American Journal of Biological Anthropology最新文献

{"title":"One Function to Rule Them All: An R Shiny Application and R Script for Processing Measurement Data in Microscopic Analysis of Linear Enamel Hypoplasia","authors":"Maria L. Sellers,&nbsp;Daniel H. Temple","doi":"10.1002/ajpa.70237","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajpa.70237","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The quantities of data required for microscopic analyses of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) require familiarity with software coding to provide objective definitions of enamel defects. Here we provide a pre-built R script and R Shiny application for identifying accentuated perikymata from microscopic measurements and calculating the age-at-defect by individual and tooth. Our R Shiny application is designed to facilitate analysis based on a method introduced by Bocaege and Hillson (2016) which uses LOWESS residuals objectively define abnormally large perikymata indicative of LEH defects. Example data from the right mandibular first and second incisors from an individual dating to the Middle/Late Colonial period (ca. A.D. 1620–1750) buried at the Chapel of Santa Maria de Magdalena de Eten (CSMME) has been included to demonstrate how the code facilitates LEH analysis. This code represents a move towards further standardization of identifying enamel defects, as well as a means of reducing the time and energy required for analysis on the part of the researcher. This program aims to reduce the risk of error by use of a common code, encourage continued use of these methods for identifying and analyzing LEH, and provide open access to these codes so that future research may build or improve upon these methods.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":29759,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Biological Anthropology","volume":"189 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147595225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Employing Common Morality to Address Ethical Issues in Genetics Research With Indigenous People: The Ọmọlúàbí Ideology.","authors":"Iyunoluwa J Ademola-Popoola, Laura S Weyrich","doi":"10.1002/ajpa.70246","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajpa.70246","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Genetics research has transformed our understanding of human diversity, providing insights into human evolution, migration, and health. Despite its contributions, many ethical challenges remain unresolved, particularly in studies involving Indigenous or non-Western populations. Existing ethical frameworks rooted in Principlism-autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice-often fail to address issues like data ownership, informed consent, and community engagement. Furthermore, frameworks designed to address some of these limitations, such as the FAIR and CARE principles, can emphasize autonomy and universal principles over local norms that are specific to a group's cultural and communal values and diversity. We propose integrating cultural-specific common moralities alongside existing frameworks for genetics research with Indigenous peoples. As an example, we highlight the Ọmọlúàbí ideology of the Yoruba people, which offers a group-centered approach rooted in respect, humility, integrity, and communal responsibility. Ọmọlúàbí emphasizes co-creation and collaboration between researchers and communities, ensuring research aligns with local moral landscapes and community priorities. By recognizing Indigenous cultural and moral perspectives, researchers can use Ọmọlúàbí to foster trust, inclusivity, and ethical rigor, moving beyond a one-size-fits-all model. This approach can guide all stages of genetics research-from project development and data collection to interpretation and dissemination-embedding local cultural values alongside global guidelines. It also underscores building relationships through participant observation and respecting community-specific traditions and authority structures. Adopting a culturally sensitive framework like Ọmọlúàbí offers a path toward genetics research that is both respectful and equitable, bridging the divide between scientific progress and the preservation of Indigenous identities.</p>","PeriodicalId":29759,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Biological Anthropology","volume":"189 4","pages":"e70246"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13093006/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147723889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A New Human Humeral Fossil From the Early Holocene in Northeast China.","authors":"Pianpian Wei, Pengfei Sheng, Yuhao Zhao, Song Xing","doi":"10.1002/ajpa.70253","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.70253","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aims to provide new insights into the morphological, biomechanical, and ecological adaptations of early modern humans in Northeast China through an integrated analysis of an Early Holocene humerus from Heilongjiang Province. A multidisciplinary approach is employed to assess the humeral structural and functional characteristics and to infer aspects of the individual's subsistence strategy.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>The partial humerus (specimen 23HLJ-H-Hm03) was analyzed using traditional osteometric measurements, computed tomography-based analysis of cross-sectional geometry, morphometric mapping of cortical bone thickness and second moments of area, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The Heilongjiang humerus exhibits a relatively robust midshaft structure comparable to that of contemporary human fossils, along with diaphyseal and epiphyseal morphology features of anatomically modern humans. Morphometric mapping reveals diaphyseal reinforcement patterns aligned with those of other East Asian Upper Paleolithic humans, though the overall magnitude of reinforcement falls within the upper range of Late Upper Paleolithic modern human variation. Stable isotope values (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) indicate a predominantly C₃-based diet derived mainly from terrestrial herbivores.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The Heilongjiang humerus exhibits morphological affinities with Late Upper Paleolithic modern humans. Its relatively greater robusticity, coupled with isotopic evidence, supports the inference of a physically demanding hunter-gatherer lifestyle. This study enhances our understanding of modern human variation in East Asia during the Late Upper Paleolithic and offers preliminary insights into the biological and behavioral transitions across the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary in Northeastern Asia.</p>","PeriodicalId":29759,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Biological Anthropology","volume":"189 4","pages":"e70253"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147692533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Isotopic Values of Prenatal Development: δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N Variation in Early-Formed Human Tissues.","authors":"Tamara Leskovar, Doris Potočnik, Marjeta Mencin, Nives Ogrinc, Christophe Snoeck, Matija Črešnar","doi":"10.1002/ajpa.70251","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajpa.70251","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotope analysis illuminates diet and physiology in the past, yet interpretation is complicated by development and tissue-specific collagen formation. This study tests whether systematic isotopic offsets occur between auditory ossicles, deciduous dentin, long bones, and ribs in individuals who died as perinate, neonate, or young infants, and assesses implications for reconstructing maternal diet and early-life physiology.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Collagen δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N were measured for 106 samples from 27 individuals recovered from five sites spanning the Early/Late Iron Age, Early Roman, and 17th-19th centuries.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results reveal a consistent δ¹⁵N trajectory: values generally increase from ossicles to teeth and decrease from teeth to long bone/rib. Tooth-long bone/rib δ¹⁵N offsets are significant across the sample and within each age group. δ¹³C shows a modest, systematic increase from ossicle to tooth; ossicles are significantly lower than long bones/ribs and tooth, whereas tooth to long bone/rib δ¹³C exhibits no uniform group-level offset. These systematic patterns cannot be explained by maternal dietary variation across time and sites and instead reflect developmental physiology.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings indicate that, in perinates, neonates, and young infants (> 4.5 months old), physiological conditions associated with different developmental stages and tissue turnover rather than diet govern collagen isotope variation. Ossicles predominantly archive mid prenatal physiology; deciduous dentin emphasizes late gestation (±immediate perinatal); long bone/rib integrates and dampens signals over a broader interval. This study recommends tissue-aware sampling and reporting when inferring maternal diet, fetal physiology, and early-life stress from collagen.</p>","PeriodicalId":29759,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Biological Anthropology","volume":"189 4","pages":"e70251"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13093472/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147723892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nonmetric Traits at the Enamel-Dentine Junction and Crown Tissue Proportions of Canines and Premolars in Neandertals and Modern Humans: Impact of Sample Composition on Taxonomic Discrimination","authors":"Gaël Becam,&nbsp;Tony Chevalier,&nbsp;Thomas Colard","doi":"10.1002/ajpa.70239","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajpa.70239","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study assesses the efficacy of analyzing nonmetric traits at the enamel-dentine junction (EDJ) and tissue proportions of upper and lower canines and premolars to distinguish Neandertals from modern humans. It also evaluates the impact of sample composition and size for taxonomical analyses.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The sample includes 386 teeth (115 Neandertals, 271 modern humans). Nonmetric trait frequencies at the EDJ were recorded using a fossil adapted ASUDA system. Enamel and dentine-pulp volumes, EDJ surface area and dental tissue proportions in crown (3D_AET, 3D_RET, %V_cdp) were measured.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Nonmetric trait combinations can help differentiate Neandertals from modern humans. For instance, the Neandertal P₄ tends to possess a transverse crest, occlusal asymmetry, and multiple lingual cusps. Neandertal enamel is generally thinner with significant differences in the P³, P⁴, C₁, and P₄, although there is substantial overlap with modern humans.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Analyzing nonmetric trait combinations represents a viable method for distinguishing Neandertal from modern humans, with a particular emphasis on fourth premolars. While Neandertals generally exhibit thinner enamel than modern humans, caution is needed when using enamel thickness as a diagnostic criterion due to the considerable overlap between the groups. Additionally, the composition and size of the Neandertal and modern human samples significantly influence the enamel thickness results. These results further prompt a reassessment of evolutionary changes in enamel thickness among Middle Pleistocene European populations.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":29759,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Biological Anthropology","volume":"189 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147595275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Analysis of a B2 Mitochondrial Sub-Lineage from the Chilean Andes Supports Complex Mobility Patterns Between Pre-Columbian Societies in the Andean Region.","authors":"Michelle de Saint Pierre, Macarena Faure-Echeverria, Nicolas Montalva, Primavera Cortes, Mauricio Moraga","doi":"10.1002/ajpa.70234","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.70234","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aims to delve into mobility patterns and demographic movements in the Andes Altiplano, based on mitochondrial DNA analyses, by reviewing the phylogeny for two previously published lineages, B2ag and B2aj and an analysis of control region sequences to discuss the dynamics of the migratory processes that have shaped the maternal genetic variability in the Andean region. While many articles have focused on population dynamics in the Altiplano, all lack meaningful Chilean sequences.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We sequenced the complete mitogenomes of B2ag1a and B2aj haplogroups (13 and 16 samples, respectively), constructed phylogenies, calculated TMRCAs, and performed frequency maps for both haplogroups. We also sequenced the D-loop of 170 individuals from three populations and performed networks, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), and multidimensional scaling (MDS) for 1135 individuals from 24 published populations from Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We describe the B2ag1a sub-lineage, from the Chilean Altiplano, and reanalyze the B2aj. The temporal depth of both lineages, B2ag1a (9.538 BP) and B2aj (11.838 BP), is consistent with an early occupation of the Andean Altiplano. D-loop analysis shows a strong relationship between Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, with Peru being more isolated.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The results support intensive mobility patterns between populations from different areas of the Altiplano, with a critical flux center in Tiwanaku. Moreover, the Chilean Altiplano appears to be an important migration source, mainly to Bolivia and Argentina, as well as to the Chilean north coast, while the influence of the Inca Empire, at least at the population level, seems to be minor.</p>","PeriodicalId":29759,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Biological Anthropology","volume":"189 4","pages":"e70234"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147783067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Moving in a Miombo: Ranging Patterns and Habitat Use in Red-Tailed Monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius) From the Issa Valley, Tanzania","authors":"Justas Ž. Mikulėnas,&nbsp;Joram L. Navaya,&nbsp;Fiona A. Stewart,&nbsp;Alex K. Piel","doi":"10.1002/ajpa.70236","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajpa.70236","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Guenons are a valuable model for understanding primate adaptability to heterogeneous habitats, similar to the environmental pressures faced during hominin evolution. This study investigates how red-tailed monkeys (<i>Cercopithecus ascanius</i>) use two distinct vegetation types, riparian forests and miombo woodlands, within a mosaic habitat in the Issa Valley, Tanzania. We assessed how seasonality impacts core area sizes in both vegetation types, the proportion of spatial overlap between core areas across different seasons and years, and whether woodland use is associated with increased daily path lengths (DPLs) or specific foods.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We employed kernel density estimates on behavioral observations (2016–2023) to calculate core area sizes and overlaps and linear regressions to assess relationships between woodland use and DPL. We employed logistic regression to analyze associations between food categories and woodland use.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Core area sizes and overlaps did not vary significantly between seasons in either woodlands or forests. DPL showed a trend toward being lower on days when animals spent more time in woodland. Feeding on bark, flowers, and unripe fruit strongly increased the likelihood of woodland use, whereas ripe fruit was associated with forests.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We propose several drivers for woodland use as well as what role niche partitioning with sympatric primates may play. Our study indicates that this arboreal primate dynamically utilizes the vegetation matrix, highlighting the importance of behavioral flexibility for Plio-Pleistocene hominins as forests were gradually replaced with wooded landscapes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":29759,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Biological Anthropology","volume":"189 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147595219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Identified Contemporary Skeletal Collections at the University of Granada.","authors":"Jose Francisco Muñoz Molina, Erik Borja Miranda, Laura Gutiérrez Mesa, Javier Irurita Olivares, Inmaculada Alemán Aguilera","doi":"10.1002/ajpa.70254","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.70254","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of this paper is to introduce the contemporary collections housed in the Anthropology Laboratory of the University of Granada. The two collections (San José and Lucena) comprise N = 740 individuals of both sexes. All of them come from contemporary cemeteries and their dates of death are comprised between 1871 and 2005. The demographic profile indicates that the predominant age group is between 50 and 99 years of age (n = 405), although it is important to emphasize the large number of sub-adults in the collections (n = 234). The exceptional state of preservation and completeness exhibited by the remains constitutes a valuable resource for the validation and elaboration of methods for the determination of age and sex, as well as for the study of pathologies and pathological conditions documented at the bone level, for which clinical reports are available in certain cases.</p>","PeriodicalId":29759,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Biological Anthropology","volume":"189 4","pages":"e70254"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147783229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Evolution and Development of Molar Size Among Exudate-Feeding Lorises and Bushbabies","authors":"Keegan R. Selig,&nbsp;Sergi López-Torres,&nbsp;Chris J. Law,&nbsp;Anne M. Burrows,&nbsp;Mary T. Silcox","doi":"10.1002/ajpa.70238","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajpa.70238","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A challenge for linking evolution and development is to find proxies for developmental processes that can be studied from the types of material preserved in the fossil record (i.e., teeth). The inhibitory cascade, an activator–inhibitor developmental model said to explain variation in mammalian molar proportions, provides insight to such processes. However, past studies have generally failed to make a connection between the inhibitory cascade and diet, particularly among primates.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We examined this model and molar proportions in a sample of living (<i>n</i> = 52) and extinct (<i>n</i> = 6) lorisoid primates that vary in the proportions of exudates (e.g., gums, nectar) they consume. We use the reduced major axis regression to test for the ICM.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Taxa that consume a large proportion of exudates are characterized by a distinctive pattern of molar proportions (molars decreasing in size moving distally) from those that do not (molars increasing in size moving distally). Among fossil taxa, galagids are reconstructed as intensive or moderate exudativores; the fossil lorisid, <i>Nycticeboides simpsoni</i>, is inferred to have been non-exudativorous. The oldest toothcomb-bearing primate, <i>Karanisia clarki</i>, had molar proportions of a non-exudativore.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our results demonstrate that we can explain patterns of phenotypic variation, as they relate to diet, using a developmental framework, thereby providing a link between genotype and phenotype. Furthermore, our results weaken the case for a connection between the evolution of the toothcomb and exudativory as it is unlikely that the earliest strepsirrhines (e.g., <i>Karanisia</i>) were exudativorous.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":29759,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Biological Anthropology","volume":"189 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147595285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Review of Research Aims for Historical Anatomical Skeletal Collections in the United States","authors":"Allyson M. Simon,&nbsp;Nicholas V. Passalacqua,&nbsp;Mark Hubbe","doi":"10.1002/ajpa.70232","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajpa.70232","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Many osteological methods used by biological anthropologists today were initially developed using historical anatomical skeletal collections such as the Hamann-Todd and Terry Collections. However, these collections were amassed through state legislation that permitted the dissection and curation of unclaimed individuals. These laws targeted low socioeconomic and marginalized communities that were less likely to be able to afford burial or claim relatives. Until recently, very few scholars have acknowledged the lived experiences of individuals who make up such collections. As such, there are ongoing conversations about the ethics of continued research with these collections. Part of evaluating this ethical dilemma is understanding exactly how these collections are being used for research, to evaluate to what extent these collections are used for methodological studies that neglect to consider the identities of the people in their samples.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In this study, we categorized and analyzed research aims for 100 academic journal articles and 185 conference abstracts that used or significantly discussed the Terry, Hamann-Todd, Cobb, or Huntington Collections.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Results show that most studies conducted using these collections have historically entertained questions of methodological significance, but there is a recent shift toward studies that focus on the lived experiences of individuals that compose historical anatomical skeletal collections.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This analysis demonstrates that the discipline is responding to recent debates about the ethics of historical skeletal collections and is moving toward establishing better recognition of the individuals that constitute some of the most influential collections in biological anthropology.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":29759,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Biological Anthropology","volume":"189 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13022944/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147533283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}