Journal of the Anthropological Society of Nippon

Horizontal Profile of Facial Skeletons from the Himrin Basin, Iraq

Yo WADA

1989 Volume 97 Issue 4 Pages 433-455
Published: October 31, 1989
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.97.433

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This paper describes the horizontal profile of facial skeletons from the Himrin Basin, Iraq. The horizontal profiles both of the face and anterior face were evaluated using a total of 22 width and depth measurements.Ninety-five skulls which included dolichocranic (Mediterranean) and brachycranic (Alpine) racial types were utilized. Uni- and multivariate analyses were applied to estimate racial and sexual variations both in the faces and anterior faces, to confirm racial type based on the morphology of the face, to evaluate population characteristics, and to ascertain the racial positions of the two racial types in the world.
Employing multivariate analyses, horizontal profiles of the maxillary region of the face could be used to discriminate between the two racial types in males, while a horizontal profile of the maxillary region of the anterior face could be used for females. Sexual variations within racial types were determined by size differences both in the overall regions of the face and in the frontal region of the anterior face.
By applying univariate analyses, the racial type in males could be determined by size differences in the width of the postero-basal region of the face, namely, the cranial base. The racial type in females could be determined by size differences both in the depth of the maxillary region of the anteriorface and in the width of the cranial base.
Employing multivariate analyses, comparative studies clearly indicated that the two racial types from the Himrin Basin were members of the Caucasoid race.

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Growth Characteristics of Contemporary Japanese

Hiroko TAKABU, Yoko MATSUYAMA, Shiro KONDO, Sumiko YANAGISAWA

1989 Volume 97 Issue 4 Pages 457-474
Published: October 31, 1989
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.97.457

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The physical growth patterns of contemporary Japanese were analyzed using cross-sectional data of 5 heights and lengths, 6 circumferences, 2 skinfolds and body weight of 8, 679 males and 8, 889 females aged 7 to 20 years. Measurements were made in 1978-'79. Lower to upper portion growth gradient and head-trunk gradient were observed. The annual increment for heights and lengths reached the maximum at 12 or 13 years in males and 10 or 11 years in females, about one year later for circumferences, and two years later for skinfolds. As compared with the data obtained in 1966-'67, the adolescent growth spurt took place earlier, and the average age at menarche was 5 months younger in the present sample. During the period from 1966-'67 to 1978-'79, the values of heights, lengths and waist circumferences increased, but that of chest circumferences decreased or remained constant. The growth acceleration trends of Japanese were different from those of Americans.

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Enamel Hypoplasia in the Deciduous Teeth of Edo Japanese

Miyoko YAMAMOTO

1989 Volume 97 Issue 4 Pages 475-482
Published: October 31, 1989
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.97.475

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Enamel hypoplasia is a reduction in enamel thickness caused by a variety of nutritional deficiencies or systemic diseases which occur during tooth formation. Enamel hypoplasia in the deciduous teeth is considered as a valuable indicator of stress. Its frequency, time of occurrence, and association with cribra orbitalia were examined on 62 immature skulls from the Hitotsubashi Metropolitan High School Site (ca. 17th century), Tokyo, Japan. Of 42 observed individuals, 7 (16.7%) had enamel hypoplasia in the deciduous teeth. Most of the enamel hypoplasia detected occurred postnatally, few occurring prenatally and perinatally. The highest frequency was found on the deciduous maxillary central incisors (21.1%). These results suggest that people in Edo City lived under highly stressful environment.

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A Phylogenetic Analysis of Human Mitochondrial DNA Data

Shinji HARIHARA, Naruya SAITOU

1989 Volume 97 Issue 4 Pages 483-492
Published: October 31, 1989
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.97.483

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Phylogenetic relationship of human mitochondrial DNA types were analyzed for 885 individuals from 15 different populations by surveying published data. All the individuals were classified into 57 mitochondrial DNA types by combining the digestion patterns (morphs) of four restriction enzymes (Avail, BamHI, HpaI, and Mspl). The phylogenetic relationship of these mtDNA types were reconstructed by applying the maximum parsimony method. Genetic distances between populations were computed and the phylogenetic tree of populations were reconstructed by using UPGMA. Most of the Mongoloid populations including Japanese, Ainu, Korean, and Amerindian were closely related, and the genetic affinity between these Mongoloid populations and the Caucasoid populations were relatively high, compared to the African populations.

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Geographical Variation of Dental Measurements in the Jomon Population

Hirofumi MATSUMURA

1989 Volume 97 Issue 4 Pages 493-512
Published: October 31, 1989
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.97.493

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Mesiodistal and buccolingual crown measurements were taken from the permanent tooth remains of the five Middle to Latest Jomon population samples from the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Tokai and San'yo districts of Japan. The metrical data were compared with each other through multivariate statistical methods. The analysis of variance for these crown measurements suggested that most of the variables showing significant geographical difference were buccolingual diameters. The distance analysis based on the crown measurements revealed that the Hokkaido Jomon was isolated from the Jomon in Honshu, the main island of Japan. The Honshu Jomon groups were closely related to each other, although the male Tohoku Jomon was slightly closer to the Hokkaido Jomon. The principal factor analysis revealed that the overall dental proportion of the Hokkaido Jomon was different from those of the Honshu Jomon groups, and the Tohoku Jomon carried the smallest overall tooth size among the five Jomon population samples compared. From the comparisons with recent groups, it was indicated that 1)the diversity in dental morphology between the Hokkaido and Honshu Jomon was smaller than that between the recent Kanto Japanese and the Jomon as a whole; 2) the dentition of the Jomon population was characterized by relatively small canines, premolars and second molars as compared with thefirst molars; 3) these dental characteristics could also be seen in the dentition of the Ainu. These facts suggested a close affinity between the Ainu andJomon in the posterior tooth characteristics. However, with regard to the anterior teeth, both the relative and absolute dimensions of the incisors werelarger in the Jomon than in the Ainu. Thus, the size reduction of the incisors may have proceeded from the prehistoric Jomon to the recent Ainu.

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Functional Significance of the Morphology of Lateral Hamstring Muscle of Japanese Macaque

Hiroo KUMAKURA

1989 Volume 97 Issue 4 Pages 513-527
Published: October 31, 1989
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.97.513

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In order to analyze functional morphological features of the lateral hamstring muscle of the Japanese macaques, right lower limbs of 13 individuals of theJapanese macaque were dissected and quantitative measurements were performed on the level of muscle insertion. Though the tendinous origin of this muscle is limited to a narrow area at the ischial tuberosity, its insertion widely ranged from proximal one third level of the femoral segment to distal half level of the crural segment across the knee joint. Based on the running of muscle bundles, this muscle can be divided into at least three parts; femoral attaching part, capsular attaching part and crural attaching part. These morphological grouping of the muscle bundles would be correlated with the functional differentiation because of the difference in relative location of each group to the hip and knee joints. To elucidate the functional significance of the grouping by means of morphological method, static leverage ratio in each part was estimated by the method proposed by SMITH andSAVAGE (1956). When the length of each segment, level of attachment and joint angles were given, the lengths of the lever arm and power arm could be estimated.According to the variation of the abovedescribed parameters, the analysis was made on the changes in static mechanical advantages of each part of the muscle.Because the expansion of femoral attachment gives only a slight change of the mechanical advantage, it might relate to an increase of the absolute muscle force by an increase in the number of muscle fibers. The distal expansion of the crural attachment, on the other hand, brings only a little change of mechanical advantage, when it is considered as a hip extensor. However, when it is treated as a knee joint flexor, the distal expansion reflect an enhancement of the mechanical advantage. Also because the crural part is composed of a thin muscle sheet giving a slight contribution to theabsolute muscle force, the distal extension of the crural part is not considered to be related to propulsive force, but to the postural adjustment of the crural segment during locomotion.

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