title: Human colonization of the central territory of Argentina: design matrix models and craniometric evidence.
abstract: In this study we test several hypotheses about the peopling of the central territory of Argentina, archaeologically known as Sierras Centrales, by testing the association between four alternative models of the peopling of the area and cranial morphological variation through distance and matrix correlation analyses. Our results show that the ancient inhabitants of Sierras Centrales demonstrated close morphological similarities with the Patagonian and Tierra del Fuego populations. Moreover, the correlation and partial correlation analyses suggest that the peopling of the Sierras Centrales most likely took place as a migratory wave proceeding from the present area of Northeastern Argentina, and continued southward to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
authors.affiliation: Museo de Antropología, Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba 5000, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fabra
authors.forename: Andrés G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Laguens
authors.forename: Darío A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Demarchi
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D002508:Cephalometry; D005843:Geography; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American / Q000266:history*; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*