Background of the Variability in Past Human Populations: Selected Methodological Issues

Abstract

The phenotypic variability in biological populations depends on genes and environmental interactions. In case of past human populations many factors of variability are related to the cultural background, e.g. modifications of the gene flow in the population due to social stratification, or non-random character of the sample resulting from the variability of burial customs. The complexity and fluctuation of the background of variability makes the research on affinities between past populations difficult, but not impossible. In author's opinion the decisive presentation of the analytical procedure solving all problems related to variability in human populations is not possible. However, some steps towards it can simply be done by increasing attention to the preparation and interpretation stages of standard methodology.