Postcranial directional asymmetry in southern-South America populations

Authors

  • Federico Pablo Lotto Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Museo de La Plata. Departamento de Antropología.
  • Marien Béguelin Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31048/1852.4826.v7.n1.9098

Keywords:

laterality, plasticity, activity patterns, sexual dimorphism

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze directional asymmetry patterns in the size of long bones of hunter-gatherer aboriginal populations of southern South América. Postcranial variables of 272 adult individuals of both sexes were measured, belonging to five samples from Pampa, Patagonia and Norwestern Argentina, and from the northern coast of Chile. Data from 139 adult individuals of both sexes, belonging to three samples from northern, southeastern and southwestern North América were also collected for reference. The entire data set was analyzed in terms of laterality, magnitude, sexual dimorphism and subsistence patterns. Results show significant differences in directional asymmetry of the upper limb, particularly in the diaphyseal diameter of the humerus. In turn, these results suggest that subsistence patterns, at least as they were considered in this study, are not an adequate environmental variable to explain asymmetry patterns in the examined populations.

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Author Biography

Marien Béguelin, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología.

Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas.

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Published

2014-09-04

How to Cite

Lotto, F. P., & Béguelin, M. (2014). Postcranial directional asymmetry in southern-South America populations. Revista Del Museo De Antropología, 7(1), 133–142. https://doi.org/10.31048/1852.4826.v7.n1.9098

Issue

Section

Biological Anthropology

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