Craniofacial morphological microevolution of Holocene populations in northern China

作     者：WU XiuJie LIU Wu ZHANG QuanChao ZHU Hong Christopher J. NORTON 

作者机构：Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100044 China Research Center for Chinese Frontier Archaeology Jilin University Changchun 130012 China Laboratory of Quatemary Paleontology Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ 86011-4099 USA 

出 版 物：《Chinese Science Bulletin》 (中国科学通报)

年 卷 期：2007年第52卷第12期

页      面：1661-1668页

核心收录：

学科分类：070903[理学-古生物学与地层学(含：古人类学)] 060305[历史学-专门史与整体史] 06[历史学] 0709[理学-地质学] 07[理学] 0603[历史学-世界史] 

基　　金：Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sci-ences (Grant No. KZCX2-YW-106) Major Basic Research Projects (Grant No. 2006CB806400) Jilin University "985 Projects" the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Fostering Talents in Basic Research Special Research Dis-ciplinary Unit (Grant Nos. J0530189 and J0530184) 

主　　题：全新世 中国人 人类微进化 颅面形态 

摘      要：In order to better understand microevolutionary processes in Holocene Chinese craniofacial mor- phology, an analysis has been done on 21 metric traits on Neolithic (n=161), Bronze Age (n=423) and modern (n=134) adult male skulls from northern China. The results indicate that the physical characters of these Chinese populations evolved throughout the Holocene. From the Neolithic to Bronze Age to present day, general trends include: cranial and facial sizes decrease; the nose gets narrower and longer; the orbits become narrower and higher; the head is more globular. The expression of the cranial features varies between the different time periods. The decrease in cranial size primarily occurred from the Bronze Age to present day. However, the decrease in facial size, the narrowing of the nose, and the elevation of the orbits took place throughout the Holocene. These traits are likely still evolving. This evolving pattern of the cranial features for the Holocene Chinese populations is similar to that found elsewhere in the world. The decrease in overall craniofacial size is associated with changes in climate and diet. In addition, it is possible that the craniofacial morphological microevolution is controlled by human evolutionary mechanisms.