Advances in Anthropology最新文献

{"title":"Future Options of the Kurds.1 Part I: The Current Situation","authors":"Ferdinand Hennerbichler","doi":"10.4236/AA.2018.83009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/AA.2018.83009","url":null,"abstract":"The Iraqi Kurdistan independence referendum on September, 25, 2017, initiated by Masoud Barzani, former elected President of the Kurdistan Region Iraq (KRI) (in office: June 13, 2005 to August 19, 2015) was not intended as the basis for a declaration of an independent Kurdish state in Northern Iraq in the foreseeable future. It was, rather, aimed at strengthening his own domestic political position as well as that of other leading politicians of the Barzani family and of the Kurdistan Democratic Party Iraq, currently leading the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). The referendum aggravated the persisting constitutional crisis in Iraq since 2005 over as-yet unresolved crucial questions, above all regarding the status of Kirkuk and other “disputed territories”. The Iraqi Kurds lost to a great extent their influence over Kirkuk and about 40% of other “disputed territories” they were controlling before. On the regional domestic front, it polarized antagonisms among rivalling Kurdish parties, threatened to split the KRI again into two separate administrations and also deepened the ongoing severe economic KRG crisis. In geostrategic terms, it enabled the Islamic Republic of Iran to further extend its influence on Iraq and beyond effectively towards the eastern Mediterranean via pro-Iranian Shia-proxy-militias and, last but not least, it also intensified various crises in the Middle East and Eurasia2.","PeriodicalId":149660,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Anthropology","volume":"46 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121541096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analyses of Dermatoglyphic Patterns in Ntamante, Boki Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross River State, Nigeria","authors":"A. D. Abue, Christopher Rose, Nappier Courage","doi":"10.4236/AA.2018.83005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/AA.2018.83005","url":null,"abstract":"Analysis of the dermatoglyphics pattern in Ntamante Boki LGA of Cross River State, South-South, Nigeria is a research work carried out with the sole aim of analysing the dermatoglyphics pattern of the Ntamante people of Boki LGA in Cross river. Two hundred persons were randomly selected for the research comprising male and females. The collection of the finger prints was done using the ink procedure described by Cummins and Midlo analysis of data that was done using SPSS. The result obtained was thus: for females, the mean standard deviation was least in the radial loop (1 ± 1.6), followed by the Arches (4.9 ± 3.8), the Whorls (6.4 ± 4.4) and highest on the Ulnar loop (9.1 ± 9.7). Variables measured differed significantly (p = 0.05) with a Chi-square (X2) value of 17.41. Pr > Chisq = 0.053. For males, the mean standard deviation was highest in the Ulnar Loop pattern (12.6 ± 9.2), followed by the arch pattern (4.7 ± 2.8), then the whorls (3.3 ± 3) and then the radial loops (0.1 ± 0.4). This index study shows a higher frequency distribution of patterns of the Ulnar Loop, followed by the arches, then the whorls and finally the radial loop in the male samples which is different from the usual trend of Ulnar loop > Whorls > Arches > Radial loop obtained in other ethnic groups in Nigeria following the work of Jaja et al. among the Ijaws, Ekanem et al. amongst the Annangs, Ujaddughe et al. amongst the Esan of Edo state. Sexual dimorphism was evident in this research work with males showing a higher Ulnar loop distribution (12.6 ± 9.2), while the female percentage frequency distribution was (9.1 ± 9.7). In conclusion, this study shows the percentage frequencies of patterns among the Ntamante with the Ulnar Loop >Arch > Whorls> Radial loop amongst the males. Amongst the females, this was the distribution of pattern: Ulnar Loop > Whorls > Arches > Radial Loop. This is in line with what was obtained in different ethnic groups in Nigeria with regards to the percentage frequency distribution in the females, while amongst the males, the distribution shows the distribution pattern in Asia and Europe.","PeriodicalId":149660,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Anthropology","volume":"30 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131600731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Future Options of the Kurds. Part II: Historical Background","authors":"Ferdinand Hennerbichler","doi":"10.4236/AA.2018.83010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/AA.2018.83010","url":null,"abstract":"The following second part of our analysis provides historical background information in order to better understand future options of the Kurds. We explain here in some detail why so far in contemporary history, virtually all efforts failed to achieve legitimate national rights for the Kurds and why they could and should not be repeated in the future. We basically show in sketched small historical chapters that Kurds to date could only win limited national rights, like some forms of autonomous regional self-rule. The reasons for that are in many aspects. Firstly, because they were used over centuries both by dominant central as well as foreign powers as proxies for their interests and also cooperated with them for own split aims. Second, because Kurds are chronically divided, constantly at loggerheads, disunited (Sheikhmous, 1992 & 2013: “united in disunity”) and fragmented. Thirdly, although they remain a considerable force of stability in Eurasia and the Middle East and are indeed underway to democracy they are still unable to come true majority rule of Western democracies. And last but not least, because they lack experience governing themselves and diplomacy to secure their own national rights with one strong united voice.","PeriodicalId":149660,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Anthropology","volume":"44 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130293677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Development of an Instrument to Carry out Clinical Interviews Easily as Well as Medical Recommendations in Nahuatl in Mexico","authors":"Nelson Eduardo Álvarez Licona, M. L. S. González, E. A. Sevilla, Ricardo Alvarez Sevilla","doi":"10.4236/aa.2018.83007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/aa.2018.83007","url":null,"abstract":"This document shows the mechanism and logic which were used to develop the communicative instrument. This instrument will facilitate the communication between the health personnel and the Nahuatl population in Mexico. Using this instrument, clinical interviews, as well as medical recommendations may be carried out despite the lack of knowledge of the Nahuatl language. The instrument was developed taking in consideration that Nahuatl is a tone language in comparison with Spanish grammar. Regarding phonetics, it can be read since it shares the same alphabet. The knowledge of this language was required to decide the use of the polite language instead of the reverential language which is more complicated. This document is based on the field research, the clinical interviews done by the internists, as well as the clinical experience of doctors who were responsible for the medical recommendations. Both the clinical interview and the medical recommendations are presented for the application as well as additional documents such as dictionaries and compendiums.","PeriodicalId":149660,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Anthropology","volume":"117 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121288902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shamanic Trance Journey with Animal Spirits: Ancient “Scientific” Strategy Dealing with Inverted Otherworld","authors":"H. Tributsch","doi":"10.4236/AA.2018.83006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/AA.2018.83006","url":null,"abstract":"Since palaeolithic times, shamans involved animal depictions in cave ceremonies and adopted animals as helping spirits during their trance journeys. This study aims at explaining the rituals with new evidence: the shamans were acting rationally to deal with an inverted otherworld, still rooted in many traditional beliefs, and seen as an impressive natural phenomenon in superior mirages. After experimenting with unhealthy upside down positions, shamans have adopted more convenient ways to “invert” their consciousness by generating oxygen deficiency and trance for entering the inverted world. San rock art from Brandberg, Namibia, is used as a model to learn more about the logic behind shamanistic trance travel, for example aimed at attracting rain. When travelling to an inverted otherworld San shamans used, besides trance-inverting their consciousness, symbols of inversion (inverted sex, inverted body posture and body painting) and were hiding their faces. Negative hand stencils, dotted (mirage) animals and hidden faces were correspondingly used in palaeolithic caves during trance ceremonies. The animals painted on cave walls were aimed at meeting their counterparts in the other world, a condition for the termination of earthly life, to enable their successful hunting. Animals seen to behave “supernaturally” in mirages and mirage phenomena themselves became helping spirits for the voyage. The mirage of earthly objects into the sky itself served as role model for shamanic travel. Voluptuous Venus figures were carved for the inverted world. They show an inversion of reality. The conclusion is that early spiritual and religious concepts developed rationally, like other strategies for survival, in attempts to deal with an occasionally but worldwide seen natural phenomenon which suggested an inverted otherworld.","PeriodicalId":149660,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Anthropology","volume":"24 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121398057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evolution Subject to an Energy Driven Fundamental Time Arrow","authors":"H. Tributsch","doi":"10.4236/AA.2018.83008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/AA.2018.83008","url":null,"abstract":"Adopting a fundamental time arrow in nature, a free energy aiming at decreasing its presence per state by generating a flow of action, as recently derived from the principle of least action, entrains significant consequences for understanding mechanisms in evolution and biology. Simultaneously, the presently favoured statistical, entropic time arrow is tolerated as a limiting case. The entropy law, which self-organized systems follow, is deducible and time reading for feedback processes is functioning at very short time scale during energy turnover, even during build-up of order (decrease of entropy). As a consequence, living systems can self-organize on molecular level and evolution has an aim. This aim is maximizing entropy and thus energy turnover, within given constraints. Genetic mechanisms, here seen as self-organized chemical information handling, had to deal with such a parallel entropy (energy) aim of self-organized living structures and should be considered superposed, adapted to it and controlling it. Since increasing energy turnover is paralleled by an increasing ability of self-organized systems for generating order, this explains evolution towards higher perfection and the trend towards symbiotic energy harvesting. Information as well, which has an energy content, can self-organize within the neuronal structure of the brain and create a higher hierarchy of information handling. It is recognized as consciousness and spirit, which thus can be explained on purely materialistic basis. Evolution towards maximum energy (entropy) turnover as a fate for human civilization, when restraints are further decreasing, is a pessimistic prospect due to unavoidable environmental consequences. However, evolution of spirit is a straightforward parallel consequence and this may be considered the ultimate aim of evolution. The introduction of a fundamental energy driven time arrow as a paradigm change is verifiable via convincing falsification conditions and would revolutionize our understanding of life and human evolution within a significantly more friendly universe.","PeriodicalId":149660,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Anthropology","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122208006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Qualitative Dermatoglyphics PATTERNS in Both Hands for Males and Females in Ubang Clan Cross River State Nigeria","authors":"A. D. Abue, Rose Christopher, Adebisi Sunday","doi":"10.4236/AA.2018.82004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/AA.2018.82004","url":null,"abstract":"Dermatoglyphics patterns otherwise known as toe or fingerprints are defined as the scientific study of fingerprints or toe prints. This started in 1892 when one of the most original biologists of his time, Sir Francis Galton, a cousin of Charles Darwin published his now classic work on fingerprints. The Ubang community has a total population of about four thousand, six hundred (4600) people (2006 Census figures). They are four autonomous communities vizOkweriseng, New Jerusalem, Ofambe and Okiron. Their dominant religion is traditional religion and Christianity. They are mostly peasant farmers, located at the foot of the Obudu hills in Obudu LGA of Cross River State, Nigeria.This is an amazing Anthropological community where the Men speak Ofre and the women speak Arasere. The researchers were looking out for exceptional dermatoglyphics feature very unique to this community probably because of the unique language variation observed in the community. The researchers also aimed at establishing the qualitative dermatoglyphic features for the community. The ink procedure established by Cummins was adopted in collecting the prints on the palms and fingers of the selected sample size. A total of 800 persons were used for the research (400 males, 380 females and 20 samples were discarded). Inclusion and Exclusion criteria were used to select samples. The simple random sampling method was used in selecting the clusters and the subjects. Data were analyzed using SPSS for windows version 21 (IBM Corporation WY, USA) and Statistical Analysis System, SAS JMP10, user guide statistics, version 10 edition, SAS Institute Inc. Cary, North Carolina, USA. Descriptive statistics was generated for continuous and categorical variables; comparative analysis was done using analysis of variance. The results show a higher distribution of the Ulnar Loop in both Males and Females, followed by the Arches, then the whorls, finally the radial loops. This pattern of distribution follows the pattern of results obtained in various ethnic groups in Nigeria, Africa, Asia, Europe and America where the Men and Women speak the same Language (Oladipo et al., 2009). observed the relationship of Ovarian and Breast Cancers with high whorl percentage frequencies distribution in a population. Also there have established observations of the relationship of high Ulnar Loop percentage distribution with ABO blood group and Rhesus Positive distribution in a population. The research shows a higher percentage frequency distribution of the Arches and the arches have been linked with Myocardiac infarction (Rekha & Senthil, 2012). There is need for Myocardiac infarction screening in the Community as well as other metabolic disorders investigations.","PeriodicalId":149660,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Anthropology","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122253149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Could Wading in Shallow Water Account for the Unique Shape of the Australopithecus afarensis Pelvis","authors":"A. Kuliukas","doi":"10.4236/aa.2018.81003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/aa.2018.81003","url":null,"abstract":"A 3D Geometric Morphometric (GM) analysis of the shape of the pelvis and femur of various extinct hominids and extant humans and apes is described. Observed differences in shape are then discussed in the context of the wading hypothesis, a model of the evolution of hominin bipedalism that has rarely been seriously considered despite some compelling arguments in its favour. The general shape of the pelvis of Australopithecus afarensis is confirmed to be fundamentally different from both Homo and extant great apes, and not intermediate between them. Although it includes some human-like traits indicating a strong propensity to bipedalism, there are also sufficient differences to indicate that australopithecines probably exhibited a different type of bipedality to the relatively efficient striding gait associated with modern humans. An analysis of putative muscle lever arm ratios is described, which generated over 135,000 ratios in all. This data was then explored using the Pivot Table feature of Microsoft Excel. Succinct species summaries of broad lever arm groups, such as those pertaining to abduction compared to those pertaining to extension were generated. The results indicate that the australopithecine hip was more adapted, than modern humans or extant great apes, to adduction, abduction and rotation of the thigh during locomotion. It is argued that this apparent lateral biomechanical advantage complements the broad platypelloid shape as a putative adaptation to side-to-side wading. This adds further evidential weight to the wading hypothesis of bipedal origins in addition to the already compelling arguments from extant ape behaviour in shallow water and the favourable evidence of the paleohabitats of the earliest bipeds.","PeriodicalId":149660,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Anthropology","volume":"51 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115998009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Religion: A Subset of Culture and an Expression of Spirituality","authors":"I. R. Edara","doi":"10.4236/AA.2017.74015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/AA.2017.74015","url":null,"abstract":"Cultures or cultural values, which are described as constructively created behaviors based on collective beliefs, are omnipresent at multiple levels in every human behavior and interaction, including in the sphere of religion. Scholars described religion as a cultural system of symbols, which establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations and naturalized conceptions of a general order of existence. Thus, religion is considered to be a part of culture and it acts as one among many forms of overtly expressing and experiencing spirituality that is inward, personal, subjective, transcendental, and unsystematic. In other words, cultural values are seen as a foundation to religiosity. Based on this assumption, this paper reviewed the literature to provide empirical evidence to the overt practice of religiosity that is embedded in particular cultural experiences and values as a form of expressing and experiencing the human universal of spirituality.","PeriodicalId":149660,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Anthropology","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122212515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Indigenous “Folk” Geographical Ideas and Knowledge","authors":"Hong-key Yoon","doi":"10.4236/AA.2017.74020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/AA.2017.74020","url":null,"abstract":"This paper advocates the need for studying indigenous folk geographical ideas and knowledge in addition to academic geographic ideas and knowledge to encompass all types of geographic tradition in a cross-cultural context. To date, historians of geographic ideas and knowledge in the West have mainly paid attention to Western academic geographic knowledge. Folk and academic geographic ideas and knowledge interact with and influence each other. Academic geography can benefit much from the study of various “folk” traditions. The existence of, and interactions between, the two geographic traditions among different cultures are compelling reasons for the cross-cultural study of folk geographic ideas and knowledge. This paper uses examples from Korea and the Maori people in New Zealand to argue the advantage of studying folk geographic knowledge in a cross-cultural context.","PeriodicalId":149660,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Anthropology","volume":"13 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124346635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}