The first settlement of the Americas : a study of the influence of environmental and cultural factors on mandibular and cranial variability

• Main Author: Martin-Moya, Diane
• Other Authors: Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Eco-Anthropologie et Ethnobiologie (EAE), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Martin Friess, Manon Galland
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: French
• Published: HAL CCSD 2017
• Subjects: Premiers peuplements; Amériques; Crâne; Mandibule; [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory; Baja; Canada; Pacific; Béringie; inuit; Tsimshian*; Beringia
• Online Access: https://dumas.ccsd.cnrs.fr/dumas-01577007; https://dumas.ccsd.cnrs.fr/dumas-01577007/document; https://dumas.ccsd.cnrs.fr/dumas-01577007/file/M%C3%A9moire%20Master%20Diane%20Martin-Moya%20%28Les%20premiers%20peuplements%20de%20l%27Am%C3%A9rique%29-1.pdf

The first humans to have settled America went through Beringia probably from East Asia. However, the number of migration waves remains uncertain. Here we considered both mandibular and cranial variation and evaluated the impact of environmental and cultural factors on our understanding of population history. Our study is the first attempt to compare both phenetic signals based on 224 individuals from the entire American territory and Australasia and applying 3D geometric morphometric methods. Because North America has a special importance regarding the first dispersals into the New World, we have privileged North American populations from the Pacific coast including prehistoric populations: Tsimshians (Canada) and Kennewick Man (United States). Mandibular results corroborate previous observations based on the skull highlighting the particular morphology of Pericues (Baja California), Fueguians and Inuit. Tsimshians present a very high variability. Our results show a strong correlation between the cranium and the mandible shape patterns. Yet, the effects of external factors vary depending on the structure involved. Cranial variation can support the hypothesis of two major migration waves. Mandibular variation reflects a cultural and dietary influence and shed light on the high morphological variability found among Amerindian populations as well as on the complexity of the first American settlement and subsequent population history. Les premiers hommes qui ont peuplé l’Amérique seraient passés par la Béringie et proviendraient d’Asie de l’Est, mais il est encore à ce jour incertain s’il s’agit d’une ou de plusieurs migrations. Ici, nous nous sommes intéressés à la variabilité mandibulaire et crânienne et avons évalué l’influence des facteurs environnementaux et culturels sur notre compréhension de l’histoire des populations. Notre étude est la première à comparer ces deux signaux phénétiques à partir de 224 individus, issus de populations de l’ensemble du territoire américain et d’Australasie, appliquant les ...