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Title: Hominin endocast topography: an analysis using geographic information systems.
Creator: Boas, Melissa., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: This study examined the topography of prefrontal molds of human endocasts using three-dimensional laser scanning and geographic information systems (GIS) in order to carry out intra-species comparisons. Overall brain topography can indicate when major reorganizational shifts in brain structure happened in our evolutionalry history, and these shifts may indicate major shifts in cognition and behavior. Endocasts are one of the sole sources of information about extinct hominin brains ; they...
Show moreThis study examined the topography of prefrontal molds of human endocasts using three-dimensional laser scanning and geographic information systems (GIS) in order to carry out intra-species comparisons. Overall brain topography can indicate when major reorganizational shifts in brain structure happened in our evolutionalry history, and these shifts may indicate major shifts in cognition and behavior. Endocasts are one of the sole sources of information about extinct hominin brains ; they reproduce details of the brain's external morphology. Analysis of endocast morphology has never been done using GIS methodology. The use of GIS helps to overcome previous obstacles in regards to endocast analysis. Since this methodology is new, this research focuses on only one species, Homo sapiens and the area of focus is narrowed to the frontal lobe, specifically Broca's cap. This area is associated with speech in humans and is therefore of evolutionary significance. The variability in lateralization of this feature was quantified.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3358286
Subject Headings: Human evolution, Brain mapping, Cognitive neuroscience, Geographic information systems
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Osteometric analysis of intercostal variation and sexual dimorphism in the sternal end of the rib of modern American blacks.
Creator: Allen, Mary Barbot, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: Research on the human rib has shown that the sternal end of this bone manifests differences in age, sex and race. It was also found that intercostal variation may affect the expression of these traits. The purpose of this study is to osteometrically analyze intercostal variation and sexual dimorphism in ribs 1-7 from a known sample of American black males (N = 110) and females (N = 52) collected from recent forensic autopsy cases. Results indicate that although intercostal variation is...
Show moreResearch on the human rib has shown that the sternal end of this bone manifests differences in age, sex and race. It was also found that intercostal variation may affect the expression of these traits. The purpose of this study is to osteometrically analyze intercostal variation and sexual dimorphism in ribs 1-7 from a known sample of American black males (N = 110) and females (N = 52) collected from recent forensic autopsy cases. Results indicate that although intercostal variation is significant, there is too much overlap to metrically determine rib position. Sexual dimorphism is sufficient to develop discriminant function formulae that separate males and females with a minimum accuracy of 75% (rib 1) and a maximum of 83% (rib 4). However, these functions are population and rib specific. This research confirms earlier findings on ribs 3-5, and expands the potential to determine sex from ribs 1-7.
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Date Issued: 1997
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15422
Subject Headings: Black Studies, Anthropology, Physical
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Population decline in the peasant communities: A case in northern Japan in the 18th century.
Creator: Arai, Rika, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: The peasant population of feudal Japan has been regarded as stagnant based on low fertility and offsetting mortality, an exception to the classic model of demographic transition. However, the rate of population change among Tokugawa peasants varied temporally and regionally. The Tohoku region in northern Japan experienced a total population decline in the eighteenth century while southwestern regions saw a continual growth supported by high fertility. The population decline in eastern Tohoku...
Show moreThe peasant population of feudal Japan has been regarded as stagnant based on low fertility and offsetting mortality, an exception to the classic model of demographic transition. However, the rate of population change among Tokugawa peasants varied temporally and regionally. The Tohoku region in northern Japan experienced a total population decline in the eighteenth century while southwestern regions saw a continual growth supported by high fertility. The population decline in eastern Tohoku was not simply the result of the unfavorable environment or scarcity of land but was also influenced by the unique family structure that essentially determined the distribution of village resources. Facing population pressure, the dozoku groups required a systematic control of reproduction for the survival of their own group. This was accomplished through the regulation of marriage and creation of branch families, urging temporary out-migration, and possibly infanticide.
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Date Issued: 1996
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15301
Subject Headings: Anthropology, Cultural, History, Asia, Australia and Oceania, Geography, Sociology, Demography
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A Middle Woodland ceramic typology for Hatteras Island, North Carolina.
Creator: Block, Dorothy A., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: This study presents a comprehensive ceramic typology for the Middle Woodland period (300 B.C.-A.D. 800) on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. It provides graphic illustrations of relative frequencies for ceramic series and types for five sites on Hatteras Island and two sites on Colington Island to the north. These data are then synthesized with comparative data from Roanoke Island and eight sites along the adjacent mainland coastal plain. They show that a significant southern influence was in...
Show moreThis study presents a comprehensive ceramic typology for the Middle Woodland period (300 B.C.-A.D. 800) on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. It provides graphic illustrations of relative frequencies for ceramic series and types for five sites on Hatteras Island and two sites on Colington Island to the north. These data are then synthesized with comparative data from Roanoke Island and eight sites along the adjacent mainland coastal plain. They show that a significant southern influence was in place on the barrier islands and coastal mainland during the Middle Woodland period. The border between the northern and southern culture regions during the Middle Woodland can be drawn at the Tar-Pamlico drainage rather than at the Neuse River to the south.
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Date Issued: 2005
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13276
Subject Headings: Anthropology, Archaeology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: American perceptions of allergies.
Creator: Hilpert, Micheline M., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: Allergies have taken on cultural meanings other than those offered by biomedicine. Interviews with allergic and non-allergic Americans were used to investigate the explanatory models of the lay population. This thesis uses ethnographic data to examine explanatory models of allergic conditions, highlighting metaphorical uses of allergies in American culture. The explanatory models of the subjects were contrasted to the biomedical model and the stereotypes created by the media in the United...
Show moreAllergies have taken on cultural meanings other than those offered by biomedicine. Interviews with allergic and non-allergic Americans were used to investigate the explanatory models of the lay population. This thesis uses ethnographic data to examine explanatory models of allergic conditions, highlighting metaphorical uses of allergies in American culture. The explanatory models of the subjects were contrasted to the biomedical model and the stereotypes created by the media in the United States. Important topics addressed in the analysis of the interview material were: what are the explanatory models of allergies in America, how do allergies influence the selfimage of someone with that condition, and how Americans with and without allergies perceive the allergic individual.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3171399
Subject Headings: Allergy, Environmental aspects, Hypersensitivity, Medical anthropology, Social medicine, Philosophy
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Assessment of Sexual Dimorphism on the First and Second Ribs: Exploring Geometric Morphometrics.
Creator: Bhramdat, Henna D., Brown, Clifford T., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: Estimating the sex of unknown human skeletal remains is important to the fields of forensic anthropology, bioarchaeology, and other specialties. I studied sexual dimorphism on the first and second ribs to estimate sex from skeletal remains. I employed two approaches. I used geometric morphometrics to analyze landmark and semilandmark coordinate points to examine the overall shape of the ribs. I also examined the sternal end of the ribs for size using the superior-inferior height (SIH) and...
Show moreEstimating the sex of unknown human skeletal remains is important to the fields of forensic anthropology, bioarchaeology, and other specialties. I studied sexual dimorphism on the first and second ribs to estimate sex from skeletal remains. I employed two approaches. I used geometric morphometrics to analyze landmark and semilandmark coordinate points to examine the overall shape of the ribs. I also examined the sternal end of the ribs for size using the superior-inferior height (SIH) and anteriorposterior breadth (APB) in a binary logistic regression (BLR) model. Differences in male and female first and second ribs are undetectable when landmark coordinate points are used to capture shape variability, but significant differences in the shape of the ribs, however, are detected through the use of semilandmark coordinate points. Using semilandmark points to estimate sex presented an accuracy rate of 80.7% from the first rib, and 72.9% from the second rib. The use of the sternal end presents consistent results in its ability to estimate sex with an accuracy rate of 84.2%. The BLR model reveals significant differences between males and females than the geometric morphometric approach; it is more applicable for discerning sexual dimorphism of unknown individuals. This study reveals that while geometric morphometrics provides a powerful approach to assessing morphological differences, it is not always better than simpler methods, in this case, simple measurements analyzed through BLR.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00005976
Subject Headings: Sexual dimorphism (Animals), Ribs, Morphology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Between Rock Cairns And Charm Stones: An Examination Of Women’s Access To Healing Roles In California Hunter-Gatherer Groups.
Creator: Hampton, Ashley, Brown, Susan Love, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the validity of previous theories concerning women’s access to roles of power within hunter-gatherer societies. This study examines how accurately immanent social identity theory and bifurcated role circumstantiality predict women’s access to the role of healer (shaman) within California hunter-gatherer groups. A sample of 27 California hunter-gatherer groups was analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Notably, chi-square tests of...
Show moreThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the validity of previous theories concerning women’s access to roles of power within hunter-gatherer societies. This study examines how accurately immanent social identity theory and bifurcated role circumstantiality predict women’s access to the role of healer (shaman) within California hunter-gatherer groups. A sample of 27 California hunter-gatherer groups was analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Notably, chi-square tests of independence evinced a correlation between men’s and women’s circumstantial labor and observed healer gender. Through the statistical verification of such engendered ideas, this study tests notions concerning the strict binary division of labor and posits that gender may have operated as a role-based identity marker rather than one structured around innate characteristics. This research ultimately provides a better analytical framework from which archaeologists can interpret the past through the use of ethnographic analogies that are more inclusive of gender-enriched methodologies.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004600, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004600
Subject Headings: Hunting and gathering societies--California--Social life and customs., Indian women--California--Social life and customs., Indians of North America--California--Material culture., Indians of North America--California--Social life and customs., Power (Social sciences), Sexual division of labor.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A Network of Ideas: Brokerage and Success Among Visual Artists in South Florida.
Creator: Hoyos, Patricia, Brown, Clifford T., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: This study looks at artists’ careers as paths defined by their relative position in a dynamic professional network where innovation and creativity are highly regarded. Today, the theoretical and empirical study of networks has demonstrated that in some professions the individuals’ position in the network can facilitate or constrain their success. In studies about diffusion of information, for instance, some authors have found that individuals connected to a greater variety of sources are more...
Show moreThis study looks at artists’ careers as paths defined by their relative position in a dynamic professional network where innovation and creativity are highly regarded. Today, the theoretical and empirical study of networks has demonstrated that in some professions the individuals’ position in the network can facilitate or constrain their success. In studies about diffusion of information, for instance, some authors have found that individuals connected to a greater variety of sources are more creative and perform better. I explored this idea by looking at a network of visual artists and art institutions in Miami, and found a positive correlation between position and success, though, not explained by variety exclusively. In the network, artistic success is a function of connecting both across artistic categories and a hierarchical system; therefore, in an art world, creativity and innovation are mediated by key members, who distribute information and resources through affiliation, prominence and brokerage.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004605, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004605
Subject Headings: Art and society., Arts and society., Popular culture., Arts--Psychological aspects., Social capital (Sociology), Creation (Literary, artistic, etc.), Art patronage--United States--Florida.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A camera trap study of the cyptic, terrestrial guenon cercopithecus lomamiensis in Central Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Creator: McPhee, Steven G., Detwiler, Kate M., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: From October-December 2013, we conducted a study of the newly discovered primate species lesula, Cercopithecus lomamiensis, in the DR Congo. We placed 41 camera traps inside a 4 km2 grid outside the proposed Lomami National Park (LNP). We compared an analysis of 140 lesula events over 1,683 camera trap days from the heavily hunted Okulu area to a pilot study (38 events over 462 camera trap days) at the Losekola study site within the LNP. Our data show an unexpected result: capture probability...
Show moreFrom October-December 2013, we conducted a study of the newly discovered primate species lesula, Cercopithecus lomamiensis, in the DR Congo. We placed 41 camera traps inside a 4 km2 grid outside the proposed Lomami National Park (LNP). We compared an analysis of 140 lesula events over 1,683 camera trap days from the heavily hunted Okulu area to a pilot study (38 events over 462 camera trap days) at the Losekola study site within the LNP. Our data show an unexpected result: capture probability of lesula (0.08) is the same at both the hunted and non-hunted sites. This is in contrast to the sharp decline in capture probability of all other medium-to-large terrestrial mammals at the Okulu site. These findings suggest lesula’s cryptic behavior is an important adaptation buffering the species from the impacts of hunting. This study also expands knowledge on minimum group size, terrestriality, diet, and times of activity.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004391, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004391
Subject Headings: Cercopithecidae -- Behavior, Congo (Democratic Republic), Lomami National Park -- Congo (Democratic Republic), Mammals -- Congo (Democratic Republic) -- Identification, Primates behavior, Wildlife watching -- Congo (Democratic Republic)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A Zooarchaeological Perspective of West Kendall Tree Island Site (8DA1081).
Creator: Steeves, Ryan, Fradkin, Arlene, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: The West Kendall Tree Island site (8DA1081) is a black dirt midden situated on the northeast end of an everglades tree island. The site has been intensely disturbed by excavation pits, particularly on the highest elevations of the site, and becomes increasingly disturbed by a growing Kendall population. Faunal remains recovered in 2008 are examined to reconstruct past ecological habitats, comparing the faunal composition to tree island sites within the Florida Everglades. Based upon...
Show moreThe West Kendall Tree Island site (8DA1081) is a black dirt midden situated on the northeast end of an everglades tree island. The site has been intensely disturbed by excavation pits, particularly on the highest elevations of the site, and becomes increasingly disturbed by a growing Kendall population. Faunal remains recovered in 2008 are examined to reconstruct past ecological habitats, comparing the faunal composition to tree island sites within the Florida Everglades. Based upon identifications, the composition of the site is similar to those of the region, being comprised primarily of freshwater aquatic species and aquatic reptiles, with minimal selection of terrestrial faunal resources.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013101
Subject Headings: Zooarchaeology., Animal remains (Archaeology)--Florida., Tree islands--Florida--Everglades.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A Conservation Genetic Study of Cercopithecus mitis in the Lomami Basin, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Creator: Leroy, Ailissa, Detwiler, Kate M., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: The Cercopithecus mitis radiation has significant phenotypic and ecological diversity, making it a great candidate for evolutionary genetic studies. This study represents the first genetic survey of C. mitis from well provenanced wild populations, including C. mitis heymansi from the TL2 landscape, an area of remote tropical forest between the Tshuapa, Lomami, and Lualaba rivers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tissue samples were collected from 7 male blue monkeys, DNA was extracted...
Show moreThe Cercopithecus mitis radiation has significant phenotypic and ecological diversity, making it a great candidate for evolutionary genetic studies. This study represents the first genetic survey of C. mitis from well provenanced wild populations, including C. mitis heymansi from the TL2 landscape, an area of remote tropical forest between the Tshuapa, Lomami, and Lualaba rivers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tissue samples were collected from 7 male blue monkeys, DNA was extracted and surveyed at 919 bp of the Testis-Specific Protein Y-chromosome (TSPY), and added to a larger dataset including other C. mitis and C. albogularis specimens. Evolutionary analyses suggests TL2 C. mitis shared recent genetic contact with C. albogularis at the headwaters of the Congo River than with conspecifics to the northeast, indicating the Congo River is a significant biogeographic barrier to C. mitis and sheds new light on their genetic heritage, taxonomic assignment, and conservation status.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004608, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004608
Subject Headings: Congo (Democratic Republic), Lomami National Park--Congo (Democratic Republic), Cercopithecus mitis--Congo (Democratic Republic)--Lomami National Park--Ecology., Cercopithecidae--Congo (Democratic Republic)--Lomami National Park--Evolution., Mammals--Congo (Democratic Republic)--Lomami National Park--Identification., Conservation biology--Congo (Democratic Republic)--Lomami National Park.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Coat Color Variation Between Red-tailed Monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius), Blue Monkeys (C. mitis), and Hybrids (C. ascanius x C. mitis) in Gombe National Park, Tanzania.
Creator: Tapanes, Elizabeth, Detwiler, Kate M., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: Cercopithecus monkeys are a species-rich radiation where interspecific mating leads to novel phenotypes due to pelage color and pattern diversity within the genus. The goals of this thesis were to (1) test a new method for studying color objectively in wild arboreal primates, and (2) apply a phenotypic hybrid index (PHI) to known individuals of a hybrid zone between C. ascanius and C. mitis in Gombe National Park, Tanzania through the use of digital photography. I scored seven pelage...
Show moreCercopithecus monkeys are a species-rich radiation where interspecific mating leads to novel phenotypes due to pelage color and pattern diversity within the genus. The goals of this thesis were to (1) test a new method for studying color objectively in wild arboreal primates, and (2) apply a phenotypic hybrid index (PHI) to known individuals of a hybrid zone between C. ascanius and C. mitis in Gombe National Park, Tanzania through the use of digital photography. I scored seven pelage character states as 0 (C. mitis), 0.25 (mitis-like), 0.50 (intermediate), 0.75 (ascanius-like), or 1 (C. ascanius). Photos indicate most phenotypic hybrids express a white nose spot, but all other regions of pelage color and pattern are variable, and an assortment of hybrid phenotypes are seen at Gombe. Results indicate it is currently not possible to extend parameters for assessing color objectively with RGB values, but numerical non-RGB methods show promise.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004636
Subject Headings: Gombe National Park (Tanzania), Chimpanzees -- Tanzania -- Gombe National Park., Red colobus monkey -- Ecology.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Dental Analysis of Prehistoric Populations in Coastal Ecuador.
Creator: Boyer, Cassandra Anne Kwy-San, Ellis, Meredith B., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: This thesis compares the human dentition of three coastal populations in Salango, Ecuador, dating to Late Guangala (Site 141C: 100 B.C. – A.D. 800), Early Manteño (Site 35: A.D. 645 +/- 45 and A.D. 430), and Late Manteño (Site 140: A.D. 1300 – 1600). The human remains in Sites 141C and 140 have not been previously analyzed and provide new information about coastal Ecuador in the form of statistical analysis and osteobiographies. Dental pathologies such as caries, abscesses, calculus,...
Show moreThis thesis compares the human dentition of three coastal populations in Salango, Ecuador, dating to Late Guangala (Site 141C: 100 B.C. – A.D. 800), Early Manteño (Site 35: A.D. 645 +/- 45 and A.D. 430), and Late Manteño (Site 140: A.D. 1300 – 1600). The human remains in Sites 141C and 140 have not been previously analyzed and provide new information about coastal Ecuador in the form of statistical analysis and osteobiographies. Dental pathologies such as caries, abscesses, calculus, hypoplasia, as well as dental wear patterns indicate subsistence, or diet, behavioral and cultural practices, and early childhood development. The data suggests that agriculture became more intensively practiced during Site 35’s occupation, whereas Site 141C preferred fishing, and Site 140 used both methods in a simultaneous manner where neither dominated. Further, the disruption in childhood development is statistically significant during Site 140’s occupation, suggesting these individuals were heavily affected by climate, Spanish colonization and subsequent disease, social struggles, and/or dietary deficiency.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013358
Subject Headings: Dental anthropology, Salango (Ecuador), Prehistoric peoples
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Defining population characteristics of the Belle Glade culture: skeletal biology of Belle Glade mound (8PB41).
Creator: Smith, Catherine, Brown, Clifford T., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: The prehistoric Belle Glade Culture, dwelling around Lake Okeechobee in interior Florida, is one of the most understudied cultures in North America. The purpose of this study is to define population characteristics about this culture through skeletal analysis of the collected remains from the type site for the culture, Belle Glade Mound (8PB41). To address the confounding factors of fragmentation and commingling, recently developed methods, statistical analyses, and specially designed...
Show moreThe prehistoric Belle Glade Culture, dwelling around Lake Okeechobee in interior Florida, is one of the most understudied cultures in North America. The purpose of this study is to define population characteristics about this culture through skeletal analysis of the collected remains from the type site for the culture, Belle Glade Mound (8PB41). To address the confounding factors of fragmentation and commingling, recently developed methods, statistical analyses, and specially designed software for such analyses of confounded collections were used in undertaking this study. A biological profile was developed that includes age-at-death estimations, sex estimations, stature estimations, and ancestral estimations in order to create a paleodemographic summary that more adequately describes this unknown population.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004467, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004467
Subject Headings: Belle Glade (Fla.) -- Social aspects, Ethnoarchaeology -- Florida -- Belle Glade, Forensic anthropology, Human remains (Archaeology) -- Florida -- Belle Glade, Paleopathology, Physical anthropology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Evaluating Entheseal Changes from a Commingled and Fragmentary Population: Republic Groves.
Creator: Dewey, Jennifer K., Ellis, Meredith, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: The most direct way available to modern day researchers to reconstruct individual and population level behavior is to analyze markers of activity from skeletal remains (Ruff et al., 2004). An analysis of the population at the Republic Groves site (8HR4) was conducted, using the entheseal change score system, the Coimbra method, developed by Henderson et al. (2015). This study examined the implication of analyzing a commingled and fragmentary population with this methodology. Reconstructing...
Show moreThe most direct way available to modern day researchers to reconstruct individual and population level behavior is to analyze markers of activity from skeletal remains (Ruff et al., 2004). An analysis of the population at the Republic Groves site (8HR4) was conducted, using the entheseal change score system, the Coimbra method, developed by Henderson et al. (2015). This study examined the implication of analyzing a commingled and fragmentary population with this methodology. Reconstructing specific behavior cannot be done with this type of approach; however, entheseal changes can be compared to specific patterns of behavior for consistency. An atlatl was found with the human remains and thus provided a suggestion of behavior for comparison. Entheses were chosen in line with a throwing motion of the atlatl and focused exclusively on the humerus, radius, and ulna. The application of the Coimbra methodology to the Republic Groves population was successful, at least in part. Overall, there was low variability of results, mostly 0, some 1, and with very few high 2 scores. The entheseal changes from Republic Groves were consistent with the throwing of an atlatl; however, this does not mean that this is the only behavior that could have generated that kind of change.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00005974
Subject Headings: Bioarchaeological interpretations of the human past, Enthesis, Archaeology--Florida
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Experimental archaeology and hominid evolution: establishing a methodology for determining handedness in lithic materials as a proxy for cognitive evolution.
Creator: Ruck, Lana, Broadfield, Douglas C., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: Human handedness is likely related to brain lateralization and major cognitive innovations in human evolution. Identifying handedness in the archaeological record is, therefore, an important step in understanding our cognitive evolution. This thesis reports on experiments in identifying knapper handedness in lithic debitage. I conducted a blind study on flakes (n=631) from Acheulean handaxes replicated by right- and left-handed flintknappers. Several flake characteristics significantly...
Show moreHuman handedness is likely related to brain lateralization and major cognitive innovations in human evolution. Identifying handedness in the archaeological record is, therefore, an important step in understanding our cognitive evolution. This thesis reports on experiments in identifying knapper handedness in lithic debitage. I conducted a blind study on flakes (n=631) from Acheulean handaxes replicated by right- and left-handed flintknappers. Several flake characteristics significantly indicated handedness, with a binary logistic regression correctly predicting handedness for 71.7% of the flakes. However, other characteristics were not associated with handedness. This is a result of personal knapping styles, as additional analyses show that individual knappers associate with some attributes better than handedness does. Continued work on these methodologies will enable analysis of Paleolithic assemblages in the future, with the ultimate goal of tracking population-level hominid handedness rates through time and using them as a proxy for cognitive evolution and language acquisition.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004325, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004325
Subject Headings: Archaeology, Brain -- Evolution, Cerebral dominance, Cognition and culture, Flintknapping, Fossil hominids, Human evolution, Laterality
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: DIETARY VARIABILITY IN A GROUP OF MIXED-SPECIES CERCOPITHECUS MONKEYS (CERCOPITHECUS MITIS, C. ASCANIUS AND C. MITIS X C. ASCANIUS) IN MKENKE VALLEY, GOMBE NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA.
Creator: Crawford, Sarah, Detwiler, Kate M., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: This research represents the first multi-year investigation of the feeding ecology of Gombe’s Cercopithecus populations. The main goal of this study was to identify dietary overlap and distinctiveness among the phenotypes in our study group, a mixed species group of guenons comprised of C. ascanius, C. mitis, and C. ascanius x C. mitis hybrids. Field assistants collected feeding data using ad libitum observations as well as instantaneous scan sampling at 30-minute intervals from July 2014 to...
Show moreThis research represents the first multi-year investigation of the feeding ecology of Gombe’s Cercopithecus populations. The main goal of this study was to identify dietary overlap and distinctiveness among the phenotypes in our study group, a mixed species group of guenons comprised of C. ascanius, C. mitis, and C. ascanius x C. mitis hybrids. Field assistants collected feeding data using ad libitum observations as well as instantaneous scan sampling at 30-minute intervals from July 2014 to December 2018. A total of 63 plant species were identified in our group’s diet. Results indicate that a significant difference exists between the diets of each phenotype. The results also found an unusually high percentage of invertebrate eating (54%) in our group. These findings suggest that invertebrates are an important food resource for the Gombe study group and may help facilitate coexistence in an environment where there are many sympatric primate species.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013295
Subject Headings: Cercopithecus, Gombe National Park (Tanzania), Phenotype, Sympatry (Biology), Animals--Food
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Decade of progress: origins of the Pérez art museum Miami.
Creator: Ando, Erica, Brown, Susan Love, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: This dissertation reconstructs and investigates the origins of the Pérez Art Museum Miami. In 2013, the museum re-opened in a new, county-funded building to great acclaim and international attention, but the museum’s origins in the 1970s have been largely forgotten. A result of the 1972 “Decade of Progress” bond vote by county taxpayers that allocated funds to build a new art museum, the museum opened as the Center for the Fine Arts in 1983 as a non-collecting institution dedicated to...
Show moreThis dissertation reconstructs and investigates the origins of the Pérez Art Museum Miami. In 2013, the museum re-opened in a new, county-funded building to great acclaim and international attention, but the museum’s origins in the 1970s have been largely forgotten. A result of the 1972 “Decade of Progress” bond vote by county taxpayers that allocated funds to build a new art museum, the museum opened as the Center for the Fine Arts in 1983 as a non-collecting institution dedicated to displaying traveling exhibitions. The new institution represented the combined efforts of local government, business, and art to construct not only a place in which to view art but also as part of an overall plan to create a great metropolitan area.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004263, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004263
Subject Headings: Pérez Art Museum Miami., Museums--Philosophy., Politics and culture.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Food, fantasy, and the spectacle: the role of food and illusion at the wizarding world of harry potter.
Creator: Broemel, Erin T., Brown, Susan Love, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: Each year over 300 million people visit theme parks, making them the major vacation destination worldwide. Theme parks are known for their elaborate spectacle, the creation of artificial realities through intricate immersive experiences including costumed characters, stage shows, and extravagant decor. Though many aspects of the theme park experience have been reviewed, little focus has been given to the role of food in the overall immersion, particularly how food extends the spectacle into a...
Show moreEach year over 300 million people visit theme parks, making them the major vacation destination worldwide. Theme parks are known for their elaborate spectacle, the creation of artificial realities through intricate immersive experiences including costumed characters, stage shows, and extravagant decor. Though many aspects of the theme park experience have been reviewed, little focus has been given to the role of food in the overall immersion, particularly how food extends the spectacle into a fantastical created reality. This study examined the function of food within a highly immersive theme park setting, and how it contributed to the overall illusion and immersion of the fantasy environment. Research was conducted from December 2014 to March 2015 at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando Resort themed food served three overarching functions: (1) it operated as an experience, (2) it functioned as a conduit to authenticity, and, (3) it extended sensory perceptions. Food immersed tourists in the themed experience, though visual cues remained the primary sensory stimulus. However, guests considered the location to be more authentic when coupled with a themed food item, as opposed to the generic food choices found in other parks. Themed food functions as an extension of the spectacle by maintaining the illusion and contributes to the overall exhibition of the themed space.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004430, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004430
Subject Headings: Consumer behavior, Food -- Psychological aspects, Food -- Social aspects, Food tourism, Harry Potter (Fictitious character) -- Influence, Rowling, J.K -- Characters -- Harry Potter -- Influence, Themed environments -- Influence, Universal Studios Florida (Orlando, Fla.) : Amusement Park -- Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Ethnography of Unitarian Universalism.
Creator: Tomaleh, Khawla, Brown, Susan Love, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: Unitarian Universalism is a modern religion with a long history of reformation rooted in Christianity. My ethnography examines one of the Unitarian Universalist fellowships located in South Florida. The research examines the role of the church in American lives and the significance of the religious experience among liberals and humanists. American religions have been the focus of social scientists for the past forty years. This study shed light on how modernity affects the trajectory of...
Show moreUnitarian Universalism is a modern religion with a long history of reformation rooted in Christianity. My ethnography examines one of the Unitarian Universalist fellowships located in South Florida. The research examines the role of the church in American lives and the significance of the religious experience among liberals and humanists. American religions have been the focus of social scientists for the past forty years. This study shed light on how modernity affects the trajectory of religion in the United States. This is a holistic approach viewed of one of the American religions through a socio economic and political lens. Unitarian Universalism is comprehended through themes of individual narratives. Unitarian Universalist narratives present the religious experience a heterogeneous group might share. The story of Unitarian Universalists explains how religion is attached socially and culturally to believers. My research offers an alternative narrative for people who represent a minority among traditional and world religions.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013271
Subject Headings: Ethnography, Unitarian Universalists, Narratives
Format: Document (PDF)

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