ANTD17H3 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Synovial Joint, Epiphysis, Cartilaginous Joint
Document Summary
Human skeletal variaion can be studied on various levels: populaion level: skeletal variaion within- and among populaions. The shape or morphology of bones changes during growth and development or ontogeny, through remodeling, which is the process of laying down/deposiing bone in other areas. Humans exhibit variaion in skeletal and dental morphology, bone chemistry, and dna this variaion is what biological anthropologists are interested in, it allows the osteologist to idenify sex, age, and populaion ainity. There are four factors leading to skeletal variaion: ontogeny: there is a great deal of variaion in size and shape during growth and development, sex: humans, like other primates, are sexually dimorphic. There is variaion between males and females in size, shape, and size-dependent shape. Populaions also vary in skeletal shape and size: individual or idiosyncraic variaion. Bone is a relaively light-weight, yet strong, material that is a composite of collagen (which is essenially protein) and mineral (hydroxyapaite).
