Human colonization of the central territory of Argentina: Design matrix models and craniometric evidence

• Published in: American journal of physical anthropology Vol. 133; no. 4; pp. 1060 - 1066
• Main Authors: Fabra, Mariana, Laguens, Andrés G., Demarchi, Darío A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01-08-2007; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Anthropological methodology; Archaeology; Argentina; Biological anthropology; Cephalometry; Colonization; correlation matrix analysis; Craniology; craniometrics; Geography; History, Ancient; Human paleontology; Humans; Indians, South American - history; Male; Mankind origin and evolution; Methodology and general studies; Models, Biological; Morphology; peopling; Physical anthropology; Population Dynamics; Prehistory and protohistory; Skull - anatomy & histology; South America; Southern cone; South America; Argentina; America; South America; Study; Cone; Human palaeontology; Ethnology; craniometrics; Land use; correlation matrix analysis; Southern cone; peopling; Analysis; Model; Skull; Population; Variation; Colonization
• ISSN: 0002-9483; 1096-8644
• DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20634

In this study we test several hypotheses about the peopling of the central territory of Argentina, archaeologically known as Sierras Centrales, by testing the association between four alternative models of the peopling of the area and cranial morphological variation through distance and matrix correlation analyses. Our results show that the ancient inhabitants of Sierras Centrales demonstrated close morphological similarities with the Patagonian and Tierra del Fuego populations. Moreover, the correlation and partial correlation analyses suggest that the peopling of the Sierras Centrales most likely took place as a migratory wave proceeding from the present area of Northeastern Argentina, and continued southward to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.