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Migration models of prehistoric postmarital residence
1Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60201.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|December 1, 1988
Summary
This study introduces a formal genetic model to infer prehistoric residential practices from skeletal morphology. Analysis of Illinois prehistoric populations suggests specific residential patterns based on sex-specific genetic variance.
Area of Science:
- Paleogenetics
- Bioarchaeology
- Population Genetics
Background:
- Residential practices in prehistoric populations have been inferred using skeletal morphology.
- Previous hypotheses relied on intuitive genetic models of drift and migration.
Observation:
- Standardized genetic variance and kinship measures can be decomposed into male, female, and combined components.
- These components allow for sex-specific assessment of population genetic structure.
Findings:
- A formal genetic model, based on modified island and migration matrix models, is presented.
- Nonmetric cranial trait data from west-central Illinois were analyzed using this model.
- Probable residential practices for the region were delineated based on the genetic analysis.
Implications:
- This research provides a quantitative framework for inferring residential patterns from skeletal data.
- The findings contribute to understanding the social and demographic dynamics of prehistoric populations.
- The methodology can be applied to other skeletal assemblages to reconstruct past human behaviors.
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