Craniofacial variation, body size and ecological factors in aboriginal populations from central Patagonia (2000–200 years B.P.)

Publication date: April 2014 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology, Volume 65, Issue 2 Author(s): Valeria Bernal , Marien Béguelin , Florencia Gordón , Virginia A. Cobos , Paula N. Gonzalez , Federico P. Lotto Previous studies have shown that ecological factors had a significant role in shaping the patterns of craniofacial variation among South American populations. Here, we evaluate whether temperature and diet contributed to facial diversification in small geographic areas. Facial size and shape of 9 osteological samples from central Patagonia (Argentina) were described using 2D landmarks and semilandmarks. Data on mean annual temperature, diet composition (δ13C and δ15N values) and femoral head maximum breadth, used as a proxy of body mass, were obtained for each sample. We then tested the association of body mass and the ecological variables with facial morphology using spatial regression techniques and a model selection approach. Akaike Information Criterion produced disparate results for both components of facial morphology. The best model for facial size included temperature and body mass proxy, and accounted for more than 80% of variation in size. Lower temperatures were related to larger facial sizes. Body mass was negatively associated with facial size and showed no relationship with the temperature. This suggests a relatively independent variation of cranial traits and body mass at the spatial scale studied here. Facial shape was not asso...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: research