A "Great Migration": Using Measures of Dental Affinity to Retrace the Bantu Expansion(s)

在国家科学基金会的支持下，乔尔·爱尔兰博士将分析前现代非洲的骨骼遗骸，以调查古代大陆范围内的“班图扩张”。“这项调查是通过欧洲和非洲同事的合作而实现的。目标是双重的。第一个是历史性的，即，提供有关这种迁移的更多信息，其对非洲语言，文化和遗传景观的影响今天仍然很明显。第二个目标涉及影响人类适应的环境，而环境反过来又受人类的影响。最初，极低的资源可能鼓励了班图人的移徙。对新土地的开发和过度开发随之而来，迫使人们继续移民。几千年后，撒哈拉以南地区的现代人开始分布，“班图”一词代表了大多数撒哈拉以南非洲人使用的一个语言群体。然而，早期的民族志研究表明，班图人是这一地区的相对新人。语言学和考古学证据表明他们的家乡在西非。他们的“扩张”被认为始于4000 - 3000年前。大多数研究人员都接受这种情况。然而，语言学、考古学和遗传学等领域的研究往往会产生相互矛盾的假设：移民的规模、数量、路线、时间以及对移民和该地区原住民的影响。提出了一种替代方法来提供新的见解，即，使用亚利桑那州立大学牙科人类学系统（ASUDAS）评估人口变化。ASUDAS返回类似的结果，遗传研究，往往产生上级的结果，其他骨骼分析，并经过时间的考验。具体来说，牙科研究比班图研究的传统领域具有关键优势-检查主要证据的能力。样本将包括参与或受迁移影响的前现代个体的遗骸，沿着他们在最近的种族化和混合之前生活的后代。其他方法在这方面也有潜力（例如aDNA）;然而，ASUDAS结果可以以一小部分成本获得，并且该方法是非破坏性的。首先记录原始班图人、班图人和非班图人样本（n4，000个个体）的性状，并添加到那些已经收集的爱尔兰（n=845）。这些数据将识别出超出已知的特征频率。接下来，距离统计将评估性状变异，以估计样本间的相关性。研究结果将用于解决特定区域的假设和制定新的假设。最后，将研究结果与已发表的语言学，考古学和遗传学数据进行对比，以评估方法间的一致性。除了班图人特有的问题之外，数据分析还可以回答关于人类亲和力和更广泛范围内的移徙的理论和方法问题（包括：global）。可以实现若干更广泛的益处。除了为爱尔兰博士的学生提供培训和经验外，他还与非洲同事合作。他还将培训非洲学生，接触感兴趣的非专业观众-包括希望更好地了解他们过去的非洲人，并在非洲研究所进行公开演讲。所有调查结果将通过同行评审的出版物以及国际和国家论坛进行交流。这些结果将增加关于一个重要历史问题的知识基础，并提供关于环境/人类相互作用的信息。

With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Joel Irish will analyze premodern African skeletal remains to investigate the ancient continent-wide "Bantu expansion." This investigation is possible through the cooperation of colleagues across Europe and Africa. The goals are twofold. The first is historical, i.e., to provide additional information about this migration, whose effects on Africa's linguistic, cultural, and genetic landscapes remain evident today. The second goal involves the environment which affects human adaptation and in turn is affected by humans. Minimal resources may have initially encouraged Bantu migration. Exploitation and over-exploitation of new lands followed, compelling continuing migration. After several millennia, the result was the modern distribution of sub-Saharan peoples.The term "Bantu" identifies a language group spoken by most sub-Saharan Africans. However, early ethnographic studies revealed that Bantu-speakers were relative newcomers to this region. Linguistic and archaeological evidence sets their homeland in western Africa. Their "expansion" is believed to have begun 4,000-3,000 years ago. Most researchers accept this scenario. However, the fields of linguistics, archaeology, and genetics, which account for most Bantu research, often yield conflicting hypotheses concerning: the scale of migration(s), number, routes, timing, and influence on the migrants and the region's original inhabitants. An alternate approach is proposed to provide fresh insight, i.e., using the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS) to assess population variation. The ASUDAS returns analogous findings to genetic research, often yields superior results to other skeletal analyses, and is time-tested. Specifically, dental study holds a key advantage over traditional fields of Bantu research -- the ability to examine primary evidence. Samples will comprise remains of premodern individuals involved in or influenced by the migrations, along with their descendants who lived before recent detribalization and admixture. Other methods also have potential in this regard (e.g. aDNA); however, ASUDAS results can be obtained at a fraction of the cost, and the method is nondestructive. Traits will first be recorded in proto-Bantu, Bantu, and non-Bantu samples (n4,000 individuals.), and added to those already collected by Irish (n=845). These data will identify trait frequencies beyond that already known. Next, distance statistics will assess trait variation to estimate inter-sample relatedness. Results will be used to address region-specific hypotheses and formulate new ones. Finally, findings will be contrasted with published linguistic, archaeological, and genetic data to evaluate inter-method concordance. Beyond Bantu-specific issues, data analysis can also answer theoretical and methodological questions about human affinity and migration on a broader scale (incl. global). Several broader benefits may be realized. Beyond training and experience for Dr. Irish's students, he is collaborating with African colleagues. He will also train African students, reach out to an interested lay audience -- including Africans who wish to better understand their past, and give public talks at African institutes. All findings will be communicated through peer-reviewed publications, and international and national fora. These results will add to the knowledge base on a vital historical issue, and contribute information on environment/human interaction.