Showing papers in "International Journal of Anthropology in 2000"
TL;DR: If the genusHomo did indeed originate in Africa, then it must have spread by about 2 m.y.d. ago into Asia where it is represented at 1.8 m.dy.m..
Abstract: If the genusHomo did indeed originate in Africa, then it must have spread by about 2 m.y. ago into Asia where it is represented at 1.8 m.y. ago byHomo erectus fossils. This latter species in turn eventually spread back into Africa, as indicated by the 1.4 m.y. old OH 9 calvaria from Olduvai, and into Europe, as indicated by the 800,000 year old Ceprano calvaria from Italy. These hominids are associated only with Oldowan style artefacts of cores, choppers and flakes and were apparently not conversant with Acheulean handaxe technology. It seems that they most probably evolved viaHomo heidelbergensis into the Neanderthals. Meanwhile, a completely separate development originating withHomo ergaster of about 1.7 m.y. ago in Africa and possessing Acheulean handaxe technology evolved via such forms as Ndutu and Steinheim intoHomo sapiens.
32 citations
TL;DR: A review of the history of osteological investigations on Sicily, including note of recent studies, demonstrates the considerable progress made in recent years and provides future researchers with indications of directions that are available to be taken as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Human skeletal remains, commonly at the focus of the archaeological investigations of cemeteries, recently have become of increasing importance in reconstructing the culture history of Sicily. A review of the history of osteological investigations on Sicily, including note of recent studies, demonstrates the considerable progress made in recent years and provides future researchers with indications of directions that are available to be taken. This list provides an update to an earlier study (Becker 1995–96). We now have a more useful indication of the extent of human skeletal material now available from Sicilian archaeological sites, from all periods, that may be used in comparative studies.
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TL;DR: This preliminary investigation has attempted to check for the presence of amplifiable DNA in the human remains simultaneously in terms of genetic fingerprints and for cystic fibrosis mutations in order to verify the hypothesis that a heterozygote advantage was suggested to explain the high incidence of carrier individuals in Europeans.
Abstract: Recently a heterozygote advantage was suggested to explain the high incidence (1:25 carrier individuals in Europeans) of the cystic fibrosis gene. This selective advantage was speculated to be due to a high resistance to chloride-secreting diarrhea, including cholera. Up to now the major efforts to test directly this hypothesis have been limited to animal models.
5 citations
TL;DR: Genetic evidence suggets that most of the evolutionary history of humans is quite recent and interwined in the Mediterranean region, with its European part as its Asian and African ones.
Abstract: The Mediterranean region, formed with parts of Africa, Asia and Europe, is unique in our planet. It has received the passage and settlement of various hominid migrations from the Pleistocene and the three main races have met there since remote ages. Its archeology and history are better known than those in other regions of the world. The area, with a fairly uniform climate, was unified for several centuries, under Roman Empire which restricted the access to outside populations, favouring relationships among inside ones. Genetic evidence suggets that most of the evolutionary history of humans is quite recent and interwined. A paradigm can be found in Mediterranean populations. The understanding on what happened in this region will be decisive to know the evolution of the entire human species. An overall genetic study on the whole Mediterranean region, with its European part as its Asian and African ones has not been carried out yet and such work should be drawn up soon.
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TL;DR: This study relies especially on the morphological analysis of the recent formations, in the closed fields and the costal dunal formations, to determine the nature of this evolutions and the climatic changes during a Holocene.
Abstract: The results of absolute datations on the beige sands in Mamora forest have shown large movement (remaniement) and an expansion (epandage) on the plateau surface between 22–26.000 years.
2 citations
2 citations
TL;DR: The Semsa is a small culturally isolated population restricted in one village, known as Semkhor as discussed by the authors, which has been maintaining their cultural isolation for more than two hundred years.
Abstract: The Semsa is a small culturally isolated population, restricted in one village, known as Semkhor. Danda and Ghatak (1985) have suggested that though the Semsa is an offshoot of the Dimasa, they have been maintaining their cultural isolation for more than two hundred years. Regarding the origin of the Semsa, there are two different versions : (1) Some of the Dimasa people from the nearby villages came to Semkhor and by accident of their luck they came across five saline pits in the village and finally settled there. (2) A section of the Dimasa people took shelter in this village during the Kachari King's encounter with the Ahom king, and they finally settled in this village. However, the Semkhor village (Fig. 1), situated in the hills of Barail range and covering an area of 406 hectares between 93~'15'E and 93~22'6"E latitude and 25~ and 2Yq5'27"N longitude, is bounded by hills and rivers from all sides. The main river is Langting, which has many tributaries such as Seling, Phara, Wami, etc. (Government of India, 1972).
TL;DR: In this paper, the role of socio-cultural factors in influencing postpartum sexual abstinence period has been found to be significantly important through the variables; residence background, generational age-gaps, religion and working status of women.
Abstract: The analysis contained in this paper brings out very clearly that the practice of breastfeeding and abstinence in the two major states of India: Uttar Pradesh and Tamilnadu are highly related to socio-cultural factors and changes in generational gaps. The findings reveal that literate, non-Hindu, and rich (high SLI) women have shorter breastfeeding durations than illiterates, Hindus, and poor (low SLI) women of Uttar Pradesh and Tamilnadu. In addition, the breastfeeding practice in Uttar Pradesh is influenced by residence background and generational age-gaps. The role of socio-cultural factors in influencing post-partum sexual abstinence period has been found to be significantly important through the variables; residence background, generational age-gaps, religion and working status of women. The results reveal that urban women, of younger cohorts (below 30 years), non-Hindu, and non-working women have shorter abstinence periods compared to rural women, of older cohorts (above 30 years), Hindus, and working women in both the states.
TL;DR: Improvement in follow-up services to all sections of the community would lead to a substantial change in the clients perception towards the programme, which in turn would improve the duration of use of these methods.
Abstract: The study reveals that the follow-up services provided at home by the health workers is quite low for all the methods of contraceptives. Further, for those who avail contraception from the private sector, the follow-up care at home is very low and hence needs to be improved. This improvement in follow-up services to all sections of the community would lead to a substantial change in the clients perception towards the programme, which in turn would improve the duration of use of these methods. Further, it could be argued that, instead of emplasizing more on logistic infrastructure of the programme it is very much necessary to study the sensitivity and needs of the clients and thereby design a client-oriented programme. Keeping in mind the socio-cultural background of the community, the follow-up services should be concentrated more to generated demand from the public towards the family welfare services. As Jain (1989) argues that fixing the long term targets and trying to achieve those targets without meeting the needs of those clients is negatively affecting the family welfare programme rather than strengthening it. Especially now, in a situation where we are talking about the target free approach, there is a danger of reduction in the health worker's visit to home for follow-up care services. Since, there is no pressure of targets, the follow-up care would not be given adequate importance by the workers until and unless it is given due credit in programme strategy.
TL;DR: In this article, the change in social structure influence biological change in terms of micro-evolution by regulating the breeding structure and marraige system, which is an important aspect of bio-anthropological investigations.
Abstract: Demography is an important aspect of bio-anthropological investigations. Its primary concern is with the size, composition and distribution of populations and such other aspects like fertility, mortality, sex-ratio, admixture rate etc. These aspects also help in studying changes in the gene frequencies and its implications. Thus, utilising bio-demography, it is possible to identify change of variation, if any, in the studied population groups. Mukherjee (1984) opines "Human societies change at unequal rates. The change in social structure influence biological change in terms of micro-evolution by regulating the breeding structure and marraige system". There is an increasing awareness especially in India of the importance of population