Browsing by Author "Lynn, Christopher"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
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    Engaging Undergraduates through Neuroanthropological Research
    Lynn, Christopher; Stein, Max; Bishop, Andrew; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
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    Evidence for Repetitive Kneeling in a Byzantine Collection At St. Stephen's Monastery
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2022) Bryan, Brianna; Lynn, Christopher; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    In this study, I investigated the enthesopathies (pathologies of the places where ligaments or tendons attach to bones) of the monastic skeletal collection of Byzantine St. Stephen’s (5th- 7th centuries AD) in modern-day Jerusalem. Studying entheseal changes in commingled remains can reveal general cultural patterns of activity and health within the population. A commingled collection of bones attributed to individuals recovered from the site of Byzantine St. Stephen’s monastery indicate that members performed repetitive kneeling activities (genuflection) hundreds of times per day. Based on the historical documents and past research, I predicted that there would be enthesopathies on the lower limbs that reflected this repeated kneeling activity. I thus predicted that enthesopathies would highlight bilateral differences on the five different bones based on the genuflection stance (left leg forward, right leg back). To test this hypothesis, I scored the lower limb enthesopathies based on robusticity, osteolytic, and osteophytic formations, which utilized a combination of accepted scoring methods. I categorized and scored a total of eight insertion sites on the femur, patella, tibia, fibula, and calcaneus, as these areas would most likely highlight the muscle usage of the monks during genuflection for a total of 876 bone fragments scored. Overall, there were several enthesopathies on the bones scored; however, bilateral differences were only statistically significant for six variables. Though there were no bilateral differences, the lower limb enthesopathies corroborated the historical documents discussing hundreds of genuflections a day. With past historical documents, entheseal changes can provide an additional information source for researching cultural activity patterns.
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    Evolutionary Studies' Reproductive Successes and Failures: Knowing the Institutional Ecology
    Spaulding, Kristina; Burch, Rebecca; Lynn, Christopher; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
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    The Gaming Experience: a Mixed Methods Study on Physiological and Psychological Responses to League of Legends Gameplay
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2020) Grottanelli, Serafina Darlyn; Galbraith, Marysia; Lynn, Christopher; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    As the world becomes increasingly dependent on online interactions, it is important to understand how such communication affects mental and physical well-being. While some hold that increased online activity increases social distance, others find that online communities can help enable sociability. This is particularly true of massive multiplayer online role-playing games. Yet it is unclear if the social interactions within games extend beyond the gaming context or if the gaming sociability influences day-to-day non-gaming interactions. In this thesis, I present a mixed-methods study that explores online gaming communities and how online interactions are “embodied” or get under the skin of players in ways that influence their offline lives as well. I hypothesized that, when dealing with negative experiences such as toxic behavior within League of Legends, players who are more committed to the game would feel more attached to the game outcome than individuals who are less committed to the game. I also hypothesized that individuals who are more committed to the game would display higher physiological arousal during a game than less committed individuals, due to the level of dedication and investment to the game outcome. I administered a baseline survey about online gaming, and, pre- and posttest assessment of feelings about the game play around a single match of League of Legends gameplay (N=37). I interviewed a subsample of these participants (N=20) and assessed physiological stress response during gameplay using skin conductance among another subsample (N=11). Analysis of ethnographic data suggests that player’s background and gendered expectations influence how players compete. I found that the relationship between player commitment and experience is more complex due to social bonds, gendered expectations, game results, and coping mechanisms. I found that the game result had a greater effect on the overall experience scores than commitment score. Linear regression on skin conduction indicated that age, gender, and overall experience account for 84% of the variance in in-game stress and that overall experience is the main predictor of the in-game stress response. The linear regression highlights how player background and their online experience can be associated with biological and psychological changes.
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    Inking of Immunity Seattle Dataset (Science submission)
    Lynn, Christopher; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
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    It's a Dead Man's Party: Integrative Evolutionary Education through Darwin Day
    Howells, Michaela; Lynn, Christopher; Ocobock, Cara; Jost Robinson, Carolyn; Woolard, Katherine; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Although evolution is one of the most transformative and integrative theories in science, it remains difficult to entice university students to pursue evolution-oriented courses. Evolution is the only theory that ties together all life and behavior—including ultimate, proximal, physiological, and developmental explanations. Students who are not exposed, lack a fundamental STEM building block which may severely limit their understanding of the natural world and future career options. Darwin Day provides an important opportunity to showcase the interdisciplinary applicability of evolutionary theory in an engaging, accessible manner. In this paper, three biological anthropologists discuss initiating Darwin Day events in diverse university settings with a goal of building annual, sustainable programs. The purposeful lightheartedness of Darwin Day events engage non-science majors while highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of evolution for science students. Although our goal was the same—connect more people with evolutionary perspectives—our route, scope, successes, challenges, and access to resources differed. Combined, we model a variety of opportunities to encourage students to pursue further evolution-based courses and conversations, especially those specifically addressing human evolution. This template will be useful for others wishing to implement similar low-stakes opportunities to connect students with evolution education at their own institutions.
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    SPSS Dataset for "Tattooing as a Phenotypic Gambit"
    Lynn, Christopher; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
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    Sticks, Stones, and Broken Bones: Examining Health-Related Care Practices of a 17th-19th Century London Cemetery
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2022) Arnett, Patricia; Lynn, Christopher; Jacobi, Keith J.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Providing care to individuals who are affected by illness or injury is one of the most common human behaviors; however, the types of care tend to be overlooked for working class or prison populations. Background: The characteristics of care provided by these groups can reflect the motivation and commitment of the caretakers among the underprivileged, lower social status members of society. This may be especially so for the working class of 17-19th century London, whose remains are analyzed in this thesis. Methods: Through the examination of a cemetery population consisting of individuals who were of low socioeconomic status and likely from the Fleet prison and Bridewell workhouse, my thesis is centered around examining the amount of care exhibited in the individuals interred within St. Bride’s lower churchyard cemetery. The goal of my thesis is to determine how many individuals were affected by pathological conditions and trauma that required care provisioning and how these disabilities impacted both the individuals receiving care and those providing it. Results: Much of the population (56%) required care for survival, and five specific cases are focused on including descriptions of ailments and illnesses, and potential care practices they may have received. Conclusion: The individuals in the St. Bride’s lower churchyard cemetery likely lived a very taxing life and, thus, had more stressors over the course of their lives. This, combined with the environmental stressors and disparate access to healthcare, likely influenced the health-related care they were able to receive during their life.