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Start Over Topic mexico Publication Year Range More than 50 years ago Journal american journal of physical anthropology
2 results

1. Anthropological and physiological observations on Tarahumara endurance runners

Author

Bruno Balke and Clyde C. Snow

Subjects
Adult, Male, medicine.medical_specialty, Adolescent, Culture, Physical Exertion, Physical fitness, Blood Pressure, Body weight, Heart Rate, medicine, Humans, Child, Mexico, business.industry, Body Weight, Respiratory Function Tests, Physical Fitness, Physical performance, Anthropology, Indians, North American, Physical therapy, Boarding school, Anatomy, business, Psychology, Work effort, Sports, Demography
Abstract

The Tarahumara Indians of Northwestern Mexico have long been famous as endurance runners. These capabilities are best displayed in the traditional Tarahumara sport of kick-ball racing. Participants in such races may cover up to 100 miles in 24 hours and races lasting 48 hours are not uncommon. This paper presents findings of a preliminary study of Tarahumara endurance capabilities. The data indicate that experienced kick-ball racers are capable of energy expenditures of more than 10,000 Kcal/24 hour-a figure which is generally considered to repre-sent the upper limits of human voluntary work effort. The aerobic work capacity of Tarahumara boys, who had attended a Mission boarding school for several years, was not significantly different from that of their Mestizo classmates. Unacculturated Tarahumara boys excelled both of these latter groups in physical performance.

Published
1965

2. Human tooth wear, tooth function and cultural variability

Author

Stephen Molnar

Subjects
Cross-Cultural Comparison, Male, Population, Dentistry, Sample (statistics), Mandible, California, Sex Factors, Human tooth, Maxilla, medicine, Humans, Tooth Erosion, education, Mexico, Anthropology, Cultural, Paleodontology, education.field_of_study, business.industry, Molar, Dental Attrition, United States, Diet, Incisor, stomatognathic diseases, medicine.anatomical_structure, Geography, Tooth wear, Sample size determination, Anthropology, Indians, North American, Female, Natural phenomenon, Anatomy, business, Tooth, Demography
Abstract

Among primitive peoples dental attrition appears to be a natural phenomenon. Often the degrees and kinds of tooth wear vary from population to population. This variability is possibly related to certain material aspects of culture such as diet, food preparation techniques and tool usage. In order to learn more about these relationships, extensive cross cultural comparisons must be made. This paper reports on a study of dental attrition among skeletal remains of North American Indians from three areas: California, the Southwest and the Valley of Mexico. A method of comparing worn teeth of these populations was devised so several characteristics of the teeth and supporting bone could be examined by population. This study showed significant differences in type and degree of wear among the three groups as well as differences between sexes within each population. A positive correlation between tooth wear and cultural factors was found. Dietary specialization and division of labor appear to be responsible for the degree and type of wear found in this sample. Further studies of this type are planned to expand the sample size and, if the new data support these correlations, valuable information about human–environmental relationships can be gained.

Published
1971