ANT 130: Introduction to Biological Anthropology syllabus (Fall 2021)

This is a science course on human evolution exploring what makes our species unique, strange, and wonderful. We will first learn the biological mechanisms underlying evolution and natural selection. Next, we will look at modern primate variation today (including humans) and learn how to use primates as models to help us learn about the behavior, environments, and lifeways of extinct species. Third, we will interpret data from the human fossil record to understand where, how, when, and in what way modern humans evolved. Finally, we will examine specific modern human traits through this evolutionary lens to build arguments for how we got to where we are today

Grant Writing Workshop: Involving Students in Research Can Be Mutually Beneficial

this informal brown-bag workshop led by Dr. Britney Kyle from Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS) gave participants an opportunity to discuss their research ideas and learn from others about their paths to receiving external funding

Post-Lapita Health, Lifestyle, and Mortuary Behavior in Fiji: A Brief Report

This study analyzes skeletal remains from Fiji's relatively unexplored post-Lapita period (6th-19th centuries CE) to reconstruct lifestyle, health, and mortuary practice. Although the sample is small and higWy fragmentary (over 1,000 fragments), the remains show limited evidence of osteoarthritis and peri- or post-mortem trauma. These remains may warrant further analysis in combination with addition skeletal materials to detemtine whether these cut marks are cannibalistic in nature. Preliminary examination of post-Lapita mortuary practice also suggests that burial position may have shifted from flexed to supine. While small fragmentary samples cannot provide demographic data (i.e., individual ages and sexes) and therefore limit definitive conclusions, they can provide important insight into the lifestyle and behavior of ancient peoples

Isotopic evidence for geographic heterogeneity in Ancient Greek military forces.

Increased mobility and human interactions in the Mediterranean region during the eighth through fifth centuries BCE resulted in heterogeneous communities held together by political and cultural affiliations, periodically engaged in military conflict. Ancient historians write of alliances that aided the Greek Sicilian colony Himera in victory against a Carthaginian army of hired foreign mercenaries in 480 BCE, and the demise of Himera when it fought Carthage again in 409 BCE, this time unaided. Archaeological human remains from the Battles of Himera provide unique opportunities to test early written history by geochemically assessing the geographic origins of ancient Greek fighting forces. We report strontium and oxygen isotope ratios of tooth enamel from 62 Greek soldiers to evaluate the historically-based hypothesis that a coalition of Greek allies saved Himera in 480 BCE, but not in 409 BCE. Among the burials of 480 BCE, approximately two-thirds of the individuals are non-local, whereas among the burials of 409 BCE, only one-quarter are non-local, in support of historical accounts. Although historical accounts specifically mention Sicilian Greek allies aiding Himera, isotopic values of many of the 480 BCE non-locals are consistent with geographic regions beyond Sicily, suggesting Greek tyrants hired foreign mercenaries from more distant places. We describe how the presence of mercenary soldiers confronts prevailing interpretations of traditional Greek values and society. Greek fighting forces reflect the interconnectedness and heterogeneity of communities of the time, rather than culturally similar groups of neighbors fighting for a common cause, unified by "Greekness," as promoted in ancient texts

Duration of double balloon catheter for patients with prior cesarean: a before and after study

Background: Previous studies that suggest a shorter time from cervical ripening balloon placement to delivery with shorter total balloon placement time have excluded patients with prior cesarean deliveries. Objective: To evaluate, in patients with a prior history of cesarean delivery undergoing cervical ripening with a double-balloon catheter, whether planned removal of device after 6 vs 12 hours would result in shorter time to vaginal delivery. Study design: A before-and-after study was performed after a practice change occurred November 2020, shortening the planned time of double-balloon catheter placement for cervical ripening from 12 to 6 hours. Data were collected via retrospective electronic chart review. Primary outcome was time from balloon placement to vaginal delivery. Secondary outcomes included rates of cesarean delivery, maternal intraamniotic infection, and uterine rupture. Kaplan-Meier curves compared median times to delivery between the groups. A Cox proportional-hazards model was used to adjust for time of balloon placement, number of previous vaginal deliveries, and co-medications used. Results: From November 2018 to November 2022, 189 analyzable patients with a prior history of cesarean delivery received a double-balloon catheter for cervical ripening during their trial of labor. Patients were separated into pre- and postpolicy change groups (n=91 and 98, respectively). The median time to vaginal delivery for the pregroup was 28 hours (95% CI: 26, 35) and 25 hours (95% CI: 23, 29) for those in the postgroup (P value .052). After adjusting for dilation at time of balloon placement, number of previous vaginal deliveries, and co-medication, the estimated hazard ratio for successful vaginal delivery postpolicy change was 1.89 (95% CI: 1.27, 2.81). There were no differences in rates of secondary outcomes. Conclusion: In patients with prior cesarean delivery undergoing mechanical cervical ripening with a double-balloon catheter, planned removal at 6 hours compared to 12 hours may result in higher chances of successful vaginal delivery and possibly a shorter time to delivery, without increasing rates of cesarean delivery and intraamniotic infection

The diverse genetic origins of a Classical period Greek army

Trade and colonization caused an unprecedented increase in Mediterranean human mobility in the first millennium BCE. Often seen as a dividing force, warfare is in fact another catalyst of culture contact. We provide insight into the demographic dynamics of ancient warfare by reporting genome-wide data from fifth-century soldiers who fought for the army of the Greek Sicilian colony of Himera, along with representatives of the civilian population, nearby indigenous settlements, and 96 present-day individuals from Italy and Greece. Unlike the rest of the sample, many soldiers had ancestral origins in northern Europe, the Steppe, and the Caucasus. Integrating genetic, archaeological, isotopic, and historical data, these results illustrate the significant role mercenaries played in ancient Greek armies and highlight how participation in war contributed to continental-scale human mobility in the Classical world

Too Many People and Too Few Livestock in West Africa? An Evaluation of Sandford's Thesis

We examine whether Stephen Sandford's (2006b) 'too many people, too few livestock' thesis for the Greater Horn of Africa applies to West Africa. In a comparative study of seven pastoral systems across West Africa we found that pastoralists have generally successfully adapted to pressures on grazing resources. We describe three adaptive strategies: 1) integration and intensification in the Sudanian zone; 2) movement to the Sub-Humid zone; and 3) extensification in the Sahelian zone. We end by proposing four interrelated factors that account for the differences in pastoral systems between West Africa and the Greater Horn of Africa.