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Biological Variation in South American Populations using Dental Non-Metric Traits: Assessment of Isolation by Time and Distance

Huffman, Michaela
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1407958702

Abstract Details

2014, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Anthropology.
Several lines of evidence suggest that all Native American populations have an East Asian origin, yet the subsequent processes causing diversification within the South American continent during the Holocene are not well understood. This dissertation tests if, based on the analysis of dental morphology, South American population samples exhibit higher between-group diversity than East and Southeast Asian population samples. Following the assessment of variation among South American series, dental frequencies were explored to examine the extent to which South American series exhibit the Sinodont dental complex, a dental complex that is expressed among east and north Asians. In addition, this dissertation explores possible causes of the observed diversity, investigating whether patterns of morphological affinity among South American population samples are affected by isolation by distance, isolation by time, or both. The results of this dissertation suggest higher between-group diversity among South American populations as compared to East and Southeast Asian series. The morphological affinities and hierarchical cluster analyses indicate differentiation between South American populations east and west of the Andes. Consistent with the high level of interpopulation variation expressed among South American series, some South American populations were found to exhibit trait frequencies aligned with Sinodonty, while others were not. Still other South American series express trait frequencies that are neither Sinodont nor Sundadont (dental complex expressed by southeast Asians). Mantel correlation tests indicate that isolation by time does not explain the differentiation between east and west South American series. On the other hand, these correlation tests suggest partial support for isolation by distance as explaining the observed differences among South American samples. Large effective population sizes and high levels of gene flow characterize the Andean region of South America, while non-Andean regions such as Brazil experienced smaller population sizes and limited gene flow, which may have caused the differentiation between these two regions. Therefore, genetic drift most likely affected Brazilian populations more strongly than Andean groups due to the lower overall population sizes found in eastern South America. Understanding past and present biological variation among modern human populations, through the observation and assessment of dental non-metric traits, has implications for global and regional population history. Human occupation and the processes responsible for the origin of observed biological diversity in South America are significant for understanding human history. This dissertation assesses dental variation in South America through both a temporal and geographical scope. Biological diversity is assessed and possible causes for observed variation are explored. Quantifying and exploring the origins for biological variation in South American populations allows for a better understanding of how evolutionary processes affect modern human populations.
Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg (Advisor)
Mark Hubbe (Committee Member)
268 p.
Physical Anthropology
Dental Anthropology, Morphology, South America

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Huffman, M. (2014). Biological Variation in South American Populations using Dental Non-Metric Traits: Assessment of Isolation by Time and Distance [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1407958702

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Huffman, Michaela. Biological Variation in South American Populations using Dental Non-Metric Traits: Assessment of Isolation by Time and Distance . 2014. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1407958702.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Huffman, Michaela. "Biological Variation in South American Populations using Dental Non-Metric Traits: Assessment of Isolation by Time and Distance ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1407958702

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1407958702
859
© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.