HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Variability in first Homo: analysis of the ratio between the skulls KNM-ER 1470 and KNM-ER 1813 based on sexual dimorphism of Homo sapiens
Publication date: Available online 23 May 2015 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology Author(s): S.W. Ferreira Guimarães , C. Lorenzo The study of the skulls KNM-ER 1470 and KNM-ER 1813, considered the first members of the genus Homo, has raised some debates. While some of researchers maintain that there is only one species, another group argues that there are two species. On one hand these two fossils are still taxonomically undetermined, on the other hand they bring up another problem related to the existence of a genus with multiple species since its beginning, according to the last discoveries. In th...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - May 23, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Asymmetry in body composition in female hockey players
Publication date: Available online 19 May 2015 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology Author(s): M. Krzykała , P. Leszczyński The aim of the study was to determine if a sport in which one side of the body is dominant, like field hockey, influences regional body composition and bone mineral density (BMD) distribution in particular body segments, and whether the sporting level is a determining factor. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method (Lunar Prodigy Advance; General Electric, Madison, USA) with the whole body scan was used to measure bone mineral density, fat mass and lean mass in 31 female fi...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - May 20, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Height, weight, body composition, and waist circumference references for 7- to 17-year-old children from rural Portugal
Publication date: Available online 24 April 2015 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology Author(s): R. Chaves , A. Baxter-Jones , M. Souza , D. Santos , J. Maia The purpose of this study was (1) to develop references of height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and body fat for rural Portuguese children and adolescents and (2) to compare these results with other international references. The sample comprised 3094 children and adolescents aged 7–17 years from Vouzela, a central region in Portugal. Height, weight, BMI, waist circumference and body fat were measured. Centile curves were ...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - May 16, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Dental wear patterns in early modern humans from Skhul and Qafzeh: A response to Sarig and Tillier
Publication date: Available online 16 May 2015 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology Author(s): Luca Fiorenza , Ottmar Kullmer The use of teeth as tools for manipulating objects and simple food-processing methods was common among prehistoric and modern hunter-gatherer human populations. Paramasticatory uses of teeth frequently produce enamel chipping and distinctive types of dental wear that can readily be related to specific tool functions. In particular, the presence of unusual occlusal wear areas (named para-facets) on maxillary teeth of prehistoric, historic and modern hunter-gatherers has been assoc...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - May 16, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Probable evidence of tuberculosis in Lithuanian mummies
This report replicates the image findings from previous studies on ancient mummies that provided evidence of tuberculosis in soft tissues, thus helping reconstruct the history of this disease over time. (Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology)
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - May 14, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

First molar size and wear within and among modern hunter-gatherers and agricultural populations
Publication date: Available online 5 May 2015 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology Author(s): Katarzyna Górka , Alejandro Romero , Alejandro Pérez-Pérez Apart from reflecting modern human dental variation, differences in dental size among populations provide a means for studying continuous evolutionary processes and their mechanisms. Dental wear, on the other hand, has been widely used to infer dietary adaptations and variability among or within diverse ancient human populations. Few such studies have focused on modern foragers and farmers, however, and diverse methods have been used. This research ...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - May 6, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Height, weight, body composition, and waist circumference references for 7-17 year old children from rural Portugal
Publication date: Available online 24 April 2015 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology Author(s): R. Chaves , A. Baxter-Jones , M. Souza , D. Santos , J. Maia The purpose of this study was (1) to develop references of height, weight, (BMI), waist circumference and body fat for rural Portuguese children and adolescents, and (2) to compare these results with other international references. The sample comprised 3,094 children and adolescents aged 7-17 years from Vouzela, a central region in Portugal. Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and body fat were measured. Centile curves wer...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - April 25, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Mitochondrial DNA genetic diversity and LCT-13910 and deltaF508 CFTR alleles typing in the medieval sample from Poland
Publication date: Available online 21 March 2015 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology Author(s): T. Płoszaj , B. Jerszyńska , K. Jędrychowska-Dańska , M. Lewandowska , D. Kubiak , K. Grzywnowicz , A. Masłowska , H.W. Witas We attempted to confirm the resemblance of a local medieval population and to reconstruct their contribution to the formation of the modern Polish population at the DNA level. The HVR I mtDNA sequence and two nuclear alleles, LCT-13910C/T SNP and deltaF508 CFTR, were chosen as markers since the distribution of selected nuclear alleles varies among ethnic groups. A total of ...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - April 22, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

The male-taller norm: lack of evidence from a developing country
This study addresses the question by comparing the rate of adherence to the male-taller norm between actual mating and hypothetical random mating. A total of 7,954 actually married couples are drawn from the last follow-up of the Indonesian Family Life Survey, a nationally representative survey. Their heights were measured by trained nurses. About 10,000 individuals are randomly sampled from the actual couples and randomly matched. An alternative random mating of about 100,000 couples is also performed, taking into account an age difference of five years within a couple. The rate of adherence to the male-taller norm is 93....
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - April 22, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Heritability estimates for somatic traits determined perinatally with the twin method
Publication date: Available online 20 April 2015 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology Author(s): Małgorzata Waszak , Krystyna Cieślik , Marzena Skrzypczak-Zielińska , Marlena Szalata , Karolina Wielgus , Joanna Kempiak , Grzegorz Bręborowicz , Ryszard Słomski The aim of this study was to establish estimates for heritability of somatic traits determined perinatally with the twin method. The studied material, including 1,263 twin pairs live-born at various stages of prenatal life, i.e. between the 22nd and 41st week of gestation, was collected at the Department of Perinatology and Gynecology, P...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - April 22, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Anthropological study of ear tubercles in a Spanish sample
Publication date: Available online 2 April 2015 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology Author(s): O. Rubio , V. Galera , M.C. Alonso The ear has been used since the 19th century as a valuable instrument in personal identification. Its special interest is due to the morphological complexity of the structures involved. The aim of the present investigation is to establish the morphological variability of the helix tubercles in a sample of the Spanish European population (303 individuals between 18 and 72 years old). The frequencies of appearance of each type of tubercle and its degree of expression, as well...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - April 3, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Dental health of the late 19TH and early 20TH century Khoesan
Publication date: Available online 26 March 2015 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology Author(s): D. Botha , M. Steyn This paper presents the results of the dental analysis performed on a Khoesan skeletal sample representing the late 19th and early 20th century Cape Colony in southern Africa. Skeletal material from two European collections (Vienna and Paris) was selected to compile a total sample of 116 specimens. Dental pathology frequencies were calculated for caries (28.4%), antemortem tooth loss (37.9%), periapical abscesses (29.3%), periodontal disease (26.7%), calculus (44.0%) and impacted canines ...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - March 27, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

The value of middle phalangeal hair as an anthropometric marker: a review of the literature
Publication date: Available online 21 March 2015 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology Author(s): N. Westlund , K.A. Oinonen , D. Mazmanian , J.L. Bird Middle phalangeal hair (MPH) is a trait frequently examined in anthropological studies throughout the 20th century. MPH is found on the back of the middle segment of the fingers, excluding the thumb. Typically, researchers examined the presence and absence of hair in various populations, and described it in terms of age, ancestry, and sex. Recently MPH has been examined as a potential anthropometric indicator of: androgen levels, androgen-related side e...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - March 21, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Mitochondrial DNA genetic diversity and LCT -13,910 and deltaF508 CFTR alleles typing in the medieval sample from Poland
Publication date: Available online 21 March 2015 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology Author(s): T. Płoszaj , B. Jerszyńska , K. Jędrychowska-Dańska , M. Lewandowska , D. Kubiak , K. Grzywnowicz , A. Masłowska , H.W. Witas We attempted to confirm the resemblance of a local medieval population and to reconstruct their contribution to the formation of the modern Polish population at the DNA level. The HVR I mtDNA sequence and two nuclear alleles, LCT-13910C/T SNP and deltaF508 CFTR, were chosen as markers since the distribution of selected nuclear alleles varies among ethnic groups. A total of ...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - March 21, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Foot polydactyly and bipartite medial cuneiform: A case of co-occurrence in a Celtic skeleton from Verona (Italy)
We report a case of bilateral foot polydactyly and bipartite medial cuneiform in a male individual buried in a Celtic/Roman necropolis (3rd to 1st century BCE) in the city of Verona (Italy). During the construction of an underground garage in the main courtyard of the Bishop's Seminary at Verona between 2005 and 2010, archaeologists uncovered the remains of 174 individuals (108 non-adults and 66 adults). It is thought that these graves could belong to some of the first inhabitants of the urban area of Verona. The individual presented here (US 2807) is a middle-aged male (40-50 years) in a good state of preservation. His es...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - March 6, 2015 Category: Biology Source Type: research