Showing papers in "Anthropological Science in 2005"
TL;DR: Investigation of enamel thickness in the mesial cusp section of 167 unworn human molars found that thickness at the cusp tips may be overestimated in offset sections, and those of the occlusal basin overestimated or underestimated by up to about 0.5 mm, and maximum ‘radial’ thickness of the lateral crown face was least affected by section position.
Abstract: Enamel thickness was investigated in the mesial cusp section of 167 unworn human molars by means of non-destructive micro-CT based methodology. Serial sections of the entire crown were taken at a voxel resolution of 28 microns, and the initial volume data set of each molar was standardized in orientation to obtain a vertical section that accurately contains the dentine tips of the two mesial cusps. Enamel thickness at the cusp tips, occlusal basin, and lateral crown face was measured in the mesial cusp section and in sections offset from that section by 0.6 mm. We found that thickness at the cusp tips may be overestimated in offset sections by up to about 1 mm, and those of the occlusal basin overestimated or underestimated by up to about 0.5 mm. We also found that maximum ‘radial’ thickness of the lateral crown face was least affected by section position, usually with discrepancies of less than about 0.1–0.2 mm. In all serial positions in both upper and lower molars, a ‘functional’ (lingual in uppers and buccal in lowers) to ‘non-functional’ side gradient in enamel thickness was observed in cusp tip, occlusal basin, and lateral crown face enamel, with the exception of the characteristically thin enamel at the protoconid and paracone cusp tips. Serial differences in thickness were seen between the thinner M1 and the two posterior molars in many but not all measures of thickness, the pattern of which appears to be influenced by the thin M1 mesiobuccal cusp enamel. Individual variation of maximum lateral thickness, the least variable measure of thickness, was found to be substantial (a 30–60% range) even with serial and buccolingual positions controlled. Correlation between whole crown average enamel thickness and maximum lateral thickness was high, indicating that the latter is a potentially useful predictor of overall enamel thickness of the molar crown. The present results indicate that interspecific comparisons of enamel thickness must be made with careful attention to positional placement of thickness measures, potential serial differences, and intraspecific variation.
79 citations
TL;DR: The discovery of a rich and diverse vertebrate fauna in the Middle Miocene Muruyur Formation (ca. 14.5-13.7 Ma), Tugen Hills, Kenya, provides a rare view of the structure of the catarrhine fauna from this time period as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The discovery of a rich and diverse vertebrate fauna in the Middle Miocene Muruyur Formation (ca. 14.5 Ma), Tugen Hills, Kenya, provides a rare view of the structure of the catarrhine fauna from this time period. Up to 2002, more than 140 catarrhine specimens have been collected from three sites (Kipsaraman, Keturo, and Cheparawa) represented by 199 teeth. At least six taxa are present, five ‘apes’ (hominoids sensu lato) and one cercopithecoid. Three of the taxa are new species. The Kipsaraman catarrhine fauna has some similarities to those of Maboko (ca. 15 Ma) and Fort Ternan (ca. 13.7 Ma), western Kenya, but it differs markedly from the Nachola (ca. 16 Ma) one, not only in the relative abundance of hominoids versus cercopithecoids, but also in the taxa represented. At Maboko and Kipsaraman, the most abundant catarrhine fossils are cercopithecoids, whereas these are rare at Nachola and unknown at Fort Ternan. At Kipsaraman, Maboko, and Fort Ternan, small ‘ape’ fossils are common, whereas they are absent from Nachola. Nyanzapithecus or a similar genus is present, but rare at all four sites. Kenyapithecus is present at Maboko, Fort Ternan, and Kipsaraman, but is absent from Nachola, its place being taken by Nacholapithecus which is abundant at the site. The catarrhine faunas from these Middle Miocene localities indicate that environmental conditions within East Africa were highly variable between 16 and 13.7 Ma.
67 citations
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that these few specimens from Kenya are indeed more closely related to chimps and gorillas than to hominids, which implies that the dichotomy between African apes and hominid evolution occurred several million years earlier than is currently estimated by most researchers.
Abstract: One of the major lacunae in our knowledge of African hominoid evolution concerns the origins of the chimpanzee and gorilla. Several thousand specimens from the Plio–Pleistocene of Africa have been attributed to Hominidae (sensu stricto) of which only a few, including Ardipithecus ramidus, have been re-interpreted by some authors as possibly representing an ape rather than a hominid (Senut, 1998). Four recently discovered ape-like specimens from the late Middle Miocene (12.5 Ma) and Late Miocene (5.9 Ma) of Kenya partly fill the gap in the fossil record of African apes, and show some morphological and metric affinities with teeth of chimpanzees and gorillas. If these few specimens from Kenya are indeed more closely related to chimps and gorillas than to hominids, then this implies that the dichotomy between African apes and hominids occurred several million years earlier than is currently estimated by most researchers. Furthermore these ape teeth from Ngorora and Lukeino suggest that extant African apes evolved in Africa, and did not immigrate into the continent from Europe or Asia.
58 citations
TL;DR: It is argued that Sivapithecus and Dryopithecus are each stem taxa of the two living hominid clades Ponginae and Homininae.
Abstract: Sivapithecus and Dryopithecus are well-described Miocene hominids (great apes and humans), both known since the 19th century. Over the years these genera have been combined into one (Dryopithecus) or separated up to the subfamily level. Each have been dismissed as interesting side branches, hailed as direct ancestors, or recognized as sister clades to one or more clade of extant hominid. Here I argue that they are each stem taxa of the two living hominid clades Ponginae and Homininae. A famous poem by Rudyard Kipling tells the tale of a British and Afghan soldier whose differences (in ethnicity) obscure their similarities (in character). The relationship between Sivapithecus and Dryopithecus is similar. On the one hand, Sivapithecus is restricted to South Asia, has thickly enameled molars, robust jaws, and superficially baboon-like forelimbs; Dryopithecus is European, has thinly enameled molars and gracile jaws, with suspensory forelimbs. On the other hand, both are great apes, both had suspensory adaptations, large brains, and delayed development, and both are closely related to living hominids. Recognition of the likely relations of Sivapithecus and Dryopithecus provides insight into the causes, timing, and paleobiogeography of crown hominid origins.
53 citations
TL;DR: The pliopithecoids were the first catarrhines to migrate out of Africa at ~18–20 Ma, while contemporary proconsulids and dendropithecids may have been restricted to Afro-Arabia, and new material from China, may possibly have closer ties with dendropycids, proConsulids, or hylobatids.
Abstract: Catarrhines originated in Afro-Arabia during the Paleogene, and were restricted to this zoogeographic province until the early Miocene. During this period of isolation, several major clades of catarrhines originated. The pliopithecoids were the first catarrhines to migrate out of Africa at ~18–20 Ma, while contemporary proconsulids and dendropithecids may have been restricted to Afro-Arabia. Hominoids and Old World monkeys originated in Africa prior to 20 Ma, but neither clade became an important component of the catarrhine fauna until the middle to late Miocene. At ~15–17 Ma, hominoids expanded into Eurasia, while cercopithecids arrived somewhat later, during the late Miocene. The earliest catarrhines in Eurasia, Dionysopithecus and Platodontopithecus from Sihong in China (~17–18 Ma), represent the primitive sister group of all other pliopithecoids. From this ancestral stock in Asia, the more specialized pliopithecines extended their range westwards into Europe by ~16–17 Ma, where a pliopithecine-like common ancestor gave rise to the crouzeliines. The only known crouzeliine from Asia, Laccopithecus, from the late Miocene of China, points to a late arrival of this clade in the region. Small catarrhines from the middle Miocene of Pakistan (~16–17 Ma), and new material from China, may possibly have closer ties with dendropithecids, proconsulids, or hylobatids.
43 citations
TL;DR: The most significant morphometric difference found between the two populations was in tail length, which was ca.
Abstract: Using standard methods, we describe the morphometric characteristics of Indian- and Chinese-derived rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) reared at the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University. The most significant morphometric difference found between the two populations was in tail length, which was ca. 45% and 35% of crown–rump length in the Indian- and Chinese-derived rhesuses, respectively. There were no major differences between the two populations in terms of the other parameters of body size/proportion, although the Chinese-derived rhesuses tended to be larger than the Indian-derived rhesuses by 2–5% and there were some differences in the proportions of extremities. This morphometric similarity can be interpreted from either phylogenetic (recent divergence) or adaptive (similarities in habitat) perspectives.
37 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a speculative basis for an Asian origin of African zegdoumyid rodents is the only body of evidence that suggests that the earliest anthropoids might have migrated to Africa from Asia.
Abstract: Paleogene temporal and paleogeographic constraints on mammalian faunal interchange between Africa and Eurasia are reassessed in order to discuss the origin of Primates, Anthropoidea, and Catarrhini. During the late Paleocene to early Eocene interval, the fossil record indicates faunal exchange between Africa and the North Tethyan areas involving several groups of mammals, such as the earliest primates, carnivores, and some archaic ungulates. The polarities of such dispersal events are unresolved to date. Regarding the paleogeography of anthropoid origins, previous cladistic assessments argued for a dispersal from Asia to Africa during the early Eocene. However, faunal exchange during that period has been documented only between Africa and Europe. A speculative basis for an Asian origin of African zegdoumyid rodents is the only body of evidence that suggests that the earliest anthropoids might have migrated to Africa from Asia. Finally, according to the putative occurrence of catarrhines (amphipithecids) in the middle Eocene of Asia, a middle Eocene migration event towards Africa is proposed, although this is supported only by hystricognath and anomaluroid rodents, and by anthracotheriid artiodactyls. In conclusion, the early paleobiogeographic history of anthropoids remains conjectural because of the lack of phylogenetic resolution.
26 citations
TL;DR: In this article, human and non-human remains recovered in the early 1960s from the Negata site at Hamakita, central Japan were dated by radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometry.
Abstract: Human and non-human remains recovered in the early 1960s from the Negata site at Hamakita, central Japan were dated by radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometry. These results and revised fluorine dating yielded consistent dates of about 14.0 14C ka BP for the Hamakita Upper Layer human bones, and the most probable age estimate of around 17.9 14C ka BP for the Hamakita Lower Layer human bone. These dates confirm the provisional assignment of the Hamakita hominids to the late Pleistocene and make them the first securely dated specimens in the inventory of the ‘Palaeolithic hominid’ fossils of Honshu island (mainland Japan) that predate the Mesolithic–Neolithic Jomon period.
25 citations
TL;DR: A new species of eosimiid primate, cf. Eosimias paukkaungensis sp. nov, from the latest middle Eocene of Pondaung, central Myanmar is described as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: A new species of eosimiid primate, cf. Eosimias paukkaungensis sp. nov., from the latest middle Eocene of Pondaung, central Myanmar is described. The specimen consists of left and right mandibular fragments preserving only the M3, so that its generic status is provisional. The cf. E. paukkaungensis fossil is much larger than homologues of the two Eosimias species from China. It is too large to be a mandible for the taxa represented by the Eosimias-like calcaneus from Pondaung, but smaller than Bahinia pondaungensis, another eosimiid of the Pondaung fauna. The discovery of cf. E. paukkaungensis indicates diversity of eosimiids in East and Southeast Asia during the middle Eocene.
22 citations
TL;DR: Old World monkeys originated in forest biomes, but became the dominant primate of the late Neogene because of their ability to live in environments ranging from closed, non-seasonal rainforests to open savannahs and alpine meadows.
Abstract: Primates evolved in the tropical forests of the Late Paleocene or Early Eocene. The cognitive, locomotor and life-history characteristics that define primates evolved under the equable and generally non-seasonal conditions that distinguish such forests. All primates since have carried the biological imprint of this original association with tropical forests. In Asia, the persistence of tropical forests in Indonesia from the Eocene onward has permitted tarsiers to endure and evolve, while other Eocene primates became extinct on their home continents. Following a disastrous decline in tropical forest distribution and primate diversity at the Late Eocene/Oligocene boundary, forests and primates rebounded during the Late Oligocene and Miocene. The dominant Old World primates of most of the Neogene were hominoids, which inhabited large tracts of woodlands and forests throughout Africa and Eurasia. These relatively large, frugivorous animals were quadrupedal, but many were capable of undertaking bridging postures that allowed them to stretch between arboreal substrates. Hominoids reached the apex of their evolutionary success in the Middle Miocene, then declined—as a result of the slow disappearance of their forest homes—in the Late Miocene, especially after 10 Ma. The extirpation of apes at this time can be traced to their inability to live in more seasonal and open habitats. Old World monkeys originated in forest biomes, but became the dominant primate of the late Neogene because of their ability to live in environments ranging from closed, non-seasonal rainforests to open savannahs and alpine meadows. This adaptability can be traced to their slightly faster life histories and their ability to thrive on a wide range of both high- and low-quality foods.
22 citations
TL;DR: The distribution pattern of primates in the western and eastern part of eastern Eurasia can be interpreted in relation to links with African and East Asian faunal provinces as discussed by the authors, and the number of known primate taxa is not large: seven genera and eleven species in three families (Omomyidae, Hominidae, Cercopithecidae).
Abstract: In the Eocene, distribution of the order Primates in the northern part of eastern Eurasia was confined to Mongolia. A form of Omomyidae (Altanius orlovi) is represented. Northern Eurasian primates attributed to later times cover the interval between the Late Miocene (Late Turolian) to the Middle Pleistocene (Mindel–Riss). Primates are distributed in the western part of eastern Eurasia (Moldavia, Ukraine), Transcaucasus (Georgia, Iranian Azerbaijan) and Central Asia (Tadjikistan, Afghanistan, Transbaikalian, Mongolia). The total number of known primate taxa is not large: seven genera and eleven species in three families (Omomyidae, Hominidae, Cercopithecidae). The Neogene and Pleistocene representatives of the order Primates comprise either widely distributed Eurasian forms or endemic taxa. The distribution pattern of primates in the western and eastern part of eastern Eurasia can be interpreted in relation to links with African and East Asian faunal provinces. By the Late Pleistocene all non-human representatives of the order Primates in the northern part of eastern Eurasia became extinct.
TL;DR: This article used Mahalanobis distances to examine the variation present in a large sample of Chinese H. erectus crania and found that there is a greater degree of variation in the human fossil sample from China than has previously been recognized.
Abstract: The Homo erectus calvaria from Hexian, Anhui province, China is an important component of the fossil sample from East Asia. This specimen is the most complete Chinese H. erectus cranium found outside Zhoukoudian. Previous work has shown that the fossil crania from Zhoukoudian exhibit a unique metric pattern not seen in specimens from Africa or Indonesia. Multivariate statistics that assess the statistical significance of distances have not been used to compare the Hexian cranium to other relevant fossils, and this has hampered our appreciation of the pattern and magnitude of variation in the Chinese fossil record. This study involves the use of Mahalanobis distances to examine the variation present in a large sample of Homo erectus crania. Two separate examinations utilizing up to 7 measurements on 15 crania were performed to maximize the number of available specimens. Random expectation statistics were then used to test for significance between these fossils. Our results highlight clear metric dissimilarities between the Hexian calvaria and the fossils from Zhoukoudian. These metric patterns also separate Hexian from Zhoukoudian V, a skull with which it shares some more modern non-metric features. Our results indicate a greater degree of variation in the human fossil sample from China than has previously been recognized.
TL;DR: A hypothesis that the Siwalik fossil apes disappeared by the Late Miocene because of a decrease in humidity and an increase in seasonality, aridity, and unpredictable climatic conditions brought about by the intensification of the monsoon system, eventually leading to expansion of grasslands at the expense of rainforests is supported.
Abstract: We report here a new fossil hominoid tooth from the Late Miocene (~7.8 Ma) of the Hari-Talyangar region, India. The large-sized hominoid M2 is rather bunodont and its occlusal morphology and size are fairly distinctive from both the Sivapithecus sivalensis and Sivapithecus indicus conditions. Correlation between upper and lower molar breadth in extant hominoids and Sivapithecus species suggests that this upper molar fits within an estimated range of Indopithecus (= ‘Gigantopithecus’) M2 variation; a lower M2 of the same taxon is known from the same region. However, molar size and morphology are also consistent with a S. parvada attribution. Therefore its formal taxonomic allocation remains problematic. Sivapithecus was primarily a fruit eater and its teeth do not generally show caries, but the present molar exhibits a large caries, indicating a probable diet of grasses and fruits. The supposed diet of the new fossil tooth suggests that these Late Miocene apes of the Hari-Talyangar region lived in a habitat drier than that of Sivapithecus. A review based on the present fossil and palaeoecological and palaeoclimatological evidence supports a hypothesis that the Siwalik fossil apes disappeared by the Late Miocene because of a decrease in humidity and an increase in seasonality, aridity, and unpredictable climatic conditions brought about by the intensification of the monsoon system, eventually leading to expansion of grasslands at the expense of rainforests.
TL;DR: This paper reported the discovery of Teilhardina asiatica from the earliest Eocene of China, which constitutes the oldest unambiguous euprimate from Asia, and represents the most primitive known omomyid.
Abstract: Competing hypotheses maintain that euprimates originated in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, or East Asia, although the earliest unequivocally identified euprimates have been recorded mainly from Europe and North America. Recently we reported the discovery of Teilhardina asiatica from the earliest Eocene of China. This discovery constitutes the oldest unambiguous euprimate from Asia, and represents the most primitive known omomyid. It suggests that European and North American omomyids were probably rooted in Asia, and casts new light on the Asian-origin hypothesis of euprimates. The possibility of finding morphologically more generalized euprimates (or proto-euprimates) in southern China cannot be dismissed.
TL;DR: Radiocarbon ages were determined for 25 samples of human skeletal remains previously assigned or attributable to the Yayoi period (tentatively considered ca. 500 BC to 300 AD) of the Kanto district, Japan.
Abstract: Radiocarbon ages were determined for 25 samples of human skeletal remains previously assigned or attributable to the Yayoi period (tentatively considered ca. 500 BC to 300 AD) of the Kanto district, Japan. Suzuki (1969) and others, predominantly on cranial morphology, recognized that the Kanto Yayoi series contains three morphological groups: the native Jomon, transitional, and Kofun types. Morphological variation of the Kanto Yayoi people was considered to be chronologically based and formed the basis of Suzuki’s transformation hypothesis of the origin of the Japanese, which assumed limited influence, in eastern Japan, from continental immigrants. The 14C dates of the present study, determined for fragmentary postcranial elements of the same general assemblage, showed that these ‘Yayoi’ series, in part, contain skeletal remains of different ages, including those attributable to the Jomon and Kofun periods. All specimens from the Sano site that were examined were found to most likely derive from the Jomon period, while the dated Ourayama and Iwatsubo remains are best interpreted to be of Yayoi age. The Awajinsha and Bishamon samples were found to be of mixed chronological compositions. The implications of these results are discussed.
TL;DR: This article reported on the stratigraphy of the Upper Member of the middle Eocene Pondaung Formation at Paukkaung area (central Myanmar), with an emphasis on horizons that have yielded primate fossils.
Abstract: We report on the stratigraphy of the ‘Upper Member’ of the middle Eocene Pondaung Formation at Paukkaung area (central Myanmar), with an emphasis on horizons that have yielded primate fossils. Deposits from the Paukkaung area of the Pondaung Formation have yielded many primate fossils at localities Pk1, Pk2, Pk3, and Pk5. The primate-bearing beds of these localities correspond to horizons of almost the same stratigraphic level. This was confirmed by tracking marker tuff and sandstone beds distributed in the Paukkaung area.
TL;DR: In 1991, a partial cranium of a fossil colobine monkey was found in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan and its geological age is Late Pliocene (ca. 2.5 Ma) as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: In 1991, a partial cranium of a fossil colobine monkey was found in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Its geological age is Late Pliocene (ca. 2.5 Ma). It is larger than skulls of living colobine monkeys and resembles a male example of Pliocene Dolichopithecus ruscinensis from France. However, the cranium exhibits some distinctive features, notably very thin postorbital rims (lateral margins of the orbit). Therefore, a new subgeneric and specific name Dolichopithecus (Kanagawapithecus) leptopostorbitalis is given.
TL;DR: The postcranial anatomy indicates that the amphipithecids, if they are anthropoid, are probably a distantly related stem group outside the clade of African late Eocene-to-Recent anthropoids, which would have predated the Tarsius–Anthropoidea split.
Abstract: Amphipithecidae of late middle Eocene to late Eocene of Myanmar and Thailand is a phylogenetically enigmatic group that some place with Anthropoidea and others with Adapoidea. A linkage with adapoids is hard to demonstrate because it relies largely on a series of similarities that are arguably symplesiomorphies of Primates as a whole. The possibility that amphipithecids are specially related to crown anthropoids (e.g. Aegyptopithecus) is suggested by some shared-derived dental and gnathic anatomy. The postcranial anatomy indicates that the amphipithecids, if they are anthropoids, are probably a distantly related stem group outside the clade of African late Eocene-to-Recent anthropoids. Even the stem-group anthropoid status of amphipithecids is not supported by the absence of postorbital closure and enlarged olfactory bulbs, since postorbital closure and reduced olfactory bulbs characterize a more inclusive crown haplorhine clade of Tarsius plus Anthropoidea. An appealing possibility is that amphipithecids are basal haplorhines whose divergence would have predated the Tarsius–Anthropoidea split. Larger amphipithecids equal or exceed the body size of the largest known Eocene primates. Dental and mandibular anatomy suggests these large-bodied amphipithecids were fruit and hard-object (nut) feeders. A more primitive contemporary amphipithecid, Myanmarpithecus, was smaller, about 1–2 kg, and its cheek teeth suggest a frugivorous diet but do not imply seed eating. The humerus and calcaneus of a large amphipithecid from Myanmar (Pondaungia or Amphipithecus) suggest a slow-moving arboreal quadrupedal locomotion like that of lorises. A talus of an amphipithcid is more suggestive of an active arboreal quadruped.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the sociopolitical background to the hoax and argue that the emphasis on archaeology as "people's history" in postwar Japan was one important factor in the favorable evaluations given to Fujimura's discoveries.
Abstract: From at least 1976 until his exposure by the media in November 2000, amateur archaeologist Shinichi Fujimura planted artifacts at over 180 Paleolithic ‘sites’ in Miyagi Prefecture and other parts of eastern Japan. As a result of this hoax, the existence of an Early Paleolithic stretching back more than half a million years became widely accepted in Japan. Fujimura perpetrated one of the biggest archaeological hoaxes of the 20th century and his actions have important implications for the way archaeological research is conducted in Japan and beyond. This article explores the sociopolitical background to the hoax and argues that the emphasis on archaeology as ‘people’s history’ in postwar Japan was one important factor in the favorable evaluations given to Fujimura’s discoveries. It is suggested that the lessons of the Fujimura hoax support the need for a stronger and more reflexive relationship between archaeology and anthropology in Japan.
TL;DR: Chiangmuan hominoid was found by TJPET in a lignite mine in the Chiang Muan basin, northern Thailand as mentioned in this paper, which was the first record of a Miocene hominoids from a Southeast Asian country.
Abstract: The Thai-Japanese Paleontological Expedition Team (TJPET) has been conducting paleontological and geological fieldwork in Thailand for a number of years. In January 2000, an upper molar (CMu6-1’00) of a large-bodied Miocene hominoid was found by TJPET in a lignite mine in the Chiang Muan basin, northern Thailand. It was the first record of a Miocene hominoid from a Southeast Asian country. Two years later, TJPET found a second hominoid specimen (CMu15-5’01) in the same lignite mine. The second specimen was collected from the Upper Lignite Member, while the first one had come from the Lower Lignite Member. The age of Chiang Muan is estimated to be at around the boundary of the Middle/Late Miocene (ca. 10–12 Ma) based on mammalian fauna and paleomagnetic study. There may be several hundred thousand years temporal difference between the Upper and Lower Lignite Members. Chaimanee et al. (2003) reported more hominoid specimens from the same site, and created a new species, cf. Lufengpithecus chiangmuanensis. The taxonomic status of the Chiang Muan hominoids, however, is still a matter of debate. Nevertheless, the discovery of Miocene hominoids from Chiang Muan has revealed the potential of Thailand for understanding hominoid evolution in Southeast Asia.
TL;DR: The dental eruption characteristics of Lufengpithecus lufengensis, including age at first molar emergence, eruption sequence of dentition, and M-1/I-1 eruption pattern, show an ape- like, not human-like, developmental pattern.
Abstract: Late Miocene large-bodied hominoids from Yunnan, China are critical to the understanding of hominid and hominoid origins and evolution in Asia. The aim of the present study is to examine dental development and ontogeny of Lufengpithecus from Yuanmou and Lufeng. Based on scanning electron microscope observations of enamel incremental markings, the mean crown formation time of Lufengpithecus incisors was estimated to be 3.7-4.6 years, which is longer than that of Proconsul, Paranthropus, and early Homo, and closer to that of Australopithecus afarensis, Pan, and Homo Sapiens. The dental eruption characteristics of Lufengpithecus lufengensis, including age at first molar emergence, eruption sequence of dentition, and M-1/I-1 eruption pattern, show an ape-like, not human-like, developmental pattern. High and regular frequency of linear enamel hypoplasia indicates that late Miocene L. lufengensis suffered from regular physiological stress associated with seasonal dietary fluctuations.
TL;DR: In this article, two skulls of the hanging coffin people from the ancient Tang dynasty of Yunnan province, China, and compare them with other Neolithic to modern human groups of East/Southeast Asia.
Abstract: A higher density of evidence in terms of both temporal and geographical variation is needed for the understanding of the population history of East/Southeast Asia. We report here two skulls of the hanging coffin people from the ancient Tang dynasty of Yunnan province, China, and compare them with other Neolithic to modern human groups of East/Southeast Asia. The cranial series of the hanging coffin people can be regarded as a single population distinctive among the comparative samples. They share a low and wide face but exhibit variation in nasal root protrusion and alveolar prognathism. Evaluation of biological affinities based on multivariate craniometry indicates that the hanging coffin people are unique, being distant from modern mainland Asian groups and rather close to the Neolithic Zhenpiyan of south China. The peripheral position of the hanging coffin people relative to the mainland Asian groups appears to parallel the situation seen with modern Andaman islanders, or aboriginal Australians. This is interpreted as indicating the influence of a bottleneck effect in a locally isolated population within a more global trend of population history of East/Southeast Asian.
TL;DR: The possible cases of treponematosis from the Bronze Age of inland China supports the nonunitarian theory, and indicates that endemic syphilis was transmitted to China by Bronze Age times, most likely from the Middle East via the ‘Silk Road’.
Abstract: Ancient human skeletal remains, dating from the Bronze Age (1000 BC–500 AD) of China, were investigated from the paleopathological point of view. The remains were excavated from three archeological sites in the northern part of Qinghai Province, and included 294 skulls and 255 long bones. Macroscopic observations revealed marked hypertrophic and sclerotic changes in the long bones of the lower extremity in two individuals indicative of treponematosis. No evidence of cranial involvement was found in any individual. According to the nonunitarian theory, from 3000 BC to the first century BC, an uninterrupted block of endemic syphilis extended from Africa through western into central Asia, comprising deserts and semi-deserts, often with nomadic populations. The possible cases of treponematosis, reported here, from the Bronze Age of inland China supports the nonunitarian theory, and indicates that endemic syphilis was transmitted to China by Bronze Age times, most likely from the Middle East via the ‘Silk Road’ which came into being about 1000 BC.
TL;DR: The results show that the Lufeng hominoid has relatively smaller front teeth, smaller M-1, and higher SQ than the Yuanmou hominoids, indicating a more folivorous or soft diet, such as leaves and berries, in the former.
Abstract: The relationship between the Yuanmou hominoid and the Lufeng hominoid (Lufengpithecus lufengensis), both from Yunnan Province, China, and among the most abundantly represented fossil hominoid of Eurasia, has been the subject of much debate. In the past 10 years, comparative studies of cranial and dental morphology of the Lufeng and Yuanmou hominoids indicate that the two hominoids resemble each other more than either of them resemble any other Miocene hominoid. In this paper, we summarize the dental differences seen between the Yuanmou and Lufeng hominoids, and discuss their implications. Our results show that the Lufeng hominoid has relatively smaller front teeth, smaller M-1, and higher SQ than the Yuanmou hominoid, indicating a more folivorous or soft diet, such as leaves and berries, in the former. Tooth wear analysis indicates that both upper and lower molars of the Yuanmou hominoid were more heavily worn than those of the Lufeng hominoid, offering additional support to the findings of tooth size proportion and shearing crest development. We propose that different diets might have characterized the two hominoid populations, the differences possibly related to the environment, behavior pattern, and population structure of the Yuanmou and Lufeng hominoids.
TL;DR: It is concluded that a decreasing LNG depends on age and on Caup’s index, but not on height, weight, or physical fitness levels.
Abstract: In this study, we longitudinally measured the effects of physical fitness level and body size and shape on the total length of sway path of the center of gravity (LNG), in 16 boys and 18 girls, from the age of 4 to 6 years. The LNG values of the boys and girls at 5 and 6 years of age were lower than the corresponding values at 4 years of age, but there was no significant difference between the LNG at 5 and 6 years of age. With the physical fitness tests (25 m sprint speed, hopping, standing broad jump, side jump and standing on one leg), performance at 6 years of age was better than at 5 years of age and that at 5 years of age better than at 4 years of age. LNG was negatively correlated with side jump frequencies in the 6-year-old boys and girls. A significant negative partial correlation was found between LNG and Caup’s index (weight/height2) with age held constant. Partial correlations between LNG and physical fitness levels were not significant with age held constant. From these results, we conclude that a decreasing LNG depends on age and on Caup’s index, but not on height, weight, or physical fitness levels.
TL;DR: The present findings suggest that the MX genotype of JCV is unique to the Ainu, whereas MY-x is spread among some Northeast Asian populations.
Abstract: Genotyping the urinary JC virus (JCV) DNA is a useful means to gain new insights into the origin of ethnic groups. We recently detected thirteen JCV isolates from the Ainu, an indigenous population living on Japan’s northernmost island (Hokkaido). Based on phylogenetic analysis, these isolates were classified into five genotypes: two (MX and MY-x) were first identified in the Ainu, two (EU-a/Arc and EU-c) are prevalent in northeastern Siberians and an Arctic tribe, and one (MY-b) is widespread among Hondo Japanese, i.e. contemporary Japanese excluding the Ainu. Although these findings have several potential implications for the development of the modern Ainu, further studies are required to reach a definite conclusion. In this report, an isolate in a forensic subject whose ethnic origin was Ainu belonged to the MX genotype and two isolates recently identified in South Koreans and grouped as Native American isolates belonged to the MY-x genotype. The present findings suggest that the MX genotype of JCV is unique to the Ainu, whereas MY-x is spread among some Northeast Asian populations.
TL;DR: There existed significant differences in body composition, irrespective of BMI, between MG and PMG Bengalee Hindu girls, according to anthropometric and body composition characteristics.
Abstract: A study on 111 pre-menarcheal (PMG) and 123 menarcheal (MG) Bengalee Hindu girls was undertaken to compare differences in their anthropometric and body composition characteristics. The mean ages of the PMG (12.5 years, SD = 1.2) and MG (12.6, SD = 1.1) subjects were similar. Anthropometric measurements included height, weight, triceps, and calf skinfolds. Two derived indices (body mass index [BMI] and sum of skinfolds) and four body composition measures, percent body fat (PBF), fat mass (FM), fat free mass (FFM), and fat mass index (FMI) were also studied. The mean, 25th, 50th, and 70th percentile values of age at menarche were 12.0, 11.1, 12.0 and 12.9 years, respectively. Results showed that MG had significantly (P < 0.001) higher mean values for all anthropometric and body composition variables. The difference in mean height, weight, and BMI were 10.5 cm, 11.0 kg, and 3.0 kg/m2, respectively. The differences between the two groups in mean PBF, FM, FFM, and FMI were 7.7%, 5.1 kg, 5.9 kg, and 2.0 kg/m2, respectively. The percent difference (after attainment of menarche) in mean FM and mean FFM were 50.5% and 19.9%, respectively. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that attainment of menarcheal status had significant impact on all four measures of body composition (PBF: P < 0.0001; FM: P < 0.0001; FFM: P < 0.0001; FMI: P < 0.001) independent of BMI. Using BMI as a covariate, results of ANOVA revealed that the mean values of PBF, FM, FFM, and FMI were significantly higher among MG compared with the PMG subjects, even after adjustment for BMI. In conclusion, this study clearly indicated that there existed significant differences in body composition, irrespective of BMI, between MG and PMG Bengalee Hindus. It also demonstrated that relative difference in mean FM was significantly greater, compared to the relative difference in mean FFM, after the attainment of menarche.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the growth pattern of a sample of Japanese descendants born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and show that the Brazilian-born Japanese descendants do not display any growth deficits during the preadolescent period but fall short of the US growth standard afterwards, suggesting that the adolescent growth spurt is responsible for their smaller body size at adulthood.
Abstract: We describe the growth pattern of a sample of Japanese descendants born in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Cross-sectional data from 1297 subjects were obtained in eight middle- and upper middle-class schools. Weight and height of children of Japanese ancestry were compared both to populations of similar socio-economic status, namely the well-off European descendants born in Sao Paulo and the United States, and to populations of similar genetic background from Japan and urban China. Adult size is smaller in Brazilians of Japanese ancestry than in the samples of European ancestry. We show that the Brazilian-born Japanese descendants do not display any growth deficits during the preadolescent period but fall short of the US growth standard afterwards, suggesting that the adolescent growth spurt is responsible for their smaller body size at adulthood. The observed height deficit is more pronounced than the weight deficit in both boys and girls. On the other hand, when comparisons include only populations of Asian origin, the Japanese descendants from Sao Paulo are shown to be similar in height and weight to the better-off children living in Japan, and significantly larger than the urban Chinese children of relatively lower socio-economic status. © 2004 The Anthropological Society of Nippon.
TL;DR: In this paper, the Preece-Baines model was applied to the longitudinally-followed height data from a series of Japanese girls in Tokyo to fit the PB1 model.
Abstract: This is the first study of longitudinal growth of Japanese subjects carried out by applying the Preece–Baines model 1 (PB1) function. Ninety-three sets of longitudinally-followed height data from a series of girls in Tokyo were analyzed by fitting the PB1 model. We first compared the PB1 results with those previously obtained from the cubic spline function. We then examined correlation among biological variables within this Japanese group, and then compared the PB1-derived biological variables among populations. The biological variables, except for age at peak velocity and peak height velocity, were confirmed to be distributed normally. In comparison with previous results obtained by the cubic spline function for the same subjects, the PB1-derived velocity curve was found to be more emphasized. Ages at take-off and at peak were 0.2 years younger and older, respectively, and height was 1 cm less at take-off and 1.3 cm greater at peak. Within the Tokyo girls, many variables were significantly correlated. However, the number of variable pairs that showed a significant correlation was considerably fewer in the among-population comparisons than in the within-group analysis of the Tokyo girls. Comparisons of the Tokyo series with those from seven other populations revealed that groups whose adult height was greater already had greater heights at take-off and at peak.