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Head and facial characteristics and their differences among different peoples in China YU Keli, ZHANG Xinghua, CHENG Zhi, ZHENG Lianbin Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (04): 574-585.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0044 Abstract （3466）   HTML （170）    PDF（pc） （901KB）（885）       Knowledge map    Save Head and face parameters are an important part of biological anthropology research. At present, there is a lack of comparative study of large data of head and face parameters in Chinese population. Based on the head and face data of 62 Chinese ethnic groups (53 nationalities ) and foreign ethnic groups collected in recent years, this paper conducts principal component analysis to explore the differences and commonalities of head and face characteristics between Chinese populations, and analyzes the differences of head and face characteristics between Chinese and foreign people. The study found that the head and face characteristics of the Chinese population are divided into northern and southern types. The northern minorities have higher faces, longer ears, higher noses and higher upper lip skins. The southern minorities have lower faces, shorter ears, lower noses and lower upper lip skins. The Han nationality is between the two. In the principal component analysis diagram, the loci of 8 Han ethnic groups are scattered among each other. The Han ethnic groups of the south and north do not form their own dense areas. Compared with foreign people, Chinese people have longer ears, narrower noses and wider faces. The head and face morphology of Chinese people is quite different from that of Negro people, which is relatively close to that of Caucasian people. The ethnic group sites with male and female as the main scattered point plots all form dense areas. The seven Han ethnic group sites all enter the loci dense area, interweaving with the minority sites, and there is no relatively independent Han ethnic group dense area. All these show that there is an obvious fusion process in the development and evolution of the Chinese ethnic groups. The East Asian region where the Chinese live is bordered by the sea in the east and south, by the Gobi in the north, by the mountains in the west, and by the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in the southwest. The geographical environment is relatively closed, which limits the communication and integration between the Chinese and other ethnic groups, thus forming typical Mongolian physical characteristics. This is the main reason why the head and facial characteristics of the Chinese are obviously different from those of Caucasian and Negro people. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Morphology and influencing factors of Chinese foot binding bones LI Haijun, YANG Xiaoyu, XIAO Xiaoyong Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (03): 488-501.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0027 Abstract （1752）   HTML （254）    PDF（pc） （7320KB）（1273）       Knowledge map    Save Foot is an important organ that supports human movement and its shape is influenced by factors such as age, gender, movement patterns, and some specific cultural practices. Foot-binding, as a kind of artificial foot deformation behavior unique to the ancient feudal society of China, has continued for a long time in the history of China, reflecting the social life and status of women in ancient times. Studies of variation in foot morphology due to foot-binding mainly include the followings below: Skeletal variation in foot-binding, changing times, geographical differences and pathological phenomena caused by foot-binding, and the influence of age, duration, and sociocultural factors on skeletal morphological variation in foot-binding. Foot-binding has caused great harm to women's physical and mental health, but as a historical and social phenomenon, it reflects the cultural, aesthetic and ethical concepts as well as changes in the status of women in ancient Chinese society. In the field of medicine, analysing the pathologies caused by footbinding can improve the study of bone and joint disorders of the foot and reveal the impact of footbinding on women’s health and quality of life. In the field of history, the study of footbinding is conducive to restoring the history of women’s footbinding and women’s life in ancient China, which can further reveal the picture of the life of the whole ancient society. In the field of archaeology, knowledge of the morphological characteristics of entangled foot bones facilitates the study of skeletal and gender archaeology Overall, this article provides a brief overview of foot-binding research and the measurement of relevant parameters of the foot skeleton by reviewing and summing up data and findings from the relevant literature. And it also provides a brief review and outlook on domestic foot-binding research. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Research progress on human fossils from the Xujiayao site in late Middle Pleistocene WU Xiujie Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (01): 5-18.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2023.0044 Abstract （1733）   HTML （259）    PDF（pc） （4231KB）（804）       Knowledge map    Save The Xujiayao hominin remains are key to the study of East Asian human evolution but also the most controversial. The Xujiayao (Houjiayao) site is located west of Liyigou, a tributary on the left bank of the Sanggan River in the northern Nihewan Basin of northern China. The site was first discovered in 1973. Between 1976 and 1979, 21 human fossils were found at the site, including one partial left maxilla, three isolated teeth, two occipital bones, one partial mandible, one left temporal bone and 13 parietal fragments, all representing 16 individuals. Based on the associated fauna, and OSL dating on the middle-lower culture layers, the Xujiayao hominins lived in the late Middle Pleistocene (about 160-200 kaBP). Evaluations of Xujiayao taxonomy have ranged from being representatives of Asian H. erectus, pre-modern Homo sapiens, archaic Homo sapiens, Neandertals, intermediate between H. erectus and modern H. sapiens, unidentified hominin species, or related to Xuchang 1, Penghu 1, Xiahe 1 or Denisovans. Over the past 10 years, there has been renewed attention to these fossils. New results suggest that the Xujiayao hominins have a suite of unusual morphological traits that do not conform to existing patterns of morphology from either the time period or the region. These traits include large and morphologically complex teeth, very large cranial capacity (about 1700 mL), Neanderthal-like traits of bi-level nasal floor and temporal labyrinthine patterns that are common, but not exclusive to that lineage, live slow and die old modern growth and development patterns in the immature maxilla, and several primitive early East Asian traits despite the fossils’ recent age. In addition, the Xujiayao hominins show various pathologies, including a very rare congenital defect of an enlarged parietal foramen associated with cerebral venous and cranial vault anomalies, multiple traumatic lesions of endocranium, and minor temporal auditory porous new bone in external auditory exostoses. In conclusion, the Xujiayao hominins are characterized by a mosaic of archaic morphological features that distinguish them clearly from H. erectus, Neandertals, and modern humans. Given that the Xujiayao and Xuchang crania group closely together in multiple analyses and are quite different from all other comparative Pleistocene hominin crania, we conclude that they represent a new hominin population for the region, Juluren meaning “large head people”. It is quite possible that this population represents gene flow between Asian H. erectus and possibly H. antecessor or early Neandertals, which supports the idea of continuity with hybridization as a major force shaping Chinese populations during the late Middle and early Late Pleistocene. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Human fossils discovered in Zhoukoudian and their research progress WU Xiujie Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (06): 900-912.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0084 Abstract （1683）   HTML （122）    PDF（pc） （8726KB）（452）       Knowledge map    Save The Zhoukoudian site is located on Longgu mountain, Zhoukoudian Town, Fangshan district is 48 km southwest of Beijing. The site was discovered in the 1920s, and since the first skullcap of Peking Man was discovered in 1929, 27 paleontological and archaeological localities were found at the Zhoukoudian site(ZKD). Among them, five of the localities yielded Pleistocene human fossils; they are: ZKD-1 (800~ 200 kaBP), Locality 4 (200~ 100 kaBP), ZKD-15 (Late Middle Pleistocene to early Late Pleistocene), Upper Cave (about 30 kaBP) and Tianyuan Cave (about 40 kaBP). The geological age of the sites investigated range from the Middle Pleistocene to the Late Pleistocene, covering more than 500 ka. According to the physical characteristics of the human fossils, the evolutionary status of Zhoukoudian hominids were classified as Homo erectus, archaic Homo sapiens (Middle and Late Pleistocene “non-Homo erectus” archaic humans) or early modern humans. The research at in Zhoukoudian site can be summarized into the following three periods: 1) Large-scale excavation in the 1920s and 1930s with abundant human fossils found at the Locality 1 and Upper Cave. Locality 1 fossils were named as Sinanthropus pekinensis, Peking Man or Zhoukoudian Homo erectus, include five relatively complete crania, more than 150 teeth, several mandibles, and a large number of cranial, facial, and postcranial fragments, totalling about 40 individuals. At Upper Cave, three human skulls, four mandibles plus a few teeth and bone fragmens were found, representing about 7 to 10 individuals. Unfortunately, all the above specimens were lost during the World War II. 2) A period of excavation recovery and site clearing after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. During this time, 11 human fossils were found at Locality 1. 3) New discoveries in the 21st century included a human skeleton from Tianyuan Cave, and a human parietal bone was identified among the fragments of mammal fossils at the Zhoukoudian Locality 15. Over the past years, there continues much discussion about Zhoukoudian such as: Whether the Peking Man has unique or derived features which is not shared by the African and other Asian representatives; whether Peking Man is the direct ancestor of modern populations in East Asia; and whether the Upper Cave Man has Mongoloid characteristics. In recent years, with the new discoveries and the innovative research methods, further questions dealing with survival adaptations and genetic structure have been asked. In commemoration of the 95th anniversary of the discovery of the first Peking Man skullcap, this paper reviews and summarizes the history, research topics and research progress of work discovery at Zhoukoudian Site, in order to provide reference for the discussion of human evolution in East Asia. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Hominin and human dispersals in palaeolithic East Asia Robin DENNELL Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2025, 44 (01): 132-164.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2022.0044 Abstract （1471）   HTML （129）    PDF（pc） （18292KB）（948）       Knowledge map    Save Dispersals, colonisation, immigration and population assimilation or replacement are fundamental themes in the Palaeolithic record of East Asia. Some of these issues can be studied within a biogeographic framework that explains why and how the distribution of hominin species changed over time and space in response to climatic and environmental change. Because hominins (and especially humans) can change their behaviour through technical, social and cognitive developments, biogeographic models also have to incorporate this factor when investigating dispersals. This is particularly important with the dispersals in East Asia by Homo sapiens into rainforests, across open sea to off-shore islands, to the Arctic and the highest parts of the Tibetan Plateau. This paper suggests how hominin and human dispersals in East Asia might be investigated by using a biogeographic framework that can incorporate changes in hominin adaptability and behaviour. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Discovery, cognition and theoretical exploration of the human evolution studies in China since the begining of 21st century LIU Wu Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (06): 881-899.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0085 Abstract （1347）   HTML （291）    PDF（pc） （603KB）（1770）       Knowledge map    Save Starting in the early 20th century, the human evolution studies in China have experienced more than one hundred years. Since beginning of the 21st century, impressive advances have been achieved on the human evolution studies in China. Except for discovering abundant hominin fossils, a series of field work and lab studies have been conducted in Paleolithic archaeology, chronology, and ancient DNA and protein, which indicate the human evolution studies in China have become a wide range of multidisciplinary research. Among these advances, the discoveries of hominin fossils and related studies in the past twenty years are most important, which mainly touched the issues of modern human origin and late Middle Pleistocene hominin evolution in East Asia. The discovery of Late Pleistocene hominin fossils in Tianyuandong with AMS 14C dating put the emergence of early modern human in East Asia 40 kaBP which made the studies of modern human origin in China under more accurate dating frame. The subsequent hominin fossil discoveries from Huanglongdong, Zhirendong, Lunadong and Daoxian from the Late Pleistocene further made the appearing time of the modern humans in China as early as 80 to 120 kaBP. Since 21st century, the discoveries of the late Middle Pleistocene hominin fossils from Penghu, Xuchang, Hualongdong, Xiahe and Harbin greatly enrich the hominin fossil records in China and provide important information for the research into human evolution in East Asia. During this period, studies on these newly discovered and other late Middle Pleistocene hominin fossils including Dali, Jinniushan, Xujiayao, Maba and Tongzi have been conducted with most impressive finding that the fossil morphology and evolutionary patterns of the late Middle Pleistocene hominins exhibit very complicated diversities. The morphologies of these fossils are characterized by both derived and archaic features. Some of the fossils exhibit similar or even the same morphological features as in modern humans but others still keep more archaic features. Such a finding suggests the transition from archaic to modern morphology occurred as early as 300 kaBP or emergence of modern humans in China may be much earlier than previously believed. The late Middle Pleistocene hominins living in different regions of China do not have the equal contribution to the formation of modern humans. Simply classifying all the hominins of this time period into archaic Homo sapiens cannot accurately reflect the evolutionary patterns of late Middle Pleistocene hominins in China. As the research of multidisciplinary approaches, the studies of different fields in human evolution have also been conducted in the past twenty years. The present author believes that four studies represent the most important advances in Paleolithic archaeology in China. These studies touched the issues of Middle Pleistocene Acheulean-like stone technology in China, the earliest human occupation in Tibetan Plateau by 40 kaBP to 30 kaBP, the late Middle Pleistocene Levallois stone-tool technology in China and modern human behaviors of ochre processing and tool use in China 40 kaBP. The dating the hominin fossil on the stone tool sites of Xiaochangliang and Majuangou in Nihewan Basin, Shangchen in Lantian updated the opinion of the earliest time for hominin arrival to Northeast Asia and East Asia 1.66 MaBP and 2.13 MaBP respectively. The studies on fossil taphonomy, ancient DNA and ancient protein have also been carried out. A series of new discoveries and understanding have been achieved from these works, and academic explorations on some key issues on the human evolution in China have also been discussed. In this paper, centered on the hominin fossil discovery and research, important advances on the human evolution in China are reviewed and key issues discussed. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Teeth morphology of Han, Hui, Mongolia, Miao and Uyghur peoples in China ZHU Haige, QIAO Hui, YANG Chen, GUAN Haijuan, ZHANG Hang, WEN Shaoqing, XIA Bin, TAN Jingze Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (04): 613-628.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0050 Abstract （1322）   HTML （42）    PDF（pc） （2511KB）（1105）       Knowledge map    Save Studies showed that the dental morphological traits are mostly controlled by multiple genes, and environmental factors have a relatively small impact on them. Therefore, there are significant distribution differences in different geographical or ethnic groups. The formation of these differences is closely related to the origin and evolution of populations or ethnic groups in different regions, as well as the communication and integration between populations. It is of great significance for revealing the origin and evolution of populations and the relationships between populations. In this study, 26 dental morphological traits of Han Chinese, Hui, Mongolian, Miao, and Uyghur populations were analyzed. We conducted the side consistency analysis, gender difference analysis, correlation analysis between traits and ageto explore the characteristics of dental morphological traits in five populations. Based on the population frequency data, the dental morphological traits of the five populations were compared with other Chinese populations, Japanese populations, Northeast Asia populations, Southeast Asia populations, European populations and African populations by multivariate statistical analysis. We explored the group relationships between five Chinese populations and global populations, as well as the dental morphological traits of the five populations. Our results showed that there was no difference between left and right sides in most dental morphological traits of the five populations, no gender difference in all traits, most dental traits showed no significant correlation with age. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that results confirmed that there objectively exist two types of dental features called Sundadonty and Sinodonty. The Han Chinese in Taizhou belongs to Northeast Asia populations, and has a high frequency of Shoveling and Double Shoveling. The Miao in Guizhou is located between Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia populations, and the incidence of Shoveling is relatively high. The Mongolian in Inner Mongolia and Hui in Ningxia belong to Southeast Asian population by the principal component analysis and multidimensional scale analysis, but they are located between Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia populations, and are clustered with the Miao in Guizhou through the adjacency network diagram. The lower frequency of Shoveling and Double Shoveling of Mongolian and Hui are similar to the Southeast Asian population. The Uyghur population is located between the East Asian population, the European, and North African populations, and is closest to the Han Chinese in Taizhou. The high-frequency Shoveling, Double Shoveling, and low-frequency Y-Groove are very similar to the Northeastern Asian population, but the absolute high-frequency of the Cusp4 is similar to the European population, confirming that the Uyghur population is a typical Eurasian mixed population. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Gigantopithecus blacki discovered in the Early Pleistocene strata of Wulong, Chongqing HU Haiqian, HUANG Wanbo, WEI Guangbiao, DAI Hui, XIONG Can, HE Shuxing, JIANG Tao Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (05): 701-711.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0057 Abstract （1201）   HTML （92）    PDF（pc） （7794KB）（483）       Knowledge map    Save The fossil materials studied in this paper, dominated by well-preserved isolated cheek teeth, were unearthed from a horizonal limestone cave named the Meiziwan Cave (29°25′22″N, 107°30′42″E, elevation 589 m asl) in Baima Town of Wulong District, Chongqing Municipality, China. Three premolars (right P4, right p3 and left p4) and six molars (two left M3s, two left m1, left m2 and right m3) were interpreted as Gigantopithecus blacki. Measurements and comparison indicate that giant ape specimens from the Meiziwan Cave are characterized by small sizes and high proportion of dental caries and with adult and old adult to be the majority, representing the primitive form of G. blacki. The deposits in the cave are mainly calcareous clay mixed with karst breccias, bearing abundant mammalian tooth fossils. The faunal association, consisting of at least six orders, fourteen families, seventeen genera, and eighteen species, coincides with those found in the Longgopo site in Wushan County, Chongqing Municipality, the Gigantopithecus cave in Liucheng County and the Baikong Cave in Chongzuo City and the Chuifeng Cave in Bubing basin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi ZAR) as well as the Pa’eryan Cave in Bijie City, Guizhou Province in light of the special components of the initial stage of the Early Pleistocene, for example, small-sized G. blacki, Hystrix magna, Sinomastodon yangziensis, Stegodon huananensis, Ailuropoda microta, Ursus thibetanus primitinus, Equus cf. yunnanensis, Hesperotherium sinense, Tapirus sanyuanensis, Sus xiaozhu, S. peii and Cervavitus ultimus. G. blacki become larger through time from the Early Pleistocene to the Middle Pleistocene due to the comparison of tooth measurements. In addition to G. blacki, increase of body size can be found in giant panda, tapir and black bear. Considering occurred in the Mid-Pleistocene climate transition, the tendency can be thought to be bound up with prominent climate transition and ecosystem changes, corresponding to the hypothesis of the Bergman’s Rule that endothermy animals grow larger as the climate cools. The Meiziwan Cave is one more G. blacki locality in Chongqing, situated within the area between the Longgupo site in Wushan, Chongqing and the Pa’eryan Cave in Bijie, Guizhou. The presence of G. blacki in the Meiziwan Cave enriches the localities found near the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and broadens the biogeographic distribution ranges, highlighting the significance of the evolution, extinction, paleogeographic distributions, and paleoecosystem of the Gigantopithecus fauna. Fortunately, given the abundance of karst pits, fissures and caves in the area from 30° to 18° latitudes in southern China, further investigations, excavations and research will potentially contribute to figuring it out. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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An overview of human nasal morphology LI Haijun, YAO Xuechun, WENG Minjie, YANG Xiaoyu Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (04): 687-700.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0041 Abstract （1182）   HTML （104）    PDF（pc） （1229KB）（2499）       Knowledge map    Save The nose, as a key point of human facial morphology, exhibits distinctive features for individual appearance and possesses vital physiological functions simultaneously. Specifically, the size and shape of the nose, as well as the proportional relationship between the nose and the face, are crucial factors in facial aesthetics. Moreover, it is also one of the important indicators of ethnographic classification in some studies. Additionally, the nose plays a very significant role during human breathing as it can guide the airflow, alter the airflow resistance, regulate the body’s water loss, and maintain the heat balance. Current research on nasal morphological variation, both domestic and international, mainly encompasses the following various aspects of nasal morphology: 1) Sex- and age-related differences in nasal morphological variation. Generally, males have larger noses than females, especially in terms of nose width, length, and height. However, nasal angle measurements of men, such as the nasofrontal angle, nasal tip angle, nasolabial angle, and alar slope angle, are smaller than those of women. The distribution of nostril shape also varies significantly between men and women. Regarding age difference, there is a critical period for nose growth in adolescence, approximately from age 9 to 14. 2) Nasal morphological differences of the human nose among various ethnic groups. One of the most notable distinctions is the nostril shape. Essentially, Caucasian people have leptorrhine nostril shape, with larger nose height and smaller width; African people have platyrrhine shape, with smaller nose height and larger width; while Asians have mesorrhine shape with medium nose height and width. 3) Factors that affect nasal morphological variation, such as the head size, climate and environment, genetic factors and inheritance, and so forth; 4) Measurement of nasal morphological parameters, including facial landmarks and measurement methodology, both traditional and developed methods. 5) Related applications of nasal morphology, including those in the fields of disease diagnosis, medical orthopedics, personal identification, forensic investigation, and so on.===By summarizing and understanding the research data and conclusions of related existing literature, this paper provides a brief overview of the nasal morphology-related studies and methods of the measurement of nasal morphology. Firstly, it describes the nasal morphological variation between men and women. Secondly, it demonstrates the nose growth difference during different age periods. Thirdly, it compares the nasal morphological differences among ethnicities. Fourthly, it emulates multiple factors that may affect nasal morphology. Fifthly, it introduces the basic nasal morphological parameters and methods. Finally, it gives a review and prospect of the domestic research on nasal morphology. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Selenga River human dispersal path in Initial Upper Paleolithic Evgeny P RYBIN, Arina M KHATSENOVICH Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (05): 780-796.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2022.0017 Abstract （1181）   HTML （41）    PDF（pc） （5345KB）（553）       Knowledge map    Save Here, we consider earlier Upper Paleolithic sites in the Selenga River Basin, the main fluvial input of Lake Baikal that flows through northern Mongolia and the southwestern Transbaikal region of Russia. Lithic industries from these sites can be attributed to the laminar Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) technocomplex, widespread in southern Siberia and Central Asia. IUP industries appear in the Selenga Basin about 45 kaBP cal. Aspects of regional typological variability and the transport of exotic raw materials over long distances indicate that these populations participated in developed exchange networks and employed high mobility targeting the acquisition of necessary raw materials. Two site types are present: quarry-workshops in northern Mongolia and generalized activity settlements in the southwestern Transbaikal. Although faunal data are limited, we interpret available information as indicating a specialization on hunting, focusing on migrating steppe game species. The distribution of sites in the mid-altitudes and landscapes of the Selenga-Orkhon geographical region and the geomorphological homogeneity of this territory also supported interregional human moves during the IUP. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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A study overview on tooth wear in ancient populations LI Haijun, ZENG Yuxin, ADILIJIANG Waili, NUERMAIMAITI Kadier, ZHANG Hailong, LI Wenying Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2025, 44 (02): 333-351.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0081 Abstract （1079）   HTML （60）    PDF（pc） （9126KB）（1207）       Knowledge map    Save Tooth wear is closely related to human subsistence activities and is a common physiological phenomenon observed on human remains excavated from archaeological sites. It possesses significant research value in fields such as physical anthropology and archaeology. Currently, numerous scholars both at home and abroad have conducted research on tooth wear in ancient populations, yielding a wealth of findings. However, a systematic review is still lacking. This paper reviews and summarizes the common types and influencing factors of tooth wear in ancient inhabitants based on relevant research results from both domestic and international sources. Macroscopically, tooth wear can present morphologically as flat, oblique, rounded, spoon-shaped, cup-shaped, and groove wear. Microscopically, it can be further classified into striations and pits. Factors influencing tooth wear include age, food structure, food processing techniques, socioeconomic types, and specific human behavioral patterns that may lead to distinctive wear phenomena. Moreover, factors such as chewing methods, chewing frequency, occlusal relationships between the upper and lower jaws, and the developmental status of teeth also affect tooth wear to a certain extent. Research on tooth wear can be applied to infer the individual age at death, explore the dietary structure and socioeconomic patterns of ancient populations, elucidate ancient labor behaviors and social division of labor, reconstruct the patterns of weaning and feeding in children, as well as the functional restoration of occlusal relationships between the upper and lower dental arches. Based on differences in research purposes and subjects, the academic community has proposed specialized observation methods and grading standards for evaluating the degree of tooth wear. Nevertheless, there is currently no unified grading method or standard for tooth wear. Overall, exploring the dietary conditions and subsistence patterns of ancient populations from different archaeological sites in China through tooth wear is a major research focus of ancient human tooth wear studies in China. Significant research achievements have revealed the dietary conditions and subsistence patterns of populations from various archaeological sites. In terms of time, these sites are mainly concentrated from the Neolithic Age to the early Iron Age. Geographically, research on tooth wear in ancient Chinese populations is mainly distributed in the Central Plains and the northwestern border regions of China, with relatively fewer studies in the southern regions. Compared with international research, domestic studies on ancient human tooth wear still face limitations such as narrow research perspectives, lack diversity in research focus and homogeneous content. Future research could benefit from innovations in research fields, ideas, and methods to fill the gaps and achieve further progress. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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A new insight into the origins of the Austronesian by the paleoenvironmental changes in the Taiwan Strait ZHANG Suixin, ZHANG Ke Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (05): 797-812.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0024 Abstract （1074）   HTML （69）    PDF（pc） （4549KB）（925）       Knowledge map    Save The Austronesian ethnic group, known for its strong oceanic connection, has been extensively studied in physical anthropology, linguistics, and archaeology for about a century. Scholars generally agree that the Austronesian people originated from the Taiwan region and the southeastern coast of the Chinese mainland. However, the question of how their ancestors arrived in Taiwan and then spread to other oceanic regions remains unanswered. Archaeological excavations along the coastal areas of the Taiwan Strait mainly reveal Neolithic artifacts with common features such as stamped pattern pottery, net sinkers, and layers of seashell middens. Notable examples include the Dabenkeng culture on the Taiwan side of the eastern Taiwan Strait and the Keqiutou culture on the Fujian side of the western Taiwan Strait. These cultures share similarities but also exhibit differences in stone tools and pottery. For instance, Dabenkeng pottery mainly features cord marks, while Keqiutou pottery includes additional patterns such as shell imprints, stamped hemp-dot marks, and engraved parallel lines. Some researchers speculate on a possible hereditary relationship between the two cultures, but they are puzzled by how they managed to cross the vast strait with limited maritime skills and without any clear maritime shift orientations and purposes in prehistoric voyages. It is noteworthy that most of the cultural ages of Keqiutou, Dabenkeng, and other discovered sites in the study area date back no earlier than approximately 7.4 kaBP, coinciding with the rise in sea levels to about the present level after the last deglacial period. Therefore, it is logical to consider the influence of sea-level changes on the origin and migration of the Austronesian people. Based on an analysis of the last deglacial sea-level rise, resulting ancient environmental changes, and current cultural features of excavated sites, we propose a possibility that the Austronesian ancestors emerged during the early Holocene (approximately 11.7~7.4 kaBP). This emergence was centered around the areas of both the nearshore of the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan Shoal, where they developed a “proto-Austronesian culture”. As sea levels gradually rose, their habitat was progressively submerged, compelling them to retreat to the inshore highlands on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The Austronesian relics discovered, such as Dabenkeng, Keqiutou, and Fuguodun, are actually offshoots of the Austronesian ancestors, inheriting their marine ecological characteristics. A scarcity of Neolithic remains older than 7.4 kaBP in the study area can be attributed to a “survivor bias” phenomenon. According to previous research on cultural relics and molecular anthropology, it is evident that there were at least three lineages for prehistoric humans in the Taiwan Strait area. The first lineage consisted of a late Paleolithic “local” community, which became extinct without leaving any inheritable evidence for later communities. The second lineage consisted of a quasi-local Austronesian community, i.e., the Dabenkeng and Keqiutou cultures, originating from the early Neolithic “proto-Austronesian” culture submerged in the areas of the nearshore and Taiwan Shoal and retaining their marine traditions and island characteristics. The only known example of the “proto-Austronesian culture” is the discovery of Liangdao Man I. The “proto-Austronesian culture” was originated by inheriting and developing the earliest pottery-making techniques and maritime skills, likely in very early Holocene or towards the end of the Pleistocene. The third lineage was an immigrant community that migrated southward from the area of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, bringing paddy farming practices. This community merged with the second lineage approximately 4 kaBP, leading to the formation of a widespread middle Neolithic culture in the study area. The incorporation of the second and third lineages advanced voyaging capabilities, providing a foundation for the expansion of Austronesian culture into the open ocean. The submerged areas of the Taiwan Strait nearshore and Taiwan Shoal, considered the cradle of Austronesian culture, await further discovery through submarine archaeological exploration. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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On the beginning of the Japanese Upper Paleolithic: A review of recent archaeological and anthropological evidence Hiroyuki SATO, Kazuki MORISAKI Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (03): 470-487.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2022.0043 Abstract （1050）   HTML （92）    PDF（pc） （21572KB）（335）       Knowledge map    Save The beginning of the Japanese Upper Paleolithic has mainly been examined using two major models: the Middle Paleolithic evolutionary model within the archipelago and the continental Upper Paleolithic diffusion/migration model. However, recent archeological data from Japan and nearby countries are challenging such simple models. This paper critically reviews previous chronology of the Japanese Paleolithic, including possible Lower and Middle Paleolithic (LP/MP), and attempts to show an alternative model of the beginning of the Japanese Upper Paleolithic. This paper suggests several possible specimens of LP/MP and recommends further geoarchaeological investigation to understand the reliability and cultural relationship between possible LP/MP specimens and the Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP). The start of the Japanese EUP is presently characterized by a flake industry with trapezoids and denticulates around 39-37 kaBP cal on Paleo-Honshu Island, which has partial resemblance with contemporary assemblages in China and the Korean Peninsula, although trapezoids are endemic only to the Japanese EUP and may have derived from the ancestral lithic tradition. Blade technology appeared earliest on Central Paleo-Honshu Island, about 1000 years later than the earliest flake technology. Although blade technology may have originated from the elongated flake technology of the previous period, the sudden simultaneous emergence implies that it diffused from the Korean Peninsula. This paper proposes that blade technology from the Korean Peninsula arrived on the northeastern Paleo-Honshu Island, including the Japan Sea coastal region of western Honshu, rather than the southwest, where flake technology long prospered, due to differences in ecological settings and adaptation strategies between the two regions. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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An overview and new insights into the Quaternary mammalian fauna from the Nihewan Basin in North China TONG Haowen, ZHANG Bei, CHEN Xi Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (01): 157-183.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0007 Abstract （1044）   HTML （92）    PDF（pc） （11901KB）（709）       Knowledge map    Save The Nihewan (Nihowan) Basin attracted researcher ’s attention by its rich fluviolacustrine deposits initially and then by its diversified mammalian fossils. Currently it is a hot spot for Paleolithic archaeology, Quaternary geology and for paleontology. The Nihewan fauna sensu stricto has been regarded as the type fauna for the Early Pleistocene Epoch in North China, whose paleomagnetic age is 2.2-1.7 Ma. Whereas the further stratigraphical investigations inside the Basin have also resulted in discoveries of mammalian faunas of Mid-Late Pleistocene epochs. Elephant remains recovered in Holocene deposits at Dingjiabu reservoir were identified as Elephas maximus by a previous study, while recent dating work shows the actual age of these remains as older than 50 kyr, with a morphological study of these fossils indicating an inclusion into the species Palaeoloxodon naumanni. Up to now, more than 100 fossil localities have been discovered in the Nihewan Basin, and approximately 236 mammal species have been recognized that belong to 8 orders, 32 families, and 121 genera. Around 38 species (including subspecies) were originally established based on well preserved and diversaified fossil materials from here. Some of the taxa with important roles in forming the initial Paleoarctic fauna are early mammoth (Mammuthus meridionalis and M. trogontherii), woolly rhino (Coelodonta nihowanensis), early bison (Bison palaeosinensis) and comb-antlered deer (Eucladoceros boulei), Chihli wolf (Canis chihliensis), raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes spp.) and diverse horses (Equus spp.). Because of the cut of rivers and faults as well as the facies changes, chronological correlations among different sites in the Nihewan Basin is not easy, which makes it difficult to get a general view of evolutionary patterns of fauna. The present study shows Early Pleistocene fossil sites around the Cenjiawan (Cheng-chia-wan) platform at the southern bank of the Sangganhe (Sangkanho) River should share similar geologic ages as the type locality of Nihewan fauna sensu stricto at Xiashagou on the northern bank of the river. Fossiliferous strata in the Nihewan Basin are mainly limited to sand, silt and clay layers. Bones usually form lenticular masses or appear in piles along trenches in situ, which should be the result from transportation by water. Except for one tooth of Hystrix and a few fossils of muntjac, the Pleistocene mammalian fauna in the Nihewan Basin is exclusively composed of Paleoarctic animals, which indicates a cool steppe dominated environment. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of patella morphology of the Neolithic people from Huiyaotian site in South China YE Ziqi, HE Anyi, LIANG You, LI Fajun Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (02): 259-272.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0021 Abstract （1044）   HTML （302）    PDF（pc） （1673KB）（961）       Knowledge map    Save The shape variability of human lower limbs is one of the core topics in human evolutionary and locomotion anatomy, and it provides clues about human activities and labor in different subsistence. However, evaluations of knee morphological function analysis are commonly conducted on the distal femora and proximal tibiae, while patellae, as the essential components of the knee joint, have not been observed and evaluated with the morphological methods until the recent decade. From the anatomic perspective, dragged by soft tissues such as the quadriceps muscle group, patellar tendon, and medial and lateral patellar retinaculum, the patella can be shaped in various morphological characteristics in different locomotive preferences. Meanwhile, the constantly attach to the distal femur during flexion and extension also adjusts the articular surface of the patella. According to these assumptions, the morphological variation of patellae can theoretically manifest the development of these muscles and ligaments and the force preference in lower limb activities. As a significant site of Dingsishan Neolithic culture, the Huiyaotian site reveals a typical hunting-gathering subsistence in Southern China. The site locates on the first terrace near to the Yongjiang River in Qingxiu District of Nanning city, Guangxi. Since 1977, archaeologists have conducted several investigations into the site. In 2006 and 2016, the Guangxi Institute of Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeology, in collaboration with the Nanning Museum, conducted archaeological excavations and salvage excavations on the site, and discovered relatively rich archaeological and cultural relics. In 2006, more than 50 human burials were excavated and revealed, with burial styles including limb-flexed, contracted, and hyper-flexed (parts of them belong to dismembered burials). The authors apply three-dimensional geometric morphometric methods to the human patellae (n=43) from the site. With three main topics of bilateral asymmetry, sexual dimorphism, and age differentiation, the authors aim to identify and visualize patellae's morphological variation and the intra-group difference in this hunting-gathering society. In addition, the authors form a specific series of three-dimensional geometric morphometric methods on human patellae, including landmark setting, measure error estimation, and functional interpretation. The result indicates that the habitants developed the greater left-biases in the size of the patellae, with the right deflection of both patella apexes. The bilateral asymmetry in size and shape can point to an unbalance locomotion in labor and daily activities. Males are proven to have larger patellae. There is no significant difference in morphology between males and females, while previous research revealed a significant sexual dimorphism in diaphyseal biomechanism. It manifests the asynchronism among biomechanism and morphology, patellae, and diaphyseal limb bones. Subadults tend to own smaller patellae, with longer patellar apexes and steeper patellar bases. Morphological change with age development might refer to the strengthening of the Quadriceps muscle, and the increasing intensity and frequency of knee flexion and extension. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Research progress and prospect of the ancient dental calculus residue TAO Dawei, ZOU Huilin Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (02): 344-354.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2023.0055 Abstract （1024）   HTML （77）    PDF（pc） （578KB）（876）       Knowledge map    Save Dental calculus is essentially a mineralized or fully mineralized dental plaque, which provides a new avenue for archaeological research due to its characteristics of easy preservation, accessibility and non-pollution. The highly mineralized nature enables itself to be well preserved for a long time, and also provides a good storage medium for various residues trapped in dental calculus. Consequently, extraction and analysis of residues from dental calculus becomes feasible. Since the analysis of dental calculus was used in archaeological research in the 1960s, residue analysis on ancient dental calculus has been carried out for more than 60 years. Along with more analysis methods applied to dental calculus, many important progresses have been made. In summary, the residue analysis on ancient dental calculus focus on the dental calculus attached on the surfaces of human or animal teeth unearthed from archaeological sites. Using multidisciplinary analysis methods such as including plant microfossil, stable isotope, palaeomicrobiology, ancient DNA and so on, various types of residues entrapped in dental calculus are extracted, and the properties, sources, and types of these residues are identified and analyzed, revealing the dietary sources of ancient humans and animals, which can reflect the economic activitieand social conditions. As of December 2022, at least 147 research papers on the residue analysis of ancient dental calculus have been published both domestically and internationally (excluding 12 master's and doctoral theses), including 121 from abroad and 26 from domestically, which indicate that the residue analysis on ancient dental calculus has gradually become an effective way to explore the economic and social conditions. This paper systematically combs the research progress of residue analysis on ancient dental calculus from four aspects: Elaborated dietary construction of human, development and spread of early agriculture, East-West resource exchange and consumption, and utilization of specific resources, and reveals its important value in archaeological research, and looks forward to the application of residue analysis on ancient dental calculus in archaeological research in China. More analytical methods such as organic residues should be applied in ancient dental calculus analysis in China, which can maximize the extraction of residues from ancient dental calculus and help to expanding research fields to animal husbandry by-products, consumption and utilization of specific resources, etc. As a common and easily accessible biological remains, ancient dental calculus might become a routine object in bioarchaeological research, and residue analysis of ancient dental calculus is expected to become a new academic growth point in the field of bioarchaeology in China. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Morphological characteristics of the head and face of Han children in Henan WANG Xu, WAN Tengshu, LIU Xuemin, LI Mengsi, ZHAI Jiaqi, ZHAO Chunwang Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (05): 813-827.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0077 Abstract （1014）   HTML （46）    PDF（pc） （13981KB）（232）       Knowledge map    Save The growth and development rate of children is rapid, and the size of the head and face of children in different regions and ages varies greatly. To provide data reference for the size design of children’s headwear products and improve the fitness of products, 11 cephalic and facial indexes of 337 Han nationality children aged 6-14 in Henan region were measured by manual measurement. SPSS 25.0 statistical software was used to compare and analyze the head and face size data and morphological characteristics of children of different ages, genders and regions, and to explore the method of type division of children’s head and face size. The results showed that 11 measurement indexes such as head breadth, face breadth and nose breadth of children were in line with normal distribution, and most of the measurements were significantly correlated with each other. There were significant differences in some cephalic and facial indexes among children of different ages, genders and regions. Age was positively correlated with the indexes. And the measurement indexes of boys were generally greater than those of girls. Most of the children’s cephalic and facial indexes collected at different periods have significant differences, and the total number of indexes with significant differences in girls is more than that of boys. Among the children aged 6-14, the distribution number of super round head, super wide face and middle nose were the most. Compared with the calculation methods of head and face size of standard body using deviation method, variance method and column method, the column method is the most accurate. This study updates and enriches the head and face database for children in Henan, providing data support for the development of ergonomic children’s head and face products and theoretical reference for human head and face measurement. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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A comparison of head and facial characteristics between the Daur ethnic groups in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang LI Xin, JIANG Shuai, HUANG Ting, ZHONG Hua, WEN Youfeng Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (04): 586-596.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0061 Abstract （1009）   HTML （26）    PDF（pc） （8880KB）（369）       Knowledge map    Save In this study, 629 healthy Daur adults (315 males and 314 females) from Molidavar Autonomous Banner (referred to as Moqi) of Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia and Tacheng City of Xinjiang were selected as research objects. 40 head and face indexes were investigated, and 5 head and face indexes and their subtypes were calculated. The data were processed by SPSS20.0 statistical software and R software.Research has found that there is a significant difference in the head and facial features of adults between the Daur ethnic group in Inner Mongolia and the Daur ethnic group in Xinjiang. The average value of each index of Daur nationality in Xinjiang is higher than that of Daur nationality in Inner Mongolia. Inner Mongolia Daur adults have longer head, wider head, wider face, narrower nose and lower nose. The adults of Daur nationality in Xinjiang have the facial features of medium length and width of head, narrow nose and low nose，which may be related to the geographical environment and communication and integration between populations.This study provides a reference for exploring the reasons and rules of the evolution of phenotypic characteristics between Daur ethnic groups and exploring the origin relationship of Daur ethnic groups. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Reduction patterns and assemblage of the Levallois technology WANG Xiaoyu, GAO Xing Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2025, 44 (01): 1-13.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0067 Abstract （1007）   HTML （143）    PDF（pc） （1137KB）（850）       Knowledge map    Save Levallois technology, denominated after the Levallois-Perret site located in the northern suburbs of Paris, France, was initially recognized and demarcated by the archaeologist Henri Breuil. This particular technology, which necessitates the fabrication of specific flake products through core preparation, forms a distinctive hallmark of the Middle Paleolithic epoch in the western region of the Old World (referred to as the Middle Stone Age in the African context). It epitomizes the primary technological expression of Mode 3 preformed cores within Clark’s five-mode technological classification system. Marked by the pre-shaping of cores and the generation of specialized flake varieties, Levallois technology held sway in the Mousterian industrial complex. Levallois technology originally sprang up during the late phase of the Lower Paleolithic Acheulian industry and subsequently experienced further progression within the Mousterian technological paradigm during the Middle Paleolithic period. The incidence and application of Levallois technology exhibited pronounced variations among diverse Paleolithic assemblages; nevertheless, it unfailingly materialized in a multitude of stone tool industries spanning the Near East, Europe, Africa, and Asia. This lithic technology was noteworthy for its elaborate preforming sequence and the production of standardized implements, attesting to the elevated cognitive capabilities of ancient humans. As a result, this technology is routinely contemplated in the reconstructions of human intellectual evolution, given that it intimates advanced powers of conceptualization, abstraction, intelligence, and language. In contradistinction to its widespread prevalence in other regions, the documentary evidence of Levallois technology in China remains comparatively scant, attributable to the paucity of archaeological vestiges. Some scholars previously attributed the deficiency of Levallois technology in East Asia to meager effective population sizes and the absence of the Acheulian heritage. However, in recent years, with the strides made in archaeological excavations, the discovery of artifacts embodying Levallois technology at Chinese sites has galvanized the attention of the academic fraternity. Indicative Levallois artifacts have been unearthed at several locations in northern China, especially in areas proximate to Russia and Mongolia. These sites, dating back approximately 50,000 to 40,000 years ago, include Shuidonggou, Jinsitai, and Tongtian Cave. These findings have subverted prior assumptions and furnished novel vantage points for grasping technological assemblages, technological dissemination, as well as the divergences from representative sites of the late Middle Pleistocene and early Late Pleistocene in northern China. This paper strives to introduce and encapsulate the Levallois concepts, products, and idiosyncratic traits of the reduction pattern. It clarifies the extant evidence of Levallois technology unearthed in China and the characteristics of the affiliated industries. By dint of this endeavor, we aspire to proffer valuable perspectives for further research undertakings. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Research progress on the relationship between Paleolithic hominid activities and environmental changes in the Nihewan Basin ZHANG Zhen, WANG Ying, LI Yuecong Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (01): 184-198.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0004 Abstract （952）   HTML （117）    PDF（pc） （4220KB）（1087）       Knowledge map    Save The Nihewan Basin in northern China has the largest number, densest distribution and most complete chronological sequence of Paleolithic hominid remains, and as such is an ideal region for the research on Paleolithic hominins and environment. Based on published data of 65 Paleolithic sites (groups) in the Yangyuan and Yuxian basins of the Nihewan, this paper discusses the relationship between Paleolithic hominid activities and environmental changes during Pleistocene. The results are as follows. 1. Sites of early Pleistocene mainly appeared 1.8 to 1.0 Ma BP, and were distributed in the northern margin area of the Cenjiawan platform. In the Middle Pleistocene (i.e., after 0.78 Ma BP), with reduction of the paleolake, the range of hominid sites expanded significantly from the Early Pleistocen. These sites were distributed not only in the southern margin of the Cenjiawan platform and the Yuxian basin, but also in the other margins of the ancient lake, such as the central and western parts of the Yangyuan basin. In the Late Pleistocene (i.e., after 0.126 Ma BP), the range of hominid sites further expanded, but with the gradual disappearance of the Nihewan paleolake and the formation of the Sanggan and Huliu rivers, the distribution pattern of sites changed to concentrate on the river terraces reflecting a dependence on water sources. 2. More than 80% of Early-Middle Pleistocene hominid sites correspond to the low Earth Orbit Eccentricity, and more than 70% sites correspond to the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) interglacial stage, which showed that the climate was relatively warm and with small fluctuations; suitable climate conditions for hominins. 3. During periods of hominin occupation, plant types are mostly steppe dominated by Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae, or forest-steppe dominated by Pinus, mixed with some broad-leaf tree species such as Betula, Ulmus and Quercus. The overall biodiversity was high, which provided not only rich food sources but also relatively wide spaces for hominin occupation. 4. In the Late Pleistocene, advances in stone technology and the use of fire, humans began to appear in later cold glacial periods. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）