Cranial morphology of the first South Americans

Implications for the settlement of

the New World

Walter NevesMark Hubbe

Laboratório de Estudos Evolutivos HumanosDepartamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva

Instituto de Biociências – Universidade de São Paulo

Models for the Settlement of the Americas

Molecular Biology: genetic variation of extant Native Americans

indicates that a single human biological population entered the New World

Cranial Morphology: late prehistoric, recent and present Native

Americans tend to exhibit a cranial morphology similar to late and modern Northern Asians

earliest South Americans tend to be more similar to present Australians, Melanesians, and Sub-Saharan Africans

Aim In this study morphological affinities of

early South Americans are investigated using the largest sample of early American skulls ever studied. All recovered from the Lagoa Santa Karst.

Geographic Location of the Lagoa Santa Karst

The SampleSite

N Males

N Females

Institutions Chief archaeologist

Lapa da Amoreira 1 - MNRJ Padberg Drenkpol

Lapa de Carrancas 2 - MNRJ Bastos d`Ávila

Lapa Mortuária (Rockshelter)

2 2 MNRJ Padberg Drenkpol

Santana do Riacho

2 4 MHN-UFMG André Prous

Cerca Grande 6 2 3 MNRJWesley Hurt and

Oldemar Blasi

Cerca Grande 7 - 1 MNRJWesley Hurt and

Oldemar Blasi

Lapa Mortuária (Cave)

1 - MHN-UFMG Harold Walter

Escrivânia 3 - 1 ZMUC Peter Lund

Sumidouro 17 14ZMUC /

MNH / IHG

Peter Lund

Cerca Grande 2 1 - MNRJWesley Hurt and

Oldemar Blasi

Cerca Grande 5 2 - MNRJWesley Hurt and

Oldemar Blasi

Lapa do Caetano 1 1 MNRJPadberg Drenkpol

and Cássio Lanari

Lapa D’Água - 1 MNRJ Padberg Drenkpol

Harold Walter Collection

11 11 MHN-UFMG Harold Walter

Lapa Vermelha IV - 1 MNRJ Annete Emperaire

Total 42 39

Fieldwork at Lagoa Santa

Paleoindian Burial exhumated last week at Lapa do Santo (Lagoa

Santa)

Archaeological excavation at Lapa do Santo (Rockshelter) during this

month

One of Sumidouro’s skulls, recovered by Lund at Sumidouro

Cave, Lagoa Santa

Chronological Context of Lagoa Santa human skeletons

Peter Lund (1843) & Harold Walter (1935) Coexistence between humans and

megafauna

Wesley Hurt & Oldemar Blasi (1969) Radiocarbon dates for the human

occupation at Cerca Grande Rockshelter 6: 9720+/-128 and 9028+/-120

French-Brazilian Mission (1970s) Excavations at Lapa Vermelha IV: charcoals

found above and below the skeleton of Luzia were dated to between 11 and 11,5 BP, respectively

Peter W. Lund (1801-1880)

Danish naturalist

Recent efforts (1994-present) Direct dating of human skeletons by AMS Generation of minimum ages through the

dating of calcite layers Excavation of new archaeological sites Visit to key sites looking for remnants of the

original stratigraphy

Poor collagen preservation in Lagoa Santa 22 human skeletons directly dated by AMS to

between 8,5 and 7,5 BP

Chronological Context of Lagoa Santa

Site Sample Material dated Lab number C12/C13Conventional

C14 age (uncalibrated)

Cerca Grande 6 MN-1369 Human bone Beta 161668 -25,7 ‰ 8240 ± 40 BP

Cerca Grande 6 MN-1329 Human bone Beta 161666 -28,0 ‰ 8230 ± 50 BP

Cerca Grande 7 MN-1384 Charcoal Beta 84446 -25,0 ‰ 9130 ± 60 BP

Lapa da Amoreira MN-815 Human bone Beta 161657 NA 7070 ± 40 BP

Lapa da Lagoa Funda MNH-HW294 Human bone Beta 165379 -25,3 ‰ 7870 ± 40 BP

Lapa de Boleiras BL-K10 No.12 Charcoal Beta 159242 -25,0 ‰ 8820 ± 150 BP

Lapa de Boleiras MN-1389 Human bone Beta 155658 -17,9 ‰ 8420 ± 100 BP

Lapa de Boleiras BL-K12 No.14 Charcoal Beta 159244 -25,4 ‰ 8360 ± 50 BP

Lapa de Boleiras MN-1390 Human bone Beta 155659 -20,8 ‰ 8300 ± 50 BP

Lapa de Boleiras BL-K10 No.13 Charcoal Beta 159243 -25,0 ‰ 7560 ± 110 BP

Lapa de Carrancas MN-627 Human bone Beta 161656 -21,8 ‰ 7970 ± 40 BP

Lapa de Escrivânia 3 ZMUCESC3HS Human bone Beta 174734 -19,6 ‰ 7740 ± 80 BP

Lapa do Baú 2 ZMUC 2358 Human bone Beta 174735 -19,2 ‰ 8830 ± 50 BP

Lapa do Braga ZMUC 4725 Human bone Beta 174736 -19,2 ‰ 9780 ± 70BP

Lapa do Sumidouro ZMUCBR789C Charcoal Beta 172187 -29,5 ‰ 7650 ± 50 BP

Lapa do Sumidouro ZMUCBR789S Shell Beta 172187 -9,1 ‰ 8960 ± 50 BP

Lapa do Sumidouro ZMUCBR247C Charcoal Beta 174730 -26,4 ‰ 7680 ± 40 BP

Lapa do Sumidouro ZMUCBR321S Shell Beta 174732 -9,5 ‰ 7590 ± 80 BP

Lapa do Sumidouro ZMUCBR789A Calcite - - >8150 ± 450 BP

Lapa do Sumidouro ZMUCBR789B Calcite - - >7674 ± 456 BP

Lapa Mortuária MN-834 Human bone Beta 161658 -18,6 ‰ 8810 ± 50 BP

Lapa Mortuária MN-928 Human bone Beta 161663 -19,4 ‰ 8350 ± 40 BP

Lapa Mortuária MN-923 Human bone Beta 161662 -19,2 ‰ 8290 ± 40 BP

Lapa Mortuária MN-847 Human bone Beta 161659 -19,1‰ 7190 ± 50 BP

Lapa Mortuária (Cave) MN-Confins Human bone Beta 174680 -33,4 ‰ 11990 ± 50 BP

Santana do Riacho Sep XIII Charcoal Gif 4508 NA 9460 ± 110 BP

Santana do Riacho SR1-XX Human bone Beta 162014 -24,9 ‰ 8280 ± 40 BP

Santana do Riacho Sep XXIII Charcoal Gif 5088 NA 8230 ± 150 BP

Santana do Riacho Sep IV Charcoal Gif 5087 NA 8150 ± 150 BP

Radiometric dates for human skeletons from Lagoa Santa area, Minas Gerais (all human bones by AMS).

Chronology of the human occupation at Lagoa Santa

11,5 kyr – 10,0 kyr – Scarce human presence, without formal occupation of the rockshelters.

10,0 kyr - 7,5 kyr – First signs of permanent occupation of the rockshelters.

8,5 kyr – 7,5 kyr – Peak of burials in the rockshelters.

7,0 kyr – 2,5 kyr – Scarce human presence in Lagoa Santa, with no burial found (Archaic Gap).

2,5 kyr – Arrival of ceramists at the region.

Chronology assumedSite

N Males

N Females

Chronological Range (years BP)

Institutions Chief archaeologists

Lapa da Amoreira 1 - 7000 MNRJ Padberg Drenkpol

Lapa de Carrancas 2 - 8000 MNRJ Bastos d`Ávila

Lapa Mortuária (Rockshelter)

2 2 7000 to 9000 MNRJ Padberg Drenkpol

Santana do Riacho

2 4 8000 to 9500 MHN-UFMG André Prous

Cerca Grande 6 2 3 8000 to 8500 MNRJWesley Hurt and

Oldemar Blasi

Cerca Grande 7 - 1 9000 MNRJWesley Hurt and

Oldemar Blasi

Lapa Mortuária (Cave)

1 - 11000 to 12000 MHN-UFMG Harold Walter

Escrivânia 3 - 1 7700 ZMUC Peter Lund

Sumidouro 17 14 > 8000ZMUC /

MNH / IHG

Peter Lund

Cerca Grande 2 1 - 8000 to 8500 MNRJWesley Hurt and

Oldemar Blasi

Cerca Grande 5 2 - 8000 to 8500 MNRJWesley Hurt and

Oldemar Blasi

Lapa do Caetano 1 1 8000 to 8500 MNRJPadberg Drenkpol

and Cássio Lanari

Lapa D’Água - 1 8000 to 8500 MNRJ Padberg Drenkpol

Harold Walter Collection

11 11 8000 to 8500 MHN-UFMG Harold Walter

Lapa Vermelha IV - 1 11000 to 11500 MNRJ Annete Emperaire

Total 42 39

Material and Methods

Comparative Samples Howells’ samples representing 6 global regions

Asia Recent America Europe Africa Polynesia Australia/Melanesia

Two late archaic Brazilian samples (shellmounds) Base Aérea Tapera

Multivariate Analyses presented here Principal Coordinates Analyses assuming heritability

0,55 (size and shape, and shape alone) – 55 best preserved skulls.

Principal Components Analyses with heritability 1,0 (size and shape, and shape alone) – centroids of the 81 skulls.

Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) applied to Mahalanobis Distance assuming heritability 0,55 (size and shape, and shape alone) - 55 best preserved skulls.

Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) applied to Mahalanobis Distance assuming heritability 1,0 (size and shape, and shape alone) - 55 best preserved skulls.

Principal Components Analyses taking into account the individual dispersion of the sample (size and shape, and shape alone) - 55 best preserved skulls.

Material and Methods

Principal Coordinate Analysis (h2=0,55)M

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Fem

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Multivariate Analyses presented here Principal Coordinates Analyses assuming heritability

0,55 (size and shape, and shape alone) – 55 best preserved skulls.

Principal Components Analyses with heritability 1,0 (size and shape, and shape alone) – centroids of the 81 skulls.

Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) applied to Mahalanobis Distance assuming heritability 0,55 (size and shape, and shape alone) - 55 best preserved skulls.

Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) applied to Mahalanobis Distance assuming heritability 1,0 (size and shape, and shape alone) - 55 best preserved skulls.

Principal Components Analyses taking into account the individual dispersion of the sample (size and shape, and shape alone) - 55 best preserved skulls.

Material and Methods

Principal Components Analyses (h2=1,0)M

ale

s si

ze a

nd S

hape

Fem

ale

s Shape a

lone

Fem

ale

s si

ze a

nd S

hape

Male

s Shape a

lone

Multivariate Analyses presented here Principal Coordinates Analyses assuming heritability

0,55 (size and shape, and shape alone) – 55 best preserved skulls.

Principal Components Analyses with heritability 1,0 (size and shape, and shape alone) – centroids of the 81 skulls.

Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) applied to Mahalanobis Distance assuming heritability 0,55 (size and shape, and shape alone) - 55 best preserved skulls.

Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) applied to Mahalanobis Distance assuming heritability 1,0 (size and shape, and shape alone) - 55 best preserved skulls.

Principal Components Analyses taking into account the individual dispersion of the sample (size and shape, and shape alone) - 55 best preserved skulls.

Material and Methods

MDS based on Mahalanobis Distance (h2=0,55)M

ale

s si

ze a

nd S

hape

Fem

ale

s Shape a

lone

Fem

ale

s si

ze a

nd S

hape

Male

s Shape a

lone

MDS based on Mahalanobis Distance (h2=1,0)M

ale

s si

ze a

nd S

hape

Fem

ale

s Shape a

lone

Fem

ale

s si

ze a

nd S

hape

Male

s Shape a

lone

Multivariate Analyses presented here Principal Coordinates Analyses assuming heritability

0,55 (size and shape, and shape alone) – 55 best preserved skulls.

Principal Components Analyses with heritability 1,0 (size and shape, and shape alone) – centroids of the 81 skulls.

Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) applied to Mahalanobis Distance assuming heritability 0,55 (size and shape, and shape alone) - 55 best preserved skulls.

Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) applied to Mahalanobis Distance assuming heritability 1,0 (size and shape, and shape alone) - 55 best preserved skulls.

Principal Components Analyses taking into account the individual dispersion of the sample (size and shape, and shape alone) - 55 best preserved skulls.

Material and Methods

Principal Components Analysis (h2=1,0)M

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nd S

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Fem

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s Shape a

lone

Fem

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Male

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Discussion and Conclusions

the first South Americans exhibit a cranial morphology very different from late and modern Northeastern Asians and Amerindians

Two competing hypothesis local microevolutionary process mediated by

selection and/or drift transformed the Paleoamerican morphology into that prevailing today among Native Americans the New World was successively occupied by two morphologically differentiated human stocks, with the Paleoamerican morphology entering first

Discussion and Conclusionsthe New World was successively occupied by two morphologically differentiated human stocks, with the Paleoamerican morphology entering first

“The two main biological components model”

Cranial morphology of early Americans from

Lagoa Santa

Implications for the settlement of

the New World

Walter NevesMark Hubbe

Laboratório de Estudos Evolutivos HumanosDepartamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva

Instituto de Biociências – Universidade de São Paulo