What Makes Us Human: Anthropology Public Outreach at COSI

As anthropologists, we strive to answer questions related to being human. These questions bridge the gap between science and the humanities. They challenge us to think about our origins and our biases, and they ask us to place ourselves in the shoes of people from all around the world. Even though anthropology touches so many aspects of our lives, it is rarely discussed outside the college classroom. One of the goals of the Anthropology Public Outreach Program (APOP), a part of Ohio State's anthropology department, is to rectify this issue by bringing anthropology into communities around Columbus, Ohio, so everyone can explore what it means to be human. APOP offers a collection of anthropology-themed educational experiences on portable carts, which our volunteers facilitate at our community partner, the Center of Science and Industry (COSI). The cart activities cover aspects of comparative morphology, human evolution, archaeology, and cultural anthropology. We aim to engage people from all ages and backgrounds, be they children, students, parents, or teachers. Our activities offer interactive opportunities for participants to engage with different aspects of human diversity, from our remote past to the present in such a way that knowledge can be constructed from individual points of view and life experiences. All activities use self-driven discovery, participation, and hands-on learning as their primary teaching tools with the goal of building understanding of the cultural and biological diversity of our species. APOP's mission is to help broaden people's perspectives of what it means to be human by challenging participants to consider different perspectives on subjects related to human biological and cultural diversity, both in the past and present. Our goals closely intersect with COSI's mission "for those of all ages to discover more about our environment, our accomplishments, our heritage, and ourselves." By working with COSI, we mutually benefit by sharing resources for a collective impact. In addition, our student volunteers gain experience teaching their passion, engaging with the public, and performing a community service. The perceptions individuals have of human diversity and cultural variation play an important role in shaping events on local, regional, national, and international scales in the face of changing social conditions.AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Mark Hubbe, associate professor, Ohio State Department of Anthropology, [email protected] (Corresponding Author); Alexandra Tuggle, graduate teaching associate, Ohio State Department of Anthropology; John Osborn, floor faculty manager, COSIThe mission of the Anthropology Public Outreach Program (APOP) at Ohio State is to help broaden people's perspectives of what it means to be human by challenging participants to consider different perspectives related to human biological and cultural diversity, both in the past and present. We believe in the power of ideas, scientific inquiry, and self-discovery. APOP offers a collection of anthropology-themed educational experiences on portable carts, which our volunteers facilitate at our community partner, the Center of Science and Industry (COSI). Our goals closely intersect with COSI's mission "for those of all ages to discover more about our environment, our accomplishments, our heritage, and ourselves." Our activities offer interactive opportunities for participants of all ages to engage with different aspects of human diversity, from our remote past to the present in such a way that knowledge can be constructed from individual points of view and life experiences

Bioantropología de una población de San Pedro de Atacama a través de tres fases culturales

Este estudio se ha hecho a través de la población arqueológica de Quitor 5, un cementerio ubicado en el distrito (ayllu) homónimo, a orillas del río San Pedro, el que aportó 164 tumbas con 371 cuerpos. Los cuerpos, todos en cuclillas, se hallaron a varias profundidades y su orientación es igualmente variable. Hay tumbas de uno hasta siete cuerpos y entre los entierros secundarios desde ocho hasta treinta cuerpos. Entre el ajuar acompañante se encuentra: numerosas alfarerías de las épocas y cestería, hachas, tabletas para alucinógenos junto a la correspondiente parafernalia, adornos de cobre y al menos una placa de oro, huesos pirograbados, etc. A través de los contextos funerarios ha sido posible segregar en este sitio tres fases del período agroalfarero atacameño -Temprano, Medio y Tardío- lo que ha permitido hacer un seguimiento bioantropológico de una misma población local, a través del tiempo, detectando sus cambios, persistencias e intrusiones. Para esto se analizó sexo, edad, patologías, traumas y deformación craneana, como indicadores para inferir aspectos de composición de población, morbilidad, estado nutricional, violencia, aspectos laborales y rasgos culturales en general.Eje: Comunicaciones orales: BioarqueologíaAsociación de Antropología Biológica de la República Argentina (AABRA

Bioantropología de una población de San Pedro de Atacama a través de tres fases culturales

Este estudio se ha hecho a través de la población arqueológica de Quitor 5, un cementerio ubicado en el distrito (ayllu) homónimo, a orillas del río San Pedro, el que aportó 164 tumbas con 371 cuerpos. Los cuerpos, todos en cuclillas, se hallaron a varias profundidades y su orientación es igualmente variable. Hay tumbas de uno hasta siete cuerpos y entre los entierros secundarios desde ocho hasta treinta cuerpos. Entre el ajuar acompañante se encuentra: numerosas alfarerías de las épocas y cestería, hachas, tabletas para alucinógenos junto a la correspondiente parafernalia, adornos de cobre y al menos una placa de oro, huesos pirograbados, etc. A través de los contextos funerarios ha sido posible segregar en este sitio tres fases del período agroalfarero atacameño -Temprano, Medio y Tardío- lo que ha permitido hacer un seguimiento bioantropológico de una misma población local, a través del tiempo, detectando sus cambios, persistencias e intrusiones. Para esto se analizó sexo, edad, patologías, traumas y deformación craneana, como indicadores para inferir aspectos de composición de población, morbilidad, estado nutricional, violencia, aspectos laborales y rasgos culturales en general.Eje: Comunicaciones orales: BioarqueologíaAsociación de Antropología Biológica de la República Argentina (AABRA

A new early Holocene human skeleton from Brazil: implications for the settlement of the New World

Abstract Increasing skeletal evidence from the U.S.A., Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil strongly suggests that the first settlers in the Americas had a cranial morphology distinct from that displayed by most late and modern Native Americans. The Paleoamerican morphological pattern is more generalized and can be seen today among Africans, Australians, and Melanesians. Here, we present the results of a comparative morphological assessment of a late Paleoindian/early archaic specimen from Capelinha Burial II, southern Brazil. The Capelinha skull was compared with samples of four Paleoindian groups from South and Central America and worldwide modern groups from W.W. Howells' studies. In both analyses performed (classical morphometrics and geometric morphometrics), the results show a clear association between Capelinha Burial II and the Paleoindians, as well as Australians, Melanesians, and Africans, confirming its Paleoamerican status

Testing Evolutionary and Dispersion Scenarios for the Settlement of the New World

Background: Discussion surrounding the settlement of the New World has recently gained momentum with advances in molecular biology, archaeology and bioanthropology. Recent evidence from these diverse fields is found to support different colonization scenarios. The currently available genetic evidence suggests a ""single migration'' model, in which both early and later Native American groups derive from one expansion event into the continent. In contrast, the pronounced anatomical differences between early and late Native American populations have led others to propose more complex scenarios, involving separate colonization events of the New World and a distinct origin for these groups. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using large samples of Early American crania, we: 1) calculated the rate of morphological differentiation between Early and Late American samples under three different time divergence assumptions, and compared our findings to the predicted morphological differentiation under neutral conditions in each case; and 2) further tested three dispersal scenarios for the colonization of the New World by comparing the morphological distances among early and late Amerindians, East Asians, Australo-Melanesians and early modern humans from Asia to geographical distances associated with each dispersion model. Results indicate that the assumption of a last shared common ancestor outside the continent better explains the observed morphological differences between early and late American groups. This result is corroborated by our finding that a model comprising two Asian waves of migration coming through Bering into the Americas fits the cranial anatomical evidence best, especially when the effects of diversifying selection to climate are taken into account. Conclusions: We conclude that the morphological diversity documented through time in the New World is best accounted for by a model postulating two waves of human expansion into the continent originating in East Asia and entering through Beringia.Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Cientifico y Tecnologico (FONDECYT)[11070091]Fundacao de Amparo a Ciencia do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)[04/01253-0]Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq)[301126-04.6]Max Planck GesellschaftEVAN Marie Curie Research Training Network[MRTN-CT-019564

Early Holocene ritual complexity in South America: the archaeological record of Lapa do Santo (east-central Brazil)

Early Archaic human skeletal remains found in a burial context in Lapa do Santo in eastcentral Brazil provide a rare glimpse into the lives of hunter-gatherer communities in South America, including their rituals for dealing with the dead. These included the reduction of the body by means of mutilation, defleshing, tooth removal, exposure to fire and possibly cannibalism, followed by the secondary burial of the remains according to strict rules. In a later period, pits were filled with disarticulated bones of a single individual without signs of body manipulation, demonstrating that the region was inhabited by dynamic groups in constant transformation over a period of centuries

Reconstructing the Deep Population History of Central and South America

We report genome-wide ancient DNA from 49 individuals forming four parallel time transects in Belize, Brazil, the Central Andes, and the Southern Cone, each dating to at least 9,000 years ago. The common ancestral population radiated rapidly from just one of the two early branches that contributed to Native Americans today. We document two previously unappreciated streams of gene flow between North and South America. One affected the Central Andes by 4,200 years ago, while the other explains an affinity between the oldest North American genome associated with the Clovis culture and the oldest Central and South Americans from Chile, Brazil, and Belize. However, this was not the primary source for later South Americans, as the other ancient individuals derive from lineages without specific affinity to the Clovis-associated genome, suggesting a population replacement that began at least 9,000 years ago and was followed by substantial population continuity in multiple regions

Atmospheric observations made at Oliktok Point, Alaska, as part of the Profiling at Oliktok Point to Enhance YOPP Experiments (POPEYE) campaign

Between 1 July and 30 September 2018, small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), tethered balloon systems (TBSs), and additional radiosondes were deployed at Oliktok Point, Alaska, to measure the atmosphere in support of the second special observing period for the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP). These measurements, collected as part of the Profiling at Oliktok Point to Enhance YOPP Experiments (POPEYE) campaign, targeted quantities related to enhancing our understanding of boundary layer structure, cloud and aerosol properties and surface&ndash;atmosphere exchange and providing extra information for model evaluation and improvement work. Over the 3-month campaign, a total of 59 DataHawk2 sUAS flights, 52 TBS flights, and 238 radiosonde launches were completed as part of POPEYE. The data from these coordinated activities provide a comprehensive three-dimensional data set of the atmospheric state (air temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind), surface skin temperature, aerosol properties, and cloud microphysical information over Oliktok Point. These data sets have been checked for quality and submitted to the US Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program data archive (http://www.archive.arm.gov/discovery/, last access: July 2019) and are accessible at no cost by all registered users. The primary dataset DOIs are https://doi.org/10.5439/1418259 (DataHawk2 measurements; Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program, 2016), https://doi.org/10.5439/1426242 (TBS measurements; Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program, 2017) and https://doi.org/10.5439/1021460 (radiosonde measurements; Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program, 2013a).</p

The Oldest Case of Decapitation in the New World (Lapa do Santo, East-Central Brazil)

We present here evidence for an early Holocene case of decapitation in the New World (Burial 26), found in the rock shelter of Lapa do Santo in 2007. Lapa do Santo is an archaeological site located in the Lagoa Santa karst in east-central Brazil with evidence of human occupation dating as far back as 11.7-12.7 cal kyBP (95.4% interval). An ultra-filtered AMS age determination on a fragment of the sphenoid provided an age range of 9.1-9.4 cal kyBP (95.4% interval) for Burial 26. The interment was composed of an articulated cranium, mandible and first six cervical vertebrae. Cut marks with a v-shaped profile were observed in the mandible and sixth cervical vertebra. The right hand was amputated and laid over the left side of the face with distal phalanges pointing to the chin and the left hand was amputated and laid over the right side of the face with distal phalanges pointing to the forehead. Strontium analysis comparing Burial 26's isotopic signature to other specimens from Lapa do Santo suggests this was a local member of the group. Therefore, we suggest a ritualized decapitation instead of trophy-taking, testifying for the sophistication of mortuary rituals among hunter-gatherers in the Americas during the early Archaic period. In the apparent absence of wealth goods or elaborated architecture, Lapa do Santo's inhabitants seemed to use the human body to express their cosmological principles regarding death