甘青地区新石器-青铜时代居民颅面部形态变异及其在人群形成上的意义

通过对考古遗址出土古代居民遗骸的研究来探寻人群形成、适应、迁徙、融合历史是生物人类学研究的重要内容。甘青地区地处我国西北，位于新疆与中原之间，是人群迁徙与交流的关键地区。以往研究发现该地区新石器-青铜时代居民具有的一些独特的头面部特征，如具有偏狭的中颅型、高颅结合狭颅、中等偏狭的面宽、高而狭的面型、中等的面部扁平度、中眶型、狭鼻型和正颌型。一些学者就来自周边地区人群迁徙或基因交流对甘青地区古代人群形成的影响做过探讨。由于迄今开展的相关研究及掌握的数据资料有限，学术界对甘青地区古代人群内部的变异情况、时代变化及其与周边地区人群的差异程度还缺乏深入的了解，对新石器时代以来甘青地区人群的形成过程以及与东、西方人群的关系还不是很清楚。本文通过对243例甘青地区新石器-青铜时代人群颅骨测量数据的统计和分析，结合相关考古学和古环境学资料，对该地区古代居民颅面部形态特征的总体表现特点、时代变化、内部变异及与周边地区人群的关系进行了探讨，发现：1）从整体颅面部特征上看，甘青地区新石器-青铜时代人群介于典型西方人群与中原人群之间，但与中原人群更为接近；2）甘青地区新石器-青铜时代人群颅骨测量特征呈现一定的时代变化。从新石器时代到青铜时代，颅型趋向圆颅和阔颅化、面型趋狭、鼻型趋狭、眶型趋高；齿槽部的突颌水平变小；3）甘青地区古代人群颅面部测量特征的内部变异程度介于新疆与中原人群之间。从新石器时代到青铜时代，甘青地区人群颅面部测量特征的内部变异呈减小趋势；4）从新石器时代到青铜时代，甘青地区古代人群部分颅面部测量特征呈现出与西方人群接近的趋势。基于本文的分析，认为气候环境、生业方式以及人群之间的基因交流共同造成了甘青地区古代人群颅面部形态特征的变化，甘青地区古代人群形成以受到中原人群影响为主。

Craniofacial morphological variation and population history of neolithic-bronze age population in gansu and qinghai

It is an important content of biological anthropology to explore the formation, adaption, migration and integration history of population using cranial or/and postcranial of ancient inhabitants, archeological and paleoenvironmental data. Gansu and Qinghai(or GQ)is a key area of culture and population exchange which is located in the northwest of China. Previous researches have revealed that the Neolithic-Bronze Age residents have some unique physical characteristics, and there is a certain degree of gene flow from surrounding areas. Because of limited data and partial analysis, we have no deep understanding of the variability within population, diachronic changes, and we don't know much about the extent of gene flow between Ganqing population and other groups. Through the analysis and comparative study of several craniofacial measurement data, this study discusses the population history and the diachronic changes of population based on the craniofacial variation of Gansu and Qinghai from Neolithic-Bronze Age. A total of 456 adult(male)skulls belonging to five groups are analyzed in this article, including GQ(ealier, 133), GQ(later, 110), ZY(from Central Plains, 104), XJ(from Xinjiang Province, 89) and EU(from Germany and Belgium, 20). Box plot, t-test, coefficient variation and percentiles are used to conduct this study. The results showed that: (1) From the perspective of the whole craniofacial features, the Neolithic-Bronze Age population in GQ area, is closer to that in the Central Plains; (2) The craniofacial measurement characteristics of Neolithic-Bronze Age people in GQ area have diachronic changes; (3) From the Neolithic Age to the Bronze Age in GQ region, the internal variation of the craniofacial of the population have decreased; (4) From the Neolithic Age to the Bronze Age, some craniofacial features of the ancient population in the GQ regions show a tendency which is close to that of the westerners. The climate, the subsistence strategy and gene flow have caused the changes of craniofacial morphology of ancient population in Gansu and Qinghai provinces, and the population history in this place is affected by the gene flow from Central Plains. Some features are likely to be affected by gene flow from the western and northern population.