1,720,982 research outputs found
Social reorganization and biological change: an examination of stature variation among Iron Age Samnites from Abruzzo, Italy.
No full textBetween the Orientalizing-Archaic (c. 800-500 BC) and Hellenistic periods (400-27 BC) of the Iron Age, Samnites shifted from being warlike mountain dwellers to becoming a federate state able to challenge Rome’s supremacy over the Italian peninsula. This transition involved a profound reorganization of power relations in the society, which likely affected human biology in many ways. This study explored the biological impacts of this profound social reorganization by examining variation in limb bone lengths (humerus, femur, tibia) and adult stature in relation to time period, sex and social status (as inferred from archaeological evidence). Materials included 568 (192 female; 376 male) Samnites from three different time periods, respectively before, during, and after the social transition. We identified the best regression method for stature estimation in this sample by means of delta of Gini, estimated sexual dimorphism by time period, and used non-parametric analyses to test for differences in long bone lengths and stature among period and status subsamples. Contrary to expectations, results showed no decrease in bone lengths or stature associated with demographic growth and urbanization in Hellenistic period. Significant differences (p=0.02) associated with social status were detected among Orientalizing-Archaic males, where higher status individuals exhibited longer femora and greater stature. Contrary to expectations, in Hellenistic times inequalities appear to be mitigated. Variation in sexual dimorphism throughout social transition and no association between status and female growth outcomes in any period suggest differential access to resources by gender and/or sex-related differences in the susceptibility to environmental perturbations during development
Smaller long bone cross-sectional size in people who died of tuberculosis: Insights on frailty factors from a 19th and early 20th century Finnish population
No full textThere is little research on how individuals suffering from tuberculosis may differ from those not infected in terms of overall skeletal morphology. Tuberculosis was endemic in 19th and early 20th century Finland making documented skeletal collections of Finns ideal to study effects of the disease on bone. The present study compares long bone cross-sectional total area between individuals who died of tuberculosis and those with another recorded cause of death in a Finnish sample. Adult male individuals (N = 105) were selected for analysis. Complete humeri (N = 56), femora (N = 66) and tibiae (N = 64) were 3D scanned using a laser scanner and total cross-sectional areas calculated with AsciiSection software. Individuals who died of tuberculosis (N = 24, 15 humeri, 14 femora, 13 tibiae) had, when standardized for body size, significantly smaller total cross-sectional femoral and humeral, but not tibial, areas. The mechanisms behind the observed relationship may reflect a combination of biological ‘frailty’ in terms of susceptibility to infection, reduced childhood activity and/or vitamin D deficiency, which possibly influenced both subperiosteal development during adolescence and, later, susceptibility to contracting and dying of TB. Due to the relatively small sample future studies are needed to further investigate the relationship between TB and bone cross-sectional size
The importance of accounting for the area of the medullary cavity in cross-sectional geometry: A test based on the femoral midshaft
No full textIn cross-sectional geometric (CSG) studies, both the subperiosteal and endosteal contours are considered important factors in determining bone bending rigidity. Recently, regression equations predicting CSG properties from a section's external dimensions were developed in a world-wide sample of human long bones. The results showed high correlations between some subperiosteally derived and actual CSG parameters. We present a theoretical model that further explores the influence of endosteal dimensions on CSG properties. We compare two hypothetical femoral midshaft samples with the same total subperiosteal area but with percentages of cortical bone at the opposite ends of published human variation for population sample means. Even in this relatively uncommon scenario, the difference between the samples in the resultant means for predicted femoral polar second moment of area (J) appears to be modest: power analysis indicates that a minimum sample size of 61 is needed to detect the difference 90% of the time via a t-test. Moreover, endosteal area can be predicted-although with substantial error-from periosteal area. Despite this error, including this relationship in subperiosteally derived estimates of J produces sample mean estimates close to true mean values. Power analyses reveal that when similar samples are used to develop prediction equations, a minimum sample of hundreds or more may be needed to distinguish a predicted mean J from the true mean J. These results further justify the use of regression equations estimating J from periosteal contours when analyzing behaviorally induced changes in bone rigidity in ancient populations, when it is not possible to measure endosteal dimensions. However, in other situations involving comparisons of individual values, growth trends, and senescence, where relative cortical thickness may vary greatly, inclusion of endosteal dimensions is still important
A 6500-year-old Middle Neolithic child from Pollera Cave (Liguria, Italy) with probable multifocal osteoarticular tuberculosis
No full textClear skeletal evidence of prehistoric tuberculosis (TB) is rare, especially in children. We describe and differentially diagnose the pathological changes displayed by a five-year-old child, Pollera 21 (PO21) dated to the Middle Neolithic of Liguria (Italy), or 5740 ± 30 BP (Beta-409341; 6635–6453 cal BP, 2σ, OxCal 4.2). PO21 shows a number of osteoarticular lesions, mainly of a lytic nature with very little bone proliferation: the vertebral column, the shoulder and pelvic girdles, and the ribcage are involved. Given the nature and pattern of the lesions, we propose a diagnosis of multifocal (or multiple) bone TB. Attempts to detect TB aDNA through molecular analysis gave negative results, but this alone is not sufficient to prove that PO21 was not infected with TB. The lesions observed in PO21 share similarities with other published evidence, such as spinal and joint involvement, and disseminated cyst-like lesions. Conversely, PO21 does not show diffuse bone deposition, such as hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA) or endocranial modifications such as serpens endocrania symmetrica (SES). PO21 adds to our knowledge of patterns of TB manifestation in archaeological skeletal remains, which is especially important considering the variability in types and patterns of osteoarticular lesions seen today in people with TB
A severe case of bilateral humerus varus deformity from the Middle Bronze age necropolis of Olmo di Nogara, Northeast Italy. The contribution of biomechanical analysis to paleopathological study
Full text linkObjective: To gain insights on possible impairment of a Middle Bronze Age individual with bilateral humerus varus buried with a sword in Northeastern Italy. Materials: A skeleton of a 40-50-year-old male from Olmo di Nogara (Italy) compared to other males from the same necropolis and to Neolithic and Iron Age samples from Italy. Methods: Macroscopic/X-rays analysis for pathological diagnosis and cross-sectional geometric analysis. Results: Both humeri of the individual appear short with destruction of the humeral heads, showing severe osteoarthrosis and flattening of the scapular glenoid cavities. The individual showed appreciable humeral bilateral asymmetry; there is no evidence for sustained immobilization. Conclusions: The pathological modifications suggest a diagnosis of bilateral humeral varism probably following an injury at birth. The individual's life was likely not significantly affected, as evidence suggests that he remained active and possibly used weapons. Significance: Biomechanical analyses provided a useful tool to reconstruct the life of the subject within the community, showing that this individual's apparent upper limb abnormalities did not exempt him from a role as a warrior and highlighting the importance of the warrior identity in this Bronze Age society. Limitations: The complex interaction between epiphyseal damage and shortening of the humerus makes it difficult to assess activity patterns. Only severe impairment leading to long-term immobilization can be excluded for this individual. Suggestions for Further Research: Cross-sectional geometry may be used in other cases of humerus varus or bone dysplasia to investigate functional impairment
Biomechanical approach to the reconstruction of activity patterns in neolithic western Liguria, Italy
No full textThis paper investigates the changes in upper and lower limb robusticity and activity patterns that accompanied the transition to a Neolithic subsistence in western Liguria (Italy). Diaphyseal robusticity measures were obtained from cross-sectional geometric properties of the humerus and femur in a sample of 16 individuals (eight males and eight females) dated to about 6, 000-75,500 BP. Comparisons with European Late Upper Paleolithics (LUP) indicate increased humeral robusticity in Neolithic Ligurian (NEOL) males, but not in females, with a significant reduction in right-left differences in both sexes. Sexual dimorphism in robusticity increases in upper and lower limb bones. Regarding the femur, while all female indicators of bending strength decrease steadily through time, values for NEOL males approach those of LUP. This suggests high, and unexpected, levels of mechanical stress for NEOL males, probably reflecting the effects of the mountainous terrain on lower limb remodeling. Comparisons between NEOL males and a small sample of LUP hunter-gatherers from the same area support this interpretation. In conclusion, cross-sectional geometry data indicate that the transition to Neolithic economies in western Liguria did not reduce functional requirements in males, and suggest a marked sexual division of labor involving a more symmetrical use of the upper limb, and different male-female levels of locomotory stress. When articulated with archaeological, faunal, paleopathological, and ethnographic evidence, these results support the hypothesis of repetitive, bimanual use of axes tied to pastoral activities in males, and of more sedentary tasks linked to agriculture in females. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc
Patterns of humeral asymmetry among Late Pleistocene humans = L’asymétrie de la diaphyse humérale dans les populations humaines au Pléistocène récent
No full textHuman humeral diaphyseal asymmetry in midshaft and mid-distal rigidity is assessed through the Late Pleistocene in samples of late archaic (Neandertal) and early modern humans. It is considered with respect to directionality (handedness), levels of asymmetry, body size and sexual differences. The overall Late Pleistocene sample indicates a right-handed preference in frequencies (right: 74.8%, left: 15.0%, ambiguous: 10.3%), which are similar to those of recent human samples. Average levels of humeral asymmetry are elevated relative to Holocene samples through all but the small Middle Paleolithic modern human and eastern Eurasian late Upper Paleolithic samples. Humeral asymmetry is especially high among the males relative to the females, and the possibility of a division of labor between uni-manual tasks (mostly male) and bi-manual tasks (mostly female) is considered. At the same time, there is a general pattern of increased asymmetry with larger body size, but it remains unclear to what extent it reflects body size versus sexual effects on bilateral humeral loading. There do not appear to have been substantial changes in humeral asymmetry through time, indicating a continuity of similar manual behavioral patterns through the Late Pleistocene, despite considerable changes in technology through the Late Pleistocene
Behavioral Differences Between Near Eastern Neanderthals and the Early Modern Humans from Skhul and Qafzeh: An Assessment Based on Comparative Samples of Holocene Humans
No full textThe differences and similarities between Near Eastern Neanderthals and the early modern humans from Skhul and Qafzeh in Israel have long been a point of study and debate. Conclusions about the magnitude and especially the implications of the differences have served as evidence to support or refute competing hypotheses about their cultural and biological differences. Here we revisit the controversy by assessing the midshaft shapes and robusticity of the femur, tibial, humerus, and radius of these Middle Paleolithic samples in comparison to European Neanderthals, Gravettian modern humans, several modern individuals from other late Pleistocene cultures in Europe and Israel, and a diverse set of Holocene humans from around the globe. The results show that the Near Eastern Neanderthals resemble European Neanderthals as well as a diverse array of modern agriculturalists and intensive foragers. In contrast, the people from Skhul and Qafzeh are much more distinct from recent samples but bear a degree of resemblance to Khoesan and Zulu males and females, Amud 1, and Ohalo 2. Additional insights emerge when the upper and lower limb are considered separately, but the result remains that the early moderns rather than Neanderthals seem to have faced an unusual, or at least uncommon, set of mechanical demands in comparison to most of the more recent groups
A biomechanical approach to the reconstruction of activity patterns in Neolithic Western Liguria (Italy)
No full textThis paper investigates the changes in
upper and lower limb robusticity and activity patterns
that accompanied the transition to a Neolithic subsistence
in western Liguria (Italy). Diaphyseal robusticity measures
were obtained from cross-sectional geometric properties
of the humerus and femur in a sample of 16 individuals
(eight males and eight females) dated to about 6,000–
5,500 BP. Comparisons with European Late Upper Paleolithics
(LUP) indicate increased humeral robusticity in
Neolithic Ligurian (NEOL) males, but not in females, with
a significant reduction in right-left differences in both
sexes. Sexual dimorphism in robusticity increases in
upper and lower limb bones. Regarding the femur, while
all female indicators of bending strength decrease steadily
through time, values for NEOL males approach those of
LUP. This suggests high, and unexpected, levels of mechanical
stress for NEOL males, probably reflecting the
effects of the mountainous terrain on lower limb remodeling.
Comparisons between NEOL males and a small sample
of LUP hunter-gatherers from the same area support
this interpretation. In conclusion, cross-sectional geometry
data indicate that the transition to Neolithic economies
in western Liguria did not reduce functional requirements
in males, and suggest a marked sexual division of
labor involving a more symmetrical use of the upper limb,
and different male-female levels of locomotory stress.
When articulated with archaeological, faunal, paleopathological,
and ethnographic evidence, these results support
the hypothesis of repetitive, bimanual use of axes tied to
pastoral activities in males, and of more sedentary tasks
linked to agriculture in females
Describing Cro-Magnon: The femora, tibiae and fibulae
No full textAs part of a reassessment of the Mid Upper Paleolithic human remains from Cro-Magnon (Dordogne, France), a morphological description and paleobiological consideration of the Cro-Magnon lower limb long bone (femoral, tibial and fibular) remains is presented. Following the reassociation of the lower limb remains (Thibeault and Villotte, 2018, J. Archaeol. Sci. Rep. 21, 76–86), the preserved bones are presented in terms of the Alpha (Cro-Magnon 1), Beta and Gamma older adult individuals. Morphologically the Cro-Magnon femora, tibiae and fibulae fall comfortably within the ranges of variation of other earlier (Early and Mid) Upper Paleolithic human remains in most aspects. Their diaphyseal discrete morphologies follow the early modern human pattern of clear femoral pilasters and large gluteal buttresses, discrete tibial pilasters, and prominent tibial and fibular longitudinal sulci. Their femoral diaphyses exhibit levels of hypertrophy similar to those of other Late Pleistocene remains, although the Alpha and Beta ones are among the most robust, and Gamma is more gracile. The primary contrasts are in their body proportions, in that Alpha and Beta appear to have had linear proportions overall, yet Alpha and Gamma exhibit the low crural proportions usually associated with stocky bodies. As such, the Cro-Magnon lower limb remains both reinforce the E/MUP patterns but also extend the ranges of variation for the sample. These morphological aspects are joined by minor, age-related lesions in Beta and Gamma, but they are associated with a prominent femoral lesion and multiple other abnormalities (principally enthesopathies) in Alpha. The latter are likely part of a systemic disorder in Alpha (Cro-Magnon 1) of uncertain etiology
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