Microevolution in prehistoric Andean populations: I. Chronologic craniometric variation.

Mahalanobis D2 statistics (with size and shape components) were computed for nine craniometric variables among five prehistoric groups representing steps in the microevolutionary history of a coastal population in Northern Chile. Roughly 80% of craniometric variation was found to be explained by chronologic distance covering a period of roughly 6500 years. Kinship decreases in this population at a relatively constant rate of 8.6 X 10(-5) per year.