Characters of Teeth in Armenian Highland and Georgia Populations

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-18
Author(s):  
Anahit Khudaverdyan
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component Analysis ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Phenotypic Variation ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Biocultural Diversity ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Biological Distance ◽  
Armenian Highland

The aim of the study is the assessment of biological distance between populations from Arme-nian highland and Georgia based on the frequency of nonmetric odontological traits. These traits are characterized by high inter-population differentiation, low sexual dimorphism, and relatively small intra and inter observer recordation error. This paper presents the results of the odontological differentiation of human populations from Armenian highland and Georgia. The comparative analysis was carried out on 12 populations. Trait frequencies for all populations were analysed using principal component analysis. Results support the following conclusions: The populations of Armenian highland and Georgia can be differentiated as far as the frequency of odontological traits are concerned. Biocultural diversity of ancient Transcaucasian populations has not been studied extensively, therefore delineating some of the patterns of phenotypic variation may be useful for understanding their ongoing evolution.

scholarly journals Non-metric dental analysis of a Bronze Age population from the Armenian Plateau

2013 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anahit Yu. Khudaverdyan
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Bronze Age ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Biological Distance ◽  
The Urals ◽  
Observer Error ◽  
Tripolye Culture ◽  
Dental Traits ◽  
Armenian Highland ◽  
The Bronze Age

Abstract The aim of this study is to assess the biological distance between populations from the Armenian highland, Georgia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Siberia on the basis of the frequency of non-metric dental traits. It is well known that these traits are characterized by high inter-population differentiation, low sexual dimorphism, and their recording is affected by relatively small intra and inter-observer error. These traits are successfully used in the description and explanation of ethno-genetic processes. Comparative analysis was performed on 30 populations, and the frequency of non-metric dental traits in all populations was determined by principal component analysis. Based on our bio-distance results, we suggest there was a degree of genetic proximity among inland populations of the Armenian Plateau and Transcaucasian area at the beginning of the Bronze Age. The Armenian Plateau and Georgian samples and all those from Kalmykia (Pit Grave culture), the Ukraine (Tripolye culture), the Urals (Sintashtinskaya, Timber Grave cultures), the Volga region (Pit Grave, Balanovo, Fatianovo, Potapovsky cultures) and Central Asia (Gonur- Depe) exhibited close affinities. This conclusion is consistent with that reported by other bio-distance studies examining non-metric cranial traits and Armenian Plateau samples.

Reconstructing population size in a Romano-British colonia: the case of Eboracum

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 413-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren J. McIntyre
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Radiocarbon Date ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Demographic Analysis ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
Proxy Data

The field of demography addresses the composition of human populations, their size, structure and development. The sources with which to conduct demographic analysis in archaeology can incorporate proxy data from areas of settlements, historical or ethnographic sources such as census data or parish burial registers, radiocarbon date densities, or human skeletal remains. The present study aims to use data from human skeletal remains to address questions relating to the size of the population of Roman York.

Craniometric Patterning within Ancient Peru

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann H. Ross ◽  
Douglas H. Ubelaker ◽  
Sonia Guillén
Keyword(s):  
Discriminant Analysis ◽  
South America ◽  
Morphological Variation ◽  
Canonical Discriminant Analysis ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Biological Distance ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
Group Variation ◽  
History Of ◽  
Rich History

Numerous studies have used the Howells Peruvian sample from the province of Yauyos as the morphological representative for South America. Although Peru has a rich history of investigations of human skeletal remains, biological distance studies based on craniometrics are limited to nonexistent. This study examines the morphological variation found in Peru using the Howells sample and three additional coastal (Makatampu and Ancón) and highland (Cajamarca) samples. The between-group variation and the degree of among-group differentiation were tested using a canonical discriminant analysis and Mahalanobis D², respectively. All groups are significantly different from the Yauyos sample and results indicate a closer morphological affinity between coastal groups and the two highland groups.

EXPLORING MOBILITY PATTERNS AND BIOLOGICAL AFFINITIES IN THE SOUTHERN AEGEAN: FIRST INSIGHTS FROM EARLY BRONZE AGE EASTERN CRETE

2015 ◽  
Vol 110 ◽  
pp. 3-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sevi Triantaphyllou ◽  
Efthymia Nikita ◽  
Thomas Kador
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Strontium Isotope ◽  
Early Bronze Age ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Biological Distance ◽  
Mobility Patterns ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
First Time

This paper presents the results of a pilot project which combines, for the first time, biodistance and strontium isotope analyses in the study of human skeletal remains from Early Bronze Age Crete (third millennium bc). Information from these analyses offers, in a direct way, insights into the biological distance, and consequently the gene flow and mobility patterns, among human populations in eastern Crete. The results are synthesised with the evidence of funerary practices in order to explore the nature of interaction among communities in eastern Crete. The biodistance analysis supports a strong genetic affinity between the populations represented at the two Kephala Petras skeletal assemblages, while the results of the available strontium isotope analysis favour their local origin; thus the combined results suggest the lack of significant population influx. The biological distance of the two chronologically contemporary populations at Livari-Skiadi, also manifesting completely different patterns of mortuary disposal, is of particular interest since it contrasts with the Petras situation and raises issues of intra-community distinctions, cultural and biological.

scholarly journals Role of stable isotope analyses in reconstructing past life-histories and the provenancing human skeletal remains: a review

2017 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jagmahender Singh Sehrawat ◽  
Jaspreet Kaur
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
The Past ◽  
Migration History ◽  
Chemical Signatures ◽  
Geographic Origins ◽  
Past Life

AbstractThis article reviews the present scenario of use of stable isotopes (mainly δ13C, δ15N, δ18O,87Sr) to trace past life behaviours like breast feeding and weaning practices, the geographic origin, migration history, paleodiet and subsistence patterns of past populations from the chemical signatures of isotopes imprinted in human skeletal remains. This approach is based on the state that food-web isotopic signatures are seen in the human bones and teeth and such signatures can change parallely with a variety of biogeochemical processes. By measuring δ13C and δ15N isotopic values of subadult tissues of different ages, the level of breast milk ingestion at particular ages and the components of the complementary foods can be assessed. Strontium and oxygen isotopic analyses have been used for determining the geographic origins and reconstructing the way of life of past populations as these isotopes can map the isotopic outline of the area from where the person acquired water and food during initial lifetime. The isotopic values of strontium and oxygen values are considered specific to geographical areas and serve as reliable chemical signatures of migration history of past human populations (local or non-local to the site). Previous isotopic studies show that the subsistence patterns of the past human populations underwent extensive changes from nomadic to complete agricultural dependence strategies. The carbon and nitrogen isotopic values of local fauna of any archaeological site can be used to elucidate the prominence of freshwater resources in the diet of the past human populations found near the site. More extensive research covering isotopic descriptions of various prehistoric, historic and modern populations is needed to explore the role of stable isotope analysis for provenancing human skeletal remains and assessing human migration patterns/routes, geographic origins, paleodiet and subsistence practices of past populations.

Comparison of Two Methods for Isolating DNA from Human Skeletal Remains for STR Analysis

2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 706-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Rucinski ◽  
Ayda L. Malaver ◽  
Emilio J. Yunis ◽  
Juan J. Yunis
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
Str Analysis

scholarly journals The elusive parasite: comparing macroscopic, immunological, and genomic approaches to identifying malaria in human skeletal remains from Sayala, Egypt (third to sixth centuries AD)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvie Loufouma Mbouaka ◽  
Michelle Gamble ◽  
Christina Wurst ◽  
Heidi Yoko Jäger ◽  
Frank Maixner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Sample Selection ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
Rapid Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Pathological Changes ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
The Past ◽  
A Site ◽  
Capture Sequencing

AbstractAlthough malaria is one of the oldest and most widely distributed diseases affecting humans, identifying and characterizing its presence in ancient human remains continue to challenge researchers. We attempted to establish a reliable approach to detecting malaria in human skeletons using multiple avenues of analysis: macroscopic observations, rapid diagnostic tests, and shotgun-capture sequencing techniques, to identify pathological changes, Plasmodium antigens, and Plasmodium DNA, respectively. Bone and tooth samples from ten individuals who displayed skeletal lesions associated with anaemia, from a site in southern Egypt (third to sixth centuries AD), were selected. Plasmodium antigens were detected in five of the ten bone samples, and traces of Plasmodium aDNA were detected in six of the twenty bone and tooth samples. There was relatively good synchronicity between the biomolecular findings, despite not being able to authenticate the results. This study highlights the complexity and limitations in the conclusive identification of the Plasmodium parasite in ancient human skeletons. Limitations regarding antigen and aDNA preservation and the importance of sample selection are at the forefront of the search for malaria in the past. We confirm that, currently, palaeopathological changes such as cribra orbitalia are not enough to be certain of the presence of malaria. While biomolecular methods are likely the best chance for conclusive identification, we were unable to obtain results which correspond to the current authentication criteria of biomolecules. This study represents an important contribution in the refinement of biomolecular techniques used; also, it raises new insight regarding the consistency of combining several approaches in the identification of malaria in past populations.

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