通过枕骨大孔测量值对若干化石人类身高的估计

Stature Estimation of Several Chinese Human Fossils Based on Foramen Magnum Measurements

身高是人类体质研究中的重要指标之一。对化石人类的身高的估计主要借助于基于现代人骨骼测量数据计算而得的身高推断公式。本文使用枕骨大孔长和枕骨大孔宽的测量值和相关身高估计公式,对郧县EV9001,郧县EV9002,大荔,柳江,山顶洞101,山顶洞102和考古遗址骨骼的身高进行了估计,并使用其他头部测量数据对所得结果进行了检验和校正。本文认为,这6个化石人类的身高分别为160.76、161.89、159.85、161.54、163.92和164.30cm。

Stature is one of the most significant measurements in physical anthropological research, with regression function based on local extant skeletal body parts the most prevalently applied method in stature estimation. Due to the scarcity of stature estimation methods based on crania and the usually poor preservation of human fossils, little work has been done on measurements of foramen magnum region. The present study estimated the statures of Yunxian EV9001, Yunxian EV9002, Dali, Liujiang, Upper Cave 101, Upper Cave 102 and 37 skulls from historical archaeological sites ranging from the Neolithic to the Yuan Dynasty. To test the validi of results, five previous published estimations based on cranial measurements were used. The result of the current study shows that the stature of the six human fossils are 160.76, 161.89, 159.85, 161.54, 163.92 and 164.30 cm, respectively, with the stature estimation of the Liujiang cranium contradicting previous work, which might indicate that femoral fragments and the Liujiang cranium are not associated. The current study also shows differences between the proposions of fossil humans and Holocene humans, with younger specimens showing a closer pattern to extant humans. This stature analyses offers no support to extensive population expansion or gene flow during Pleistocene and Holocene