Phenotypic approaches for understanding patterns of intracemetery biological variation

Abstract

This paper reviews studies of phenotypic inheritance and microevolutionary processes in archaeological populations using data on cranial and dental phenotypic variation, often referred to as paleogenetics or biodistance analysis. The estimation of biological distances between populations, or among individuals within populations, is one component of bioarchaeological research on past populations. In this overview, five approaches that focus on morphological variation within cemeteries are summarized: kinship and cemetery structure analysis, postmarital residence analysis, sample aggregate phenotypic variability, temporal microchronology, and age-structured phenotypic variation. Previous research, theoretical justifications, and methods are outlined for each topic. Case studies are presented that illustrate these theoretical and methodological bases, as well as demonstrate the kinds of inferences possible using these approaches. Kinship and cemetery structure analysis seeks to identify the members of family groups within larger cemeteries or determine whether cemeteries were kin-structured. Analysis of sex-specific phenotypic variation allows estimation of postmarital residence practices, which is important for understanding other aspects of prehistoric social organization. Analysis of aggregate phenotypic variability can be used to infer site formation processes or cemetery catchment area. The study of temporal microchronologies can be used to evaluate provisional archaeological chronologies or study microevolutionary processes such as adaptive selection or changing patterns of gene flow. Finally, age-structured phenotypic variation can be reflective of selection processes within populations or it can be used as a measure of morbidity, growth arrest, and early mortality within past populations. Use of phenotypic data as a genotypic proxy is theoretically sound, even at small scales of analysis. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 49: 49-88, 2006.

Dental metric variability associated with human migration from skeletal remains of two Jomon sites (Yoshigo and Inariyama) in the Atsumi Peninsula area

“…Larsen, 1997;Pietrusewsky, 2000;Stojanowski and Schillaci, 2006) because of the moderate to high degree of heritability (Kieser, 1990;Scott, 1991;Dempsey and Townsend, 2001), absence of remodeling after crown completion, and generally better preservation of the crown (Hillson, 1996;Scott and Turner, 1997). All of the dental measurements used in this study were collected by one of the authors (W.M.…”

“…Interpopulation phenotypic variation is formed through genetic drift (human settlement, population growth/decline) and gene flow (human migration) (Lane and Sublett, 1972;Spence, 1974;Konigsberg and Buikstra, 1995;Stojanowski and Schillaci, 2006). Matsumura's (2000) dental metric study on skeletal remains from four sites in the Atsumi Peninsula area (the Yoshigo, Inariyama, Ikawazu and Hobi shell mounds) revealed that most of the individuals from these four sites did not form clear sitespecific clusters, although some individuals from a given site formed tight clusters, which might have reflected close kinship.…”

“…Recently, biodistance studies have been employed to reveal intrasite genetic variation (Buikstra et al, 1990;Stojanowski and Schillaci, 2006). This technique has been applied several times to Jomon populations (Kondo, 1994;Matsumura and Nishimoto, 1996) and has also been cross-checked against ancient DNA data (Shinoda et al, 1998;Adachi et al, 2003Adachi et al, , 2006.…”

“…This technique has been applied several times to Jomon populations (Kondo, 1994;Matsumura and Nishimoto, 1996) and has also been cross-checked against ancient DNA data (Shinoda et al, 1998;Adachi et al, 2003Adachi et al, , 2006. Although the exact nature of genealogical relationships among individuals can be rarely specified without a priori knowledge, biodistance analysis can reveal relative relatedness among them (Stojanowski and Schillaci, 2006). If morphological distinction is not observed between the local and immigrant groups, a whole population in an area would in fact be genetically homogeneous.…”

A bioarchaeological study of mid-Holocene communities in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: the interface between foraging and pastoralism

“…Since its inception, the Relethford-Blangero model has been used in many biological anthropological investigations to examine changes in levels of gene flow as a means of exploring genetic relationships among and between populations (cf. Relethford et al 1997;Steadman 1998Steadman , 2001Powell and Neves 1999;Schillaci and Stojanowski 2005;Stojanowski and Schillaci 2006;Scherer 2007). …”