Modern statistical methods were employed in order to test the statistical validity and conclusions of Marcus Goldsteins (1943) original data consisting of nineteen different anthropometric measurements on two different groups of individuals, Mexican immigrants and their children residing in the San Antonio, Texas area and Mexican natives living in central and northern Mexico. Using independent samples T-tests, an analysis of covariance, and an RMET analysis, significant differences among variables compared between Mexican natives and Mexican immigrants and their U.S. born children were identified and interpreted. Variation was attributed to geographical location and length of time spent in the United States. Plasticity of the human skeleton, specifically cranial measurements, were observed.

The portfolio represents a ten year sample of the types of scientific and policy briefings typically generated in the inter-governmental consultation process that has developed since the revisions to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. It was offered as proof of professional competence and indented to guide the Department of Anthropology on what areas future cultural resource management practitioners should be mindful of when servicing client needs.

This study was prepared for the National Park Service to serve as documentation of the cultural significance of Yellowstone buffalo to two American Indian cultural groups, the Nez Perce and the Lakota Sioux, and of the 1999 Buffalo Walk and accompanying ceremony that took place within the boundary of the park. Both Lakota Sioux and Nez Perce peoples had leadership roles in the Buffalo Walk, which was a benchmark event in the history of the park and of Yellowstone buffalo management. Participants in the Buffalo Walk walked and rode more than 500 miles from Rapid City, South Dakota to the north gate of the park to honor and attract attention to the situation faced by the Yellowstone buffalo herd. This study documents the involvement of Lakota Sioux and Nez Perce peoples in this important event in park history and provides context for this involvement through the discussion of the historic and contemporary significance of Yellowstone buffalo to the cultures of these two groups.

This project is an attempt to re-examine the Pacific Paradox, as proposed by Philip Houghton (1996), through various morphological measurements on two climatically different populations, Alaskan Eskimo and Pacific Island groups. The Pacific Paradox has been widely discussed, but research using direct comparisons between this Pacific population and cold climate groups has received little attention. The methods employed are those preformed by Ruff (1994), Ruff et al (1991, 2004, 2005) and Houghton (1996) to create the most accurate determination of overall body form in both populations. Eight measurements were used to construct variables to create an accurate portrayal of overall body shape. These measurements were taken on Alaskan Eskimo populations spread throughout the entire region of Alaska and on Polynesian populations from a wide variety of Pacific Islands. The overall comparisons demonstrate similarities in the two body mass estimations; the bi-iliac breadth measurement and maximum femoral head diameter, and in the overall stature to body mass ratios, except in the males, who are significantly different in every measurement apart from surface area to body mass ratios and stature to body mass ratios. Further studies on each population were conducted to determine the role of latitude or isolation factors on each population. Interestingly, the Alaskan group did not follow the stereotypical trend of cold climate adaptation based on latitude. In the female groups, the females from the lowest latitude had the lowest surface area to body mass ratios followed by the highest latitude group. The male groups followed the stereotype with the highest latitude group having the lowest surface area to body mass ratio but interestingly, the group from the lowest latitude had the next lowest ratio. Polynesian results illustrated somewhat similar body proportions throughout the region with only a few exceptions. Meanwhile, several individuals measured from the Polynesian collection could be considered part of Melanesia. Migration patterns, founder effect through disease frequencies, nutritional effects and cultural traits along with many other issues are presented when examining the similarities and differences the Polynesian population has in comparison to both the Alaskan group and the small Melanesian sample.

This study tested the efficacy of the traditional method (Fazekas and Kosa, 1978) of aging fetal remains from the forensic context against ultrasound (Chevernak et al., 1998)and radiographic (Sherwood et al., 2000) methods to determine which was most accurate. Two data sets were used in this study. The first consisted of measurements from historic (1902-1917) fetal remains of known age. The second consisted of measurements from modern fetal remains of known age from the forensic context. Using these samples in the different prediction models for aging fetal remains, the accuracy of each was determined.

The accurate determination of sex is the first analytic task of physical anthropologists in the study of human skeletal remains. Correct sex determinations are essential because most other skeletal analyses rely on this to be accurately determined. Although morphological features of the skull and pelvis have been traditionally used for sex determination, certain metric analyses have also been useful. In the absence of the most commonly used bones, metric measurements obtained from the tarsals have the ability to provide accurate information regarding sex. Metric sex assessments are based on the levels of sexual dimorphism between males and females. This thesis evaluates the presence of sexual dimorphism in the tarsals and their dimensions of length, width, and height and assesses which bones and dimensions are most useful for sex determination using a modern skeletal sample (n = 160) comprised of individuals of known sex and age. Summary statistics were calculated for males and females separately to assess the sexual variation for each measure. Pearsonâs Correlation Coefficient was used to establish correlations between sex and each measurement. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the levels of sexual dimorphism in the bones and dimensions for the sample. Accuracy of sex estimations was compared between the left and right sides for each bone to determine if one side was more sexually dimorphic than the other. Logistic regression coefficients from the most accurate bones and dimensions were generated from the sample, which can be used to develop equations to accurately sex other samples of similar Euro-American ancestry. The most sexually dimorphic tarsals were the talus and first cuneiform. Tarsals from the right side were slightly more sexually dimorphic than those from the left. Length and height dimensions were more variable than breadth dimensions. Correct classifications for individual variables were as high as 87.8 %, with the highest overall percentage of correct classification of 93.5% obtained from a combination of all height measurements from the right tarsals for the total sample. This has implications for sexing skeletal remains from archaeological samples when other more commonly used bones are absent or poorly preserved.

Town Creek Indian Mound was an important ceremonial center of the Pee Dee culture for approximately 200 years (A.D. 1150 - 1400) before it was abandoned. Biological indicators, such as the prevalence of diseases like cribra orbitalia, and decreases in stature attainment from previous generations will be presented. Often site abandonment will also be preceded by increases in cultural stress, such as trauma, as the population reacts to worsening conditions. These three indicators are used to determine if the Pee Dee population living at Town Creek was, in fact, experiencing biological or cultural stress at the end of their habitation of the site. Comparisons were made between an early habitation phase (Teal/Early Town Creek period) and a late phase (Late Town Creek/Leak period). MANOVA statistical analysis found that, of the long bone length measurements, only the female humerus was found to be variable between time phases, with the bone becoming longer in the late phase. Neither cribra nor trauma increased significantly in the late phase. Drought reconstructions have shown that, while the area has experienced extended periods of mild drought and even one intense drought, these periods corresponded with increased site activity, including the construction of monumental architecture. All skeletal indicators and contextual climate reconstructions point to a stable environment and associated population. Issues with nutrition or violence within the culture did not precede the Pee Dee's abandonment of Town Creek, so the cause must lie with other unknown factors.

The aim of this paper is to further understand the dental health of Thailand and Southeast Asia. An analysis of dental pathology frequencies were conducted using recently excavated remains from the Iron Age site of Promtin Tai in Thailand. Carious lesions, advanced attrition, antemortem tooth loss, and abscessing were scored and the frequencies were then compared to other sites within Thailand. Preliminary work suggests that the overall pathology rate at the Promtin Tai site is lower than other known sites within Thailand. The total caries rate of 0.5 percent at Promtin Tai represents a statistically significant difference in total caries rates between the coastal, central, and Khorat Plateau regions of Thailand. Because this is the first site in the central region to be analyzed for dental pathology, comparisons can only be made to sites of a similar time period from the Khorat Plateau (Eastern Thailand) and coastal Thailand. This new analysis may give insight about how the transition to rice agriculture affects the dentition. It also furthers the knowledge of dental health within Iron Age Thailand and Southeast Asia.

The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate patterns of variation in the postcranial skeleton of prehistoric American populations as they are related to variation in climate. Two ecogeographical rules proposed by Karl Bergmann (1847) and Joel Allen (1877) describe expected patterns of variation with widespread, warm-blooded species. Modern humans in the Old World largely conform to this pattern (Holliday 1997a). This study seeks to explore if the same patterns are present in the New World. Skeletal material from 25 North American bioarchaeological collections was used in this analysis. A series of 29 measurements of the postcranial skeleton were collected from 854 individuals. These measurements were analyzed with respect to site-specific temperature and precipitation data using univariate and multiple regression analysis, analysis of size and shape using “Mosimann” type shape variables (Darroch and Mosimann 1985), and canonical correlation analysis. The results of this study show that there is a significant relationship between climate and postcranial variation in this sample, particularly in measurements of long bone length and epiphyseal size. Radius and tibia length appear to be the most highly correlated with climate variables, as would be expected if thermoregulation is a significant biological stress (Holliday 1999). Comparison between this sample and data collected from Old World samples suggest that adaptation to climate has occurred in North America, but not to the same degree as is seen in the Old World. This suggests that the relatively recent peopling of the Americas, as well as other factors such possible long-distance migrations, have influenced the potential effects of adaptation to climate.

This study determined that morphometric and morphoscopic variables of the human mandible can be used to estimate the partial biological profile of an individual. Specifically, these mandibular variables were used in linear discriminant function analyses designed to estimate the biological affinity or sex of an individual, with or without biological a priori knowledge. The study data set is composed of 17 world samples including U.S. White, Black, and Hispanic individuals, prehistoric and proto-historic Native American groups, Southeast and Northeast Asian peoples, a Central American group, and a Nubian group. Eleven metric measurements were utilized: eight are standard measurements; two were designed for this study; and one was modified from its standard definition. Six morphoscopic variables were employed; most were analyzed as defined in the literature, though several involved expanded definitions and scoring categories. Specific definitions and graphics are provided for the measuring and scoring procedures. These variables were used in three types of analyses – a morphometric analysis, a morphoscopic analysis, and both types together, forming a morphometroscopic analysis. The combination of morphometric and morphoscopic data into one statistical analysis is a relatively novel approach to the analysis of human remains. Four major combinations of samples were used in the study: all groups, groups of individuals that are forensically interesting, groups that are potentially closely associated, and single groups through time. Results indicated that sex can be estimated using the morphometric data with high accuracy rates, typically 83% to 89%. Morphoscopic data produced sex estimation viii accuracy rates between 63% and 81%. Combining the two data sets produced accuracy rates in excess of 90%. Analyses examining the estimation of biological affinity were successful. Morphometric data produced better accuracy rates than morphoscopic data, but the morphometroscopic data sets were the most accurate. Linear discriminant functions using morphometroscopic data produced biological affinity accuracy rates that were frequently four times better than expected by random chance, and were often seven times greater than chance alone. Overall, the study concluded that mandibular morphometric and morphoscopic variables were useful for the estimation of sex and biological affinity in a variety of world populations.