DIVERSIFICACIóN MORFOLóGICA Y POBLAMIENTO TEMPRANO DEL NOROCCIDENTE DE SURAMéRICA: UN ESTUDIO DE LA VARIACIóN CRANEOFACIAL

a study of the craniofacial diversity among samples from northwest south america, temporal and spatially scattered, is presented in order to create hypotheses for the early peopling of the region. several kinds of statistical procedures (r-matrix, matrix correlation analysis and geometric morphometrics) were performed in order to assess the population history and structure at the regional level. the results revealed high morphological diversity and patterns of spatial and temporal structuring, additionally, they suggest that distinct population events and the action of evolutionary factors highly affected the craniofacial diversity over time. on the basis of different kinds of evidences, a model on the mode and tempo of the early peopling of the region and the subsequent population evolution throughout the holocene is presented.