View All Items

Title: Land of contrast: osteological analysis of human remains from Salango, Ecuador and a comparison of paleopathologies between coastal and highland sites in Ecuador.
Creator: Van Voorhis, Laura, Broadfield, Douglas C., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: New data on human skeletal remains from Site 35 in Salango, Ecuador is combined with existing data presented by Jastremski (2006) to compile a more comprehensive report about the health conditions of the people. Site 35, which is associated with the Manteño culture that flourished in the Integration period from A.D. 500 – 1532, has been determined to comprise a singular population that is represented by a minimum of 27 individuals. In addition to more comprehensive conclusions about Site 35,...
Show moreNew data on human skeletal remains from Site 35 in Salango, Ecuador is combined with existing data presented by Jastremski (2006) to compile a more comprehensive report about the health conditions of the people. Site 35, which is associated with the Manteño culture that flourished in the Integration period from A.D. 500 – 1532, has been determined to comprise a singular population that is represented by a minimum of 27 individuals. In addition to more comprehensive conclusions about Site 35, this thesis uses the data from Site 35 in an extended comparison of health among prehistoric sites from six additional sites to observe general trends over time and across geography. Through an indepth analysis of distinct health traits, the general conclusion matches previous reports that the overall quality of health in Ecuador declined over time. However, the present analysis shows a less dramatic decline for coastal sites than for inland sites.
Show less
Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004069
Subject Headings: Excavation (Archaeology) -- Ecuador -- Solango, Forensic anthropology -- Ecuador -- Solango, Human remains (Archaeology) -- Ecuador -- Solango, Indians of South America -- Ecudaor, Pacific Coast (Ecuador), Paleopathology -- Ecuador -- Solango, Solango Site (Ecuador), South America -- Antiquities
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Long call frequency variation in mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta Palliata).
Creator: Wheeler, James, Broadfield, Douglas C., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: The long call frequency of male mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) varies across individuals. In a forest environment where visual contact is impossible at greater distances the long call is utilized for inter-group spacing and for male-male communication. As lower frequencies are capable of traveling longer distances, it is quite possible that there is a correlation between group size and long call frequency. This link lies in the premise that smaller groups have fewer individuals...
Show moreThe long call frequency of male mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) varies across individuals. In a forest environment where visual contact is impossible at greater distances the long call is utilized for inter-group spacing and for male-male communication. As lower frequencies are capable of traveling longer distances, it is quite possible that there is a correlation between group size and long call frequency. This link lies in the premise that smaller groups have fewer individuals thus fewer males, and spread out less over the course of each day while obtaining food resources, thus the distance these males call over their lifespan is generally less than the males in a larger group. This thesis investigates the relationship between group size and long call frequency in mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) on Isla de Ometepé, Nicaragua.
Show less
Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004072
Subject Headings: Howler monkeys -- Habitat -- Nicaragua -- Isla de Ometepé, Howler monkeys -- Migration, Howler monkeys -- Vocalization, Primates -- Speciation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Tramping: alternatives to traditional American rites of passage.
Creator: Saturno, Anthony Vincent, Brown, Susan Love, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: In America today, adolescent boys do not have a structured, ritualized or guided passage From boyhood into manhood. Many young men feel unsure of their manhood even at an age that signifies the transition. This causes young males to need a self--‐created rite of passage. Tramping, the act of travelling by train, hitchhiking or foot, is one way in which young males can independently achieve manhood. This is a literary account of the lives of Jack Kerouac, Chris McCandless, and Zebu Recchia....
Show moreIn America today, adolescent boys do not have a structured, ritualized or guided passage From boyhood into manhood. Many young men feel unsure of their manhood even at an age that signifies the transition. This causes young males to need a self--‐created rite of passage. Tramping, the act of travelling by train, hitchhiking or foot, is one way in which young males can independently achieve manhood. This is a literary account of the lives of Jack Kerouac, Chris McCandless, and Zebu Recchia. Their personal stories allow a detailed view of the advantages and disadvantages found in a self--‐created rite of passage. While two of the accounts are successful, in Chris McCandless’s case the rite ends in a transition to death.Tramping as a rite of passage to adulthood seems effective but the danger in self--‐ creation appears to be the lack of guidance that comes in unstructured rites of passage.
Show less
Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004057
Subject Headings: Adolescence -- United States, Cotton, Eddy Joe -- Biography, Identity (Psychology) in adolescence, Kerouac, Jack -- 1922-1969 -- Biography, McCandless, Christopher Johnson -- 1968-1992 -- Biography, Roads -- Social aspects, Teenage boys -- Conduct of life, Teenage boys in popular culture, Tramps -- United States
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Glades period settlement patterns in the Everglades culture area.
Creator: Callsen, Paul., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: The manner in which human settlements are arranged across the landscape holds clues to a society's internal social relationships and may indicate how a society fits into its environment. This research investigates settlement patterns during the formative pre-historic periods in Southeast Florida, the three Glades Periods (BC 500- AD 1750). During this time span, the inhabitants of the region adapted to a changing climate and environment by occupying places that were conducive to their...
Show moreThe manner in which human settlements are arranged across the landscape holds clues to a society's internal social relationships and may indicate how a society fits into its environment. This research investigates settlement patterns during the formative pre-historic periods in Southeast Florida, the three Glades Periods (BC 500- AD 1750). During this time span, the inhabitants of the region adapted to a changing climate and environment by occupying places that were conducive to their particular hunter-gatherer way of life. However, while the Glades people moved from one locale to another, they never altered the manner in which they primarily sought sustenance; fishing and hunting. Evidence suggests substantial population increases beginning in the Glades II Period and shift of habitations due to flooding of earlier and lower sites.
Show less
Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/165672
Subject Headings: Ethnoarchaeology, Indians of North America, Antiquities, Land settlement patterns, History
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Indians and underdogs: notions of identity and the symbolic language of resistance in coastal Ecuador.
Creator: Nohe, Sarah Anne., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: This thesis examines identity as a process, how it is a reflection of, or reaction to, social, economic, and political circumstances. Identity is examined, through an ethnographically informed analysis, as it is represented, contested, and focused in the visual discourse of a small population. The research suggests that identity manifests at specific and strategic moments within the symbolic practices of resistance in coastal Ecuador. Grievances to economic and political power structures are...
Show moreThis thesis examines identity as a process, how it is a reflection of, or reaction to, social, economic, and political circumstances. Identity is examined, through an ethnographically informed analysis, as it is represented, contested, and focused in the visual discourse of a small population. The research suggests that identity manifests at specific and strategic moments within the symbolic practices of resistance in coastal Ecuador. Grievances to economic and political power structures are acted out in clear-cut identity terms, or motifs, and function to organize diverse interests into social action. The study illustrates two identity motifs that are commonly asserted in the local context: depictions of being indigenous and of being the underdog. Using local examples, this thesis addresses the complexities of identity formation, examines the strategic capacity of identity, and offers insight into the relationships between identity, resistance, and power.
Show less
Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/166453
Subject Headings: Group identity, Political aspects, Social movements, Indians of South America, Government relations, Indians of South America, Ethnic identity
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Formal variation in lithic projectile armatures: re-interpreting points from Tabun Cave, Israel.
Creator: Leslie, David E., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: Lithic projectile armatures represent a significant innovation over thrusted spears in the subsistence strategies of hominins. Previous researchers have disagreed over the timing of the appearance of projectile weapons in the archaeological record (Brooks 2006; Shea 2006). To discover when projectile technology first appears in the Levant, I have compared tip cross-sectional areas, weights, and tip penetrating angles (three variables useful for discriminating between projectile and thrusting...
Show moreLithic projectile armatures represent a significant innovation over thrusted spears in the subsistence strategies of hominins. Previous researchers have disagreed over the timing of the appearance of projectile weapons in the archaeological record (Brooks 2006; Shea 2006). To discover when projectile technology first appears in the Levant, I have compared tip cross-sectional areas, weights, and tip penetrating angles (three variables useful for discriminating between projectile and thrusting weapons) of pointed Blades, Levallois points, and Mousterian points with analogs from known and suspected chipped stone projectile points. Results indicate that pointed Blades from Tabun and Skhul caves are statistically indistinguishable from other suspected projectile point types. Levallois and Mousterian points from Tabun and Skhul are also statistically indistinguishable from suspected projectile types when the lower halves of the populations are compared. Consequently, I conclude that points from Tabun and Skhul caves fall within the known and suspected range of variation of projectile point morphology.
Show less
Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/172670
Subject Headings: Tools, Prehistoric, Analysis, Stone implements, Classification, Projectile points, Analysis, Paleoanthropology, Excavations (Archaeology), Fossil hominids
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: We are what we eat: food consumption and identity in the United States.
Creator: Dates, Marlena Kay., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: In the modern United States, capitalism is the predominant cultural value that structures the food system. The current American relationship to food is strained, at best, as two-thirds of Americans experience overweight and obesity and are at risk for a number of serious health complications. An understanding of the historic and political-economic aspects of the American food system is necessary to address the effects of our modern food habits on our ideas of our selves. This thesis analyzes...
Show moreIn the modern United States, capitalism is the predominant cultural value that structures the food system. The current American relationship to food is strained, at best, as two-thirds of Americans experience overweight and obesity and are at risk for a number of serious health complications. An understanding of the historic and political-economic aspects of the American food system is necessary to address the effects of our modern food habits on our ideas of our selves. This thesis analyzes the types of foods Americans eat, why they make the food choices that they do, how they feel about their eating habits and their habits' effects on their bodies, and how this all relates to our sense of identity as Americans.
Show less
Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/186678
Subject Headings: Food consumption, Food habits, Nutrition, Social aspects, Diet, Popular culture
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Preacher's Cave: developing a national heritage tourism site in Eluthera, Bahamas.
Creator: Day, Jane S., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: Preacher's Cave, an archaeological site in North Eleuthera, Bahamas, is arguably one of the most important historical places in that country. This large cave, isolated in a natural setting, has long been associated in the popular imagination with the first English colonists who shipwrecked in the Bahamas in 1648 and laid the foundation for the modern nation. Before the present work, no systematic scientific archaeological work had ever been conducted at this site. While Project Director for...
Show morePreacher's Cave, an archaeological site in North Eleuthera, Bahamas, is arguably one of the most important historical places in that country. This large cave, isolated in a natural setting, has long been associated in the popular imagination with the first English colonists who shipwrecked in the Bahamas in 1648 and laid the foundation for the modern nation. Before the present work, no systematic scientific archaeological work had ever been conducted at this site. While Project Director for the Preacher's Cave archaeological investigations in 1991, 1992, 2005, 2006, and 2007, I acted as liaison between the Bahamian Government, local island constituents, and the team of scholars who accomplished the work, organizing all aspects of the excavations. By analyzing the recovered material assemblage from these excavations, we were able to prove that the seventeenth-century English Puritans not only used Preacher's Cave for shelter in the first period of colonization, but altered the natural rock formations of the cave for use as the first church in the Bahamas. These excavations, in conjunction with the written record, also suggest that the area surrounding the site is the location of the first free black community in the country. Finally the scientific investigation confirmed Preacher's Cave as a prehistoric burial spot for the Lucayan people who lived in the islands before Columbus landed in 1492. These burials are unique because they were recovered with grave goods and one of the five Lucayan burials appears to be a victim of human sacrifice. No where else in the country do these three compelling narratives come together and form the basis for the development of a National Heritage Tourism Site., But protecting an historic site and interpreting it for visitors in a country where tourism is one of the major industries can be challenging. This study summarizes past strategies that were successful in the development of a small museum on the nearby is Wells using the techniques of the public historian and public archaeologist to proceed with plans for the opening of Preacher's Cave as a national park. Discussions concerning constituents, park boundaries, access, and political realities in the twenty-first century Bahamas are considered while examining the larger concept of heritage and tourism as collaborative industries.
Show less
Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/1927305
Subject Headings: Excavations (Archaeology), Historic sites, Antiquities, Antiquities
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Does obesity affect the accuracy of age-at-death estimation using the pubic symphysis and auricular surface?.
Creator: Drew, Jessica L., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: This study examines whether obesity affects the accuracy of estimating age-at-death as measured by the age-related changes of the pubic symphysis and auricular surfaces. I scored the hip bones of 119 adults of normal body mass and 126 obese adults (total n = 254) using the SucheyBrooks (1990) method for the pubic symphysis and the Buckberry and Chamberlain (2002) method for the auricular surface. Compared to normal weight individuals, obese individuals exhibited greater inaccuracy in age-at...
Show moreThis study examines whether obesity affects the accuracy of estimating age-at-death as measured by the age-related changes of the pubic symphysis and auricular surfaces. I scored the hip bones of 119 adults of normal body mass and 126 obese adults (total n = 254) using the SucheyBrooks (1990) method for the pubic symphysis and the Buckberry and Chamberlain (2002) method for the auricular surface. Compared to normal weight individuals, obese individuals exhibited greater inaccuracy in age-at-death estimates when aged from the auricular surface, but not the pubic symphysis. However, age was estimated with less precision in obese individuals using both methods. Obese males are more likely to be aged inaccurately than obese females. The pubic symphysis method may be the preferred method when estimating age in obese individuals, especially males, but forensic anthropologists should use caution when assessing age-at-death in obese adults using either method.
Show less
Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/1927862
Subject Headings: Obesity, Physiological aspects, Skeletal maturity, Anthropometry, Methodology, Aging, Physiological aspects, Diet in disease
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: " You're too late!": prenatal health seeking behaviors of Guatemalan Mayan women in Palm Beach County.
Creator: Supanich, Colleen., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: In this thesis I explore the circumstances in which pregnant Guatemalan Mayan women in South Florida communities found themselves. A local non-profit organization, the Guatemalan Maya Center (GMC), offered assistance to pregnant Mayan women to secure biomedical prenatal care, yet many continued to underutilize these services. The decision to utilize this form of care largely depended on whether a woman received care from a traditional midwife in the community. Women receiving care from a...
Show moreIn this thesis I explore the circumstances in which pregnant Guatemalan Mayan women in South Florida communities found themselves. A local non-profit organization, the Guatemalan Maya Center (GMC), offered assistance to pregnant Mayan women to secure biomedical prenatal care, yet many continued to underutilize these services. The decision to utilize this form of care largely depended on whether a woman received care from a traditional midwife in the community. Women receiving care from a midwife generally did not seek biomedical care until late in their pregnancies. Women unable to locate a midwife often incorporated biomedical care once they suspected pregnancy. Due to the difficulties accessing the GMC's services prior to enrollment many of these women did not obtain "timely" care. A better understanding of the ways in which Guatemalan Mayan women incorporated biomedical prenatal care into their lives is the first step towards increasing their participation in these services.
Show less
Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/192990
Subject Headings: Maya women, Medical care, Prenatal care, Maternal health services, Midwifery, Social aspects, Migrant agricultural laborers, Medical care
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The timing of growth spurts in Neanderthals.
Creator: Lupo, Amy C., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: The timing of skeletal growth spurts in modern humans is unique among mammals. In modern humans, peak growth occurs after puberty during the adolescent period, whereas large-bodied non-human primates exhibit an earlier juvenile growth spurt. Based on limited data, previous researchers have suggested that Neanderthals experienced a late, modern human-like adolescent growth spurt. In this study, I examined the timing of stature and facial growth spurts in Neanderthals to test the hypothesis...
Show moreThe timing of skeletal growth spurts in modern humans is unique among mammals. In modern humans, peak growth occurs after puberty during the adolescent period, whereas large-bodied non-human primates exhibit an earlier juvenile growth spurt. Based on limited data, previous researchers have suggested that Neanderthals experienced a late, modern human-like adolescent growth spurt. In this study, I examined the timing of stature and facial growth spurts in Neanderthals to test the hypothesis that Neanderthals grew like modern humans. In order to assess the timing of Neanderthal growth spurts, I plotted a non-human primate regression estimate of age at puberty onto Neanderthal stature and mandibular velocity growth curves. The mandibular growth curve exhibits a discernible growth spurt after puberty, reminiscent of the modern human adolescent growth spurt. Future research on additional regions of the skeleton is necessary to further refine this estimate for the timing of Neanderthal growth spurts.
Show less
Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/1930487
Subject Headings: Neanderthal race, Human evolution, Fossil hominids, Anthropometry, Physical anthropology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Exploring the endocrine profile of a geriatric female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).
Creator: Cloutier, Christina T., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: In light of exceptionally delayed reproductive senescence exhibited by a 64 year old female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) housed in Florida, endocrinal analyses meant to determine the state of her current reproductive viability were conducted. Urine was collected from the study subject for a period of 88 days spaced within an interim of roughly 6 months and the specimens were sent to the Hominoid Reproductive Ecology Laboratory for assessment. Additional data was collected from three control...
Show moreIn light of exceptionally delayed reproductive senescence exhibited by a 64 year old female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) housed in Florida, endocrinal analyses meant to determine the state of her current reproductive viability were conducted. Urine was collected from the study subject for a period of 88 days spaced within an interim of roughly 6 months and the specimens were sent to the Hominoid Reproductive Ecology Laboratory for assessment. Additional data was collected from three control females in order to provide a basis of comparison against the hormonal markers present in the geriatric study animal. Results indicate that the geriatric female does not presently appear to be cycling, but nor does she exhibit signs of complete reproductive cessation. This could signify that Pan troglodytes adheres to a pattern of reproductive aging not necessarily shared by Homo sapiens, which has further implications for the evolutionary trajectory of menopause in the human female.
Show less
Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2100580
Subject Headings: Aging, Physiological aspects, Primates, Physiology, Primates, Reproduction, Encocrine aspects, Biochemical markers, Menopause, Physiological aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THE EARLY POTTERY OF SAN ANTONIO, DEPARTMENT OF CHINANDEGA, NICARAGUA.
Creator: Willis, Kelsey I., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: I analyzed the potsherds (n=732) recovered from the 2009 archaeological excavations at the site of San Antonio in Chinandega, Nicaragua. I classified the pottery in accordance with the Type: Variety-Mode system that is used almost exclusively in Mesoamerica and the Greater Nicoya Sub-Region. Identifications of known ceramic wares, groups, types, and varieties were made through comparisons with reference specimens from type collections housed at several institutions. New taxa were defined as...
Show moreI analyzed the potsherds (n=732) recovered from the 2009 archaeological excavations at the site of San Antonio in Chinandega, Nicaragua. I classified the pottery in accordance with the Type: Variety-Mode system that is used almost exclusively in Mesoamerica and the Greater Nicoya Sub-Region. Identifications of known ceramic wares, groups, types, and varieties were made through comparisons with reference specimens from type collections housed at several institutions. New taxa were defined as needed in accordance with the established protocols of the Type: Variety system (e.g., Smith et al. 1960) and as subsequently amended (e.g., Rice 1976). In the thesis, I describe the composition of the pottery assemblage from the earliest complex found at the site because it represents the most significant finding from the analysis. I identified a suite of Late Preclassic ceramic groups and types identical to those known from western El Salvador and eastern Guatemala including abundant Jicalapa Usulután, Pinos Black-brown, Santa Tecla Red, and Olocuitla Orange, all of which form part of the Chul Complex of that region. Statistical analysis implies that the ceramic complex most similar to that of San Antonio are not those from adjacent regions, such as the Uapala Complex of eastern El Salvador or the Aviles Complex of Rivas (Healy 1980), but rather those further west, i.e., the Chul Providencia Complex of Santa Leticia. The near identity of the San Antonio materials to those of the Chul Complex, which is part of the Providencia Ceramic Sphere, leads us to denominate them the Cosigüina Providencia Complex. Current dating places the Chul Complex chronologically between 400 B.C. and 50 B.C. (Inomata et al. 2014). The early occupation of San Antonio may extend into the succeeding Caynac Complex as well (ca. 50 B.C. to A.D. 50 or 100). The pottery suggests that inhabitants of the site were probably ethnically an ancestral Ch’olan or proto-Ch’orti’ Maya group (Sharer 2009).
Show less
Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003898
Subject Headings: Archaeology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Paleopathology of human remains from the Plaza San Marcos, Quito, Ecuador.
Creator: Graves, Ronda R., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: Skeletal remains provide an exceptional opportunity to document the biological adaptations that a population undergoes in response to environmental, political and economic changes (Perry, 2007). For over 35 years, bioarchaeological analyses have documented such changes indigenous Ecuadorians. In 2007, Victoria Dominguez excavated remains at the Plaza San Marcos in Quito, Ecuador. I analyzed these remains, documented evidence of pathologic conditions and trauma, and compared this native...
Show moreSkeletal remains provide an exceptional opportunity to document the biological adaptations that a population undergoes in response to environmental, political and economic changes (Perry, 2007). For over 35 years, bioarchaeological analyses have documented such changes indigenous Ecuadorians. In 2007, Victoria Dominguez excavated remains at the Plaza San Marcos in Quito, Ecuador. I analyzed these remains, documented evidence of pathologic conditions and trauma, and compared this native population to other indigenous populations and to European cohorts. My analyses revealed increased violence and pathologic conditions in the Plaza San Marcos population when compared to populations occupying Quito prior to colonization and during Spanish control. Indigenous remains also exhibited more pathologic conditions and trauma than European remains. Historic accounts of life in Quito describe increased violence and hardships for natives following emancipation from Spain. My analyses did not reveal increased interpersonal violence, but did demonstrate evidence of increased general pathologies following independence.
Show less
Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/216408
Subject Headings: Indians of South America, Antiquities, Indians of South America, Anthropometry, Human remains (Archaeology), Paleopathology, Antiquities
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Prehistoric trade routes in the Lake Okeechobee Region: evidence from the RItta Island and Kreamer Island sites.
Creator: Mount, Gregory J., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: During pre-Columbian times, the Lake Okeechobee Region was home to people of the Belle Glade culture. The lake provided an area rich in resources that facilitated not only the hunter-gatherer-fisher lifestyle of the people but also supported increased cultural complexity. Over time, people participated in an exchange network, trading materials with cultural groups from a variety of locations. This thesis provides an analysis of those non-local artifacts, their probable points of origins and...
Show moreDuring pre-Columbian times, the Lake Okeechobee Region was home to people of the Belle Glade culture. The lake provided an area rich in resources that facilitated not only the hunter-gatherer-fisher lifestyle of the people but also supported increased cultural complexity. Over time, people participated in an exchange network, trading materials with cultural groups from a variety of locations. This thesis provides an analysis of those non-local artifacts, their probable points of origins and the type of exchange that facilitated the movement of these goods into the region.
Show less
Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/217112
Subject Headings: Navigation, Prehistoric, Trade routes, Excavations (Archaeology), Antiquities
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Relative prefrontal cortex surface area in Pan troglodytes and Homo sapiens and its implications for cognitive evolution.
Creator: George, Ian D., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: The human prefrontal cortex (PFC) is associated with complex cognitive behaviors such as planning for the future, memory for serial order, social information processing and language. Understanding how the PFC has changed through time is central to the study of human neural evolution. Here we investigate the expansion of the PFC by measuring relative surface area of the PFC in Pan troglodytes and Homo sapiens. Magnetic resonance images (MRI's) from 8 preserved chimpanzee brains (3 male and 5...
Show moreThe human prefrontal cortex (PFC) is associated with complex cognitive behaviors such as planning for the future, memory for serial order, social information processing and language. Understanding how the PFC has changed through time is central to the study of human neural evolution. Here we investigate the expansion of the PFC by measuring relative surface area of the PFC in Pan troglodytes and Homo sapiens. Magnetic resonance images (MRI's) from 8 preserved chimpanzee brains (3 male and 5 female adults) were segmented and measured. The results of this study indicate that there are gross anatomical differences between the chimpanzee and human prefrontal cortex beyond absolute size. The lower surface area to volume ratio in PFC of the chimpanzee when compared to a human indicates less gyral white matter in this region and thus, less associative connectivity. This anatomical evidence of a difference corresponds with the lesser cognitive complexity observed in chimpanzees.
Show less
Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/221945
Subject Headings: Frontal lobes, Physiology, Brain, Evolution, Cognitive neuroscience, Psychophysiology, Vertebrates, Evolution, Evolution (Biology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Nursing and national healthcare implications with the rise of the California Nurses Association and the National Nurse Organizing Committee.
Creator: Silver, John., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: In 1993, a group of unionized bedside nurses took control of their state nursing association. In 1995, they disenfranchised themselves from the American Nurses Association, which historically had billed itself as - THE voice of the profession of nursing. This study utilizes a case study format to look at who they are, what their intentions are, and what their vision is for the future of the profession. Twenty questions were submitted to key participants identified by the California Nurses...
Show moreIn 1993, a group of unionized bedside nurses took control of their state nursing association. In 1995, they disenfranchised themselves from the American Nurses Association, which historically had billed itself as - THE voice of the profession of nursing. This study utilizes a case study format to look at who they are, what their intentions are, and what their vision is for the future of the profession. Twenty questions were submitted to key participants identified by the California Nurses Association (CNA). The questions were organized into three main areas: the period leading up to the disenfranchisement, the period of growth after the takeover up until the historic passage of the ratio laws and whistle blower protection, and the period after the passage of the laws wherein the association began a national movement. This movement continues to evolve, and in December, 2009, the CNA (now the National Nurses United) became the largest nursing organization in the country. As the title of the study implies, one intention of the study is to look at the implications for the profession of nursing and the inevitable political implications for the national healthcare debate. Another purpose is to introduce this group to the academic and professional nursing communities, which until now have largely ignored them. Still another purpose is to lay out a blueprint for other state nursing associations who may wish to empower themselves, to analyze the process by which this group has grown to political prominence. No other nursing association has been able to duplicate their political success. Finally, the study raises many crucial questions which nursing academics and nursing leaders must address if nursing is going to able to utilize our only real political power, the power of numbers. Uniting the field, or at least growing the association to significant numerical strength, is the only way nursing can become an equal partner in the national healthcare debate.
Show less
Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2979376
Subject Headings: Nursing, Political aspects, Medical policy, Nurses, Political activity, Labor unions, Nurses
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.
Show less
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: Predictive modeling of archaeological site location in Cuba.
Creator: Watson, April A., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: This work aimed at aiding academic and CRM professionals in archaeology by developing a predictive model of prehistoric sites on the southeastern coast of Cuba. The variables in this model were identified by previous archaeological research at Guantâanamo Bay Naval Station. Both GIS analysis and weights of evidence testing were conducted on the model. The results of the GIS and statistical analysis allowed for refinement of the model. Cuba is central to understanding the prehistoric...
Show moreThis work aimed at aiding academic and CRM professionals in archaeology by developing a predictive model of prehistoric sites on the southeastern coast of Cuba. The variables in this model were identified by previous archaeological research at Guantâanamo Bay Naval Station. Both GIS analysis and weights of evidence testing were conducted on the model. The results of the GIS and statistical analysis allowed for refinement of the model. Cuba is central to understanding the prehistoric settlement of the Caribbean. The model explored not only site occurrence and environmental correlations, but also looked at intersite correlations. It was determined that site occurrences are strongly linked to low elevation, proximity to other sites, south-facing areas, mangroves, and geologic formations. This model may add to the understanding of the prehistoric settling of Cuba, as well as the interactions between native groups.
Show less
Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3174309
Subject Headings: Geographic information systems, Archaeology, Methodology, Archaeology, Geographic information systems
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Cladistic analysis of juvenile and adult hominoid cranial shape variables.
Creator: DiVito, Thomas A. II, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
Abstract/Description: Phylogenies constructed from skeletal data often contradict those built from genetic data. This study evaluates the phylogenetic utility of adult male, female, and juvenile hominoid cranial bones. First, I used geometric morphometric methods to compare the cranial bone shapes of seven primate genera (Gorilla, Homo, Hylobates, Macaca, Nomascus, Pan, and Pongo). I then coded these shapes as continuous characters and constructed cladograms via parsimony analysis for the adult male, female, and...
Show morePhylogenies constructed from skeletal data often contradict those built from genetic data. This study evaluates the phylogenetic utility of adult male, female, and juvenile hominoid cranial bones. First, I used geometric morphometric methods to compare the cranial bone shapes of seven primate genera (Gorilla, Homo, Hylobates, Macaca, Nomascus, Pan, and Pongo). I then coded these shapes as continuous characters and constructed cladograms via parsimony analysis for the adult male, female, and juvenile character matrices. Finally, I evaluated the similarity of these cladograms to one another and to the genetic phylogeny using topological distance software. Cladograms did not differ from one another or the genetic phylogeny less than comparisons of randomly generated trees. These results suggest that cranial shapes are unlikely to provide accurate phylogenetic information, and agree with other analyses of skeletal data that fail to recover the molecular phylogeny (Collard & Wood, 2000, 2001; Springer et al., 2007).
Show less
Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3175013
Subject Headings: Cladistic analysis, Mathematics, Morphology, Mathematics, Hominids, Evolution, Evolutionary genetics, Mathematics
Format: Document (PDF)

FAU Theses and Dissertations (36)	+ -
Undergraduate Studies Honors in Major at FAU (1)	+ -

Antiquities (8)	+ -
Social aspects (6)	+ -
Excavations (Archaeology) (4)	+ -
Anthropometry (3)	+ -
Archaeology (3)	+ -

Fossil hominids (3)	+ -
Human evolution (3)	+ -
Human remains (Archaeology) (3)	+ -
Methodology (3)	+ -
Physical anthropology (3)	+ -
Political aspects (3)	+ -
Aging (2)	+ -
Analysis (2)	+ -
Cognitive neuroscience (2)	+ -
Ethnic identity (2)	+ -
Evolution (2)	+ -
Evolutionary genetics (2)	+ -
Geographic information systems (2)	+ -
History (2)	+ -
Indians of South America (2)	+ -
Paleopathology (2)	+ -
Physiological aspects (2)	+ -
Physiology (2)	+ -
Popular culture (2)	+ -
Social life and customs (2)	+ -
Stone implements (2)	+ -
Tools, Prehistoric (2)	+ -
Adolescence -- United States (1)	+ -
Allergy (1)	+ -
Aquatic resources conservation (1)	+ -

United States (7)	+ -
Florida (6)	+ -
Ecuador (3)	+ -
Mexico (2)	+ -
Antiquities (1)	+ -

Bahamas (1)	+ -
Balkan Peninsula (1)	+ -
California (1)	+ -
Cuba (1)	+ -
Egypt (1)	+ -
Eluthera Island (1)	+ -
Eluthera Island (Bahamas) (1)	+ -
Europe (1)	+ -
Greece (1)	+ -
Israel (1)	+ -
Lake Worth (1)	+ -
Louisiana (1)	+ -
Mayapan (1)	+ -
Mayapan SIte (Mexico) (1)	+ -
New Orleans (1)	+ -
Nicaragua --Chinandega (1)	+ -
Okeechobee, Lake, Region (1)	+ -
Okeechobee, Lake, Region (Fla.) (1)	+ -
Palm Beach County (1)	+ -
Plaza San Marcos (Quito, Ecuador) (1)	+ -
Preacher's Cave (Bahamas) (1)	+ -
Quito Region (1)	+ -
Tabun Cave (Israel) (1)	+ -
Thessalonikåe (1)	+ -
Thessalonikåe (Greece) (1)	+ -

Search In

Pages

Pages

Sort Results By:

Narrow results by:

Collection

Topical Subject

Geographic Subject

Temporal Subject

Genre

Type of Resource

Language

Creator

Format

Owner