Utilizing craniometrics to examine the morphological changes to Homo with the advent of ...

96 Pages·2016·2.01 MB·English

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Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, &
Graduate School
Professional Papers
2016
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Julia Schorr
University of Montana, Missoula
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Schorr, Julia, "Utilizing craniometrics to examine the morphological changes to Homo with the advent of
processing food by cooking" (2016). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers.
10677.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/10677
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UTILIZING CRANIOMETRICS TO EXAMINE THE MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
TO HOMO WITH THE ADVENT OF PROCESSING OF FOOD BY COOKING
By
JULIA ANN SCHORR
Bachelor of Arts, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, 2012

Thesis
presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

Master of Arts
in Forensic Anthropology

The University of Montana
Missoula, MT

May 2016

Approved by:

Sandy Ross, Dean of The Graduate School
Graduate School

Dr. Randall Skelton, Chair
Department of Anthropology

Dr. Meradeth Snow
Department of Anthropology

Dr. Daniel Doyle
Department of Sociology
DEDICATION
To my parents and grandparents,
Thank you for your love and unconditional support.
I couldn’t ask for a better family.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would first like to thank Dr. Randall Skelton, my committee advisor, for all the help and
guidance he has provided not only with this thesis, but with my entire educational experience at
the University of Montana. I would also like to thank Dr. Meradeth Snow and Dr. Daniel Doyle
for taking the time out of their busy schedules to serve on my committee.
Thank you to the Anthropology Department at the University of Montana. I am
incredibly grateful to have been given all the experiences that were afforded to me working with
not only the professors in the department, but also with my fellow graduate students. The
decision to join this wonderful group has been one of the best decisions of my life.
I would also like to thank the Paw Print at the Mike and Maureen Mansfield Library for
spending several weeks working with me to ensure that the fossils that were 3D printed were to
the correct specifications.
Finally, I would like to thank the five individuals whose donated skeletal material made
up the Modern Homo sapiens portion of my research.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………………ii
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………………iii
List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………………….vi
List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………………viii
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………...ix
CHAPTER
I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………..1
Hypothesis……………………………………………………………………..2
Outline of Thesis………………………………………………………………3
II. Literature Review………………………………………………………………….6
Species Overview……………………………………………………………...6
Species Diet and Subsistence………………………………………………...17
Early Evidence of Controlled Fire…………………………………………...25
Effects of Cooking Food……………………………………………………..28
Impacts of Cooking on Evolution……………………………………………31
Craniometrics………………………………………………………………...34
III. Materials…………………………………………………………………………37
IV. Methods…………………………………………………………………………..49
V. Results……………………………………………………………………………52
VI. Discussion………………………………………………………………………..68
Discussion Introduction……………………………………………………...68
Evaluation of Findings……………………………………………………….68
Unexpected Findings………………………………………………………...73

VII. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….76
Summary……………………………………………………………………..76
Research Limitations………………………………………………………...77
Future Research……………………………………………………………...78
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Final Conclusions…………………………………………………………..79
Works Cited………………………………….…………………………………………………80

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LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE PAGE
3.1 P. boisei KNMR 3230, Individual 1………………………………………….….40
3.2 P. boisei KNMWT 17400, Individual 2……………………………………….....40
3.3 P. boisei KNM-ER 406, Individual 3……………………………………………40
3.4 P. boisei Unknown, Individual 4………………………………………….……..41
3.5 H. habilis KNMR 1813, Individual 5……………………………………………41
3.6 H. habilis OH 24, Individual 6…………………………………………..……….41
3.7 H. erectus Sangiran 17, Individual 7……………………………………….……42
3.8 H. erectus D2700/735, Individual 8……………………………………………...42
3.9 H. erectus KNM-WT 15000, Individual 9…………………………………….…42
3.10 H. erectus KNM-ER 3733, Individual 10………………………………………..43
3.11 H. heidelbergensis Kabwe 1, Individual 11…………………………………...…43
3.12 H. heidelbergensis Steinheim Skull, Individual 12………………………...……43
3.13 H. heidelbergensis Bodo Skull, Individual 13………………………………..….44
3.14 H. heidelbergensis Atapuerca 5, Individual 14………………………………..…44
3.15 H. neanderthalensis BH-019, Individual 15……………………………………..44
3.16 H. neanderthalensis BH-009, Individual 16……………………………………..45
3.17 Early Modern Human KNMR 5306, Individual 17……………………………...45
3.18 Early Modern Human BC-093, Individual 18………….……………...………...45
3.19 Early Modern Human BH-017, Individual 19………….…………...…………...46
3.20 Early Modern Humans Unknown, Individual 20………………………...…...….46
3.21 Modern H. sapiens UMFC 89, Individual 21………………………………..…..46
3.22 Modern H. sapiens UMFC 150, Individual 22…………………………………..47
3.23 Modern H. sapiens UMFC 103, Individual 23…………………………………..47
3.24 Modern H. sapiens UMFC 120, Individual 24…………………………….…….47
3.25 Modern H. sapiens UMFC 28, Individual 25……………………………..……..48

5.1 Skull PCA………………………………………………………………………..52
5.2 Skull UPGMA…………………………………………………………….….…..54
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5.3 Skull Neighbor Joining…………………………………………………………..55
5.4 Cranium PCA…………………………………………………………………….56
5.5 Cranium UPGMA………………………………………………….…………….57
5.6 Cranium Neighbor Joining………………………………………...……………..58
5.7 Mandible PCA…………………………………………………….……………..59
5.8 Mandible UPGMA…………………………………………………….…………60
5.9 Mandible Neighbor Joining…………………………………………...…………61
5.10 Tooth PCA……………………………………………………………………….62
5.11 Tooth UPGMA………………………………………………………..…………63
5.12 Tooth Neighbor Joining………………………………………………….………64

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LIST OF TABLES

TABLE PAGE

3.1 Individual Summary……………………………………………………………..48
5.1 Craniometric and Odontometric Independent Sample T-test results……….……65
5.2 Cranial T-test Significance Summary……………………………………………67
5.3 Dentition T-test Significance Summary………………………………………….67

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ABSTRACT
Schorr, Julia, M.A., Spring 2016 Anthropology
Utilizing Craniometrics to Examine the Morphological Changes to Homo with the Advent of
Processing of Food by Cooking
Chairperson: Dr. Randall Skelton
This thesis examines the extent to which the development of cooking by early humans
contributed to morphological changes in the human skull, hypothesizing that the cooking of food
by early humans had a direct effect on human evolution, leading to smaller face shape, larger
body size, and larger brain development, which can be measured in the skull using craniometrics.
Beginning with Homo erectus around 1 million years ago, early humans began cooking food. By
beginning the process of physical and chemical breakdown of food prior to consumption,
humans were able to better access calories and nutrients already found in their food and
maximize their use in the body. This shift in eating method allowed for the overall size of the
digestive tract to shrink, allowing for excess nutrients and calories to be redirected to the brain,
causing total brain size to dramatically increase. The decreased emphasis on chewing also
allowed muscles of the face associated with mastication to shrink, thus influencing the bone
structure of the skull.
Established craniometric points of the skull were used to measure morphological changes in
seven species; Paranthropus boisei, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, Homo
neanderthalensis, Early Modern Humans, and modern Homo sapiens. Odontometrics for each
individual were also taken to determine whether cooking affected overall tooth size as well as
skull morphology. Several craniometric measurements found at muscle attachment site used for
mastication indicate high levels of dissimilarity between individuals of different species.

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