Christopher Stiegler | University of Arkansas (original) (raw)

Uploads

Thesis Chapters by Christopher Stiegler

Research paper thumbnail of Gastrointestinal Health as a Stimulus for Native American Attraction to Medicinal Asteraceae and Further Implications for Human Evolution.

The Asteraceae, or the daisy family, is the largest family of flowering plants in the world, and ... more The Asteraceae, or the daisy family, is the largest family of flowering plants in the world, and its ethnobotanical, medical, and economic value is readily apparent cross-culturally. The aim of this thesis is to examine why constituent genera of the Aster family have remained such an integral part of human medicinal plant knowledge, and thereby to reveal any potential physiological, biological, or evolutionary mechanisms underlining human patterns of use regarding the Asteraceae. The present study focuses specifically on Native American plant knowledge made available by the expansive database in the works Daniel Moerman (Moerman 2003). Frequencies of plant use and their corresponding applications for symptoms relating to human physiological organ systems are examined. Bar graph and T-test analyses reveal that gastrointestinal ailments comprise more medical uses for the Asteraceae than any other organ system targeted by taxa within the Asteraceae family. Therefore, it is posited here that the Asteraceae’s biochemical effects on the gastrointestinal tract, including the elimination of intestinal worms and other pathogens, continues to sustain human attraction to medicinal genera within the Aster family. Data also suggest potential evolutionary advantages for human populations able to exploit the Asteraceae for medical purposes. These data exist in extant non-human primates, extinct hominins, Neandertals, and early humans. While this study and the data used in it were limited to Native North America, the conclusion are believed to inform anthropological understandings of human-plant selection, co-evolution, and the continued global use of the Asteraceae in traditional medicine more broadly.

Papers by Christopher Stiegler

Research paper thumbnail of Gastrointestinal Health as a Stimulus for Native American Attraction to Medicinal Asteraceae and Further Implications for Human Evolution

The Asteraceae, or the daisy family, is the largest family of flowering plants in the world, and ... more The Asteraceae, or the daisy family, is the largest family of flowering plants in the world, and its ethnobotanical, medical, and economic value is readily apparent cross-culturally. The aim of this thesis is to examine why constituent genera of the Aster family have remained such an integral part of human medicinal plant knowledge, and thereby to reveal any potential physiological, biological, or evolutionary mechanisms underlining human patterns of use regarding the Asteraceae. The present study focuses specifically on Native American plant knowledge made available by the expansive database in the works Daniel Moerman (Moerman 2003). Frequencies of plant use and their corresponding applications for symptoms relating to human physiological organ systems are examined. Bar graph and T-test analyses reveal that gastrointestinal ailments comprise more medical uses for the Asteraceae than any other organ system targeted by taxa within the Asteraceae family. Therefore, it is posited here that the Asteraceae's biochemical effects on the gastrointestinal tract, including the elimination of intestinal worms and other pathogens, continues to sustain human attraction to medicinal genera within the Aster family. Data also suggest potential evolutionary advantages for human populations able to exploit the Asteraceae for medical purposes. These data exist in extant nonhuman primates, extinct hominins, Neandertals, and early humans. While this study and the data used in it were limited to Native North America, the conclusion are believed to inform anthropological understandings of human-plant selection, co-evolution, and the continued global use of the Asteraceae in traditional medicine more broadly.

Research paper thumbnail of The Adaptiveness of Religious Meat Taboos

Research paper thumbnail of Linguistic Ethnobotany as a Measure for Plant Food, Plant Medicine, and Asteraceae Cultural Salience among People of the Ozarks and Ouachita Mountains

This study aimed to elucidate any differences in cultural salience among people inhabiting the Oz... more This study aimed to elucidate any differences in cultural salience among people inhabiting the Ozarks and Ouachita Mountain regions, regarding their conceptions of plant foods, plant medicines, and their uses of the Asteraceae. To do this, linguistic methods were used. Each common name of free-listed plant foods, plant medicines, and Asteraceae were analyzed for number of words, syllables, and descriptive words comprising their common names – all measures of name complexity. From methods articulated by Hunn and Brown (2011), more complex names for non-human biota correlate with levels of cultural salience. This analysis suggested that the plant food domain is more culturally salient than the plant medicine domain, among inhabitants of the Ozarks and Ouachita Mountains. The Asteraceae are more salient than other medicinal plant families and slightly more salient than other plant food families. One explanation rest in that fact that people tend to maintain a more intimate relationships with the dietary resources they use than medicinal one. Indeed, people require dietary nutrients daily, while they only require medicine when subjected to illness, disease, and pathogenic agents. Also, the Asteraceae is a more salient medical plant family than others due to its property as an effective gastrointestinal aid. Ultimately, this analysis desired to use plant cultural salience as a way to demonstrate the importance of linguistic conservation as a mechanism for biodiversity conservation. It also desired to understand potential biological and nutritional factors driving cultural plant selection.

Research paper thumbnail of The Herbal Midwife: A conversation with Maria

"Pregnancy is normal, healthy and physiologically sound. It does not require unnecessary medical ... more "Pregnancy is normal, healthy and physiologically sound. It does not require unnecessary medical intervention to have a positive outcome." These words run across Maria Chowdhury's midwifery website. To her and many midwives like her, pregnancy and childbirth are physiologically normal, but they are surrounded by cultural beliefs and understandings.

Research paper thumbnail of A geometric morphometric comparison of the occipital region of the Eliye Springs cranium in relation to four other taxa

A cranium from Eliye Springs (KNM-ES 11693) in West Turkana, Kenya was analyzed to determine whic... more A cranium from Eliye Springs (KNM-ES 11693) in West Turkana, Kenya was analyzed to determine which late Homo species it most closely resembled phenetically. While the cranium is damaged in the anterior facial region including the right orbital and zygomatic bone, its posterior and occipital regions are well preserved. Original investigators of this specimen classified it as Homo sapiens, but when three landmarks of the occipital region were considered, it fell phenetically closer to other Homo species. The occipital region of the Eliye Springs cranium is considered due to its apparent occipital bun, a feature usually diagnostic of Homo neanderthalensis, but absent in Homo sapiens. Given the presence of this feature, the hypothesis of this paper was that KNM-ES 11693 fell outside the range of Homo sapiens in the occipital region and more closely resembled closely related taxa, such as Homo heidelbergensis and Homo neanderthalensis. A geometric morphometric analysis, including principle components analyses (PCA) and a general Procrustes analysis (GPA), was performed to understand which taxon KNM-ES 11693 most closely resembled phenetically. Bregma, lambda, and opisthion were used as homologous landmarks, with 27 semi-landmarks spread across them. Homo erectus was considered as an outgroup to account for any homoplasy in the occipital region. This analysis showed that the occipital region and bun of KNM-ES 11693 is phenetically strongest when compared to Homo erectus, and most commonly similar to Homo neanderthalensis. More broadly, this study concluded that the occipital region and bun are not useful for diagnosing hominin taxa.

Research paper thumbnail of A Helping Hand (and foot): How the morphology of the hand and bipedal locomotion allowed humans to exploit novel resources and become successful

For all the differences between cultures, medicine is a common theme. Medicine can be religious,... more For all the differences between cultures, medicine is a common theme. Medicine can be religious, symbolic, or ritualistic. Another theme is that cultures are composed of humans (H. sapiens) and they all require resources to survive. The idea behind this paper is that all medicines started out as dietary resources and that bony anatomy as much as olfaction, energetics, visual acuities, and et. cetera, played a vital role in the attainment of these resources. To understand how anatomy allowed humans to exploit so many resources, their skeletal anatomy is compared to the skeletal anatomy of other non-human primates, raccoons, bears, and pangolins. Specifically, the styloid process of the third metacarpal, opposability of the thumb, and adaptations for bipedalism are considered. Each of these gave humans a greater precision grip and therefore the ability to exploit a greater variety of resources, including fragile underground storage organs (USOs). Innovations such as tool use were used in concert with precision grips to do so. This study concludes that humans have unique adaptations compared to other mammalian taxa that allowed them to exploit novel resources. Anatomy allowed humans to outcompete all other mammals to reach the pinnacle of resource availability. This research underlines the importance of understanding how evolution shapes the wide variety of human dietary behaviors.

Research paper thumbnail of Determining concanavalin A sugar specificity to mannose or galactose using horse radish peroxidase and hemagglutination

Lectins are proteins that bind with carbohydrates, or sugars. However, all lectins do not bind wi... more Lectins are proteins that bind with carbohydrates, or sugars. However, all lectins do not bind with all sugars. They are very sugar specific. In the following experiments we tested the sugar specificity of the lectin, concanavalin A. We did this by two methods, horse radish peroxidase with baby hamster kidney cells, and hemagglutination. Horse radish peroxidase tests sugar specificity by running a substrate through the peroxidase enzyme and determining how dark the product is. Hemagglutination is used to test the agglutination of erythrocytes to other erythrocytes. They are both tested in the presence of concanavalin A and competing sugars. Through these experiments, we discovered that of the two sugars attached to glycoproteins, concanavalin A has a higher specificity for mannose rather than galactose. This is in accordance with what the literature reads and what others have found (Kadirvelraj, Lechele Foley, Dyekjaer, et al, 2008).

Research paper thumbnail of Natufians: A proto-agriculturalist society from the Levant

Book Reviews by Christopher Stiegler

Research paper thumbnail of Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability. Edited by Melissa K. Nelson and Dan Shilling. 2018. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY. 276 pp.

Ethnobiology Letters , 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Echinacea: Herbal Medicine with a Wild History. Edited by Kelly Kindscher. 2016. Springer International Publishing, Switzerland. 238 pp.

Research paper thumbnail of Gastrointestinal Health as a Stimulus for Native American Attraction to Medicinal Asteraceae and Further Implications for Human Evolution.

The Asteraceae, or the daisy family, is the largest family of flowering plants in the world, and ... more The Asteraceae, or the daisy family, is the largest family of flowering plants in the world, and its ethnobotanical, medical, and economic value is readily apparent cross-culturally. The aim of this thesis is to examine why constituent genera of the Aster family have remained such an integral part of human medicinal plant knowledge, and thereby to reveal any potential physiological, biological, or evolutionary mechanisms underlining human patterns of use regarding the Asteraceae. The present study focuses specifically on Native American plant knowledge made available by the expansive database in the works Daniel Moerman (Moerman 2003). Frequencies of plant use and their corresponding applications for symptoms relating to human physiological organ systems are examined. Bar graph and T-test analyses reveal that gastrointestinal ailments comprise more medical uses for the Asteraceae than any other organ system targeted by taxa within the Asteraceae family. Therefore, it is posited here that the Asteraceae’s biochemical effects on the gastrointestinal tract, including the elimination of intestinal worms and other pathogens, continues to sustain human attraction to medicinal genera within the Aster family. Data also suggest potential evolutionary advantages for human populations able to exploit the Asteraceae for medical purposes. These data exist in extant non-human primates, extinct hominins, Neandertals, and early humans. While this study and the data used in it were limited to Native North America, the conclusion are believed to inform anthropological understandings of human-plant selection, co-evolution, and the continued global use of the Asteraceae in traditional medicine more broadly.

Research paper thumbnail of Gastrointestinal Health as a Stimulus for Native American Attraction to Medicinal Asteraceae and Further Implications for Human Evolution

The Asteraceae, or the daisy family, is the largest family of flowering plants in the world, and ... more The Asteraceae, or the daisy family, is the largest family of flowering plants in the world, and its ethnobotanical, medical, and economic value is readily apparent cross-culturally. The aim of this thesis is to examine why constituent genera of the Aster family have remained such an integral part of human medicinal plant knowledge, and thereby to reveal any potential physiological, biological, or evolutionary mechanisms underlining human patterns of use regarding the Asteraceae. The present study focuses specifically on Native American plant knowledge made available by the expansive database in the works Daniel Moerman (Moerman 2003). Frequencies of plant use and their corresponding applications for symptoms relating to human physiological organ systems are examined. Bar graph and T-test analyses reveal that gastrointestinal ailments comprise more medical uses for the Asteraceae than any other organ system targeted by taxa within the Asteraceae family. Therefore, it is posited here that the Asteraceae's biochemical effects on the gastrointestinal tract, including the elimination of intestinal worms and other pathogens, continues to sustain human attraction to medicinal genera within the Aster family. Data also suggest potential evolutionary advantages for human populations able to exploit the Asteraceae for medical purposes. These data exist in extant nonhuman primates, extinct hominins, Neandertals, and early humans. While this study and the data used in it were limited to Native North America, the conclusion are believed to inform anthropological understandings of human-plant selection, co-evolution, and the continued global use of the Asteraceae in traditional medicine more broadly.

Research paper thumbnail of The Adaptiveness of Religious Meat Taboos

Research paper thumbnail of Linguistic Ethnobotany as a Measure for Plant Food, Plant Medicine, and Asteraceae Cultural Salience among People of the Ozarks and Ouachita Mountains

This study aimed to elucidate any differences in cultural salience among people inhabiting the Oz... more This study aimed to elucidate any differences in cultural salience among people inhabiting the Ozarks and Ouachita Mountain regions, regarding their conceptions of plant foods, plant medicines, and their uses of the Asteraceae. To do this, linguistic methods were used. Each common name of free-listed plant foods, plant medicines, and Asteraceae were analyzed for number of words, syllables, and descriptive words comprising their common names – all measures of name complexity. From methods articulated by Hunn and Brown (2011), more complex names for non-human biota correlate with levels of cultural salience. This analysis suggested that the plant food domain is more culturally salient than the plant medicine domain, among inhabitants of the Ozarks and Ouachita Mountains. The Asteraceae are more salient than other medicinal plant families and slightly more salient than other plant food families. One explanation rest in that fact that people tend to maintain a more intimate relationships with the dietary resources they use than medicinal one. Indeed, people require dietary nutrients daily, while they only require medicine when subjected to illness, disease, and pathogenic agents. Also, the Asteraceae is a more salient medical plant family than others due to its property as an effective gastrointestinal aid. Ultimately, this analysis desired to use plant cultural salience as a way to demonstrate the importance of linguistic conservation as a mechanism for biodiversity conservation. It also desired to understand potential biological and nutritional factors driving cultural plant selection.

Research paper thumbnail of The Herbal Midwife: A conversation with Maria

"Pregnancy is normal, healthy and physiologically sound. It does not require unnecessary medical ... more "Pregnancy is normal, healthy and physiologically sound. It does not require unnecessary medical intervention to have a positive outcome." These words run across Maria Chowdhury's midwifery website. To her and many midwives like her, pregnancy and childbirth are physiologically normal, but they are surrounded by cultural beliefs and understandings.

Research paper thumbnail of A geometric morphometric comparison of the occipital region of the Eliye Springs cranium in relation to four other taxa

A cranium from Eliye Springs (KNM-ES 11693) in West Turkana, Kenya was analyzed to determine whic... more A cranium from Eliye Springs (KNM-ES 11693) in West Turkana, Kenya was analyzed to determine which late Homo species it most closely resembled phenetically. While the cranium is damaged in the anterior facial region including the right orbital and zygomatic bone, its posterior and occipital regions are well preserved. Original investigators of this specimen classified it as Homo sapiens, but when three landmarks of the occipital region were considered, it fell phenetically closer to other Homo species. The occipital region of the Eliye Springs cranium is considered due to its apparent occipital bun, a feature usually diagnostic of Homo neanderthalensis, but absent in Homo sapiens. Given the presence of this feature, the hypothesis of this paper was that KNM-ES 11693 fell outside the range of Homo sapiens in the occipital region and more closely resembled closely related taxa, such as Homo heidelbergensis and Homo neanderthalensis. A geometric morphometric analysis, including principle components analyses (PCA) and a general Procrustes analysis (GPA), was performed to understand which taxon KNM-ES 11693 most closely resembled phenetically. Bregma, lambda, and opisthion were used as homologous landmarks, with 27 semi-landmarks spread across them. Homo erectus was considered as an outgroup to account for any homoplasy in the occipital region. This analysis showed that the occipital region and bun of KNM-ES 11693 is phenetically strongest when compared to Homo erectus, and most commonly similar to Homo neanderthalensis. More broadly, this study concluded that the occipital region and bun are not useful for diagnosing hominin taxa.

Research paper thumbnail of A Helping Hand (and foot): How the morphology of the hand and bipedal locomotion allowed humans to exploit novel resources and become successful

For all the differences between cultures, medicine is a common theme. Medicine can be religious,... more For all the differences between cultures, medicine is a common theme. Medicine can be religious, symbolic, or ritualistic. Another theme is that cultures are composed of humans (H. sapiens) and they all require resources to survive. The idea behind this paper is that all medicines started out as dietary resources and that bony anatomy as much as olfaction, energetics, visual acuities, and et. cetera, played a vital role in the attainment of these resources. To understand how anatomy allowed humans to exploit so many resources, their skeletal anatomy is compared to the skeletal anatomy of other non-human primates, raccoons, bears, and pangolins. Specifically, the styloid process of the third metacarpal, opposability of the thumb, and adaptations for bipedalism are considered. Each of these gave humans a greater precision grip and therefore the ability to exploit a greater variety of resources, including fragile underground storage organs (USOs). Innovations such as tool use were used in concert with precision grips to do so. This study concludes that humans have unique adaptations compared to other mammalian taxa that allowed them to exploit novel resources. Anatomy allowed humans to outcompete all other mammals to reach the pinnacle of resource availability. This research underlines the importance of understanding how evolution shapes the wide variety of human dietary behaviors.

Research paper thumbnail of Determining concanavalin A sugar specificity to mannose or galactose using horse radish peroxidase and hemagglutination

Lectins are proteins that bind with carbohydrates, or sugars. However, all lectins do not bind wi... more Lectins are proteins that bind with carbohydrates, or sugars. However, all lectins do not bind with all sugars. They are very sugar specific. In the following experiments we tested the sugar specificity of the lectin, concanavalin A. We did this by two methods, horse radish peroxidase with baby hamster kidney cells, and hemagglutination. Horse radish peroxidase tests sugar specificity by running a substrate through the peroxidase enzyme and determining how dark the product is. Hemagglutination is used to test the agglutination of erythrocytes to other erythrocytes. They are both tested in the presence of concanavalin A and competing sugars. Through these experiments, we discovered that of the two sugars attached to glycoproteins, concanavalin A has a higher specificity for mannose rather than galactose. This is in accordance with what the literature reads and what others have found (Kadirvelraj, Lechele Foley, Dyekjaer, et al, 2008).

Research paper thumbnail of Natufians: A proto-agriculturalist society from the Levant

Research paper thumbnail of Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability. Edited by Melissa K. Nelson and Dan Shilling. 2018. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY. 276 pp.

Ethnobiology Letters , 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Echinacea: Herbal Medicine with a Wild History. Edited by Kelly Kindscher. 2016. Springer International Publishing, Switzerland. 238 pp.