Skulls, Races, and Evolution

In this chapter, we present our studies of functional cranial morphology and evolution from Mesolithic through Christian times. The chapter includes an overview of the univariate and multivariate statistical techniques we used. By using these techniques, we were able to demonstrate patterns of facial reduction—most particularly reductions in the chewing apparatus—that is consistent with the dietary shift from the course, abrasive diet associated with Mesolithic populations to the higher-carbohydrate, more-processed diet associated with Neolithic food production. This transition from gathering to food-producing technologies, seen in the correlation between facial reduction and food production, is consistent in other populations beyond the Nile Valley.