South African Bantu Research Articles

Mandibular morphology as an indicator of human subadult age: geometric morphometric approaches

Methods for skeletal identification have a long history in physical and forensic anthropology. Recent literature demonstrates that new methods are constantly being developed, concurrent with refinements to those already commonly employed. The present study concerns the application of geometric morphometrics to assess the potential of mandibular morphology as a developmental marker for estimating age at death in subadult human skeletal remains. The sample comprises 79 known age and sex subadult individuals of South African Bantu and African American origin; 38 bilateral three-dimensional landmarks were designed and acquired using a portable digitizer. Linear regression was used to predict age using the multivariate descriptors of mandible size and shape based on configurations of three-dimensional landmarks. Our results show that the mandible can be used to predict age in the subadult skeleton with accuracy comparable to standards based on the dentition (standard error rates are between +/-1.3 and +/-3.0 years). These results closely parallel our previous study using the linear measurement of ramus height, but suggest that geometric morphometrics may be slightly more accurate when adolescents are included in the sample.

Mandibular Morphology as an Indicator of Human Subadult Age: Interlandmark Approaches*

The dentition is widely recognized as the set of developmental markers that appear to show the least variability against chronological age; these markers are thus widely used in forensic anthropological investigations. As a possible alternative, we investigate here the potential of mandibular morphology as a developmental marker for estimating age at death in subadults. The sample analyzed comprises 79 known age and sex subadult individuals of South African Bantu and African American origin. Linear measurements of ramus height were obtained from the mathematical conversion of three-dimensional landmark data. A series of regression analyses were then performed to predict age by using the measurement of ramus height; results were cross-validated using a jackknife procedure. Our results show that ramus height can be used to predict age in the subadult skeleton with accuracy, closely approaching that of standards based on the dentition (standard error rates are between +/-1.1 years and +/-2.4 years).

Corpus-based linguistic investigation for the South African Bantu languages: a Northern Sotho case study

The advent of electronic corpora has revolutionized linguistic investigation internationally and is starting to make inroads into the study of the South African Bantu languages. In this article, it is argued that the move from traditional language studies to corpus-based investigation would be a natural one for South African Bantuists, since it proffers a familiar methodology in a new guise. To illustrate the value and potential of corpus-based investigation, a case study was done on Northern Sotho adjectives, highlighting certain semantic aspects which have hitherto not been noted by grammarians, and illustrating the historical relationship between adjectives and enumeratives.

Naviculo-cuneiform I coalition: Evidence of significant differences in tarsal coalition frequency

The relatively large number of naviculo-cuneiform I cases reported from Japan, and their rarity in American and European clinical literature, suggests that populations may vary in tarsal coalition frequency [Kumai T, Tanaka Y, Takakura Y, Tamai S. Isolated first naviculocuneiform joint coalition. Foot Ankle Int 1996;17:635–40]. Our objective is to test for significant differences in naviculo-cuneiform I coalition frequency between geographically distinct populations. Skeletal remains from one African sample and two samples of European ancestry were analyzed. Fisher's Exact tests [Uitenbroek DG. Fisher Exact [online]. 2000 [cited 2004 March 10]. Available from: URL: http://home.clara.net/sisa/fisher.htm] were employed to identify sample differences ( α = 0.05). Six cases of naviculo-cuneiform I coalition were identified in the African sample; no cases were found in the Danish or American samples. Naviculo-cuneiform I coalition was significantly more prevalent in South African Bantu than in medieval Danes ( p = 0.014; 1 − β = 0.70) or the combined sample of European ancestry ( p = 0.003; 1 − β = 0.83). Given the sample sizes studied, a statistical difference was not found between the American and South African samples ( p = 0.087; 1 − β = 0.52). Population differences in naviculo-cuneiform I coalition are clinically relevant since tarsal coalition may be symptomatic and associated with other abnormalities. Carpal coalition and transposition of the maxillary canine and first premolar were each found to be significantly associated with naviculo-cuneiform I coalition.

Development of reusable resources for Human Language Technologies (HLT) applications: practice and experience

Language resources, by their very nature, serve as a repository of linguistic knowledge. They are therefore essential in the building and improvement of natural language applications. The aim of this paper is to elaborate on the practice and the experience gained in the development, maintenance and management of such resources with specific reference to African languages. The focus is on the methods of collection and the formats concerning word lists, morphological analysis and lemma lists. The resources discussed, are those developed in collaborative research with North-West University's Spelling Checker Project. As a broader perspective, the reusability of such resources is highlighted. Recommendations are also made regarding the way forward nationally in developing a resource centre to facilitate the technological development of South African Bantu languages.

The electrocardiogram in healthy Nigerians resident in Lagos State

The normal electrocardiograms of 520 healthy Nigerians age 15-49 years resident in Lagos were analysed. Normative values and frequency pattern of normal variants of the ECG of Caucasians and South African Bantu were compared to the Nigerian data. The results show significantly higher QRS voltages in Nigerians than in Caucasians (R- wave amplitude 10.87 ± 4.32: 1-29mm in males and 9.24 ± 3.84: range 1-20mm in females for Nigerians. 6.23 ± 2.20: range 0-15mm in males and 4.22 ± 2.52: range 0-10mm in females for Caucasians). The QRS voltages of Nigerians were similar to those of South African Bantu. The QRS interval value was similar to those previously reported by other authors for Caucasians. Difference in this interval was statistically significant between sexes. S-T segment elevation and T-wave inversion were very common in Nigerian subjects. Another racial difference noted was the extent of T-wave inversion. While T-wave inversion beyond lead V 1 is rare in adult Caucasians, in Nigerian subjects it may reach up to V 3 regardless of age. The results show that right and left axes deviations are rare in normal Nigerian population. KEY WORDS: Electrocardiogram, T-wave inversion, S-T segment elevation, Axis deviation Nigerians. Global Jnl of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol.10(4) 2004: 567-570

Affirmative Action versus Nonracialism in the New South Africa

ast year, a distant cousin, who also happens to be a white South African, sent me a fascinating article from her local newspaper. The article was about her husband's family, the Moores, and specifically about a claim the family made recently with South Africa's Commission on Restitution of Land Rights (see Segar 2003). The claim is remarkable, because it has been one of the few lodged by white South Africans to obtain compensation for land that was taken from them under the apartheid regime. It seems that in 1965, several trading stores that had been owned by the Moores since the 1880s were confiscated by the South African Bantu Trust because they stood on land that was to become part of the independent black homeland known as the Transkei. The confiscation and the family's eviction from the area were deeply traumatic-they were uprooted from their home, separated from friends and loyal customers (including Xhosa), and forced to witness the end of a family tradition. But the Moores had no choice, and the government offered them only one-third of the real value of the property as compensation. Today the family is seeking restitution, but as with most of the injustices perpetrated under apartheid, there is little that can be done to restore a way of life that was destroyed long ago. The story of this land claim attracted my attention because, as a historian of South Africa in the twentieth century, I only rarely come across evidence of ways in which whites were harmed by government policy, or ways in which blacks benefited. We all know that the usual "script" for South African histo-

Affirmative Action versus Nonracialism in the New South Africa

Last year, a distant cousin, who also happens to be a white South African, sent me a fascinating article from her local newspaper. The article was about her husband’s family, the Moores, and specifically about a claim the family made recently with South Africa’s Commission on Restitution of Land Rights (see Segar 2003). The claim is remarkable, because it has been one of the few lodged by white South Africans to obtain compensation for land that was taken from them under the apartheid regime. It seems that in 1965, several trading stores that had been owned by the Moores since the 1880s were confiscated by the South African Bantu Trust because they stood on land that was to become part of the independent black homeland known as the Transkei. The confiscation and the family’s eviction from the area were deeply traumatic—they were uprooted from their home, separated from friends and loyal customers (including Xhosa), and forced to witness the end of a family tradition. But the Moores had no choice, and the government offered them only one-third of the real value of the property as compensation. Today the family is seeking restitution, but as with most of the injustices perpetrated under apartheid, there is little that can be done to restore a way of life that was destroyed long ago.

The structure of Tsotsitaal and Iscamtho: code switching and in-group identity in South African townships

This paper examines the structure of two varieties, Tsotsitaal and Iscamtho, that are spoken predominantly by males who live in the Black urban townships of South Africa. While many think that Tsotsitaal and Iscamtho lack predictable structure, this paper argues that all versions follow the same type of morphosyntactic constraints that structure code switching as well as playing a part in other language-contact phenomena. Data come largely from conversations recorded in Soweto, a major township outside Johannesburg. As in-group markers, the varieties are characterized by much slang and lexical variation across versions of the same variety. Tsotsitaal can be identified as a variety, or set of versions, with a nonstandard version of Afrikaans as its matrix language, while Iscamtho versions have a South African Bantu language - usually Zulu - as their matrix language. Issues considered include these: how are Tsotsitaal and Iscamtho similar and different from other language-contact phenomena; to what extent do their structures support the matrix-language frame model of Myers-Scotton (1993a) ?

Pityriasis rotunda: Two cases in black Americans

Pityriasis rotunda is an uncommon cutaneous disorder consisting of asymptomatic, perfectly circular, scaling plaques on the trunk and extremities. Histopathologic findings are consistent with ichthyosis vulgaris. The majority of cases are seen in association with an underlying disease, and most authors believe that this entity represents a form of acquired ichthyosis. Previous cases have been restricted to certain geographic and ethnic groups (most commonly Japanese and South African Bantu). We report two cases of pithyriasis rotunda, both occurring in black Americans. We believe that these are the first reported cases seen in Americans.

Case report. Moyamoya disease: An unusual cause of cerebral infarction

A South African Bantu patient presenting with recurrent strokes and a change in personality was found to have cerebral infarction due to moyamoya disease. The disease has a characteristic radiological pattern of narrowing or occlusion of the distal internal carotid arteries associated with a profuse vascular network at the base of the brain and in the basal ganglia: the moyamoya vessels. The clinical features and the collateral vascular pathways that may develop after cerebral vascular occlusion are discussed and the surgical options for increasing cerebral blood flow described. In this patient a development of the technique in which the superficial temporal artery is laid onto the brain without interruption of the donor vessel was used, with improvement in the clinical picture.

A BLACK FOREIGN LEGION IN SOUTH AFRICA?

African Defence Force in 1963, the National Party government in the Republic of South Africa has experimented with a variety of roles, responsibilities and organizational formats for their use in the armed forces. With 'Coloureds' and 'Indians', these experiments were relatively straightforward. They were not confused or hampered by the sorts of questions that arise with the mobilization of black African troops. Given the government's professed commitment to the eventual implementation of the Homelands/Bantustan scheme whereby all black South Africans must be associated in an as yet unclear fashion with some 'homeland', in various stages of elaboration, there seems to be a logical dilemma built into the creation of black units. This article will concentrate on the black (that is, indigenous African) units and the political/legal issues that their recruitment and deployment raise. Because quite naturally so little has been made public about their employment, a premium will be placed on an accurate and fairly complete description of these units, their structure, composition, preparation, utility and general place in the SADF scheme of things. By the time the Chief of the Army, Lieutenant General Magnus Malan, granted permission to establish the South African Army Bantu Training Centre in November 1973, the SADF had acquired some limited experience with black fighting men. The Cape Corps (Coloured) had been in existence for almost ten years and its Special Service Battalion for nearly a year. Blacks had served in large numbers in the South African Police and had been both involved in military duties in Rhodesia and in patrolling South Africa's borders, and the SADF had employed on an individual basis indigenous blacks in Namibia. In addition, most white opposition to the military use of blacks had been won over to this more flexible approach. It was no longer an issue of whether to use blacks, but how many, in what roles, and in what organizational format. For the Republic of South Africa, the land of the 'white man's war' and the last bastion of 'white Christian nationalism', the time had arrived to defend the regime by any and all means. Caliban clearly had to be issued with an automatic weapon.

Bony defects in dried Bantu mandibles

Forty-three dried South African Bantu mandibles were examined visually and radiographically for the frequencies of occurrence of apical defects, bifurcation involvements, dehiscences, and fenestrations. Statistical evaluation of the data revealed no significant discrepancy between the visual and radiographic findings.

Congenital aural and pre-auricular sinuses in the South African Bantu.

The incidence of ear pits was studied in the South African Bantu population. A short account of the anatomy, occurrence, inheritance, developmental origin, complications and treatment of this anomaly was given. Mention has been made of the clinical significance and the possible association between ear pits and other systemic and ear abnormalities, including deafness. There seems to be a higher incidence of other abnormalities in children born with sinuses. The blanket term 'pre-auricular fistula' should possibly be discarded in favour of auricular sinuses or ear pits.

Abnormal tryptophan metabolism in patients with scurvy-type skin

South African Bantu subjects with a scurvy-type skin, which appears after a prolonged hemosiderosis caused by a high dietary iron intake, were studied with the oral 2-g load of tryptophan test. A majority of the subjects excreted statistically significantly elevated levels of anthranilic acid glucuronide, acetylkynurenine, kynurenine, and hydroxykynurenine, after the 2-g load of l-tryptophan. The data suggest that tryptophan metabolism in these subjects may be inhibited at some step beyond hydroxykynurenine as a result of lowered tissue pyridine nucleotide activity or tissue enzyme poisoning by the high iron levels that are present.

HL-A antigens and antibodies in South African Bantu.

HL-A antigens and antibodies in South African Bantu.

Attrition of teeth in the South African Bantu

Attrition of teeth in the South African Bantu

The influence of numerous pregnancies and lactations on bone dimensions in South African Bantu and Caucasian mothers.

1. In groups of South African Bantu and Caucasian women aged 30–44 years, sub-divided into those having had (i) none to two or (ii) seven or more children, measurements of radiographs of the second metacarpal and of the humerus were made in respect of length, cortical thickness, cortical index, cortical area/total area, cross-sectional area index and cortical/surface area ratio. 2. In Bantu mothers of large compared with small families, there were no significant differences in the means of corresponding variables. This was also the case with the Caucasian mothers. Bantu mothers of large and small families had significantly lower mean values for most variables compared with those of Caucasian mothers of large and small families. In all four groups, ranges of measurements and indices were very wide. 3. It is questioned whether Bantu mothers accustomed to a low calcium intake and to numerous pregnancies and long lactations, suffer from calcium deficiency. The problem of whether the high recommended allowances of calcium during these periods confer a clinically detectable benefit requires re-examination.

A comparison of the fast migrating Gc-variant of Australian aborigines, New Guinean indigenes, South African Bantu, and black Americans.

The fast migrating Gc variant of Australianaborigines, New Guinean indigenes, South African Bantu, andblack Americans, has been compared by immunoelectrophoresis, gel electrophoresis in polyacrylamide

SPORADIC ULCERO-OSTEOLVTIC NEUROPATHY IN THE BANTU

SUMMARY The term sporadic ulcero-osteolytic neuropathy is used to describe isolated cases with the triad of peripheral neuropathy of the legs, ulcers, and painless destruction of bones and joints of the feet. Seven such cases in male South African Bantu are presented, in whom the changes were confined to the feet. Common causes such as leprosy, tabes dorsalis and diabetic neuropathy were excluded. Although a single cause could seldom be blamed, chronic alcoholism, malnutrition, and local trauma appeared to contribute. The clinical picture differed somewhat from other reported cases of similar causation. Sural nerve biopsy demonstrated a nerve lesion other than leprosy.