Cranial Nonmetric Traits

Esta investigación describe la frecuencia de dieciséis caracteres macromorfoscópicos craneales en tres poblaciones mexicanas contemporáneas; con el propósito, de ofrecer parámetros de referencia que puedan ser utilizados en estimación de ancestría en el ámbito de la antropología forense, así como estandarizar un método específico en estas poblaciones.
Desde la praxis de la antropología forense mexicana, ayuda a crear referencias sobre el perfil biológico de la población contemporánea, al incluir un resultado confiable, repetible y reproducible sobre la probable ancestría geográfica de los individuos a identificar, al basarse en un método de evaluación morfoscópica, al tiempo que intenta contribuir a la construcción de métodos o estándares de identificación humana en el contexto de desaparición y/o no localización de personas en nuestro país.

Sex—often analyzed through the visual assessment of robust or gracile nonmetric skeletal features—is one of the most important components of the biological profile, as it dictates the methods used in the estimation of age and stature. Differences in sexual dimorphism exist between populations; however, little work has tested the efficacy of nonmetric-scoring systems on Asian groups. This study examines cranial (nuchal crest, mastoid process, supraorbital margin, glabella, and mental eminence) nonmetric sexual dimorphism in 1,397 Japanese and Thai individuals through the development of population-specific univariate and multivariate statistics, which were subsequently tested on 109 Filipino individuals. The univariate sectioning points produced classification accuracies of 45.5–93.2%, while cross-validated logistic regression equations resulted in classification accuracies of 68.4–97.3%. However, Walker’s (2008) and Garvin et al.’s (2014) discriminant functions developed on non-Asian individuals produced lower classification accuracies and higher sex biases when applied to the Asian samples due to reduced sexual dimorphism. While some population differences exist between the Japanese and Thai, the inclusion of population in statistical models failed to contribute to the predictions. Further, the success of the univariate and multivariate models on the Filipino sample suggests that they can be cautiously applied to other East and Southeast Asian groups. While age and intraobserver error minimally affect the nonmetric traits, secular change may influence their expression, thereby complicating their use in sex estimation. The findings of this research underscore the importance of developing Asian-specific biological profile methods in the current judicial climate.

Nonmetric traits are frequently analyzed in the field of anthropology to measure genetic relatedness, or biodistance within or between populations. These studies are performed under the assumption that nonmetric traits are inherited genetically. Historically, interpretations of both biological and cultural change within the Armenian Highlands, have cited large-scale population movements. Biological estimates of these changes have traditionally relied upon biodistance estimates, using odontologic, craniofacial measures of both deformed and nondeformed skulls. In order to evaluate whether large-scale prehistoric and historic migrations occurred in the Armenian Highlands, we examine the biodistance results from nonmetric cranial traits for 19 mortuary samples that represented all time periods on the Armenian Highlands. None of the distances between each pair of mortuary samples examined in this study was significant. These results suggest biological continuity in the populations of Armenia. The biodistance results also suggest endogamy within inland populations. The broader implications of these results are also discussed.

Objectives: In the Late Intermediate Period Andes (AD 1100-1450), the proliferation of above-ground sepulchers reconfigured social boundaries within and between communities engaged in protracted conflict. However, the biosocial dimensions of these mortuary practices, and their implications for conflict and alliance formation, remain unexplored. This study examines patterns of phenotypic variation to: (1) evaluate if open sepulchers were organized on the basis of biological relatedness, and (2) explore if sex-specific phenotypic variability conforms to models of postmarital residence. Materials and methods: Cranial nonmetric traits were recorded in five skeletal samples from two cemeteries in the Colca Valley, Peru. Biological distances between burial groups were calculated using the Mean Measure of Divergence (MMD) statistic. Postmarital residence was explored by calculating and bootstrapping the ratio of male-to-female mean pairwise differences (MPD) at the within-group level. Results: The MMD analysis yields greater than expected between-group distances for burial groups with a minimum sample size of 20 individuals. In contrast, a prevailing pattern of sex-specific, within-group phenotypic variability is not apparent from the analysis of MPD. The use of 12 or 24 dichotomous traits produces similar results. Discussion: Greater than expected biological distances suggest that above-ground mortuary practices reinforced biosocial boundaries between corporate household groups. Intracemetery heterogeneity persisted even as cranial vault modification, a correlate of social identity, became more homogenous, revealing how corporate group organization was negotiated at multiple scales. Sex-specific variation does not conform to traditional migration models. If migration occurred, it did not have a homogenizing effect on phenotypic variation. These results should be viewed with caution in light of the smaller sample sizes of sex-specific groupings.

Cranial nonmetric variation is quite popular in analyzing osteological remains at the population level and has successfully been used to evaluate the evolutionary relations and biological affinities among ancient and contemporary populations from different regions in the world. In this paper we present the results of comparative cranial non-metric study of human remains from different historical periods unearthed in Mongolia, China, South Siberia, Buryatia and Baikal Lake region to see biological relationship of archaeological populations inhabited Inner Asia during Neolithic, Bronze, Iron Age and Medieval period. 
Results of the comparative study show general differentiation between populations from eastern Mongolia and Inner Mongolia on one hand, and populations from Xingjian, Altai, South Siberia, Buryatia and western Mongolia on the other hand. Cluster analyses showed a picture of very heterogeneous population structure of inhabitants from Southern Siberia, Altai and Western Mongolia during Eoneolithic, Bronze and Early Iron Ages and very close characteristics for Xiongnu populations from Altai and Mongolia. Comparative analysis of medieval and contemporary populations from Baikal, Buryatia, Mongolia, Inner Mongolia and Northeast Asia show more or less compact picture. Nevertheless, we can observe some tendencies in their biological affinities.

The mean measure of divergence is a dissimilarity measure between groups of individuals described by dichotomous variables. It is well suited to datasets with many missing values, and it is generally used to compute distance matrices and represent phenograms. Although often used in biological anthropology and archaeozoology, this method suffers from a lack of implementation in common statistical software. A package for the R statistical software, AnthropMMD, is presented here. Offering a dynamic graphical user interface, it is the first one dedicated to Smith's mean measure of divergence. The package also provides facilities for graphical representations and the crucial step of trait selection, so that the entire analysis can be performed through the graphical user interface. Its use is demonstrated using an artificial dataset, and the impact of trait selection is discussed. Finally, AnthropMMD is compared to three other free tools available for calculating the mean measure of divergence, and is proven to be consistent with them.

In the Late Intermediate Period Andes (AD 1100-1450), the proliferation of above-ground sepulchers reconfigured social boundaries within and between communities engaged in protracted conflict. However, the biosocial dimensions of these mortuary practices, and their implications for conflict and alliance formation, remain unexplored. This study examines patterns of phenotypic variation to: (1) evaluate if open sepulchers were organized on the basis of biological relatedness, and (2) explore if sex-specific phenotypic variability conforms to models of postmarital residence. Cranial nonmetric traits were recorded in five skeletal samples from two cemeteries in the Colca Valley, Peru. Biological distances between burial groups were calculated using the Mean Measure of Divergence (MMD) statistic. Postmarital residence was explored by calculating and bootstrapping the ratio of male-to-female mean pairwise differences (MPD) at the within-group level. The MMD analysis yields greater than ex...

An alternative exit of the Inferior Petrosal Sinus is described. This cranial non-metric trait occurs as a small (<7 mm) foramen found 5 – 15 mm anterior to the Jugular Foramen. The distribution of the trait appears to be restricted to Australia and the Pacific, and is found in proportions between 4 and 21 % regionally. The author would like to know if skeletal biologists have observed the trait in North America or elsewhere.

Objectives: Secular change in cranial and postcranial morphometrics and morphological traits has been documented in several studies. However, to date, few studies have addressed temporal changes occurring in the expression of cranial morphological traits commonly used in ancestry estimation. This study examines secular change in the expression of 23 cranial and mandibular morphological traits; accounting for age-at-death, sex, and year-of-birth. Materials & Methods: Data were collected on 23 morphological cranial and mandibular traits for European American individuals (19-97 years of age) from the Hamann-Todd Skeletal Collection (n = 518) and the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection (n = 602). Individuals were divided into six birth-Results: Statistical analyses, including Pearson's chi-square, correspondence analysis, and ordinal regression, demonstrate that secular changes have occurred in 11 traits, including: anterior nasal spine (ANS); malar tubercle (MT); nasal bone contour (NBC); postbregmatic depression (PBD); supranasal suture (SPS); transverse palatine suture (TPS); zygomaticomaxillary suture (ZS); ascending ramus shape (ARS); gonial angle flare (GAF); mandibular tori (MDT); and posterior ramus edge inversion (PREI), with changes occurring in both sexes for ANS, MT, TPS, ZS, GAF, MDT, and PREI. Significant changes in trait expression were found predominately between Cohorts 3 and 4, and Cohorts 4 and 5. While the sex of an individual affected the expression of ANS, MT, NBC, PBD, SPS, ZS, ARS, GAF, and PREI, age-at-death only affected MT and PREI. Discussion: This study demonstrates that secular change in morphological cranial and mandibular traits has occurred over the last two centuries in European Americans, with the most considerable change appearing at the turn of the twentieth century. Changes in morphological trait expression over a relatively short period of time correspond with changes seen in craniometric analyses and correlate with the industriali-zation of society and environmental and cultural changes, such as medical advancements, nutrition, and population health/stress.

Studies have revealed the existence of statistically significant sex differences in the frequency of nonmetric traits, but no agreement seems to exist about their variability among populations. This problem was examined using the multifactorial threshold model. Considering the assumption of additive effects of factors on the liability and the nature of effect of sex difference on the development of nonmetric traits, it would be reasonable to assume that the sex difference in the mean of liability is constant across populations. This hypothesis was tested and the magnitude of sex difference was examined using the world-wide dataset collected by Ossenberg and the dual-liability threshold model formulated by the author with a modification to accommodate side difference in the probability of trait occurrence. The data were divided into 16 samples regarded as randomly sampled from regional populations. The data of 31 bilateral traits were analyzed using maximum likelihood estimation procedures. After confirming the homogeneity of the variance of liability between sexes and across populations, the homogeneity and significance of sex difference in the mean of liability were tested. The results indicate the homogeneity
of sex difference across populations. The assumed constant sex difference was statistically significant in 17 traits at the 1% level, and its magnitude exceeded half the averaged distance between eight groups of
populations in 12 traits. Population comparisons without distinguishing sex are justifiable if they use the traits with enough weak sex difference in comparison with population differences. Since the sex difference has proved to be basically constant across populations, the estimates of the assumed constant sex difference reported in this study would provide references for selecting traits appropriate for each comparison. The Breslow–Day test of homogeneity of sex difference indicated the inapplicability of the genotype model to the data, supporting Ossenberg’s proposal for the use of side counts.

Nonmetric traits are frequently analyzed in the field of anthropology to measure genetic relatedness, or biodistance, within or between populations. These studies are performed under the assumption that nonmetric traits are genetically inherited. Historically, interpretations of both biological and cultural change within the Armenian Highland, have cited large-scale population movements. Biological estimates of this change have traditionally relied upon biodistance estimates, using odontologic, craniofacial measures of both deformed and nondeformed skulls. In order to evaluate whether large-scale prehistoric and historic migrations occurred in the Armenian Highland, we examine biodistance results from nonmetric cranial traits for 19 samples that represent all time periods on Armenian Highland. None of the distances between each pair of samples examined by this study were significant. These results suggest biological continuity on the Armenia populations. Biodistance results also suggest endogamy within inland populations. The broader implications of these results are discussed.

Nonmetric and metric traits were studied in cranial series representing prehistoric and modern populations of America and Siberia. Frequencies of the infraorbital pattern type II (longitudinal infraorbital suture overlaid by the zygomatic bone) are universally lower in Amerindians than in Siberians. The os japonicum posterior trace, too, is much less frequent in America than in Siberia. The only two Siberian groups with an almost Amerindian combination are late third to early second millennium BC populations from Okunev and Sopka, southern Siberia. The multivariate analysis of five nonmetric facial traits and ten facial measurements in 15 cranial series reveals two independent tendencies. One of them shows a contrast between prehistoric Siberian Caucasoids and modern Siberian Mongoloids; the second one sets Amerindians apart from others. Prehistoric people who lived west of Lake Baikal and modern Uralic speakers are intermediate between Siberian Caucasoids and Siberian Mongoloids; Eskimos, Aleuts, and Chukchi are intermediate between Siberian Mongoloids and Amerindians; and Okunev and Sopka are intermediate between Siberian Caucasoids and Amerindians. Our results suggest that people of Okunev and Sopka are collateral relatives of Amerindians with some Caucasoid admixture.

Özet Torus palatinus, sert damağın orta hattında, median sutur boyunca farklı boyut, biçim ve yapılıma sahip olan kemik kabartı olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Genetik faktörler sonucunda oluştuğu kabul edilen ve dünya genelindeki dağılımı oldukça farklılık gösteren torus palatinusun eski Anadolu toplumlarındaki sıklığı düşüktür, ancak bu anomalinin sıklığı Kovuklukaya (Boyabat/Sinop, Bizans dönemi) iskelet grubunda yüksek bulunmuştur. Bu araştırmada torus palatinusla sık karşılaşılan Kovuklukaya ören yerinde bu anamolinin rastlanma sıklığının olası nedenleri ele alınmaktadır. Kovuklukaya iskeletlerinde sert damak kemikleri incelenebilen 25 bireyden 15'inde (% 60) torus palatinsun mevcudiyeti saptanmıştır. Aileler ve ikizler üzerinde yürütülen araştırmalar, bu anomalinin gelişiminde genetik faktörlerin etkili olduğunu göstermiştir. Toplulukta yoğun bir şekilde karşılaşılan torus palatinus, os ac-romiale gibi genetik kökenli diğer anomaliler ve iskeletlerin homojen morfolojik özellikleri birlikte değerlendirildiğinde Kovuklukaya iskeletlerinin küçük izole bir topluluğu, belki de büyük bir aileye ait olduktan sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Torus palatinusun toplulukta yoğunlaşmasının genetik sürüklenme ve akraba evliliği gibi biyolojik süreçlerden kaynaklandığı düşünülmektedir. Abstract Palatine torus is described a paramedian bony protuberance of varying size, form and extent, which is situated along the median suture of hard palate. The frequency of palatine torus, which is thought to develop as a result of genetic factors and observed to indicate an irregular distribution all over the world, is considerably low in the ancient populations in Anatolia. However, the frequency of this anomaly in Kovuklukaya (Boyabat, Sinop, early Byzantine period) skeletal remains is observed to be extremely high. Of the 25 complete skeletons available for examination,

An unusual anatomical variation was observed in the skull excavated at Lanište (Raška district, Serbia), a Roman necropolis dating to the second half of the 4th century AD. The skull of an adult male showed a remarkably large supernumerary bone at bregma co-occurring with a continuous persistent metopic suture. Few similar cases have been reported in scientific literature. We describe the case and discuss possible mechanisms and underlying causes, including pathological conditions.

... Torus palatinusun gelişim derecesi Hauser ve De Stefano (1989) tarafından belirlenen kriterlere göre yok, hafif, orta, belirgin ve çok belirgin olmak üzere 5 gruba ayrılarak incelenmiştir (Resim 1-6). Torusun ... Bölge son derece sarp dağlar ve tepelerle sınırlanmış izole bir alandır. ...

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