TY - JOUR
T1 - Craniometric analysis of European Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic samples supports discontinuity at the Last Glacial Maximum
AU - Brewster, Ciaraán
AU - Meiklejohn, Christopher
AU - Cramon-Taubadel, Noreen Von
AU - Pinhasi, Ron
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Winfried Henke for his help in compiling the craniometric data set. We also thank David Frayer for access to his own data set, some elements of which contributed to our final product. We thank the many institutions and curators who gave us access to collections in the long run-up to our final compilation. The constructive comments of three anonymous reviewers greatly improved an earlier version of this manuscript. C.M. would like to acknowledge support that permitted data collection and analysis: from the Canada Council from 1968–1978 and from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC) from 1981–1999. This research was supported by the European Research Council Starting Grant (ERC-2010-StG 263441).
PY - 2014/6/10
Y1 - 2014/6/10
N2 - The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) represents the most significant climatic
event since the emergence of anatomically modern humans (AMH). In
Europe, the LGM may have played a role in changing morphological
features as a result of adaptive and stochastic processes. We use
craniometric data to examine morphological diversity in pre- and
post-LGM specimens. Craniometric variation is assessed across four
periods—pre-LGM, late glacial, Early Holocene and Middle
Holocene—using a large, well-dated, data set. Our results show
significant differences across the four periods, using a MANOVA on
size-adjusted cranial measurements. A discriminant function analysis
shows separation between pre-LGM and later groups. Analyses repeated on
a subsample, controlled for time and location, yield similar results.
The results are largely influenced by facial measurements and are most
consistent with neutral demographic processes. These findings suggest
that the LGM had a major impact on AMH populations in Europe prior to
the Neolithic.
AB - The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) represents the most significant climatic
event since the emergence of anatomically modern humans (AMH). In
Europe, the LGM may have played a role in changing morphological
features as a result of adaptive and stochastic processes. We use
craniometric data to examine morphological diversity in pre- and
post-LGM specimens. Craniometric variation is assessed across four
periods—pre-LGM, late glacial, Early Holocene and Middle
Holocene—using a large, well-dated, data set. Our results show
significant differences across the four periods, using a MANOVA on
size-adjusted cranial measurements. A discriminant function analysis
shows separation between pre-LGM and later groups. Analyses repeated on
a subsample, controlled for time and location, yield similar results.
The results are largely influenced by facial measurements and are most
consistent with neutral demographic processes. These findings suggest
that the LGM had a major impact on AMH populations in Europe prior to
the Neolithic.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84902313300&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/ncomms5094
DO - 10.1038/ncomms5094
M3 - Article
VL - 5
SP - 4094
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
SN - 2041-1723
M1 - 4094
ER -