The biocultural evolution of Khoisan populations of Southern Africa

The research presented here offers new information on the recent evolution of Khoisan populations of southern Africa through the new study of Holocene skeletons. When combined with subfossil and historical remains, these archeological specimens provide a skeletal record for the last 5000–9000 years of southern African prehistory. Multivariate statistical analyses of cranial measurements were used to determine patterns of morphological variation in the skeletal record with which hypotheses of biocultural evolution were tested. These analyses yielded the following results. First, the traditional distinction between Bushmen and Hottentots holds for recent inland individuals. Second, there is a suggestion of a morphologically distinct San population living on the coast of South Africa. The idea of a “Strandloper” population suggested by early scholars is here revived. The third result is that there is little evidence of complete population succession on the coast of South Africa, suggesting that there were no massive population movements associated with the spread of Hottentot pastoralism throughout southern Africa.     

Geographical variation of digital dermatoglyphics in Africa

Data from 142 male and 43 female samples of African populations have been used to analyze the geographical variation of digital dermatoglyphics (arches, loops, whorls, and pattern intensity index) in Africa. The patterns of geographical variation have been summarized as contours of sixth-degree polynomial surfaces by means of trend-surface analysis. As pointed out by early studies, Africa exhibits geographical clines of digital dermatoglyphic patterns. However, only some of the frequency gradients previously described for the region find confirmation in the present study.     

Haplotypes of the Y chromosome in some populations of west Africa

One Y-specific DNA polymorphism (p49/Taql) was studied in a sample of 469 African males coming from twelve populations of sub-Saharan Africa. An high frequency (62.5%) of the Y-haplotype IV was observed in these populations, the most elevated percentage of this haplotype being observed in Mossis (from Burkina-Fasso). The “Arabic” haplotype V is present in these populations at a mean frequency of 8.7%. The “oriental” haplotype XI is present at a mean frequency of 11.3%, the most elevated percentage of this haplotype being observed in Songhaiis (from Niger). Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics     

Cerumen phenotypes in certain populations of Eurasia and Africa

Cerumen polymorphism was studied in several populations of Eurasia and Africa. The frequencies of dry cerumen were shown to be high in Mongoloid populations and low among Europoids. Intermediate frequencies were found among peoples of subequatorial Africa. Special attention is paid to the potential for using this marker in population and anthropological studies.     

An overview of environmental issues in Southern Africa

This paper provides an overview of some of the significant environmental problems in the Southern African region. The key problems highlighted are global warming and climate variability, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, desertification-land degradation, waste and littering, population growth, urbanization, pollution, poverty and health hazards. These problems present a challenge to governments and other players within and outside Southern Africa to seek for long-term solutions by addressing the root causes of these problems. The paper notes that although the environmental problems facing the Southern African region are being tackled at national, regional and international levels, there is more that can be done. At the national level, the different agencies and players, both within and outside government need to strengthen coordination and implementation of key interventions in different sectors in both rural and urban areas. At the African regional and international levels, there is a need to address geopolitical forces and issues that contribute to the underdevelopment of the African region. Among the major issues are poor terms of international trade, political instability, poverty, declining economic performance and international debt.     

Changes in marriage seasonality among some european rural populations

The preservation or the change of the population structure is often strictly related to the acquisition or loss of behavioural models: the choice of the wedding period is among them. Analysing the period in which people marry, it is possible to point out modifications in the economy, in the work calendar and it also can be helpful to determine the importance of religious traditions. In this work, the authors study the marriage seasonality of nine rural European populations in France, Spain and Italy and its evolution during the last two centuries. The research has allowed to point out three different patterns of marriage seasonality: the Autumn marriage, the Winter marriage and populations with no remarkable seasonal variations. The first distribution results from the combination of work calendar, harsh climate in winter and religious traditions (the month of May consacrated to Maria, the Lent and Advent period), while the second one is due mostly to summer migrations. The importance of these factors tend to reduce during the XX century, making the distributions more homogeneous.     

Morphological asymmetries in Southern African populations. Further evidence for lateralization

Both femora of 364 individuals of southern African tribes and South Africans of European origin were analysed for population and side differences. Emphasis was placed on multivariate analyses, although uni-and bivariate statistics were also employed and discussed. While the latter analyses did not provide conclusive results, all multivariate tests were highly significant and demonstrated that differences between samples were predominantly due to shape variability, especially of the proximal part of the femur. Among southern African Negroes a morphological gradient seemed to be apparent between Sothos, Zulus and Xosas following a clinal pattern. Differences between southern African tribes and Europeans were marked, but may, at least in part, be accounted for by different environmental factors and activity levels. Side differences of femora were found to be pronounced in all populations studied and also showed a comparable morphological pattern between the samples. The left femur was generally more robust than the right indicating that it was better suited to withstand axial forces and medio-lateral bending. Thus, the findings lend support to the hypothesis that there exist a universal pattern of lateralization, whereby the left lower limb is commonly used for weight-bearing while the right one is more likely used for motor-tasks.     

Tracing past human male movements in northern/eastern Africa and western Eurasia: new clues from Y-chromosomal haplogroups E-M78 and J-M12

Detailed population data were obtained on the distribution of novel biallelic markers that finely dissect the human Y-chromosome haplogroup E-M78. Among 6,501 Y chromosomes sampled in 81 human populations worldwide, we found 517 E-M78 chromosomes and assigned them to 10 subhaplogroups. Eleven microsatellite loci were used to further evaluate subhaplogroup internal diversification. The geographic and quantitative analyses of haplogroup and microsatellite diversity is strongly suggestive of a northeastern African origin of E-M78, with a corridor for bidirectional migrations between northeastern and eastern Africa (at least 2 episodes between 23.9-17.3 ky and 18.0-5.9 ky ago), trans-Mediterranean migrations directly from northern Africa to Europe (mainly in the last 13.0 ky), and flow from northeastern Africa to western Asia between 20.0 and 6.8 ky ago. A single clade within E-M78 (E-V13) highlights a range expansion in the Bronze Age of southeastern Europe, which is also detected by haplogroup J-M12. Phylogeography pattern of molecular radiation and coalescence estimates for both haplogroups are similar and reveal that the genetic landscape of this region is, to a large extent, the consequence of a recent population growth in situ rather than the result of a mere flow of western Asian migrants in the early Neolithic. Our results not only provide a refinement of previous evolutionary hypotheses but also well-defined time frames for past human movements both in northern/eastern Africa and western Eurasia.     

Sperm head structure of a murid rodent from Southern Africa: The red veld rat Aethomys chrysophilus

The morphology of spermatozoa from the red veld rat, Aethomys chrysophilus, of Southern Africa is described; two very different types were found, which came from animals from two separate, as-yet-undescribed, species. In individuals from South Africa the sperm head had a somewhat disc-shaped nucleus and a large acrosome with a huge apical segment that, during epididymal transit, changed in form from initially projecting anteriorly to a highly complex structure that was flexed caudad and lay alongside part of the rest of the sperm head. In addition, the chromatin generally appeared to be not fully condensed. Spermatozoa from animals collected in Malawi were very different in morphology and had a head with a typical apical hook, a perforatorium, fully condensed chromatin, and a 4-μm-long ventral spur. Its sperm tail was also significantly longer. The time of divergence of these two groups of animals from a common ancestor is not known, but the present results show that a considerable morphological change in the sperm nucleus, acrosome, and subacrosomal space can evolve even between two, presumably closely related, species.     

Genetic differentiation among some endogamous populations of Andhra Pradesh,India

Endogamous populations belonging to Brahmin, Vysya, Mala, and Madiga castes of Andhra Pradesh, South India, were investigated for certain red cell enzyme and serum protein genetic markers. Frequency values were statistically analyzed to assess genetic variation among the populations. Average heterozygosity of ten loci and genetic diversity within and between the populations were calculated by using the methods of Nei. Nei's index was used to calculate genetic distances between the pairs of populations. A dendrogram was drawn adapting the modified unweighted pair group method suggested by Li, which agreed with the history of the populations.     

A Holocene sequence of vegetation change at Lake Eteza, coastal KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Palynological and sedimentological data from a core extracted from Lake Eteza shed new light on the Holocene vegetation and climate history in KwaZulu-Natal and can be linked to regional and global climate change. A 2072 cm core with nineteen radiocarbon dates and chronological extrapolation to the bottom of the sequence suggests that sedimentation started ca. 10 200 cal yrs BP. Between ca. 10 200 and 6800 cal yrs BP pollen indicators point to a change from intermediately humid conditions to comparatively drier grassy environments. This is in good agreement with Sea Surface Temperature (SST) fluctuations from a core in the Mozambique Channel which influence precipitation in coastal KwaZulu-Natal, and the beginning of the Holocene Thermal Maximum ca. 10 500 cal yrs BP. The lower section of the core corresponds to gradually increasing Holocene sea levels along the coast and development of freshwater or estuarine conditions at Lake Eteza. The middle Holocene (ca. 6800-3600 cal yrs BP), when the sea level reached its highest stand and SST peak, indicate humid climatic conditions that favoured an increase of forest trees, e.g. Podocarpus, and undergrowth plants like Issoglossa. As a consequence of higher precipitation and increase of the water table, conditions were favourable for the spread of mangrove, swamp and possibly riverine forest. During the late Holocene after ca. 3600 cal yrs BP a decrease of Podocarpus and other trees as well as an increase of Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, grasses and Phoenix coincide with a return to lower sea levels and drier conditions. The decrease of all trees including Phoenix at ca. 700 cal yrs BP, accompanied by rapid sedimentation rates, possibly reflect forest clearing and upland erosion induced by activities of Iron Age settlers. A dry period at the globally recognized onset of the Little Ice Age might have contributed to these changes. Late Iron Age settlers have probably already introduced Zea mays, which was detected in the profile since ca. 210 BP. The appearance of neophytes like Pinus, Casuarina and pollen of Ambrosia-type in the youngest sediments indicates increased disturbance of European settlements and land use since ca. 100 cal yrs BP.     

The number of vertebrae in the Southern African Negro,the American Negro and the Bushman (San)

The numbers of precoccygeal vertebrae (PCV) are compared in Southern African Negroes, Bushman (San) and American Negroes. The S.A. Negro and San males have an exceptionally high frequency of an increased total PCV number whilst the frequencies are significantly lower in a combined Caucasoid sample and the Mongoloid samples. The American Negro male, too, has a high frequency but not as high as in S.A. Negroes. The high frequency of increased PCV number in San, S.A. Negroes and American Negroes is in keeping with the view that the Khoisan peoples (here represented by the San), the Southern African Negroes and the African ancestors of American Blacks sprang from a common proto-negriform stock. Males have a significantly greater frequency of increased PCV to 30 or 31, whereas females are more likely to have a decreased number of 28 PCV. This sex difference is present in all the populations studied.     

Patterns of roost site selection and use by Southern Ground-Hornbills in north-eastern South Africa

Different habitats may be used for the needs of various aspects of an animal’s life. Southern Ground-Hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri groups announce their presence within year-round territories by calling at dawn from their overnight roost sites. Knowledge on ground-hornbill roosting habits is limited. Groups roost in large trees, apparently close to where they end up after daily foraging. We investigated patterns of roost site selection and use for four Southern Ground-Hornbill groups in the Associated Private Nature Reserves, north-eastern South Africa, based on data from GPS-satellite transmitters. The number of roost sites used per month averaged 15.4 ± 4.7 across all groups, indicating little evidence of strong preferences for specific sites. This number was least when groups were breeding, decreasing throughout the early wet season (October–December) and was lowest during the late wet season (January–March) when actively breeding groups frequently roosted close to the nest (54–83% of roosts <1 000 m of the nest). As might be expected, the mean monthly number of nights per roost peaked during the breeding season (December–January). Riparian habitats were preferred for roosting during the breeding season, whereas disturbed areas, as well as Combretumand mopane-dominated habitats were preferred during the dry non-breeding season. Adequate large trees not only for nesting, but also for roosting, particularly in riparian habitats, may therefore be an important and potentially limiting factor for the successful reproduction of Southern Ground-Hornbills.     

Transferrin subtypes in four Northwest Indian tribal populations and some remarks on the anthropological value of this new polymorphism

Serum samples from four tribal Populations—Chaudhuri, Kotwalia, Vasava, Gamit—living in Gujarat (Northwest India) were tested for transferrin subtypes. The results are compared with those reported for other Indian populations. Reviewing all the hitherto published Tf subtype data some interestig racial differences in the distribution of gene frequencies emerge. A possible geographical distribution pattern of the variants is explored.     

Genetic variation of isolated and peripheral populations of Pinus sylvestris (L.) from glacial refugia

Analysis of variation at 10 polymorphic isoenzyme loci in 51 European populations of Pinus sylvestris both from its main continuous range and from isolated, marginal populations out of the continuous range, revealed differences in genetic structure. The highest genetic richness, measured as mean number of alleles per locus, was recorded for populations from the Iberian Peninsula, followed by those from Scotland and the Balkans. Marginal, isolated populations were characterized by much greater interpopulation variation than populations from the continuous range of the species. The highest mean observed heterozygosity was recorded for the Iberian populations. The highest gene flow was observed among populations in the continuous range of the species. The populations could be classified into five groups based on genetic similarities. Populations from the continuous range formed one group, those from Spain two groups, pines from Scotland one group and those from the Balkans one group. One population from Scotland was found to be most distinct from the other Scottish pines and was found to be grouped with the Balkan populations. The occurrence and frequencies of rare alleles in the populations showed a characteristic pattern, suggesting that populations from the Iberian Peninsula probably did not participate in the colonization of Europe by Pinus sylvestris after the last glaciation. In contrast, the migration of populations from the Balkan refugium into Central and Western Europe had a significant effect on the contemporary gene pools of populations of Pinus sylvestris in its continuous range.     

Phenotypic variation and stress resistance in core and peripheral populations of Hordeum spontaneum

The phenotypic variation and response of plants to water stress were studied in a field trial in populations of wild barley, Hordeum spontaneum Koch. from Israel and Turkmenistan. Populations from the species distributional core and periphery were compared and contrasted for phenotypic variation in 16 phenological and morphological traits. The peripheral populations (six) were found to be phenotypically more variable and more resistant to water stress than core populations (12). The association of water-stress resistance with high phenotypic variability gives support to the hypothesis that populations that are genetically more variable are better adapted or pre-adapted to environmental changes and are thus valuable for conservation.