本研究选取84处中国北方全新世中晚期遗址或墓地出土的1159例颅骨作为研究对象，观察两性31项性状的时序性变化过程及与环境温度的线性相关性。结果表明，在长期趋势上，脑颅整体略有缩小，面颅先趋向缩小后增大；颅型从高颅型趋向正颅型、狭颅型趋向中颅型，眶型从中眶型趋向高眶型，腭型从中腭型趋向阔腭型、后又趋向中腭型。此外，多项颅骨性状在距今3000~2000年间可见局部波动变化。部分颅骨性状与环境温度呈线性相关，但相关程度较弱：颅宽和颅指数与温差呈负相关，而颅宽高指数与温差呈正相关；齿槽弓长、齿槽弓宽和腭长与温差呈正相关。脑颅和面颅在长期趋势上的不均衡性应与两者在颅骨生长发育机制上的差异密切相关；颅骨性状的局部波动性变化可能与夏商周时期不同族群间频繁的交流融合相关；环境温度是驱动中国北方全新世中晚期人群体质时序性变化的重要气候因素。

As an important topic in Human Osteoarchaeology, the spatial-temporal evolution of Holocene populations is of great significance for exploring migration and environmental adaptations. Previous studies have focused on the craniofacial micro-evolutionary changes within Chinese Holocene populations by comparing groups from different eras. However, different methods of defining epochs can directly affect how researchers interpret and describe their observations and results. Moreover, this approach subjectively divides the continuous changes in human traits. It is worth noting that currently, there are few empirical studies exploring the internal mechanisms of temporal change.

In this paper, 1159 craniums (731 males and 428 females) unearthed from 84 archaeological sites or cemeteries in Northern China were analyzed to study the sequential changes of 31 cranial traits in the middle-to-late Holocene populations. Additionally, linear correlation analysis was employed to analyze the correlation between cranial traits and temperature. The results showed that directional long-term trends and local fluctuations occurred in the sequential changes. In the long-term trends, the neurocranial dimensions slightly decreased, while the viscerocranial dimensions showed a pattern of first decreasing and then increasing. The cranial length-height index changed from hypsicrany to orthocrany; the cranial breadth - height index changed from acrocrany to metriocrany; the orbital index increased from mesoconchy to hypsiconchy; the palatal index increased from mesostaphyliny to brachystaphyliny and then returned to mesostaphyliny.

Furthermore, many cranial traits (cranial height, neurocranial size, cranial capacity, cranial length-height index, and orbital index I) exhibited local fluctuations between 3000 and 2000 years ago. The cranial width and cranial index showed significant linear negative correlations with environmental temperature, while the cranial width - height index showed a significant linear positive correlation with environmental temperature. This phenomenon is intrinsically related to the role of the cranial pattern in regulating heat metabolism equilibrium. The maxillo-alveolar length, maxillo-alveolar breadth, and palatal length showed a significant linear positive correlation with environmental temperature. This relationship is related to the nutritional and masticatory functional impacts on the growth of the nasomaxillary complex, which are influenced by dietary shifts due to environmental temperature variations.

The imbalance between the long-term trends of neurocranial and viscerocranial dimensions is likely closely related to the differences in the mechanisms of cranial growth and development. The local fluctuating changes might be caused by the frequent communication and integration of various ethnic groups during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties. Temperature is an important driving factor in the temporal changes of physical characteristics in the Northern Chinese populations during the Holocene. This study provides further insights into the evolution of physical traits in Chinese populations during the middle-to-late Holocene and sheds light on its intrinsic mechanism.