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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 （5086）   HTML （208）    PDF（pc） （901KB）（1497）       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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Head and facial features of populations in different geographical regions of China LI Yonglan, YU Huixin, ZHANG Xinghua, YU Keli, BAO Jinping, ZHENG Lianbin Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2023, 42 (06): 793-806.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2023.0048 Abstract （4420）   HTML （272）    PDF（pc） （1482KB）（2080）       Knowledge map    Save A total of 18 head-face parameters of 45254 Chinese adults (19892 males and 25362 females) have been measured in recent years. The data were statistically analyzed by geographical division and principal component analysis was performed. The males of Northeast and North China have longer ears, closer extraocular angle, narrower noses, and wider heads and faces. Southern China population have shorter ears, wider eyes and noses, narrower heads and faces. The females of Northeast and North China have higher and wider faces, larger eye distances and longer ears. The females of South and Southwest China have lower and narrower faces, closer eye distances and shorter ears. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were conducted on the head-face data of Chinese and foreign populations, and it was found that the head-face characteristics of Chinese were relatively close to those of Caucasian Persians and North American whites, with a large gap between them and African Americans, as well as between them and South Asian population. The physiognomic ear length，interocular breadth, nose breadth, head breadth and morphological facial height of Chinese males are mostly smaller than the four populations of the Negro race, and the morphological facial height of them is mostly smaller than the Persians of the Caucasian race. The nose breadth and mouth breadth of Chinese females are smaller than those of African Americans, and the physiognomic facial height, interocular breadth and face breadth of them are greater than those of North American whites and Iranians. The commonality of head and facial features of geographical regions populations is related to long-term fusion and similar genetic structures among populations, and environmental factors are the important reasons for their differences. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Distribution of sexual stature dimorphism in modern Chinese populations and its influencing factors DU Baopu, YIN Yuzhe, TAN Yi, ZHANG Yuge, FAN Bo, YAO Zhizheng, GUO Hang Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2023, 42 (02): 191-200.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2022.0048 Abstract （4029）   HTML （442）    PDF（pc） （1434KB）（1624）       Knowledge map    Save Sexual size dimorphism is the commonest form of sexual dimorphism, associated with growth patterns, mortality and food availability, which has become a hot topic of common concern in recent biological anthropology. In all living human populations, males usually show a larger body size than females. Over the last 40 years, many scholars have reported numerous anthropometric data sources on stature for modern Chinese, but little attention has been directed to the sexual dimorphism variability. In addition, what factors governing the inter-populations variation in SSD are still not clearly understood. The present study aimed to describe the variability in sexual stature dimorphism for modern human populations in China, and reassessed whether the geo-climatic factors and body size are associated with variation in sexual starure dimorphism. Data on sex-specific anthropometry (mean stature) was obtained from 152 modern Chinese populations, including 69 Han and 83 minority nationalities. The sexual dimorphism index was compared to assess difference in four groups (Southern Han, Northern Han, Southern Minority and Northern Minority). The latitude, climatic variables, body size and urban-rural environment were tested for their association with the sexual dimorphism. The results showed that males are about 7.16% (ranged 4.72%~9.26%) taller than females. The distribution of SDI are resemble between the Southern Han and Southern minority, the Northern Han and Northern minority, the Southern Han and Northern Han. Moreover the Southern minority displayed lower sexual dimorphism compared with the Northern minority. The latitude, annual temperature range and annual average wind speed are positively associated with sexual starure dimorphism, while the annual average temperature, annual average precipitation and annual average relative humidity are negatively associated with sexual starure dimorphism. In addition, this study found no significant allometric relationship between male and female stature agreed with the Rensch’s rule, may be related to the sexual selection perference favours other social compents rather than stature. It also reveals no significant difference in sexual stature dimorphism between urban and rural Han populations, inconsistent with female buffering hypothesis, reflecting poor diet and hard physical labor have less negative impact on the boys’ physical growth. Genetic component and natural environmental factors are the dominant determinant of the regionalization distribution in sexual stature dimorphism, while the social environmental factors do not exert a strong influence in the degree of sexual dimorphism. Although the samples are limited by individuals of different ages, it still helps us to insight the geographical distribution of sexual stature dimorphism in modern Chinese. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Ancient genomes reveal the complex genetic history of Prehistoric Eurasian modern humans ZHANG Ming, PING Wanjing, YANG Melinda Anna, FU Qiaomei Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2023, 42 (03): 412-421.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2023.0010 Abstract （3695）   HTML （275）    PDF（pc） （1917KB）（2099）       Knowledge map    Save Significant shifts in human populations occurred several times throughout history, as populations dispersed throughout Eurasia about 50 kaBP. During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), global temperatures dropped sharply causing environmental deterioration and population turnover in areas. After the LGM, populations increased as the natural environment stabilized and gradually developed into today’s populations. With advancements in ancient DNA extraction and sequencing technology, it is increasingly possible to directly retrieve genome-wide data from prehistoric modern human remains. The rapid emergence of new ancient genomes provides an entirely new direction for studying modern human population structure and evolutionary history. This research on Eurasian populations spanning 45~19 kaBP (pre-LGM) and 19~10 kaBP (post-LGM) summarizes the movement and interaction of prehistoric modern human populations, focusing especially on prehistoric East Eurasia, a region that has been less well-studied genetically. Of at least six distinct populations in Eurasia, three did not contribute substantial ancestry to present-day populations: Ust’-Ishim (≈45 kaBP) from northwestern Siberia; Oase 1 (≈40 kaBP) from Romania; and Zlatý kůň (over 45 kaBP) from Czechia. One population represented by three individuals (4.6~4.3 kaBP, from Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria) seemed to contribute at least a partial genetic component to later some Eurasian populations. One population represented by Tianyuan man (≈40 kaBP, from East Asia) was shown to be more similar to present-day East Asians and Native Americans than to present-day or ancient Europeans. One population represented by Kostenki 14 (≈36 kaBP, from western Siberia) and Goyet Q116-1 (≈35 kaBP, from Belgium) was more closely related to Europeans than to other Eurasians. This work also summarized five representative populations after 40 kaBP and before the end of the LGM. In East Eurasia after the LGM (or since 14 kaBP), population histories played out very differently. For instance, high genetic continuity is observed in the Amur region in the last 14 kaBP, while in the Guangxi region of southern China, an ancient population that lived 10.5 kaBP carried ancestry not represented in any present-day humans. To conclude, comparison of genome-wide ancient DNA from multiple prehistoric humans have illustrated a complex genetic history of prehistoric Eurasian modern humans. In the future, additional ancient genomes will provide more evidence and details to illuminate the complex genetic history of modern humans. 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 （2985）   HTML （303）    PDF（pc） （603KB）（2029）       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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Traumas of human bones from the Yulongwan site in Kaifeng, Henan SUN Lei, WAN Junwei, TANG Jing, REN Ting Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2023, 42 (06): 779-792.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2023.0063 Abstract （2977）   HTML （350）    PDF（pc） （5596KB）（1056）       Knowledge map    Save In this paper, human bone remains excavated from the Yulongwanan site, an architectural site of Ming Dynasty, in the southeast Kaifeng City were identified, and the human bone specimens (R2, R3, R5, R6, R11 and R12) with premortem traumas were used as research materials to distinguish the marks of chopping, smashing, cutting and burning on human bones. The marks were measured with a vernier caliper, including maximum length, width and depth. Three traits of type, location and quantity for describing the morphology of the marks were recorded. According to the macroscopic and microscopic criteria of indirect heat exposure at low temperature, the surface morphology of human bones in containers was observed and analyzed respectively by naked eye and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that: 1) R6 (female, 40~45 years old) in an supine extended position, which was shallowly buried in the Ming culture layer, only had multiple chopmarks on the skull, but the postcranial bones were complete, so it is unclear why the skull was chopped; 2) R3 (gender unknown, about 9 years old) lied on its right side with flexed limbs in the silted clay layer; the postcranial bones were complete, so two smashmarks on R3’s skull could have been caused by bricks’ or beams’ hitting when the house collapsed; 3) The human bones in containers (R2, R5, R12) and house (R11) showed signs of violent hacking and mutilation. The micromorphometric analysis of cutting and chopping marks on human bones suggests that these marks occured in slaughtering of fresh bodies. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images also indicated that R2 and R5 presented the diffusion and degradation of collagen fibrils, smooth and compact surfaces, and closed bone pores. The low temperature burning of R12 made collagen degrade, formed gelatinous mass, and made the pores indistinguishable. Those bones (R2, R5, R12) were significantly different from R11, which had the hierarchical structure, typical of cortical bone morphology. Therefore the human bones in containers were supposed to be heated at a low temperature. The bones of R2, R5, R11 and R12 shared a number of characteristics that had come to be recognized as baseline criteria for identifying cannibalism in the archaeological record: Lack of formal burial, under-representation of bones, extensive perimortem lesions, and burning. These bones can be used as the evidence of cannibalism, which corroborate the human tragedy recorded in historical data from the perspective of bioarchaeology. The human bones unearthed from the Yulongwan Ming Dynasty architecture site may be the most credible evidence of cannibalism, which provide anthropological data for understanding deeply the cannibalism of ancient human and the social history of the Ming Dynasty. 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 （2691）   HTML （278）    PDF（pc） （7320KB）（1580）       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 （2523）   HTML （265）    PDF（pc） （4231KB）（886）       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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The origins and destinations of the Levantine Initial Upper Paleolithic: A view from the Negev Desert, Israel Omry BARZILAI Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2023, 42 (05): 626-637.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2022.0035 Abstract （2512）   HTML （172）    PDF（pc） （7867KB）（754）       Knowledge map    Save The Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) is a chrono-cultural phase corresponding with the onset of systematic production of pointed blades in various regions in Eurasia. This phenomenon is often conceived to correlate with the MIS 3 modern human expansion. Originally defined after the site Boker Tachtit in the Negev Desert, Israel, the Levantine IUP is composed of two consecutive superimposed lithic industries. The lower, named Emiran, is characterized with bidirectional blade technology, whereas the upper industry with unidirectional blades. Until recently the chronology of Boker Tachtit was insecure but new radiometric ages have shown that the Emiran is contemporaneous with the local Late Mousterian, thus supporting the assumption of this industry being imported. Similar technological features and chronological proximities between Boker Tachtit and assemblages from the Nile Valley and southern Arabia suggest the early Boker Tachtit inhabitants may have originated from these regions. The Emiran industry developed in Boker Tachtit into a later variant, the unidirectional industry, but it also expanded northward to central Europe and north-central Asia. The later variant acted in a similar manner as it developed locally into the early Ahmarian techno-complex but also expanded into the northern Levant and the Balkans. It is proposed the IUP phase featured at least two dispersal events. The first is the expansion from the Nile Valley/Arabia to the Levant from where it expanded rapidly to central Europe and north-central Asia. The second dispersal occurred slightly later and began in the southern Levant from where it spread to the northern Levant and the Balkans. 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 （2299）   HTML （130）    PDF（pc） （8726KB）（502）       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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Antler fossil of Sinomegaceros ordosianus from Nanbaishan site of Late Pleistocene age in Yüxian, Hebei Province MEI Huijie, ZHANG Bei, LEI Huarui, TONG Haowen Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2023, 42 (02): 225-237.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2023.0001 Abstract （2234）   HTML （94）    PDF（pc） （12905KB）（631）       Knowledge map    Save Giant deer is among the most common animals of Mid-Late Pleistocene sites in northern China, and was one of the representative icons of the Pleistocene fauna in northern China, while the fossil materials are fairly poor and very few complete antlers were ever recovered, except those from Zhoukoudian site; on the other hand, the knowledge about the age-related changes of the antlers is absolutely insufficient. Therefore, the previous taxonomic work based only on the antler features is open to questions. In 2018, a quite complete antler of giant deer was recovered from the Nanbaishan site of Middle Paleolithic period in Yüxian County, Hebei Province. The antler is quite big; brow tine and the palmation of beam are thin and fan-like, without palm tines; the brow tine and the palmation of beam run along two nearly parallel planes, but are not exactly parallel; the shaft of the beam bends at the basal part, but the sigmoid form is not prominent. In general morphology, the new antler is very close to that of Sinomegaceros ordosianus. The new specimen represents the most complete antler of S. ordosianus ever recovered. The dimensions (L: length & W: width) of the palmate is 670×526.8 mm; the dimensions (L& W) of the brow tine is 510×480 mm, the length and circumference of the beam are 270 and 193 mm respectively, the circumference of the burr is 310 mm. The first phalanx is robust, its greatest length is 77.7 mm; proximal width is 29.2 mm, transverse and antero-posterior diameters are 24.0 and 26.0 mm respectively. In China, quite a number of megalocerine taxa had been named at the species and subspecies levels, namely Sinomegaceros pachyosteus, S. ordosianus, S. flabellatus, S. konwanlinensis, S. youngi, S. luochuanensis, S. sangganhoensis, S. o. mentougouensis and S. baotouensis, among which S. ordosianus is the most widely distributed species and has the richest fossil records. On the contrary, S. baotouensis is the least known species which only represented by one shed antler and one metatarsal bone. With only a few exceptions, e.g. Tangshan near Nanjing, Zhoushan island in Zhejiang and Hualong Cave in Anhui, all the other megalocerine fossil sites in China occur north of the Yangtze River, and most of them are located in northern China. The fossils of S. ordosianus were frequently appeared in the prehistoric site, which indicates that the giant deer was very probably among the food sources of early humans. The OSL age of the Nanbaishan site is around 110 kaBP, which falls into the range of the Middle Paleolithic period. 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 （2198）   HTML （49）    PDF（pc） （2511KB）（1385）       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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Skeletal injury and osteoarthritis of the foot-binding females from the Xifengbu cemetery of Qing dynasty in Hongtong, Shanxi SUN Xiaofan, ZHANG Quanchao, MU Pingyuan, YANG Jiyun, CAO Jun Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2023, 42 (02): 201-213.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2022.0063 Abstract （2106）   HTML （128）    PDF（pc） （2962KB）（1260）       Knowledge map    Save The Xifengbu cemetery, located in Xifengbu village of Hongtong County, Shanxi Province, is the first large-scale scientific archaeological excavation of this era in Shanxi Province. It provides precious archaeological materials for the study of burial customs and social development in the Ming and Qing dynasties, promoted the research on Ming and Qing archaeology to a certain extent. Foot-binding of female is the most noticeable cultural phenomenon among the burial populations in the cemetery. This paper started with the health status of females with and without foot-binding, and described the incidence of skeletal injury and osteoarthritis in a sample of 93 individuals unearthed from the Xifengbu cemetery of Qing Dynasty. The result shows that: 1) foot-binding females had a higher prevalence rate of foot osteoarthritis than females without foot-binding, which is closely related to the physiological structure changes of female feet caused by foot-binding custom; 2) The severity of elbow, and left wrist osteoarthritis in females with foot-binding was basically the same as that in females who were free of foot-binding, while the severity of right and bilateral wrist, and hand joint osteoarthritis was slightly higher than that in non-foot-binding females; 3) The prevalence of marginal osteophyte in all vertebral segments in foot-binding females was higher than that in females without foot-binding, and cervical vertebra and lumbar vertebra were the most seriously affected parts in all female residents; 4) There were no significant differences in the prevalence and severity of skeletal injury and osteoarthritis between the two groups, which may be related to the fact that both females with and without foot-binding were required to undertake physical labor against the background that the lower-class families pursued females’ economic value in the Chinese premodern male-dominant feudal society. The development and prosperity of sedentary production activities that did not rely on lower limb movements in the Ming and Qing Dynasties created more labor opportunities for females who suffered from this infamous custom. At the same time, foot-binding female in lower-class civilian families would also try their best to do some hard physical labor in the fields, which reduced the difference in the degree of skeletal injury and joint disease between them and normal females. The preliminary study on skeletal injury and osteoarthritis of female residfents in Xifengbu cemetery not only shed light on how this gender-biased custom might have compromised the health and quality of life for females in pre-modern societies, but also gave us a window into the miserable life of lower-class females in feudal families. 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 （2100）   HTML （97）    PDF（pc） （21572KB）（350）       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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Upper Paleolithic human dispersals and cultural diffusions in Eastern Eurasia KATO Shinji Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2023, 42 (06): 842-856.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2022.0012 Abstract （2085）   HTML （164）    PDF（pc） （27988KB）（743）       Knowledge map    Save First, trends in the Upper Paleolithic (UP) industries on the eastern China, Korean Peninsula, and Japan Archipelago in Far Eastern Eurasia (FE Eurasia) are outlined. Next, developments in the UP industries in those regions are analyzed from the perspectives of relocation diffusion and expansion diffusion (contact diffusion). As a result, it is possible to gain an understanding of the following events. At the beginning of the UP (before 40 kaBP cal), southern human groups bearing a pebble and flake tool industry moved north and diffused in the southern part of eastern China. In the early stage of the UP (40-28 kaBP cal), regional groups formed, and they contacted each other. As a result, UP techno-cultural elements were diffused between those regional groups. In the late stage of the UP (after 28 kaBP cal), human groups with the microblade industries moved and spread widely in FE Eurasia, and as a result of contact between those groups, microblade industries widely diffused in this area. A glimpse of several entering of western or northern human groups (e.g., the human group with Initial Upper Paleolithic industry) into the FE Eurasia and its neighborhoods were able to catch, all of these, however, proved to be local and temporary ones. From the analysis on Paleolithic industries in this paper, it can be said that the movement of human groups with UP industries as generally consistent with the movements of East Asian ancestral populations that revealed by genomic analysis. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Paleolithic discoveries and research on the Tibetan Plateau ZHANG Xiaoling, WANG Chengxiang, TAN Yunyao, JIN Yingshuai, YANG Ziyi, WANG Shejiang Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (06): 967-978.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0093 Abstract （2045）   HTML （109）    PDF（pc） （16926KB）（475）       Knowledge map    Save The Tibetan Plateau is key to environmental and biological evolution but has long been considered a “forbidden zone” for human habitation. With the advancement of archaeological work, lithic remains on the Plateau, including the high-altitude Xizang Autonomous Region, have encompassed technologies such as core-flake, blade, microblade and handaxe. Taking Xizang Autonomous Region as the focus area, this article reviews archaeological discoveries, chronological frameworks, and understandings of technological origins by different lithic technologies on the Plateau. Handaxe technology had spread to the south-eastern edge of Tibetan Plateau before 130 ka, represented by Piluo site. But the available materials are not sufficient to support its distribution to the interior Plateau sites like Xiada Co and Nwya Devu site. Blade assemblages are discovered concentrated around Siling Co. Excavation of Nwya Devu site suggests that hunter-gatherers using prismatic blade cores arrived at the interior Plateau before 40 kaBP. However, no reliable Levallois elements have been found on the Plateau. Due to the paucity of archaeological findings, it is difficult to determine the exact dispersal routes of blade technology so far. More than 100 localities on the Plateau suggest that microblade technology reached the northeastern part of the Plateau from North China around 14 kaBP to 10 kaBP, then spread across the Plateau at 8 kaBP to 7 kaBP. Due to the introduction of agriculture and pastoralism, it finally retreated to the marginal valleys of the Plateau after 5.5 kaBP. Core-flake technology was also widespread on the Tibetan Plateau. Some core-flake assemblages may be contemporaneous with microblade remains but separated from them due to the lack of stratigraphic context. Some scholars have suggested that there are also Middle Paleolithic core-flake remains, which are not common in other parts of East Asia. Nevertheless, the evidence is not robust yet. Dated core-flake sites are found on both east and west sides of the Plateau. On the northeastern Plateau, core-flake remains are dated back to 190 kaBP in Baishiya Karst Cave. The Jiangjunfu 1 site also yields core-flake assemblages of MIS 5. At Piluo, core-flake remains present in both upper and lower cultural layers of the stratum containing handaxes. On the western Plateau, the cave site excavated recently is reported to contain two differentiated core-flake assemblages earlier than 53 kaBP and 45 kaBP. Due to environmental and historical factors, the quantity and quality of archaeological work on Tibetan Plateau are insufficient. Therefore, systematic investigations, excavations and multidisciplinary researches are strongly needed. In addition, understanding of the Paleolithic outside the Plateau, developing interpretative methods for archaeological materials and deepening knowledge of landscape diachronic changes are also required for a better comprehension of the process and mechanism of human peopling and adaption on the Plateau. 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 （2016）   HTML （113）    PDF（pc） （1229KB）（2920）       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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Stone artifacts unearthed in 1985 and 1986 from the Xibaimaying site of the Nihewan Basin, Hebei Province ZHOU Zhenyu, WANG Fagang, GUAN Ying Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2024, 43 (01): 55-66.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0003 Abstract （2008）   HTML （76）    PDF（pc） （4004KB）（382）       Knowledge map    Save The Xibaimaying site was discovered in 1985 and first excavated from 1985 to 1986. The site was U-series dated to 18±1 kaBP and 15±1 kaBP based on two bovid teeth samples from the culture layer in 1989. When the site was re-dated using single-grain OSL methods in 2017, resulting ages indicated that the cultural layer was deposited 46±3 kaBP. With the differences in dates, the lithic assemblage needed to be reexamined. The representative tool assemblage included scrapers and points, which are widely found in Upper Paleolithic sites in northern China. Direct hard hammer percussion was the main flaking technique, with mostly unprepared platforms. It is believed that this assemblage represents the flake-tool tradition of the Upper Paleolithic in North China even though it has some unique characteristics. Retouching focused mostly on functional tool parts, such as scraper edges and the sharp corner of points to obtain effective functions in the most cost-effective way. There is a skill and maturity to the knapping and retouching technology. This assemblage shows that the cultural traditions of earlier sites such as at Xujiayao, Banjingzi and Xinmiaozhuang were inherited and developed at Xibaimaying. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Utilization of the Chinese water deer of early Holocene by human from the Xiaogao site, Shandong Province GAO Yao, WANG Hua, LANG Jianfeng Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2023, 42 (02): 238-247.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2022.0060 Abstract （1994）   HTML （62）    PDF（pc） （4756KB）（666）       Knowledge map    Save The Xiaogao site is an early Holocene site discovered in Shandong Province in recent years. In 2017, the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of Shandong Province and the Department of Archaeology of Shandong University conducted a rescue archaeological excavation and discovered a large number of cultural remains and animal bones, and Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis) is the most frequently found species among them. The Chinese water deer, as one of the main animal resources used by prehistoric humans in China, occupied an important position in the prehistoric subsistence activities, that can be confirmed by large amounts of bones, teeth and bone tools found in archaeological sites. Therefore, Chinese water deer from the Xiaogao site provide important materials for us to fully explore the hunting and utilization strategy of Chinese water deer, and further understand patterns of human subsistence strategies and complex relationship between humans and animals in the early Holocene. Based on five aspects of Chinses water deer bones, including age structure, sex ratio, seasonality, skeletal distribution pattern and bone fracture degree, this paper analyses the utilization pattern of Chinese water deer in the Xiaogao site. The age structure of Chinese water deer indicate that human hunting targets were mainly young and middle-aged individuals of 7-24 months, and a higher proportion of immature individuals were hunted in the late phase of site, indicating that most Chinese water deer became human hunting targets after approaching or reaching the maximum weight, and human hunting activities had a certain impact on population structure. Seasonality studies show that human hunting for Chinese water deer occurs mostly in winter and spring when food resources are scarce. The sex ratio study show that there was little difference in bone size between males and females, and it was difficult to analyze sex ratio with bone measurement data. Skeletal distribution pattern and bone fragmentation studies show that there may be full exploitation and utilization of meat and bone marrow. Combining with the biological characteristics of Chinese water deer, we propose that the utilization mode of Chinese water deer conforms to the features of broad-spectrum and intensive utilization of animal resources in the early Holocene. It also reflects the close interaction between human and animals. With this interaction, human not only have access to a variety of animal resources, such as meat, bone marrow and tools materials, but also have an opportunity to learn about animal characteristics and accumulate experience from animal management. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Cranial modifications in prehistoric China HE Jianing, RAN Zhiyu Acta Anthropologica Sinica    2023, 42 (05): 575-589.   DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2023.0054 Abstract （1986）   HTML （638）    PDF（pc） （13760KB）（681）       Knowledge map    Save The ancient cultural practice of cranial modification is widely distributed throughout the world. It has a highly symbolic visual feature and is related to various societal aspects such as hierarchy, status, aesthetics and religion. Cranial modification can also be considered a result of infant-rearing behaviors in ancient times. The earliest clue to cranial modification in China came from the Paleolithic, but it was not until the Neolithic that it became a widespread cultural practice later flourishing. Cranial modification in prehistoric China is classified into tabular-annular modification system and occipital modification system. Both originating locally, these two systems have different appearances, distributional ranges, and developmental processes. Tabular-annular modification, originated in northern Northeast China, exhibits prominent cosmetic features and requires complex technology. It is considered to be the earliest known conscious cranial modification practice and may have continued into the historic period. The origin of this tabular-annular modification may be correlated with unique geographic and environmental resources of Northeast China along with a growing complexity of gathering-fishing-hunting society, a gender division of labor, and the hierarchical differentiation existent in a transitional phase from Paleolithic to Neolithic. Occipital modification, centered in the Yellow River basin, is characterized with less pronounced modifications and probably required simpler techniques. It was once widely popular in the late and final Neolithic. Occipital modification may derive from behaviors of infant-rearing in northern agricultural societies and gradually evolved into a conscious cultural practice. Its decline at the end of the Neolithic and eventual disappearance after the Bronze Age was closely connected to societal changes occurring during the Late Neolithic, especially in the Longshan-Erlitou cultures. Both tabular-annular and occipital modification systems vary in skull morphology and measurement data suggesting that modification tools, techniques, and procedures were diverse. Existing studies on cranial modification are dominated by qualitative descriptions, with detailed observation and more systematic measurements necessary for future studies, as well as more refined archaeological contextual information. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）