Secular trends in Cherokee cranial morphology: Eastern vs Western bands
Rebecca Sutphin1, Ann H Ross, Richard L Jantz
1Department of Sociology and Anthropology, North Carolina State University , Raleigh NC , USA and.
Annals of Human Biology
|April 17, 2014
Summary
Environmental hardships led to a decrease in cranial length for both Eastern and Western Cherokee bands. Head breadth declined sharply in the Western band, indicating a negative secular trend impacting physical development.
Area of Science:
- Anthropology
- Human Biology
- Bioarchaeology
Background:
- Analysis of 19th-century cranial data from Eastern and Western Cherokee bands.
- Investigating environmental impacts on physical development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify secular trends in cranial breadth and length.
- To assess the influence of environmental hardships on Cherokee craniometry.
Main Methods:
- Multiple regression analysis of cranial measures (length, breadth, cephalic index) against predictor variables (birth year, location, sex, admixture).
- Loess plots to visualize changes in cranial length and breadth over time (birth year).
Main Results:
- Both Cherokee bands exhibited a decrease in cranial length over time.
- Eastern band cranial breadth remained stable; Western band cranial breadth declined significantly after 1860.
Conclusions:
- Findings indicate a negative secular trend in cranial morphology for both Cherokee bands.
- Environmental factors demonstrably impacted physical development, particularly in the Western band.
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