James M. Calcagno

On the applicability of sexing human skeletal material by discriminant function analysis

The general applicability of multivariate discriminatory analysis as a technique for sexing skeletal material is evaluated. Mandibular discriminant functions, each differentiating sex with an accuracy of over 90%, were computed for American whites and blacks (as separate and combined samples), and for American Indians. Tests designed to provide an indication of the applicability of the functions reveal that size variation between populations plays a dominant role in determining the universality of discriminant function analysis. This is directly evidenced by the disproportionate number of males and females properly classified by a function based upon a different population. An attempt to increase the applicability of the technique, by removing the size factor and formulating new discriminant functions using the transformed data, was unsuccessful. Altering sectioning points is not deemed a practical solution to the problem, even though it is commonly employed in the literature. Consequently, though the mandibular discriminant functions are highly accurate within a given sample, the population specificity of the technique restricts their use.

Dental anthropology of central-southern, iron age Italy: The evidence of metric versus nonmetric traits

Discrete and metric dental traits are used to assess biological similarities and differences among 13 bioarchaeological populations located on each side of the Apennine mountains in central-southern Italy and dated to the first millennium BC. An initial hypothesis, that the mountain chain might provide a significant geographical barrier for population movement (resulting in greater biological affinities among those groups on the same side), is not supported. Instead, the samples appear to cluster more on the basis of time than geography. Archaeological evidence, however, supports an association between populations on opposite sides of the mountains and thus is in accord with the dental data. As anticipated, discrete dental traits appear to be more useful than metric dental traits in assessing such population affinities. This research represents a beginning to a better comprehension of the complexity of the biological and cultural dynamics of Italian populations during recent millennia.

What makes us human? Answers from evolutionary anthropology.

Today, scholars from numerous and highly diverse fields are not only addressing the question of what makes us human, but also seeking input from other disciplines to inform their answers to this fundamental issue. However, for the most part, evolutionary anthropologists are not particularly prominent in this discussion, or at least not acknowledged to be. Why is this the case? One reason may be that although evolutionary anthropologists are uniquely positioned to provide valuable insight on this subject, the responses from any one of us are likely to be as different as the research specializations and intellectual experiences that we bring to the table. Indeed, one would anticipate that a paleoanthropologist would not only have different views than a primatologist, geneticist, or behavioral ecologist, but from other paleoanthropologists as well. Yet if asked by a theologian, psychologist, or political scientist, and perhaps most importantly, by any curious person outside the walls of academia, do we have a response that most evolutionary anthropologists could agree on as reflecting our contributions to the understanding of being and becoming human? Our introductory textbooks usually begin with this fundamental question, yet seldom produce a concise answer.

SOCIAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CAPTIVE ADULT MALE AND INFANT LOWLAND GORILLAS: IMPLICATIONS REGARDING KIN SELECTION AND ZOO MANAGEMENT

Interactions between unrelated and related silverback-infant dyads are compared in an attempt to assess the influence that kinship may have on male parental behavior. Observational data were collected on each member of two silverback-infant dyads, in two separate enclosures at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, IL. The silverback was the father of the infant in one dyad, and unrelated to the infant in the other. Each infant was responsible for initiating most of the encounters with its respective group silverback. However, based on the frequency and duration of interactions, there is a significantly higher degree of affiliation and tolerance within the silverback-offspring dyad. Furthermore, the unrelated infant was the recipient of more than 40% of the agonistic behaviors exhibited by the silverback, whereas no such encounters were recorded within the related dyad. Although alternative explanations must be considered, these findings are consistent with kin selection theory, are similar to observations documented for wild mountain gorillas, and provide uncommon comparative data on adult male interactions with related and unrelated infants. In addition, this study offers behavioral information relevant to the management of captive gorillas, which often requires the introduction of immatures into non-natal groups. Zoo Biol 18:53–62, 1999.