Showing papers on "Biological anthropology published in 2006"

Ethnoprimatology: Toward Reconciliation of Biological and Cultural Anthropology

Abstract: One of the hallmarks of the discipline of anthropology is its holistic approach to the study of what it means to be human. A perennial challenge to the discipline, however, is the question of whether biological and cultural anthropology can truly coexist given their traditionally disparate epistemologies and methodologies. In this paper, I argue that the emerging field of ethnoprimatology, which focuses on the ecological and cultural interconnections between human and nonhuman primates, has real potential to bridge these two subfields. I support my argument by discussing the theoretical rationale of an ethnoprimatological approach with regard to the notion of “natural environments” in primate ecology and conservation, as well as in anthropology in general. I also discuss the practical rationale of such an approach in the contemporary era where anthropologists and others are increasingly realizing that conservation needs to take place within a broader ecological framework that includes the human dimension. By drawing from recent research in ethnoprimatology, I discuss the relevance and power of specific methodologies from biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, and conservation management in making this a multifaceted, integrative, and robust approach to anthropological inquiry.

A view from afar : bioarchaeology in Britain.

Abstract: The study of human remains from archaeological sites has a long history in Europe, as it has in North America. However, some parts of Europe have seen more rapid development than others. In Britain it is only fairly recently (since the mid-1980s) where we have seen a significant change in the quantity and quality of data produced from skeletal analysis, data that have been used from a bioarchaeological perspective. It is noticeable, but not surprising, that Europe as a whole (but particularly Britain) has lagged behind in the development of a biocultural/bioarchaeological approach to using skeletal data to contribute to our understanding of past human populations. First, this is probably because most work, until recently, had been undertaken by people working in other disciplines such as anatomy, dentistry, and medicine who had little background knowledge of archaeology to allow them to contextualize their biological data. Second, until the 1980s, there was no specific training for people wishing to work in the field of (palaeo) physical anthropology/bioarchaeology (i.e., archaeologically derived human remains and not early hominid remains), at both undergraduate and graduate levels, nor were there many people employed as (palaeo) physical anthropologists to teach in departments of archaeology, certainly in Britain. Key to this problem has been the emphasis on archaeology departments in universities rather than anthropology departments, as seen in North America.

Historicizing Canadian anthropology

Abstract: 1 Historicizing Traditions in Canadian Anthropology / Julia Harrison and Regna Darnell Part 1: Situating Ourselves Historically and Theoretically 2 Disciplinary Tribes and Territories: Alliances and Skirmishes between Anthropology and History / A.B. McKillop 3 Toward a Historiography of Canadian Anthropology / Robert L.A. Hancock Part 2: The Pre-professional History of Canadian Anthropology 4 The Erasure of Horatio Hale's Contributions to Boasian Anthropology / David Nock 5 Marius Barbeau and the Methodology of Salvage Ethnography in Canada, 1911-51 / Andrew Nurse 6 Iroquoian Archaeology, the Public, and Native Communities in Victorian Ontario / Michelle A. Hamilton Part 3: Locating our Subjects 7 Canadian Anthropology and the Ethnography of "Indian Administration" / Noel Dyck 8 Canadian Anthropology and Ideas of Aboriginal Emendation / Colin Buchanan 9 A Comparative History of "Cultural Rights" in South Africa and Canada / Evie Plaice 10 Canadian Anthropologists in China Studies / Josephine Smart and Alan Smart Part 4: Documenting Institutional Relations 11 Departmental Networks in Canadian Anthropology / Regna Darnell 12 Canadian Anthropology as a Situated Conversation / Richard K. Pope 13 Anthropology and Sociology at the University of British Columbia from 1947 to the 1980s / Elvi Whittaker and Michael Ames 14 Anthropology at Universite Laval: The Early Years, 1958-70 / Marc-Adelard Tremblay 15 Expatriates in the Ivory Tower: Anthropologists in Non Anthropology University Departments / James B. Waldram and Pamela J. Downe Part 5: Connections and Comparisons 16 Constituting Canadian Anthropology / David Howes 17 The Historical Praxis of Museum Anthropology: A Canada-US Comparison / Cory Willmott 18 Commodifying North American Aboriginal Culture: A Canada-US Comparison / Kathy M'Closkey and Kevin Manuel 19 Canadian Anthropology and the Cold War / Nelson H.H. Graburn 20 Texts and Contexts in Canadian Anthropology / Penny Van Esterik 21 Just a Little Off-Centre or Not Peripheral Enough: Paradoxes for the Reproduction of Canadian Anthropology / Vered Amit Postscript Notes and Acknowledgments References Contributors Index

Introduction to Forensic Anthropology

Abstract: The academic roots of modern forensic anthropology can be traced back to contributions of Europeans, beginning in the 18th century. In particular, Jean-Joseph Sue, Matthieu-Joseph-Bonaventure Orfila, Paul Broca, Paul Topinard, etienne Rollet, Leonce Manouvrier, and Karl Pearson published research on the methodology of stature estimation and related topics.

Antropología física y racismo científico en España durante la segunda mitad del siglo XIX

Abstract: This paper analyzes some particular features in the development of biological anthropology in Spain during the second half of the 19th century. Special attention is given to the Spanish anthropological debate about the biological status of the different «human races», and also to the anthropological characterisation of the colonial natives in Spanish scientific expeditions during the second half of the century.

The Pleistocene Human Remains Collection from the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area, Australia, and Its Role in Understanding Modern Human Origins(Part One Collection Building)

Abstract: The fossil human remains from the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area have played a major role in defining the origins of Aboriginal Australians. The Willandra record has also contributed significantly to our understanding of modern human origins in Australasia. They are amongst the earliest modern human remains in the region, Lake Mungo 1 and 3 dating sometime before 40,000 years ago, while over one hundred other individuals date to the time around the Last Glacial Maximum. Many burials are still eroding from the Willandra, and present an opportunity to learn more about the region. The erosion of burials and the potential for further research also presents a challenge in a social environment where repatriation is a key social and political issue. Collaborative research is perhaps one key to developing a practical solution to some of these issues. In this paper I provide a summary of the history of discovery at the Willandra and discuss how the human fossil record fits into current models of human evolution. The paper will also include a brief discussion on recent research and how this has proceeded with support from the Three Traditional Tribal Groups of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area. Finally I shall discuss the future of the collection in an environment where repatriation has become the main practice of many Australian museums.

The birth of The Internet Journal of Biological Anthropology

Abstract: Biological Anthropology or physical anthropology is the study of mechanism and evidences of biological evolution, genetic inheritance, human variation and adaptability of human beings and their living and fossil relatives (extant and extinct primates). It studies Human Biology and Human genetics in the context of human culture and behavior, thus, it is also considered as a Bio-Social Science. The Internet Journal of Biological Anthropology provides a forum for the rapid publication of topical articles on all aspects of Biological Anthropology and related disciplines. The journal publishes original research papers, short communications, definitive reviews, hypothesis, letters, technical notes, learning points of important issues, offering critical analysis and scientific appraisal. All submissions are peer-reviewed by at least by two independent reviewers, editorial board members and the editor-in-chief. All articles are archived by Internet Scientific Publications LLC and recognized by The Library of Congress Catalog of Publications and the journal has a broad international perspective. After the successful launch of this journal, the editorial board will try to get it indexed in Science Abstracts, Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, ICTP Science Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, EMBASE (Excepta Medica Data Base), Index Copernicus and MEDLINE /Index Medicus. The topics covered under the journal include, but are not limited to Human Origins and Evolution, Pre-historic Archaeology, Human Biology, Human Genetics, Molecular and Biochemical Anthropology, Human Growth and Development, Nutritional Anthropology, Human Ecology, Skeletal and Forensic Anthropology, Primatology, Primate and Human Behavior, Dental Anthropology, Sports Anthropology, Anthropometry, Health, Disease and Demography, Clinical and Medical Anthropology, Epidemiology, Community Health, Neuroanthropology, Population Genetics, Paleopathology. The journal includes all the sub-disciplines listed above as well as the special topics related to Human biology and Biological/Physical Anthropology. Why do we need a new journal like The Internet Journal of Biological Anthropology? There are a few international journals covering most of these aspects like American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Annals of Human Biology, and American Journal of Human Biology. It has always been felt that there was a need for an Internet Journal on Biological Anthropology and it is commendable on the part of the management of the Internet Scientific Publications to address this need at this point of time. The journal will further help to explore the upcoming issues in biological anthropology like DNA fingerprinting or profiling, Human and primate genomic diversity in the world, Human facial tissue thickness and reconstruction of face from the skull etc. The inaugural issue of The Internet Journal of Biological Anthropology exemplifies this goal. It begins with a review by Dr RS Balgir, a renowned Human Geneticist and Biological Anthropologist of Indian Council of Medical Research, who talks about a new super specialtyBiomedical Anthropology 1 . He concluded his review with the remarks that integrated approaches of medical genetics and biological anthropology including human genetics will bring together not only the unity in diversity but emerging Biomedical Anthropology as a super specialty in the medical and science world. The second paper by a well known community health expert Prof. NK Goel (Government Medical College Hospital, Chandigarh, India) and his associates gives various measures to deal with emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases The birth of The Internet Journal of Biological Anthropology 2 of 3 globally 2 . Another review by the same experts deals with various epidemiological characteristics of dengue fever including its prevalence, prevention and control 3 . Other paper is by Dr Vikas Gautam, a renowned microbiologist from Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India and his associates. The paper is a successful attempt 4 to correlate the facts given in Charaka Samhita-a treatise of Ayurveda with the modern knowledge of ‘in-utero' fetal development. The 5 th paperan original study 5 based upon extensive field work by Ms. Sudipta Ghosh and Professor (Dr.) SL Malik (a renowned biological anthropologist of University of Delhi, India) explains the assessment of intergenerational differences in anthropo-physiological variables in Santhals of West Bengal. Other study is by Dr Shyamal Koley, a sports medicine expert from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India. The study gives an idea about the relationship of cardio respiratory fitness, body composition and blood pressure in collegiate population of Amritsar, Punjab India 6 . In another research paper, Dr Balwant Rai, a leading dental surgeon and his associates show how sex can be determined from diagonal odontometric analysis in a north Indian population 7 . In another anthropological study, Dr John Mao, an anthropologist from Chandigarh, India assesses the knowledge, attitude and practice of family planning among the Meitei women of Manipur (India) 8 . Another study 9 by Dr Somola Devi and her associates gives demographic characteristics laying more stress on fertility of Ithing tribe of Manipur, India. In a technical note 10 by Dr Balwant Rai and his associates, the authors take three measurements on mandible and show their usefulness in determining sex. In another technical 11 note by a renowned bio-statistician, Dr Girish Singh, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, gives an idea about a new analytical approach ‘Meta analysis' and its importance in broad anthropological and medical sciences. We hope you enjoy reading this “debut issue” of The Internet Journal of Biological Anthropology. Do e-mail us (gargkk@yahoo.com) your comments, questions, queries and pre-submission enquiries. Join us as authors, reviewers, contributors and readers as we embark on this exhilarating voyage of discovery at Biology, Anthropology and Medical Science interface. Kewal Krishan, PhD Editor-in-Chief

The Parallel Lives of Biocultural Synthesis and Clinically Applied Medical Anthropology

Abstract: In this paper, I give a brief history of the development of the school of critical medical anthropology (CMA) and trace its influences on both biocultural synthesis and clinically applied medical anthropology. I show how CMA has had a profound influence on biological and medical anthropology and how it has shaped our understandings of the relationships between biology and economics. I argue that although a critical perspective of health and well-being has been an important and necessary addition to both biological anthropology and clinically applied medical anthropology. we ought to be careful to trace how rather than simply assert that economics influence biology and health. I also argue that CMA's political economic perspective utilizes a narrow understanding of culture, and that biocultural synthesis could do well to look beyond a materialist view of culture and engage other theoretical schools in cultural anthropology. Finally. I show one such potential line of engagement between the disciplines by paralleling the concept of adaptation in biological anthropology to the concept of complicity in medical anthropology.

Emergence Of A New Integrated Discipline Of Medical Genetics And Biological Anthropology: A Super Specialty In Demand

Abstract: Anthropology is a common human science with its vast subject matter revolving around knowledge, applications and human surroundings in space and time. Metamorphosis in human life has enforced to widen the traditional vision (wisdom) and scope of particular discipline in terms of applications. In biological terms, heterosis is a process of coming together with another for vigor, virility, vitality and strength. Prudent heterosis means intraand inter-disciplinary approaches to achieve a common goal. This paper over emphasizes the integral approaches of medical genetics and biological anthropology including human genetics in solving the emerging human health problems. These integrated approaches of medical genetics and biological anthropology will bring together unity in the discipline of Biomedical Anthropology and emerge as a super specialty in the medical and science world.

The beginnings of anthropology in Hungary

Abstract: In the second half of the 19th century anthropological research started everywhere in the world. Cranioscopy formed an important part of physical anthropology. Jozsef Lenhossek (1818-1888) worked also on this subject and on the basis of one of his investigations in 1875 he became the founder of physical anthropology in Hungary. On 76 skulls of several collections and on 265 heads together with his coworkers he performed 50 measurements on each skulls and heads and calculated the important ratios (skull-indexes). He determined the skull-indexes of the Hungarian people. These indexes are valid also today.

Human Evolution and Behaviour at "The 75 th Annual

Abstract: This annual meeting represents the biggest forum for international members of the field of physical anthropology and related disciplines to meet and present their work. The location and timing of this year’s event, which was related to the Iditarod (the annual dog-sled race), meant that numbers were lower than in previous years but the conference was still extremely well-attended. These meetings always attract a diverse mix of academics and postgraduate students who are comprised for the main part of physical anthropologists but who also come from other related disciplines, such as archaeology, history and genetics. A total of 32 separate sessions took place over three days covering a wide variety of topics from “Primate Evolution and Paleoanthropology” to “Genetic Perspectives on Human Evolution”. These sessions contained 563 podium and poster presentations with a total of over 1100 authors participating. As a result many of the sessions had to be run concurrently, in fact up to five at a time. This led to a lot of movement between presentations, especially if your interests spanned several chronological zones and/or subject areas. It also restricted many delegates to attending presentations related to their main research areas rather than exploring new subjects. The wide range of topics, however, acted as an important reminder of the diversity of biological anthropology as a discipline. Most of the sessions were dominated by non-human primate evolution and behaviour, palaeoanthropology, human skeletal biology and anthropological genetics. Special symposia included “From the Arctic to Arizona: A Celebration of Charles F. Merbs’s Contribution to Physical Anthropology”, “Pre-Contact Forager Adaptations to Northwest Coastal Alaska: The Bioarchaeology of Point Hope”, and “Is Adaptation Healthy? Contrasting Views on Growth Patterns in Adverse Environments”. All of these symposia appeared to have been inspired by the location of this year’s conference, focusing on people living in extreme environments. The session on “Paleoanthropology: Pleistocene Homo” was dominated by papers from graduate students and academic researchers working on Neanderthals and the Homo heidelbergensis remains from Sima de los Huesos, Atapuerca. The Neanderthal papers

Human Evolution and Behaviour at "The 75th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropology", Anchorage, Alaska, 8th - 11th March 2006

Abstract: s from the poster and paper sessions were published in the March 2007 edition of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Volume 129, Issue S42, pages 1-193. It is anticipated that some of the contributions will be published as full papers in the same journal at a later date. I look forward to next year’s conference, which is being hosted by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia from Wednesday 28th until Saturday 31st March 2007. For further information on the American Association of Physical Anthropology and its conference series see: www.physanth.org/. Conference Reviews 116 References Brown, P., Sutikna, T., Morwood, M.J., Soejono, R.P., Jatmiko, Saptomo, E.W. and Due, R.A. 2004. A small-bodied hominin from the Late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia. Nature 431, 1055-1061. Culotto, E. 2005. Paleoanthropology – Discoverers charge damage to ‘hobbit’ specimens. Science 307, 1848-1848. Deter, C. 2003. Review of the 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Tempe, Arizona, 23rd- 26th April 2003. Papers from the Institute of Archaeology 14, 152-154. Morwood, M.J., Brown, P., Jatmiko, Sutikna, T., Saptomo, E.W., Westaway, K.E., Due, R.A., Roberts, R.G., Maeda, T., Wasisto, S. and Djubiantono, T. 2005. Further evidence for small-bodied hominins from the Late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia. Nature 437, 1012-1017. Powledge, T.M. 2005. Researchers wrangle access to Homo floresiensis. Scientist 19(4), 14-15. Acknowledgements I am very grateful to both the AHRC and the Institute of Archaeology Awards, for their financial support to attend this conference.

Frank B. Livingstone (1928–2005)

Abstract: Academy of Sciences as well as to nine other elective societies in the United States, Europe, and Africa. He served as President of the AAA in 1951, as Secretary Treasurer of the AAPA from 1939 to 1943, and as editor of the journal of that association from 1949 to 1954. In 1993, the William W. Howells Book Prize for general books in physical anthropology was created in his honor by the Biological Anthropology Section of the AAA.