A New Theoretical Approach to Ancestry Estimation as Applied to Human Crania

Since Frank Livingstone proposed the idea that there are no races, only clines, in 1962, little has changed how anthropologists study and, ultimately, estimate ancestry. How we talk about of human variation may have changed—shifting away from "racial" labels and toward those supposed ancestral origins—but methods use to label analyze groups, however termed, remained same. The author suggests a new theoretical approach ancestry estimation does not rely on group labels, using Howells Craniometric Data Set as an example. In suggested workflow, data structures itself into natural clusters, referred "morphogroups," without relying label. Each morphogroup is explored for subgroups, process repeated until further distinctions can be made. At each level individual compared descriptive manner, focusing similarities differences. Lastly, multi-iteration classification procedure, random forest modeling, classifies by morphogroup. this test, hierarchical clustering identifies optimal number clusters within data, principal components analysis used explore morphogroups. (The provides markdown file all code used, at https://rpubs.com/kenyhercz2/717620.) Using three main morphogroups set, with different numbers subclusters ranging 0 8. Morphogroup correct classifications typically mid-90% range, accompanying sex estimations, between 93% 100% correct. emphasizes but one myriad ways could estimated. Human identity static, should help another rethink redefine what possible our field.