Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 83. (Budapest 1991)

Tóth, T.: Morphological modification, its causality: the case of Carpathian Basin from Neolithic to modern times

ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICI Tomus 83. Budapest, 1991 p. 301-310. Morphological modification, its causality: the case of Carpathian Basin from Neolithic to modern times by T. TÓTH, Budapest TÓTH, T: Morphological modification, its causality: the case of Carpathian Basin from Neolithic to modern times. - Annls hist.-nat Mus. natn. hung. 1991, 83: 000-000. Abstract - Causative interpretation of morphological modification on the craniological parameters obtained from Carpathian postglacial skeletalized populations (1563 males and 857 females). A chronological and regional comparison is given. With 2 tables and 9 figures. PROLEGOMENA In the last two decades three simultaneous surveys were made independently of one another for comparing osteological remains originating from the prehistoric and historic populations of the European continent with special view to some microevolutionary phenomena (brachycephalisation, gracilisation-maturisation, increase of intergroup variability). The antropological review of the European Mesolithic and Neolithic (MENK 1978, 1981, TÓTH 1970. 1971, 1974,1977a, b, 1979a, 1980,1982, 1984,1985) is worth mentioning. A significant reaction has been brought about by the causative anthropomorphological-environmental evaluation of the skeletalized remains from the Neolithic till modern times (Henneberg et al. 1978, Menk 1978. SALZANO 1978). A similar summarizing review was done in the anthropological analysis of prehistoric and historic populations having lived in the Carpathian Basin (FARKAS 1975, 1977, FARKAS & HUNYA 1984, LIPTÁK 1983, TÓTH 1973,1974,1979b, 1980, 1981,1983,1986,1987,1990). I. The author analysed the cranimorphological processes which took place from the Neolithic till modern times in the Carpathian Basin according to group-means calculated from the parameters of nearly 2500 individuals (1563 males and 857 females) (Tables 1 and 2). This relatively significant palaeoanthropological contingent enables the tracing of the epochal oscillations of the studied parameters, i.e. the time-dependency of the morphological modifications during 8-10 postglacial millennia. The morphological trait-complexes of the craniofacial subsystem may be divided into two main chronological diapasons in the postglacial microevolutionary period (Figs 1-6). It cannot be left out of consideration that among the components of the trait-complex the spaceand time-coordination of the cranial index and the Bizygomatic breadth well express the intensity of epochal changes, i.e. the rate of changes in modification. Accordingly in the first chronological diapason (from the Neolithic till the Final Bronze-Age) within the Carpathian area the modification is not so significant as in the second chronological diapason. In the Central-Danube region the epochal dynamic of the brachycephalisation increased from the La Tene and reached its maximum in the Mediaeval Age (Fig. 3). On the other hand, the mean-values of the cranial index are in both chro-