Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Population Dynamics in Prehispanic Northern Mexico

大卡萨斯文化主要位于墨西哥奇瓦瓦的西北部，与北美西南部的其他文化相似。然而，到了公元1200年，它已经变质了。新形式的仪式建筑、埋葬方式、陶瓷器皿和贸易模式证明了居住在卡萨斯的人的日常生活发生了巨大的变化。在梅迪奥时期(公元1200-1450年)，阿兹塔兰(墨西哥西北部)和明布雷斯(新墨西哥)文物的出现和象征意义引发了人们对它们起源的疑问。一些研究人员认为，随着时间的推移，来自这两个地区中的一个或两个的移民导致了显著的文化变化。或者，卡萨斯文化的当地居民可能已经将外国特色融入到他们的生活中。新的特征是移民的结果，还是仅仅是思想和商品的交换？在Osbjorn Pearson博士的监督下，Sophie Kohn将探索Mimbres、Casas Grand和Aztallan前西班牙裔居住者之间的遗传关系。牙齿的测量以及头骨和牙齿的形状变异(非计量特征)是骨骼的遗传控制属性，可用于追踪种群之间的遗传关系。这些属性将用于识别Medio时段开始时是否存在迁移。如果确实发生了迁徙，那么这些特征将被用来识别迁徙的来源人口。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。首先，有证据表明，中美洲和美国西南部之间的接触可以追溯到几千年前。这项研究将提供关于这两个地区之间的联系方式的信息，无论是通过直接移徙还是通过贸易。在相关的脉络中，它探索了移民在随着时间的推移而发生的文化变化中所起的作用。通过确定或排除移民的存在，这项研究将提供关于这些不同形式的接触可能对文化演变产生的影响的信息。其次，基于人工制品的人口结构、移民和贸易解释在大西南地区很常见。然而，这类研究依赖于人口流动的间接证据。生物数据提供了另一种检查关系的方法，因为它们可以为人口流动提供直接证据。第三，尽管人们对墨西哥北部的兴趣在过去十年里有所增加，但对该地区的研究仍然严重不足。这项研究将为大决明文化的遗传组成及其与外部种群的关系提供重要信息。除了影响美国研究界，这项研究还将帮助墨西哥国家人类学和历史研究所(INAH)，为第一批来自卡萨斯·格兰斯的骨骼材料的计算机化清单做出贡献。作为新墨西哥大学(UNM)和INAH之间的合作努力，这项工作将为未来的研究培养良好的关系。对奇瓦瓦的持续研究将有助于墨西哥政府宣传联合国教科文组织世界遗产帕奎姆，并增加该地区的旅游业。对于Co-PI来说，这项研究将为数据收集和分析提供宝贵的经验。从论文中收集的信息将通过向所有收藏骨骼收藏的机构提供骨骼数据和论文副本来传播。此外，合办还将在学术期刊上发表一系列论文，广泛传播成果。

Located primarily in northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico, the Casas Grandes culture was similar to other cultures located within in the North American Southwest. However, by AD 1200, it had metamorphosed. New forms of ritual architecture, burial practices, ceramic vessels, and trade patterns attest to drastic changes in daily life for the individuals who lived in Casas Grandes. The appearance of Aztatlan (northwest Mexican) and Mimbres (New Mexican) artifacts and symbolism during the Medio period (AD 1200-1450) have led to questions about their origins. Some researchers argue that immigration from one or both of these regions led to marked cultural change over time. Alternatively, local inhabitants of the Casas Grandes culture may have adopted foreign features into their lives. Were new features the result of migration or simply the exchange of ideas and goods? Under the supervision of Dr. Osbjorn Pearson, Sophie Kohn will explore genetic relationships between the pre-Hispanic occupants of Mimbres, Casas Grandes, and Aztatlan. Measurements of the teeth and shape variants of the skull and teeth (non-metric traits) are genetically controlled attributes of the skeleton that can be used to trace genetic relationships between populations. These attributes will be used to identify the presence or absence of a migration at the beginning of the Medio period. If a migration did occur, then the traits will be used to identify the source population of the migrants. This research is important for several reasons. First, there is evidence of contact between Mesoamerica and the US Southwest that extends several thousand years into the past. This research will contribute information on the manner of contacts between these two areas, whether by direct migration or trade. In a related vein, it explores the role that migration plays in cultural change over time. By identifying or ruling out the presence of migration, this study will provide information on the impact that these different forms of contact can have on cultural evolution. Second, artifact based interpretations of population structure, migration and trade are common in the Greater Southwest. However, such studies rely on indirect evidence for population movements. Biological data provide an alternative way to examine relationships because they can provide direct evidence for population movements. Third, while interest in northern Mexico has increased over the past ten years, the region is still drastically understudied. This research will provide vital information on the genetic composition of the Casas Grandes culture, and its relationships with external populations. Beyond impacting the US research community, this research will aid the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) by contributing to the first computerized inventory of the skeletal material from Casas Grandes. As a cooperative effort between the University of New Mexico (UNM) and INAH, this work will foster good relations for future research. Continued research in Chihuahua will help the Mexican government promote the UNESCO world heritage site of Paquime and increase tourism to the area. For the Co-PI, this research will provide invaluable experience in data collection and analysis. Information gleaned from the dissertation will be disseminated by providing skeletal data and a copy of the dissertation to all institutions that house skeletal collections. Also, the Co-PI will publish a series of papers in scholarly journals to widely circulate results.