The size variation and related implications of mandibles in northern China in the past 7000 years |
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Authors: | HaiJun Li QuanChao Zhang Hong Zhu |
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Institution: | 1 School of Ethnology and Sociology, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China; 2 Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; 3 Research Center for Chinese Frontier Archaeology, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China |
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Abstract: | To better understand variation of Holocene Chinese mandiblular morphology, a study was conducted on 23 metric traits of Neolithic
(n=54), Bronze-Iron Ages (n=184) and modern (n=92) adult male mandibles from northern China. Results indicate that the linear characters of these Chinese mandibles evolved
in the past 7000 years. From the Neolithic to Bronze-Iron Ages to present day, the overall size of mandibles decreased. The
linear characters of the mandiblular features varied between different time periods. The decrease of thickness and height
of the mandibular corpus primarily occurred during the Neolithic to Bronze-Iron Ages. The decrease in main size was during
the Bronze-Iron Ages to present day. It is possible that mandibles became thinner before the overall size decreased. Comparisons
also indicate that the bottom part of the face may have decreased more greatly in breadth than the upper portion. The decrease
in mandible size may be associated with changes in climate and diet, and with changes in the craniums size. |
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Keywords: | Holocene Chinese mandibles morphology microevolution |
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