The Nebraska Anthropologist Volume 6 (1983) Contents

Authors

Date of this Version

1983

Document Type

Article

Comments

Published in THE NEBRASKA ANTHROPOLOGIST, Volume 6 (1983). Published by the Anthropology Student Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588

Abstract

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............. i

HUMAN ADAPTATIONS IN THE ANDES: A LOOK AT NUTRITION AND BRAIN FUNCTION WITH RESPECT TO COCA AND HIGH ALTITUDE PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS (Barrett P. Brenton) .............. 1

Introduction .............. 2

Biochemical Aspects of Tryptophan and Serotonin .............. 2

Nutritional Control of Brain Tryptophan and Serotonin .............. 3

Food and Nutrition in the South American Andes .............. 7

Diet Composition and Tryptophan/Serotonin Production .............. 9

The Affects of Coca Chewing and Serotonin in Thermoregulation .............. 16

Possible Effects of Coca Alkaloids and Serotonin in Hypoxia .............. 18

Conclusion............... 23

References .............. 25

MANIOC AND FISH: A "METHIONONIAN" COMPROMISE IN AMAZONIA? (Tom Langdon) .............. 28

References .............. 59

EARLY AUSTRALOPITHECINE SEED EATERS: A VALID HYPOTHESIS (Cathie Masters) .............. 63

Expectations for climate .............. 68

Expectations for available wild grasses and grains .............. 68

Expectations for niche availability.............. 70

Expectations for a seed eating technology in the archaeological record .............. 74

Expectations for a seed eating physiology .............. 77

Expectations for a seed eating dental morphology .............. 79

Expectations for optimal foraging .............. 85

Conclusion .............. 86

References .............. 88

AN ATTEMPT TO PUT ONE ASPECT OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS TRADITION INTO FOCUS (Elizabeth Barker) .............. 92

Introduction .............. 93

Eight Basic Assumptions of Relevance to Archaeological Research .............. 93

The Pomona Focus .............. 101

A New Perspective .............. 104

Conclusion .............. 106

Footnotes .............. 107

References .............. 108

PRECIPITATION AND DIVERSITY IN FARMING (Janis Dial) .............. 111

Introduction .............. 112

Precipitation as a Limiting Factor .............. 112

Diversification in Farming .............. 113

Problem Statement .............. 116

Methodology .............. 116

Results Regarding Data Sources .............. 123

Results Regarding Precipitation and Diversity .............. 129

Conclusions .............. 131

References .............. 132

AFRICAN INFLUENCE IN MEXICAN FOLKTALES (Carla Mundt) .............. 136

References .............. 150

THE PLOW AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE RISE OF CIVILIZATION (Tom Langdon) .............. 152