Subsistence strategy and tibial shape : identifying variation in activity across the Sudanese landscape
The growing human tibia is uniquely responsive to repeated activities, resulting in identifiable morphological patterns that can be applied to ancient populations. Much of the bioarchaeological research in this area focuses on the transition to agriculture, noting a decline in bone strength and robusticity with increasing levels of sedentism. However, not all human groups adopted agriculture simultaneously or uniformly, and there continues to be variation in subsistence strategy based on climate, resource availability, and cultural practice. In Sudan, groups have continued to practice nomadic pastoralism alongside agriculture, although sedentary agricultural societies tend to be the focus of most archaeological research in the region. This work examines the difference in tibial morphology between groups utilising different subsistence practices within the same geographic region and archaeological period to explore activity-based changes to the tibia, using both cross-sectional geometry and geometric morphometrics to quantify the difference between tibial cross-sectional shapes at midshaft. The results suggest that while clear differences exist in midshaft tibial shape between the Sudanese groups practicing
Hackner, Stacy
Subsistence strategy and tibial shape : identifying variation in activity across the Sudanese landscape. The growing human tibia is uniquely responsive to repeated activities, resulting in identifiable morphological patterns that can be applied to ancient populations. Much of the bioarchaeological research in this area focuses on the transition to agriculture, noting a decline in bone strength and robusticity with increasing levels of sedentism. However, not all human groups adopted agriculture simultaneously or uniformly, and there continues to be variation in subsistence strategy based on climate, resource availability, and cultural practice. In Sudan, groups have continued to practice nomadic pastoralism alongside agriculture, although sedentary agricultural societies tend to be the focus of most archaeological research in the region. This work examines the difference in tibial morphology between groups utilising different subsistence practices within the same geographic region and archaeological period to explore activity-based changes to the tibia, using both cross-sectional geometry and geometric morphometrics to quantify the difference between tibial cross-sectional shapes at midshaft. The results suggest that while clear differences exist in midshaft tibial shape between the Sudanese groups practicing
subsistence_strategy shape identifying variation activity across sudanese landscape grow human tibia uniquely responsive repeated activity result identifiable morphological_pattern apply ancient_population much bioarchaeological area focus transition_agriculture note decline bone strength robusticity increase level sedentism however human group adopt agriculture simultaneously uniformly continue variation subsistence_strategy base climate resource availability cultural_practice sudan group continue practice nomadic pastoralism alongside agriculture although sedentary agricultural society tend_focus archaeological region work examines difference morphology group utilise different subsistence_practice within geographic region archaeological period explore activity based change tibia use cross_sectional geometry geometric_morphometrics quantify difference cross_sectional shape suggest clear_difference exist shape sudanese group practice