Sexual Dimorphism in Prehispanic Populations of the Cochabamba Valleys, Bolivia

José A. Cocilovo, María L. Fuchs, Tyler G. O’Brien, Héctor H. Varela

.

DOI: 10.4236/aa.2013.31002                

Abstract

The expression of sexual dimorphism may vary across time and space, as well as within and between populations depending on genetic and environmental factors that influence growth and development. The objective of the present work is to contribute to the knowledge of factors that determine the physical characteristics of ancient human groups in the eastern valleys of Cochabamba—a key region for cultural development, inter-regional interaction with northern Chile and northwest Argentina, and their noticeable role in the settlement of the south central Andean region. This paper analyzes the differences between males and females crania representing ancient human groups that inhabited the eastern valleys of Cochabamba, Bolivia. Thirty-one craniometric variables are analyzed from a sample of 234 individuals. Differences are evaluated using univariate analysis by ANOVA and multivariate discriminant analysis. The results indicate the existence of higher mean values in males compared to females in most cranial measurements (mean difference 5.3%). The discriminant analysis also reveals a significant morphological difference exists between sexes. Furthermore, by means of the discriminant function, the reclassification of correct sex was 99% of cases. This information indicates that members of this population could live in optimal conditions, with adequate resources to ensure growth and development and normal expression of the phenotype of each sex.

Keywords

Sexual Dimorphism; Growth and Development; Population Biology; Craniometrics

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Acsádi, G., & Nemeskéri J. (1970). History of human life span and mortality. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó.
[2]	Bass, W. M. (1987). Human osteology: A laboratory and field manual of the human skeleton. Springfield: University of Missouri.
[3]	Buikstra, J. E., & Ubelaker, D. H. (1994). Standards for data collection from human skeletal remains. Fayetteville: Arkansas Archaeological Survey.
[4]	Baffi, E. I., & Cocilovo, J. A. (1989). Evaluación del impacto ambiental en una población prehistórica: El caso de Las Pirguas (Salta, Argentina). Revista Argentina de Antropologia Biologica, 4, 39-43.
[5]	Baffi, E. I., Torres, M. F., & Cocilovo, J. A. (1996). La población prehispánica de Las Pirguas (Salta, Argentina). Un enfoque integral. Revista Argentina de Antropologia Biologica, 1, 204-218.
[6]	Cocilovo, J. A. (1975). Estudio de dos factores que influencian la morfología craneana en una co?lección andina: El sexo y la deformación artificial. Revista Instituto de Antropología, 2, 197-212.
[7]	Cocilovo, J. A. (1978). Estudio de dos factores que influyen en la morfología craneana en una colección patagónica: El sexo y la deformación artificial. Arquivos de Anatomía e Arqueología, 3, 113-141.
[8]	Cocilovo, J. A., & Baffi, E. I. (1985). Contribución al conocimiento de las características biológicas de la población prehistórica de Puerta de La Paya (Salta). Runa, 15, 153-178.
[9]	Cocilovo, J. A., & Marcellino, A. J. (1974). Determinación del sexo en una serie craneana aborigen por medio de las funciones discriminantes. Revista Instituto de Antropología, 5, 17-24.
[10]	Cocilovo J. A., Varela H. H., & O’Brien, T. G. (2009). La divergencia genética entre poblaciones del área Andina Centro Meridional evaluada mediante rasgos no métricos del cráneo. Revista Argentina de Antropologia Biologica, 11, 43-59.
[11]	Cocilovo, J. A., Zavattieri, M. V., & Costa Junqueira, M. A. (1994). Biología del grupo prehistórico de Coyo Oriental (San Pedro de Atacama, Norte de Chile): I Dimorfismo sexual y variación etaria. Estudios Atacame?os, 11, 121-134.
[12]	Cocilovo, J. A., Varela, H. H., Costa-Junqueira, M. A., & Quevedo, S. G. (2005). Los pescadores arcaicos de la desembocadura del río Loa (Norte de Chile): El sitio Caleta Huelén 42. Chungara, 37, 5-19.
[13]	Cocilovo, J. A., Rothhammer, F., Quevedo, S., & Llop, E. (1982). Microevolución en poblaciones prehistóricas del área andina. 3. La población del Morro de Arica. Craneometría. Revista de la Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, 2, 91-111.
[14]	Cocilovo J. A., Quevedo, S., Varela, H. H., Valdano, S., & Castro, M. (1999). Biología del grupo prehistórico de Pisagua, costa norte de Chile. Estudios Atacame?os, 17, 207-235.
[15]	Dembo, A., & Imbelloni, J. (1938). Deformaciones intencionales del cuerpo humano. Buenos Aires: Humanior.
[16]	Dingwall, E. J. (1931). Artificial cranial deformation—A contribution to the study of ethnic mutilation. London: John Bale, Sons & Danielsson, Ltd.
[17]	Dettwyler, K. A. (1992). Nutritional status of adults in rural mali. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 88, 309-321. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330880306
[18]	Frayer, D. W., & Wolpoff, M. H. (1985). Sexual dimorphism. Annual Review of Anthropology, 14, 429-473. doi:10.1146/annurev.an.14.100185.002241
[19]	Giles, E., & Elliot, O. (1963). Sex determination by discriminant function analysis of crania. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 21, 53-68. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330210108
[20]	Guntupalli, A. M., & Baten, J. (2009). Measuring gender well-being with biological living-standard indicators. In B. Harris, L. Gálvez, & H. Machado (Eds.), Gender and well-being in Europe: Historical and contemporary perspectives (pp. 43-58). London: Ashgate Ed.
[21]	Gustafsson, A., & Lindenfors, P. (2004). Human size evolution: No evolutionary allometric relationship between male and female stature. Journal of Human Evolution, 47, 253-266. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.07.004
[22]	Gustafsson, A., & Lindenfors, P. (2009). Latitudinal patterns in human stature and sexual stature dimorphism. Annals of Human Biology, 36, 74-87. doi:10.1080/03014460802570576
[23]	Gustafsson, A., Werdelin, L., Tullberg, B. S., & Lindenfors, P. (2007). Stature and sexual stature dimorphism in Sweden, from the 10th to the End of the 20th Century. American Journal of Human Biology, 19, 861-870. doi:10.1002/ajhb.20657
[24]	Keen, J. A. (1950). A study of the differences between male and female skulls. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 8, 65-78. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330080113
[25]	Lovejoy, C. O. (1985). Dental wear in the Libben population: Its functional pattern and role in the determination of adult skeletal age and death. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 68, 47-56. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330680105
[26]	Masset, C. (1989). Age Estimation on the basis of cranial sutures. In M. Y. Iscan (Eds.), Age markers in the human skeleton (pp. 71-103). Springfield: Charles C Thomas.
[27]	Meindl, R. S., & Lovejoy, C. O. (1985). Ectocranial suture closure: A revised method for the determination of skeletal age at death based on the lateral-anterior sutures. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 68, 57-66. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330680106
[28]	Méndez, M. G., & Ferrarini, S. O. (2006). Dimorfismo sexual y cefalometría en etnias chaque?as: Una lectura desde la antropología evolutiva. Revista Espa?ola de Antropología Física, 26, 75-92.
[29]	Mendon?a, O. J., Valdano, S. G., & Cocilovo, J. A. (1994). Evaluación del Dimorfismo Sexual y de la Deformación Artificial en una muestra craneana del borde oriental de la Puna Juje?a. Revista Argentina de Antropologia Biologica, 2, 25-37.
[30]	O’Brien, T. G. (2003). Cranial microvariation in prehistoric south central andean populations: An assessment of morphology in the Cochabamba Collection, Bolivia. Ph.D. Thesis, Binghamton: Binghamton University, State University of New York.
[31]	Pinotti, L. V., Rasines, C. H., & Unsain, R. F. (2005). Tehuelches y mapuches, dimorfismo sexual en condiciones de vulnerabilidad social. Studies in Historical Anthropology, 2, 17-29.
[32]	Priotto, J. M. (1990). Diferenciación biológica y dimorfismo sexual entre las poblaciones aborígenes del Chaco Occidental (Chiriguanos, Chorotes, Matacos y Tobas). Degree thesis, Río Cuarto: Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto.
[33]	Pucciarelli, H. M., Carnese, F. R., Pinotti, L. V., Guimarey, L. M., & Goicoechea, A. S. (1993). Sexual dimorphism in schoolchildrem of the Villa IAPI neighborhood (Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina). American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 92, 165-172. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330920206
[34]	Purkait, R., & Chandra, H. (2002). Sexual dimorphism in femora. Indian Study Forensic Science Communications Research and Technology, 4. URL (last checked 7 November 2012). http://www2.fbi.gov/hq/lab/fsc/backissu/july2002/purkait.htm
[35]	Purkait, R., & Chandra, H. (2004). A study of sexual variation in Indian femur. Forensic Science International, 146, 25-33. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.04.002
[36]	Saunders, S.R. (1992). Subaldult skeletons and growth related studies. In S. R. Saunders, & A. Katzenberg (Eds.), Skeletal biology of past peoples: Research method (pp. 1-20). New York: Wiley-Liss.
[37]	Seber, G. A. F. (1984). Multivariate observations. New York: Wiley. doi:10.1002/9780470316641
[38]	Stini, W. A. (1969). Nutritional stress and growth: Sex difference in adaptive response. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 31, 417-426. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330310316
[39]	Stinson, S. (1985). Sex differences in environmental sensitivity during growth and development. Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, 28, 123-147. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330280507
[40]	Varela, H. H., Priotto, J. W., & Cocilovo, J. A. (1990a) Evaluación del dimorfismo sexual en una muestra de nativos de la Puna Juje?a. Revista de la Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, 10, 33-42.
[41]	Varela, H. H., Cocilovo, J. A., & Costa Junqueira, M. A. (1990b). El dimorfismo sexual en la población prehistórica de San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. Chungara, 24-25, 159-166.