Abstract

COCILOVO, José A; VARELA, Héctor H  and  VALDANO, Silvia G. Hurgando en el arcón de los tiempos perdidos en los confines de la ecúmene: Las etnias selk’nam, yámana y halakwulup según el registro somatométrico de Martín Gusinde (1989 [1937]). Intersecciones antropol. [online]. 2019, vol.20, n.1, pp.69-78. ISSN 1850-373X.

During twentieth century, research on ethnic groups in the far south of the American continent provided much information on the ethnography and physical characteristics that reflect the composition of local phenotypes related to the Selk’nam, Yámana and Halakwulup, in which the contribution of Martín Gusinde stands out. This paper explores the structure of the native population and kinship relationships based on phenotypic traits resulting from the evaluation of 18 cephalometric variables in 110 individuals. Multivariate statistical analysis confirms the existence of significant differences between groups and between sexes by group. A marked population structure and a balance between genetic drift and different migration between groups were found. Halakwulup presented a higher phenotypic variance than expected compared with Selk’nam and Yámana. The observed variances of both sexes among the Halakwulup and Selk’nam men reveal their interaction in a larger territorial circuit, while the variances of both sexes among the Yámana and Selk’nam women indicate a smaller effective size and their interaction in a more restricted environment. The value of the study is that it highlights the human condition at the limit of survival after 10,000 years of history.

Keywords : Genetic relationships; Sexual dimorphism; Territorial structure.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )