Final Exam Flashcards
(29 cards)
Evidence for Australian migration over water from SE Asia
Lake Mungo: SE Australia by 42,000 ya. adult male and female
Kow Swamp: SE Australia by 13,000-9,000 ya. cranial morphology suggests continuity from earlier humans at Lake Mungo
mtDNA evidence suggests discontinuity between early settlers and living Australians, but other evidences show continuity
Settlement of the Pacific Islands over water (timeline)
East of New Guinea not settled until after 5,000 ya. Much of easter Pacific not settled until after 1500 BC
Evidence for peopling fo the americas via the Bering land bridge
Dental traits shared by peoples of East Asia and Native Americans. Shared mtDNA haplogroups between peoples of East Asia and Native Americans
Paleoindian remains that support bering land bridge
Anzick Child: Montana. 12,700 ya. young boy’s nuclear DNA links him with native peoples of North and South America
Naia: Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. 13000-12000 ya. her DNA links her with modern native Americans.
Tuqan Man: San Miguel Island, California. 9500 ya. evidence for coastal route in peopling of new world
Kennewick Man: Kennewick, Washington. 8400 ya. cranium has distinct characteristics, but mtDNA and Y chromosome DNA link with recent Native Americans, so head shape has changed due to evolutionary forces since early settlers arrived
dental crowding (malocclusion), indicator of diet
result of greater reduction in the size of the face and jaw relative to reduction in tooth size with the transition to agriculture
Dental caries, indicator of diet
tooth decay caused by acids produced by the bacterial fermentation of dietary carbohydrates, especially sugars. Cavity rates can be used to identify the transition to agriculture, especially corn in the new world
Stable Isotopes, indicator of diet
relative concentrations of C-13/C-12 isotopes and N-15/N-14 isotopes in human bone can be used to determine the 1) relative proportion of plant vs animal foods in diet, lower N ratio, 2) presence of corn in the diet, higher C ratio, and 3) age of weaning, drop in N ratio seen as infants cease breastfeeding
Cross sectional geometry, indicator of work load
study of the shape of long bone cross sections. 1) Bone strength has declined in the last 20,000 years due to dependence on tools and such, smaller long bone cross section and thinner cortical bone. 2) Elongated cross sections reflect high bending strength of long distance walkers such as hunter-gatherers. 3) Rounder cross sections reflect more equal bending strength from front to back and side to side, range of motion typical of agriculturalists
Osteoarthritis, indicator of work load
damage to joint surfaces associated with excessive stresses placed on joints through performance of habitual activities like heavy lifting or walking. Agriculturalists tend to have less osteoarthritis than hunter-gatherers in most joints.
anemia, indicator of nutritional disorder
blood disorder resulting in cribra orbitalia (pitting in the eye orbits) or porotic hyperostosis (pitting on back of skill) in infants/children. caused by: 1) iron deficiency or B12 deficiency, 2) loss of nutrients associated with parasitic infection or diarrheal disease
scurvy, indicator of nutritional disorder
vitamin C deficiency. superficial porous lesions may form in the eye orbits, on the skull where chewing muscles attach, and on the hard palate due to tissue breakdown and hemorrhaging. Abnormal bone growth may be visible in growing ends of long bones
rickets, indicator of nutritional disorder
vitamin D deficiency. softening of bones leads to deformation of hip and leg bones
linear enamel hypoplasia, indicator of nutritional disorder
bands that form in tooth crowns when childhood growth is disrupted by physiological stressors such as starvation.
treponemal disease, indicator of specific chronic disease
endemic syphilis (hot dry areas), yaws (warm, moist areas). chronic bacterial infection acquired through skin to skin contact, usually in childhood. causes 1) excess bone to form on the surface of limb bones, esp tibia or shin, 2) destructive lesions on the skull (caries sicca) and destruction of bone in nose and palate. present for at least 4,000 years in North America
tuberculosis, indicator of specific chronic disease
chronic mycobacterial infection that usually enters body through the respiratory tract. causes destructive lesions in vertebrae, hip bones, knee bones, and other bones of the body. pulmonary TB is most common, causes excess bone to form on internal rib surfaces due to inflammation of the periosteum that surrounds the bone from contact with infected lung tissue. documented in South American mummy AD 500, before European contact.
leishmaniasis, indicator of specific chronic disease
parasitic disease, causes destructive skin and facial lesions. can be seen in Moche ceramics and possibly in Peruvian mummified remains.
cranial injuries, indicator of violence
depressed fractures of the skull from clubbing implements in prehistoric California. healed injuries may indicate a form of sublethal violence designed to resolve disputes without killing, common in men. perimortem injuries occur around the time of and may be the cause of death, they penetrate cranial vault, tend to be larger, and are usually associated with projectiles.
projectile weapon injuries (common in men), indicator of violence
imbedded spear, dart, and arrow tips in bones and bodies. what appears to be the cause of increasing lethal violent in this area? I think agriculture…
trophy taking, indicator of violence
cut marks on skulls and forearms and hand bones or missing body parts
body mutilation, indicator of violence
disarticulated bodies, perimortem bone breakage, cut marks, chop marks, burning, may indicate violent cannibalism. What causes such an outbreak in the prehistoric southwest? I think drought…
Where to forensic anthropologists work?
crime scenes, attacks such as 9/11, fires, recovering US war dead, recovering war victims from mass graves in Bosnia, Argentina, Guatemala
Two major concerns in establishing forensic context
1) Are the bones human?
2) How old is the skeleton? if recent, contact coroner/medical examiner, if archaeological, contact archaeologist/tribal consultant
Estimating time since death
- extent of decomposition of body and materials relative to season, regional climate, and so forth. quickest in hot, moist environments
- Forensic entomology. blowflies then dermestid beetles then insects that feel on fly larvae
- forensic botany. plant growth within and around body
- The Body Farm. University of Tennessee, Knoxville. created to study body decomposition using donated bodies allowed to decay
Estimation of sex
- skull. heavy brow ridges and square chins in males
- pelvis. features associated with childbirth in females, wide sciatic notch and wide subpubid concavity.
- long bone measurements. men are larger so their bones are bigger and longer than women
