Body size, scaling body size, and how shape changes.
Helps in a forensic context for the biological profile.
Population, and environmental stressors like mobility, and disease affect body size/shape. Can also be used to understand the sexual dimorphism of extinct hominins.
Ecogeographical rules related to thermoregulation:
Bergmann’s Rule (1847) If you have a species that is variable, and spread out over a geographical area you will see a larger variance of those species. Relating to body mass; bigger in colder climates, smaller in warmer climates.
Allen’s Rule (1877) concerned with appendage’s. Shorter in colder climates, and longer in warmer climates.
Together they are Bergmann’s and Allen’s rules.
A great modern example is observed in the following populations:
Comparative Cognition and Neuroscience: Misconceptions about Brain Evolution [onlinewiley] Toru Shimizu
Abstract: This paper discusses five common misconceptions about the evolution of the brain. These misconceptions are: (1) brains evolved in a unilinear, serial process; (2) brain size increased linearly from simple to complex animals; (3) all the systems in the brain in different animals evolved at the same rate; (4) the “new” part of the brain became larger through evolution; and (5) the “same” brain structures in different animals attained the “same” functions. These misunderstandings must be corrected in order for comparative brain research to be a useful approach to understand the cognitive functions of different animals. This paper also discusses the growing interest in the integration of animal cognition studies and comparative brain research in the United States of America. In particular, two recent scientific meetings are presented as examples of the type of collaborations for exploring interdisciplinary brain research for comparative cognition.
This short article by Shimizu is a brilliant article for those who are getting into neuroscience, brain evolution, biology, or biological anthropology. It addresses the common misconceptions regarding brain evolution and explains why these misconceptions exists (and its impact in the scientific community). I highly recommend it as a good foundation piece to give students in the first few weeks of an introductory biological anthropology or neuroscience course. Of course, you’re welcomed to just read it for fun because it’s still pretty damn great.
Richard III : The twisted bones that reveal a king
When Richard was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, he was said to have been buried in Greyfriars church, Leicester. But this church was lost until archaeologists excavated a car park and discovered medieval remains. Victorian foundations had almost destroyed the entire grave and the feet were lost, but the bones still promised to provide a treasure trove of information - would they also reveal a king?
Richard III was portrayed by Shakespeare as having a hunched back and the skeleton has a striking curvature to its spine. This was caused by scoliosis, a condition which experts say in this case developed in adolescence. Rather than giving him a stoop, it would have made one shoulder higher than the other. Highlighted are the facing sides of the 10th and 11th thoracic vertebrae, showing uneven growth as the spine bent.
Evidence of a number of wounds were found on the skeleton but the face area was largely unmarked, apart from a sliced cheekbone. The skull has undergone a CT scan and the results will be used to reconstruct the king’s appearance. No portraits made during his lifetime have survived and some later copies show signs of having been altered to make him appear more sinister.
The back of the skull shows dramatic injuries. One consists of a hole near the spine, where a large piece of bone has been sliced away by a heavy bladed weapon such as a halberd. This, along with a smaller wound opposite, may well have been a fatal injury. A smaller dent which cracked the inside of the skull, is thought to have been caused by a dagger. There are a further five wounds on the skull, all inflicted around the time of death.
The teeth of the skeleton have provided important information. As well as evidence of disease and tooth decay, calcified plaque can be analysed for evidence of diet and environment. He had lost several of his back teeth before he died, probably due to dental caries. DNA samples were extracted from the teeth and the right femur to compare with known descendants of Richard’s family. Despite the potential for DNA to degrade, a match was found.
The back of the skull shows dramatic injuries. One consists of a hole near the spine, where a large piece of bone has been sliced away by a heavy bladed weapon such as a halberd. This, along with a smaller wound opposite, may well have been a fatal injury. A smaller dent which cracked the inside of the skull, is thought to have been caused by a dagger. There are a further five wounds on the skull, all inflicted around the time of death.
Interactive feature produced by Greig Watson, Christine Jeavans, Mick Ruddy, Sophia Domfeh and Paul Kerley.
Photographs by University of Leicester and Jeff Overs. Portrait of Richard III: Collection of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
Cannot contain excitement, behold the awesome power of Anthropology, or more specifically Archaeology/Osteoarchaeology!
Bones Tell Tale Of Desperation Among The Starving At Jamestown
““First they ate their horses, and then fed upon their dogs and cats, as well as rats, mice and snakes.”
So says James Horn of the historical group Colonial Williamsburg, paraphrasing an account by colony leader George Percy of what conditions were like for the hundreds of men and women stranded in Jamestown, Va., with little food in the dead of winter in 1609.
They even ate their shoes. And, apparently, at least one person.”
The most supported traditional hypothesis points out that the earliest well-established human culture in the North American continent were the Clovis, a population of hunters who arrived about 13,000 years before present from North-East Asia through the Bering Strait, and scattered over the continent.
A 2500 year old mummy that had some amazing tattoos.
The Pazyryk Ice Maiden always delights. This is probably the first big archaeological discovery I remember watching/reading about as it unfolded. That makes me feel old, but…in the long view of things, I suppose I’ve still got some time. She actually had blonde hair, and was aged about 25, and…is in no way genetically linked to the locals who are claiming she is their great-x-ancestor and that the Russkies have to give the body (bodies, actually, they’ve found more, plus the horses, I’m not sure how the Altai feel about the horses. Well, I know how they feel about the horses…) back because it’s ‘technically theirs’…even though it’s not, you know, related in any way, predates their culture by quite some time…kinda like how Kennewick Man was tussled over until the courts finally, and sanely, ruled in favor of the US Army Corps of Engineers and their science-wonks…or Otsi the Ice Man…he should totally be returned to the fucking Alps because he’s like, spiritually, a descendent of the like Alpine people (well, sorta, but considering all the migrations and population shuffling…eh)…
Absolutely beautiful.
The Siberian Ice Maiden, also known as the Princess of Ukok, the Altai Princess, and Ochy-bala, is a mummy of a woman from the 5th c. BCE, found in 1993 in a kurgan of the Pazyryk culture in Republic of Altai, Russia.
Buried around her were six horses, saddled and bridled, her spiritual escorts to the next world, and a symbol of her evident status, though experts are divided on whether she was a royal or a revered folk tale narrator, a healer or a holy woman.
The Pazyryks also believed the tattoos would be helpful in another life, making it easy for the people of the same family and culture to find each other after death. The Siberian Times said, “the tattoos on the left shoulder of the ‘princess’ show a mythological animal - a deer with a griffon’s beak and a Capricorn’s antlers.“
When archaeologist Katie Hunt was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 22, it catalyzed a deeper curiosity about cancer as an ancient disease. Delving into ancient texts and analyzing ancient human remains, Hunt discovered cancer’s presence in antiquity — recorded as early as 1,500 BCE, and in skeletal remains from as early as 6,000 BCE — but no tools existed for rigorous scientific analysis.
So, with three other women in science, Casey Kirkpatrick, Jennifer Willoughby and Roselyn Campbell, Hunt launched the Paleo-Oncological Research Organization — a network of archaeologists, oncologists and cancer researchers working to develop scientific research standards and techniques — and an open source database of physical evidence of cancer from many eras and regions.
This growing field of paleo-oncology will raise interesting questions about how biology, culture and environment affect development of the disease, helping us better understand its prevention and treatment.
“Biological anthropology — a physical science in a gentle embrace with social science—happens to be a field predominantly led by women, so I have the fortune of working with brilliant woman scientists every day,” says Hunt. “While sexism still exists in our lives, I’m privileged to witness a world in which women in science is commonplace and celebrated… And science is stronger for it!”
“In 2012, archaeologists discovered the skeletal remains of an adult male buried under a car park in Leicester, England. Using DNA evidence, they were able to confirm the identity of the skeleton as that of Richard III, the former king of England who died a brutal death in the Battle of Bosworth. On March 22 of this year, thousands of people lined the streets of Leicester to watch a horse drawn hearse carry the coffin containing Richard III’s remains to Leicester Cathedral. This solemn moment was made possible by intrepid archaeologists using forensic techniques. Scientific methods such as the DNA testing used to confirm Richard III’s identity are closely associated with forensic science, but they are just as useful for archaeologists as they are for criminologists.
Similar to crime scene investigators, archaeologists aim to gather as much evidence as possible in order to interpret how our ancestors lived. Unfortunately, archaeological sites provide incomplete and even misleading pictures of the past, leaving archaeologists to tease apart the evidence and formulate likely scenarios. Sometimes it is difficult to know if the interpretations made are correct or way off target. Forensic techniques such as fingerprint matching, DNA testing, and chemical residue analysis help dispel some of this uncertainty by providing concrete evidence to support or refute hypotheses.
Fingerprint Analysis
As one of the oldest forensic techniques for identification, fingerprint analysis has intrigued archaeologists for many years. In archaeology, fingerprint studies are focused on ceramics, because as a potter creates a vessel, his or her prints can mark the clay. Once the clay is fired, the prints are preserved.
As early as the 1930s, archaeologists were using fingerprint analysis to help determine site timelines. It was at the Tell en-Nasbeh site in Palestine that Dr. William F. Bade used fingerprints to help him understand the confusing artifact deposits at the site. He was able to conclude that one potter had molded many of the vessels and therefore any layers that contained this potter’s work belonged to the same time period” (read more).
Deep in the caves of Goyet in Belgium researchers have found the grisly evidence that the Neanderthals did not just feast on horses or reindeer, but also on each other.
Human bones from a newborn, a child and four adults or teenagers who lived around 40,000 years ago show clear signs of cutting and of fractures to extract the marrow within, they say.
“It is irrefutable, cannibalism was practised here,” says Belgian archaeologist Christian Casseyas as he looks inside a cave halfway up a valley in this site in the Ardennes forest.
The bones in Goyet date from when Neanderthals were nearing the end of their time on earth before being replaced by Homo sapiens, with whom they also interbred. Read more.
