全新世各時(shí)期人類遺骸，尤其是新石器時(shí)代、青銅鐵器時(shí)代等考古遺址出土的一些已經(jīng)消失的古代人群的標(biāo)本，對(duì)于探討我國(guó)人群的起源、演化和遷徙問(wèn)題起到非常重要的作用。
從50年代起,，在我國(guó)境內(nèi)相繼發(fā)現(xiàn)了豐富的全新世人骨材料，從一萬(wàn)年前至今,，各個(gè)時(shí)期都有重要的遺址發(fā)現(xiàn),，目前已經(jīng)發(fā)表和報(bào)道的新石器時(shí)代的人類遺址有30余處，絕對(duì)年代為據(jù)今10000－4000年之間,。我國(guó)全新世人群的分布范圍廣泛,，不同地區(qū)人群之間的體質(zhì)特征存在著一定的差異，對(duì)于其體質(zhì)特征分型問(wèn)題,，目前還存在不同的認(rèn)識(shí)：一些學(xué)者提出我國(guó)新石器時(shí)代和現(xiàn)代居民的體質(zhì)特征以長(zhǎng)江為界分為南部和北部?jī)纱箢愋?，現(xiàn)代中國(guó)人的體質(zhì)特征是我國(guó)新石器時(shí)代居民特征類型的延續(xù)和發(fā)展；另外一些學(xué)者認(rèn)為我國(guó)新石器時(shí)代居民分為黃河上游,，黃河中下游和華南三種類型或者甘青,、華南和黃河中下游三組；還有學(xué)者認(rèn)為我國(guó)古代居民分為古中原類型,、古華北類型,、古東北類型、古西北類型和古華南五個(gè)基本類型,。多年來(lái),，我國(guó)學(xué)者在對(duì)古代居民的體質(zhì)特征進(jìn)行研究時(shí)，采用的方法基本是選用一些主要的顱骨測(cè)量數(shù)據(jù),，通過(guò)其平均值的分析得出結(jié)論,。雖然很多學(xué)者傾向于南北兩大類型的分類方法，但是并沒(méi)有人對(duì)長(zhǎng)江兩岸古代居民的體質(zhì)特征進(jìn)行詳細(xì)的研究和論述,。
最近,，中科院古脊椎動(dòng)物與古人類研究所吳秀杰副研究員等對(duì)分布于秦嶺以北、長(zhǎng)江以南,，以及秦嶺和長(zhǎng)江之間的古代居民的頭面部的形態(tài)特征進(jìn)行了詳細(xì)的研究,，發(fā)現(xiàn)新石器時(shí)代長(zhǎng)江以南的居民表現(xiàn)為寬的鼻部和較矮的上面部,，秦嶺以北的居民表現(xiàn)為較高的上面部和較高的眶部，而位于秦嶺和長(zhǎng)江之間的人群其體質(zhì)特征比較復(fù)雜,，有些特征傾向與北方類型,、而有些特征傾向于南方類型。現(xiàn)代居民,，相比于長(zhǎng)江以南的居民,，秦嶺以北的居民表現(xiàn)為更寬闊的面部和高的鼻部。通過(guò)對(duì)新石器時(shí)代、現(xiàn)代34處考古遺址出土的309例人類遺骸的個(gè)體分布,，并結(jié)合動(dòng)物群,、植物生態(tài)學(xué)、血液學(xué),、遺傳學(xué)及語(yǔ)系的研究結(jié)果,，吳秀杰等提出秦嶺和長(zhǎng)江為我國(guó)古代居民體質(zhì)特征差異的分水嶺，這種體質(zhì)特征的差異主要是由于長(zhǎng)期適應(yīng)環(huán)境因素造成的,。將今論古,，這種南北體質(zhì)特征的差異向上可以追溯到距今60萬(wàn)年左右的周口店直立人和南京湯山直立人。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推薦原文出處：
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology doi：10.1002/oa.1190
Craniofacial variation between southern and northern Neolithic and Modern Chinese
X.J. Wu 1 *, W. Liu 1, C.J. Bae 2
1Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
2Department of Anthropology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i, 96822-2223, USA
Previous studies propose that the Yangtze River is the geographic boundary separating northern and southern Chinese populations. In order to test this hypothesis, 19 Neolithic and 15 Modern human cranial samples from north of the Qinling Mountain Range, south of the Yangtze River and in between were chosen for morphometric analysis. Our results indicate that cranial variation exists in Holocene Neolithic and Modern northern and southern Chinese. In the Neolithic sample, the northern Chinese crania are characterised by greater upper face height and orbit height, while the southern Chinese skulls are depicted by a wider nose. The morphology of the crania between the Qinling Mountain range and the Yangtze River feature a mosaic of characters that suggest affiliation with both north and south groups. In the Modern day sample, northern crania are characterised by a broad and wide face, and a tall nose. From the Neolithic to Modern day, a series of microevolutionary processes that apply to both the northern and southern samples can be discerned. Overall, the head gets lower, the face and nose become narrower and the orbits tend to be narrower and higher. Our results support the suggestion that the Qinling Mountain Range and the Yangtze River represent a natural barrier to the movement of Chinese populations. Climatic variation and the transition to an agricultural lifestyle are proposed as the primary factors influencing human craniofacial morphologies.
