Research on the cranial traits of Northern Chinese populations during the middle-to-late Holocene

doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0016

Abstract

Abstract:

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.

Key words: cranium, Holocene, sequential change, climatic adaptation, communication and combination

CLC Number:

Q983⁺.3

DU Baopu, LIU Li, ZHU Tong, YU Luojia, JING Peng, DU Jing, GAO Yan. Research on the cranial traits of Northern Chinese populations during the middle-to-late Holocene[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 2026, 45(01): 128-139.

Figures/Tables 4

References 46

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颅骨性状 cranial traits	男性 male		女性 female		汇总 total
颅骨性状 cranial traits	相关系数r	显著性p	相关系数r	显著性p	相关系数r	显著性p
颅长cranial length	-0.040	0.284	0.007	0.883	0.037	0.208
颅宽 cranial breadth	-0.241	<0.001	-0.125	0.010	-0.132	<0.001
颅高 cranial height	-0.003	0.935	0.056	0.247	0.074	0.012
最小额宽 minimum frontal breadth	-0.009	0.806	-0.042	0.384	0.014	0.645
颅基底长 basis length	0.023	0.528	0.020	0.675	0.073	0.013
脑颅尺寸 neurocranial size	-0.142	<0.001	-0.027	0.579	-0.007	0.819
颅容量 cranial capacity	-0.141	<0.001	-0.027	0.575	0.028	0.337
上面高 upper facial height	-0.120	0.001	-0.020	0.675	-0.022	0.455
颧宽 bizygomatic breadth	-0.048	0.190	0.014	0.777	0.053	0.072
颧骨高 malar height	0.015	0.686	0.032	0.506	0.068	0.021
颧骨宽 malar breadth	0.083	0.025	0.066	0.171	0.119	<0.001
鼻宽 nasal breadth	0.052	0.159	-0.046	0.337	0.036	0.215
鼻高 nasal height	-0.020	0.594	-0.133	0.020	0.002	0.949
眶宽 orbital breadth	0.005	0.894	-0.043	0.374	0.029	0.324
眶高 orbital height	-0.021	0.570	-0.047	0.328	-0.017	0.560
齿槽弓长 maxillo-alveolar length	0.154	<0.001	0.122	0.012	0.170	<0.001
齿槽弓宽 maxillo-alveolar breadth	0.084	0.023	0.071	0.142	0.117	<0.001
腭长 palatal length	0.084	0.024	0.164	0.001	0.131	<0.001
腭宽 palatal breadth	0.038	0.303	-0.007	0.883	0.048	0.102
面颅尺寸 viscerocranial size	-0.111	0.003	-0.009	0.851	0.011	0.712
颅指数 cranial index	-0.164	<0.001	-0.112	0.020	-0.146	<0.001
颅长高指数 cranial length-height index	0.030	0.421	0.048	0.321	0.049	0.092
颅宽高指数 cranial breadth-height index	0.174	<0.001	0.134	0.006	0.169	<0.001
额顶宽指数 frontal index	0.170	<0.001	0.052	0.282	0.121	<0.001
上面指数 upper facial index	-0.085	0.021	-0.024	0.621	-0.066	0.025
颧额指数jugofrontal-index I	0.029	0.431	-0.049	0.312	-0.036	0.227
眶指数 orbital index I	-0.021	0.573	-0.012	0.802	--0.037	0.213
鼻指数 nasal index	0.061	0.100	0.036	0.463	0.028	0.345
上颌牙槽指数 maxillo-alveolar index	-0.074	0.045	-0.068	0.163	-0.066	0.024
腭指数 palatal index	-0.029	0.441	-0.126	0.009	-0.057	0.053
颅面横指数 transverse cranio-facial index	0.199	<0.001	0.134	0.006	0.202	<0.001

颅骨性状 cranial traits	男性 male		女性 female		汇总 total
颅骨性状 cranial traits	相关系数r	显著性p	相关系数r	显著性p	相关系数r	显著性p
颅长cranial length	-0.040	0.284	0.007	0.883	0.037	0.208
颅宽 cranial breadth	-0.241	<0.001	-0.125	0.010	-0.132	<0.001
颅高 cranial height	-0.003	0.935	0.056	0.247	0.074	0.012
最小额宽 minimum frontal breadth	-0.009	0.806	-0.042	0.384	0.014	0.645
颅基底长 basis length	0.023	0.528	0.020	0.675	0.073	0.013
脑颅尺寸 neurocranial size	-0.142	<0.001	-0.027	0.579	-0.007	0.819
颅容量 cranial capacity	-0.141	<0.001	-0.027	0.575	0.028	0.337
上面高 upper facial height	-0.120	0.001	-0.020	0.675	-0.022	0.455
颧宽 bizygomatic breadth	-0.048	0.190	0.014	0.777	0.053	0.072
颧骨高 malar height	0.015	0.686	0.032	0.506	0.068	0.021
颧骨宽 malar breadth	0.083	0.025	0.066	0.171	0.119	<0.001
鼻宽 nasal breadth	0.052	0.159	-0.046	0.337	0.036	0.215
鼻高 nasal height	-0.020	0.594	-0.133	0.020	0.002	0.949
眶宽 orbital breadth	0.005	0.894	-0.043	0.374	0.029	0.324
眶高 orbital height	-0.021	0.570	-0.047	0.328	-0.017	0.560
齿槽弓长 maxillo-alveolar length	0.154	<0.001	0.122	0.012	0.170	<0.001
齿槽弓宽 maxillo-alveolar breadth	0.084	0.023	0.071	0.142	0.117	<0.001
腭长 palatal length	0.084	0.024	0.164	0.001	0.131	<0.001
腭宽 palatal breadth	0.038	0.303	-0.007	0.883	0.048	0.102
面颅尺寸 viscerocranial size	-0.111	0.003	-0.009	0.851	0.011	0.712
颅指数 cranial index	-0.164	<0.001	-0.112	0.020	-0.146	<0.001
颅长高指数 cranial length-height index	0.030	0.421	0.048	0.321	0.049	0.092
颅宽高指数 cranial breadth-height index	0.174	<0.001	0.134	0.006	0.169	<0.001
额顶宽指数 frontal index	0.170	<0.001	0.052	0.282	0.121	<0.001
上面指数 upper facial index	-0.085	0.021	-0.024	0.621	-0.066	0.025
颧额指数jugofrontal-index I	0.029	0.431	-0.049	0.312	-0.036	0.227
眶指数 orbital index I	-0.021	0.573	-0.012	0.802	--0.037	0.213
鼻指数 nasal index	0.061	0.100	0.036	0.463	0.028	0.345
上颌牙槽指数 maxillo-alveolar index	-0.074	0.045	-0.068	0.163	-0.066	0.024
腭指数 palatal index	-0.029	0.441	-0.126	0.009	-0.057	0.053
颅面横指数 transverse cranio-facial index	0.199	<0.001	0.134	0.006	0.202	<0.001