Bone is the tissue most frequently recovered archaeologically and is the material most commonly studied by biological anthropologists, who are interested in how skeletons change shape during growth and across evolutionary time. This volume brings together a range of contemporary studies of bone growth and development to highlight how cross-disciplinary research and new methods can enhance our anthropological understanding of skeletal variation. The novel use of imaging techniques from developmental biology, advanced sequencing methods from genetics, and perspectives from evolutionary developmental biology improve our ability to understand the bases of modern human and primate variation. Animal models can also be used to provide a broad biological perspective to the systematic study of humans. This volume is a testament to the drive of anthropologists to understand biological and evolutionary processes that underlie changes in bone morphology and illustrates the continued value of incorporating multiple perspectives within anthropological inquiry.
List of contributors; Introduction Christopher J. Percival and Joan T. Richtsmeier; 1. What is a biological 'trait'? Kenneth Weiss; 2. The contribution of angiogenesis to variation in bone development and evolution Christopher J. Percival, Kazuhiko Kawasaki, Yuan Huang, Kenneth Weiss, Ethylin Wang Jabs, Runze Li and Joan T. Richtsmeier; 3. Association of the chondrocranium and dermatocranium in early skull formation Kazuhiko Kawasaki and Joan T. Richtsmeier; 4. Unique ontogenetic patterns of postorbital septation in tarsiers and the issue of trait homology Valerie B. DeLeon, Alfred L. Rosenberger and Timothy D. Smith; 5. Exploring modern human facial growth at the micro and macroscopic levels Sarah E. Freidline, Cayetana Martinez-Maza, Philipp Gunz and Jean-Jacques Hublin; 6. Changes in mandibular cortical bone density and elastic properties during growth Paul C. Dechow; 7. Postcranial skeletal development and its evolutionary implications David B. Burr and Jason M. Organ; 8. Combining genetic and developmental methods to study musculoskeletal evolution in primates Terence D. Capellini and Heather Dingwall; 9. Using comparisons between species and anatomical locations to discover mechanisms of growth plate patterning and differential growth Kelsey M. Kjosness and Philip L. Reno; 10. Ontogenetic and genetic influences on bone's responsiveness to mechanical signals Ian J. Wallace, Brigitte Demes and Stefan Judex; 11. The Havers-Halberg oscillation and bone metabolism Russell T. Hogg, Timothy G. Bromage, Haviva M. Goldman, Julia A. Katris and John G. Clement; 12. Structural and mechanical changes in trabecular bone during early development in the human femur and humerus Timothy M. Ryan, David A. Raichlen and James H. Gosman; Appendix to Chapter 3. Detailed anatomical description of developing chondrocranium and dermatocranium in the mouse Kazuhiko Kawasaki and Joan T. Richtsmeier; Index.
Christopher J. Percival is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Calgary. His research focuses on the basis for variation in skull form, in particular focusing on quantifying the role that interactions between tissues play in defining craniofacial morphology. Joan T. Richtsmeier is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at Pennsylvania State University. Her research seeks to understand the complex genetic and developmental basis of variation in head shape in development, disease and evolution.
