Variability of exostoses on human jaws during the past six millennia in Northern China / Variabilidad de las exostosis en las mandíbulas humanas durante los últimos seis milenios en el norte de China

SUMMARY: The aim of this study was to survey oral exostoses in human populations that belonged to the same region encompassing five periods over 6000 years, to determine the prevalence and its changing trend over time. A total of 306 human jaws belonging to the modern Xi'an region and four archeological sites, Banpo (6700-5600 years BP), Shaolingyuan (3000 years BP), Shanren (2200 years BP) and Chang'an (1000-1300 years BP), were investigated. The degree of buccal exostosis (BE), torus mandibularis (TM) and torus palatinus (TP) and the TP shape were recorded. The prevalence of BE, TM, and TP in the five groups was 20.8 %-62.5 %, 17.5 %-71.5 %, and 31.7 %-74.2 %, respectively. The differences in the three types of exostoses among the five groups were all statistically significant, but only TM and TP showed a decreasing trend over time. A high and quite diverse prevalence of oral exostoses was found in the five groups of samples. Decreasing trends in relation to time for TM and TP were detected.

RESUMEN: El objetivo de este estudio fue sondear las exostosis orales en poblaciones humanas que pertenecían a la misma región abarcando cinco períodos durante 6000 años, para determinar la prevalencia y su tendencia cambiante a lo largo del tiempo. Un total de 306 mandíbulas humanas pertenecientes a la moderna región de Xi'an y cuatro sitios arqueológicos, Banpo (6700-5600 años AP), Shaolingyuan (3000 años AP), Shanren (2200 años AP) y Chang'an (1000-1300 años AP) BP), fueron investigados. Se registró el grado de exostosis bucal (EO), torus mandibular (TM) y torus palatino (TP) y la forma de TP. La prevalencia de EO, TM y TP en los cinco grupos fue 20,8 % -62,5 %, 17,5 % -71,5 % y 31,7 % -74,2 %, respectivamente. Las diferencias en los tres tipos de exostosis entre los cinco grupos fueron todas estadísticamente significativas, pero solo TM y TP mostraron una tendencia decreciente con el tiempo. Se encontró una prevalencia alta y bastante diversa de exostosis oral en los cinco grupos de muestras. Se detectaron tendencias decrecientes en relación al tiempo para TM y TP.

Principles of Archaeogenetics and the Current Trends of Ancient Genome Studies / 체질인류학회지

Archaeogenetics is an academic discipline that aims to establish scientific facts of human history by integrating ancient DNA analyses with archaeological and anthropological evidence. After ancient DNA research was initiated about 30 years ago, it has been innovated so rapidly that the range of analysis has been extended toward the whole genome sequence of ancient genomes in recent 10 years. By this development, researchers have been able to study in detail the origins and migration patterns of hominin species and ancient human populations by approaches of evolutionary genetics. This study has reviewed main principles of the archaeogenetic analysis and the current trends of ancient genome studies with recent achievements. While sampling techniques and statistical analyses have been improved, typical research methods have been established by the findings on hominins and ancient western Eurasia populations. Recently, archaeogenecists have been applying the methods to studying those in other geographical areas. Nonetheless, there is still the lack of ancient genome research about populations in Eastern Asia including the Korean peninsula. This review ultimately aims to predict possibilities and promise of future ancient genome studies of ancient Korean populations.