Historical data shows impact on Cherokee skull size

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of Tennessee have found that environmental stressors – from the Trail of Tears to the Civil War – led to significant changes in the shape of skulls in the eastern and western bands of the Cherokee people.

The findings highlight the role of environmental factors in shaping our physical characteristics.


The researchers drew on historical data collected by Franz Boas in the late 19th century. Image: Wikimedia Commons

“We wanted to look at these historically important events and further our understanding of the tangible human impacts they had on the Cherokee people,” says Dr. Ann Ross, a professor of anthropology at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the work. “This work also adds to the body of literature on environmental effects on skull growth.”