Religions > Atheism > Down Syndrome 3,800-year-old Indian skeletons throw light on evolution
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Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Nightphoenix" |
| Date: |
08 Jan 2006 02:59:12 PM |
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Down Syndrome 3,800-year-old Indian skeletons throw light on evolution |
A team of members led by Superintendent Archaeologist of
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Chennai Circle, T Satyamurthy,
has recently unearthed nearly 169 clay urns containing human
skeletons, dating back to around 3,800 years, which form part of the
Adichanallur's pre-historic civilisation.
"The world's largest three-tier pre-historic cemetery is found
along the coast of Tuticorin at Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu.
Unfortunately, the pre-historic settlements remained in the dark for
past many centuries before being discovered by a German scholar in
1866," says Dr Pathmanathan Raghavan, a bio-anthropologist working at
the Australian National University at Canberra. "I had a chance
meeting with Professor Satyamurthy and a team of experts was formed
to study various aspects including the skeletal biology and anatomy,
genetic traits, bone pathology, altered skeletal mechanism, burial
customs, traditions, ancient malnutrition and other matters relating
to other bio-cultural significance," Dr Raghavan said.
Dr Raghavan also says "These pre-historic members show many
abnormalities or altered skeletal features, which had influenced the
bio-mechanical processes of the population. Interestingly, by and
large the recovered reconstructed skeletons through mechanical as
well as software methods have exhibited tall statures contradictory
to the old hypothesis on the short pre-historic Indians. The lower
jaws show mandibular prognathism (outward projection). In many cases
the third lower molar is poorly developed or absent. On average, the
mandible angle is almost 90 degrees than over 100 degrees in modern
humans," added Raghavan.
Throwing more light on the recovered skeletons, he says the
teeth are average in size and depth of the mandible is shallow "which
indicates the intake of refined food during the Adichanallur
civilisation. Prominent cheekbones and the projected frontal head
bones indicate the influence of the genetic transmission of Southern
Mongoloid (Mongolia) in the form of a genetic drift, indicating a
probable sea trade between east coast of south India and South East
Asia," he says.
Referring to the skull of one of the skeletons recovered, he
says, "It shows fascinating pathologically abnormal features, very
thick skull bones and what looks like a third eye socket but what
actually may have been a tumour". Raghavan, whose research areas
include skeletal biology focusing on cranial architecture, geographic
and ethnic variations among the fossil and recent populations of the
Indian sub-continent, says he is now trying to extract the DNA of the
skull to further study its "pathological abnormality which has
created a third eye socket. Despite its abnormality, this male human
went on to live beyond 60 years of age".
Coming back to the study on recovered skeletons, he says the
team will conduct detailed study based on ancient burial patterns
such as primary and secondary burial traditions and their
similarities with the other pre-historic cultures which had existed
during the same period. "This will focus on the pre-historic
transitional stages of the funeral customs," Raghavan says and adds
the team is also trying to decode the hidden messages of Adichanallur
as certain scripts have been found from the site where the skeletons
were discovered.
Source: The Times of India (1 January 2006)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1354201,curpg-1.cms
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| User: "Lisbeth Andersson" |
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| Title: Re: Down Syndrome 3,800-year-old Indian skeletons throw light on evolution |
09 Jan 2006 03:30:48 PM |
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Nightphoenix <Use-Author-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote in
news:91f837240601081259y6574eed1u6b09b7327223784a@mail.gmail.com:
<...>
Adichanallur civilisation. Prominent cheekbones and the projected
frontal head bones indicate the influence of the genetic
transmission of Southern Mongoloid (Mongolia) in the form of a
genetic drift, indicating a probable sea trade between east coast
of south India and South East Asia," he says.
<...>
Source: The Times of India (1 January 2006)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1354201,curpg-
1.cms
<picking myself off the floor>
I'm usually all for political correctnes, but this attempt really is
too much.
Did The Times of India really use the term Down Syndrome somewhere
near this article? (I suspect the did not) or is Nightphoenix alone
responsible for the thread headline?
Lisbeth.
----
The day I don't learn anything new is the day I die.
*What we know is not nearly as interesting as *how we know it.
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