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Lewis ME, French JC, Rossoni-Notter E, Notter O, Moussous A, Sparacello V, Boschin F, Ricci S, Nowell A. An assessment of puberty status in adolescents from the European Upper Paleolithic. J Hum Evol 2025; 198:103577. [PMID: 39266410 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
Childhood and adolescence are two life-history stages that are either unique to humans, or significantly expanded in the human life course relative to other primates. While recent studies have deepened our knowledge of childhood in the Upper Paleolithic, adolescence in this period remains understudied. Here, we use bioarchaeological maturational markers to estimate puberty status of 13 Upper Paleolithic adolescents from sites in Russia, Czechia, and Italy to 1) evaluate the feasibility of the application of bioarchaeological puberty assessment methods to Upper Paleolithic (Homo sapiens) skeletal individuals, 2) estimate the timing and tempo of puberty in Upper Paleolithic adolescents compared to other archaeological populations analyzed using the same method, and 3) characterize adolescence in the Upper Paleolithic by contextualizing the results of this puberty assessment with data on individual and population-level health, morbidity and burial practices. Our results revealed that while puberty had begun by 13.5 years of age for the majority of individuals, there was a lot of variability, with the adolescents from Arene Candide (AC1 and AC16), both aged around 16 years when they died, taking several years longer to progress through puberty than their peers. Assessing the age of menarche was challenging due to the paucity of female adolescents, but based on the available evidence, it appears to have occurred between 16 and 17 years of age. For some, full adulthood had been achieved by 17-22 years, similar to the patterns seen in modern wealthy countries and in advance of historic populations living in urbanized environments. The bioarchaeological analysis of puberty among Upper Paleolithic adolescents has important implications for the study of the emergence of adolescence within human-life histories, as well as for understanding the developmental plasticity of sexual maturation across past and present human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E Lewis
- Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6NZ, UK
| | - Jennifer C French
- Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, 12-14 Abercromby Square, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7WZ, UK
| | - Elena Rossoni-Notter
- Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology of Monaco, 56 bis Boulevard du Jardin Exotique, 98000, Monaco
| | - Olivier Notter
- Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology of Monaco, 56 bis Boulevard du Jardin Exotique, 98000, Monaco
| | - Abdelkader Moussous
- Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology of Monaco, 56 bis Boulevard du Jardin Exotique, 98000, Monaco
| | - Vitale Sparacello
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Francesco Boschin
- University of Siena, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, Via Laterina 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Stefano Ricci
- University of Siena, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, Via Laterina 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - April Nowell
- Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Cornett Building Room B228, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC, V8P 5C2, Canada.
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Pelton SR, Litynski M, Allaun SA, Buckley M, Govaerts J, Schoborg T, O’Brien M, Hill MG, Sanders P, Mackie ME, Kelly RL, Surovell TA. Early Paleoindian use of canids, felids, and hares for bone needle production at the La Prele site, Wyoming, USA. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0313610. [PMID: 39602430 PMCID: PMC11602046 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0313610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 10/28/2024] [Indexed: 11/29/2024] Open
Abstract
We report the first identifications of species and element used to produce Paleolithic bone needles. Archaeologists have used the tailored, fur-fringed garments of high latitude foragers as modern analogs for the clothes of Paleolithic foragers, arguing that the appearance of bone needles and fur bearer remains in archaeological sites c. 40,000 BP is indirect evidence for the advent of tailored garments at this time. These garments partially enabled modern human dispersal to northern latitudes and eventually enabled colonization of the Americas ca. 14,500 BP. Despite the importance of bone needles to explaining global modern human dispersal, archaeologists have never identified the materials used to produce them, thus limiting understanding of this important cultural innovation. We use Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) and Micro-CT scanning to establish that bone needles at the ca. 12,900 BP La Prele site (Wyoming, USA) were produced from the bones of canids, felids, and hares. We propose that these bones were used by the Early Paleoindian foragers at La Prele because they were scaled correctly for bone needle production and readily available within the campsite, having remained affixed to pelts sewn into complex garments. Combined with a review of comparable evidence from other North American Paleoindian sites, our results suggest that North American Early Paleoindians had direct access to fur-bearing predators, likely from trapping, and represent some of the most detailed evidence yet discovered for Paleoindian garments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer R. Pelton
- Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - McKenna Litynski
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Sarah A. Allaun
- History Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Michael Buckley
- School of Natural Sciences, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jack Govaerts
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Todd Schoborg
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Matthew O’Brien
- Department of Anthropology, California State University Chico, Chico, California, United States of America
| | - Matthew G. Hill
- World Languages and Cultures, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Paul Sanders
- Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Madeline E. Mackie
- Department of Anthropology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Robert L. Kelly
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Todd A. Surovell
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
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Baker J, Rigaud S, Pereira D, Courtenay LA, d'Errico F. Evidence from personal ornaments suggest nine distinct cultural groups between 34,000 and 24,000 years ago in Europe. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:431-444. [PMID: 38287173 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01803-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Mechanisms governing the relationship between genetic and cultural evolution are the subject of debate, data analysis and modelling efforts. Here we present a new georeferenced dataset of personal ornaments worn by European hunter-gatherers during the so-called Gravettian technocomplex (34,000-24,000 years ago), analyse it with multivariate and geospatial statistics, model the impact of distance on cultural diversity and contrast the outcome of our analyses with up-to-date palaeogenetic data. We demonstrate that Gravettian ornament variability cannot be explained solely by isolation-by-distance. Analysis of Gravettian ornaments identified nine geographically discrete cultural entities across Europe. While broadly in agreement with palaeogenetic data, our results highlight a more complex pattern, with cultural entities located in areas not yet sampled by palaeogenetics and distinctive entities in regions inhabited by populations of similar genetic ancestry. Integrating personal ornament and biological data from other Palaeolithic cultures will elucidate the complex narrative of population dynamics of Upper Palaeolithic Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Baker
- CNRS UMR 5199 De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Solange Rigaud
- CNRS UMR 5199 De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Daniel Pereira
- CNRS UMR 5199 De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Lloyd A Courtenay
- CNRS UMR 5199 De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Francesco d'Errico
- CNRS UMR 5199 De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE), University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Murray AA, Erlandson MC. Tibial cortical and trabecular variables together can pinpoint the timing of impact loading relative to menarche in premenopausal females. Am J Hum Biol 2021; 34:e23711. [PMID: 34878660 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Though relationships between limb bone structure and mechanical loading have provided fantastic opportunities for understanding the lives of prehistoric adults, the lives of children remain poorly understood. Our aim was to determine whether or not adult tibial skeletal variables retain information about childhood/adolescent loading, through assessing relationships between cortical and trabecular bone variables and the timing of impact loading relative to menarche in premenopausal adult females. METHODS Peripheral quantitative computed tomography was used to quantify geometric and densitometric variables from the proximal tibial diaphysis (66% location) and distal epiphysis (4% location) among 81 nulliparous young adult female controls and athletes aged 19-33 years grouped according to intensity of impact loading both pre- and post-menarche: (1) Low:Low (Controls); (2) High:Low; (3) High:High; (4) Moderate:Moderate; (5) Low:Moderate. ANCOVA was used to compare properties among the groups adjusted for age, stature, and body mass. RESULTS Significant increases in diaphyseal total cross-sectional area and strength-strain index were documented among groups with any pre-menarcheal impact loading relative to groups with none, regardless of post-menarcheal loading history (p < .01). In contrast, significantly elevated distal trabecular volumetric bone mineral density was only documented among groups with recent post-menarcheal loading relative to groups with none, regardless of pre-menarcheal impact loading history (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS The consideration of diaphyseal cortical bone geometric and epiphyseal trabecular bone densitometric variables together within the tibia can identify variation in pre-menarcheal and post-menarcheal impact loading histories among premenopausal adult females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison A Murray
- Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Marta C Erlandson
- College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
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Debard J, Dutour O, Mariéthoz F, Kottas G, Gios M, Desideri J. A unique case of skeletal dysplasia in an adult male in Late Iron Age Switzerland. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2021; 34:29-36. [PMID: 34126280 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We report a probable case of multiple skeletal dysplasia observed in a Late Iron Age young adult male. MATERIALS The individual studied belongs to a Late Iron Age necropolis from Switzerland. The skeletal elements are well preserved METHODS: Macroscopic and radiographic assessment. RESULTS The individual shows evidence of both craniofacial and mandibular deformation. Developmental defects are also visible with effects on the general shape and articular surfaces of both humeri, as well as the left femur and tibia. CONCLUSION We propose that the lesions observed are manifestations of skeletal dysplasia, such as pseudo-achondroplasia or multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. SIGNIFICANCE This is the first recorded case of multiple skeletal dysplasia in an Iron Age necropolis in Switzerland, questioning the integration of physically compromised individuals in La Tène society. LIMITATIONS Examination of other skeletal dysplasias from archaeological contexts provides support for this diagnosis. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH The integration of individuals with disabilities in La Tène societies is still poorly understood and further research is needed to better characterize these communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Debard
- University of Geneva, Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, Laboratory of Prehistoric Archaeology and Anthropology, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Dutour
- EPHE - University of Paris Sciences Lettres, PACEA - University of Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | - Matteo Gios
- University of Geneva, Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, Switzerland
| | - Jocelyne Desideri
- University of Geneva, Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, Laboratory of Prehistoric Archaeology and Anthropology, Switzerland.
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Gresky J, Dorn J, Teßmann B, Petiti E. How rare is rare? A literature survey of the last 45 years of paleopathological research on ancient rare diseases. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2021; 33:94-102. [PMID: 33813348 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This paper aims to provide a quantitative estimation of the representation of diseases defined as rare today in the bioarchaeological literature and to outline the reasons for this. MATERIALS A 45-year bibliometric study of publications in seven bioarchaeological journals, along with two journals and editorial groups of broader scientific focus. METHODS Analyses of distribution patterns of the search hits and diachronic trends for achondroplasia, autosomal-dominant osteopetrosis, osteogenesis imperfecta, and osteopoikilosis, compared to those for tuberculosis as control measure of coverage. RESULTS Studies of ancient rare diseases (ARD) are mostly published as case reports in specialized journals and their number did not benefit from the introduction of biomolecular studies. The higher frequency of cases of achondroplasia suggests that not all rare diseases are equally under-represented. CONCLUSIONS Rare diseases are still largely under-represented in bioarchaeological literature. Their marginality likely results from a combination of taphonomic, methodological and public visibility factors. SIGNIFICANCE This article is the first attempt to provide a quantitative assessment of the under-representation of ARD and to outline the factors behind it. LIMITATIONS Rare diseases are an etiologically heterogeneous group. The number of surveyed journals and articles, as well as targeted diseases might be limiting factors. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Increasing collection and dissemination of data on ARD; opening a wide-ranging debate on their definition; implementation of biomolecular studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Gresky
- German Archaeological Institute, Department of Natural Sciences, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Juliane Dorn
- German Archaeological Institute, Department of Natural Sciences, Berlin, Germany
| | - Barbara Teßmann
- Berlin Society of Anthropology, Ethnology and Prehistory, Berlin, Germany
| | - Emmanuele Petiti
- German Archaeological Institute, Department of Natural Sciences, Berlin, Germany
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Nielsen M, Langley MC, Shipton C, Kapitány R. Homo neanderthalensis and the evolutionary origins of ritual in Homo sapiens. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190424. [PMID: 32594872 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a large, if disparate, body of archaeological literature discussing specific instantiations of symbolic material culture and the possibility of ritual practices in Neanderthal populations. Despite this attention, however, no single synthesis exists that draws upon cognitive, psychological and cultural evolutionary theories of ritual. Here, we review the evidence for ritual-practice among now-extinct Homo neanderthalensis, as well as the necessary cognitive pre-conditions for such behaviour, in order to explore the evolution of ritual in Homo sapiens. We suggest that the currently available archaeological evidence indicates that Neanderthals may have used 'ritualization' to increase the successful transmission of technical knowledge across generations-providing an explanation for the technological stability of the Middle Palaeolithic and attesting to a survival strategy differing from near-contemporary H. sapiens. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ritual renaissance: new insights into the most human of behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Nielsen
- Early Cognitive Development Centre, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
| | - Michelle C Langley
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Mount Gravatt, Australia
| | - Ceri Shipton
- Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Rohan Kapitány
- School of Psychology, Keele University, Keele, UK.,School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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8
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Nowell A, French JC. Adolescence and innovation in the European Upper Palaeolithic. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2020; 2:e36. [PMID: 37588373 PMCID: PMC10427464 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2020.37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood and adolescence are two stages of development that are unique to the human life course. While childhood in the Pleistocene has received considerable attention in recent years, adolescence during the same period remains an understudied area of research. Yet it is during adolescence that key social, physical and cognitive milestones are reached. Thus, through studying adolescents, there is enormous potential for improving our understanding of Upper Palaeolithic lifeways more broadly. The reason for the dearth of these types of studies may be the perceived methodological difficulty of identifying adolescents in the archaeological record. In many ways, it is easier to distinguish children (sensu lato) from adults based on size, developmental age and associated artefacts. Adolescents, however, are often seen as more ambiguous, more liminal. Working within an evolutionary framework and using a definition of adolescence rooted in biology, we draw on psychology, ethnography and palaeodemography to develop a model of what it might have meant to be a 'teenager' in the European Upper Palaeolithic. Citing the biological, social and cognitive changes that occur during this life stage, we propose an important role of teenagers in the origins and spread of new ideas and innovations throughout the Late Pleistocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- April Nowell
- Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, CanadaV8W 2Y2
| | - Jennifer C. French
- University College London, Institute of Archaeology, 31–34 Gordon Square, LondonWC1H 0PY, UK
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Halcrow SE, Miller MJ, Snoddy AME, Fan W, Pechenkina K. Growing up different in Neolithic China: A contextualised case study and differential diagnosis of a young adult with skeletal dysplasia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2020; 28:6-19. [PMID: 31841791 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2019.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a case study of a young adult from the late Neolithic Yangshao cultural period site (∼3300-2900 years BC) of Guanjia () located in Henan Province on the Central Plains of China, who has evidence for skeletal dysplasia characterised by proportional stunting of the long bones and a small axial skeleton, generalised osteopenia, and non-fusion of epiphyses. We provide a detailed differential diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia with paediatric onset and conclude that this is likely a form of hypopituitarism or hypothyroidism, an extremely rare finding within the archaeological context. This paper highlights the issues of distinguishing the forms of proportional dwarfism in palaeopathology because of the considerable variation in manifestation of these conditions. Finally, we assess whether there were any health and social implications for this person and community through the consideration of a bioarchaeology of care approach across the lifecourse, burial context, and information on social perceptions of 'difference' in the community. :: (3300~2900)。,,,,。,,。。,。,、、"",。.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siân E Halcrow
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, New Zealand.
| | | | | | - Wenquan Fan
- Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Kate Pechenkina
- Department of Anthropology, Queens College, City University of New York, United States
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10
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Early Upper Paleolithic human foot bones from Manot Cave, Israel. J Hum Evol 2019; 160:102668. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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11
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Mineral Pigments in Archaeology: Their Analysis and the Range of Available Materials. MINERALS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/min8050201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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12
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Colombo A, Hoogland M, Coqueugniot H, Dutour O, Waters-Rist A. Trabecular bone microarchitecture analysis, a way for an early detection of genetic dwarfism? Case study of a dwarf mother's offspring. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2018; 20:65-71. [PMID: 29496218 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2017.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A 66 year-old woman with a disproportionate dwarfism and who bore seven children was discovered at the Middenbeemster archaeological site (The Netherlands). Three are perinates and show no macroscopic or radiological evidence for a FGFR3 mutation causing hypo-or achondroplasia. This mutation induces dysfunction of the growth cartilage, leading to abnormalities in the development of trabecular bone. Because the mutation is autosomal dominant, these perinates have a 50% risk of having been affected. This study determines whether trabecular bone microarchitecture (TBMA) analysis is useful for detecting genetic dwarfism. Proximal metaphyses of humeri were μCT-scanned with a resolution of 7-12 μm. Three volumes of interest were segmented from each bone with TIVMI© software. The TBMA was quantified in BoneJ© using six parameters on which a multivariate analysis was then performed. Two of the Middenbeemster perinates show a quantitatively different TBMA organization. These results and the family's medical history suggest a diagnosis of genetic dwarfism for this two perinates. This study provides evidence to support the efficacy of μCT for diagnosing early-stage bone disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antony Colombo
- École Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University Paris, Chaire d'anthropologie biologique Paul Broca, France; UMR 5199 PACEA, University of Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, LabEx Sciences archéologiques de Bordeaux, n°ANR-10-LABX-52, bât B8, allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, CS50023, F-33615 Pessac, France; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Human Evolution, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Menno Hoogland
- The University of Western Ontario, Department of Anthropology, N6A-3K7, London, Canada
| | - Hélène Coqueugniot
- École Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University Paris, Chaire d'anthropologie biologique Paul Broca, France; UMR 5199 PACEA, University of Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, LabEx Sciences archéologiques de Bordeaux, n°ANR-10-LABX-52, bât B8, allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, CS50023, F-33615 Pessac, France; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Human Evolution, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Olivier Dutour
- École Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University Paris, Chaire d'anthropologie biologique Paul Broca, France; UMR 5199 PACEA, University of Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, LabEx Sciences archéologiques de Bordeaux, n°ANR-10-LABX-52, bât B8, allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, CS50023, F-33615 Pessac, France; The University of Western Ontario, Department of Anthropology, N6A-3K7, London, Canada
| | - Andrea Waters-Rist
- The University of Western Ontario, Department of Anthropology, N6A-3K7, London, Canada; Leiden University, Faculty of Archaeology, Laboratory for Human Osteoarchaeology, Postbus 9514, 2300RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Elephant and Mammoth Hunting during the Paleolithic: A Review of the Relevant Archaeological, Ethnographic and Ethno-Historical Records. QUATERNARY 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/quat1010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Proboscideans and humans have shared habitats across the Old and New Worlds for hundreds of thousands of years. Proboscideans were included in the human diet starting from the Lower Paleolithic period and until the final stages of the Pleistocene. However, the question of how prehistoric people acquired proboscideans remains unresolved. Moreover, the effect of proboscidean hunting on the eventual extinction of these mega-herbivores was never seriously evaluated, probably because of the lack of acquaintance with the plethora of information available regarding proboscidean hunting by humans. The aim of this paper is to bridge this gap and bring to light the data available in order to estimate the extent and procedures of elephant and mammoth hunting by humans during the Quaternary. This study examines the archaeological evidence of proboscidean hunting during Paleolithic times, and provides a review of ethnographic and ethno-historical accounts, demonstrating a wide range of traditional elephant-hunting strategies. We also discuss the rituals accompanying elephant hunting among contemporary hunter-gatherers, further stressing the importance of elephants among hunter-gatherers. Based on the gathered data, we suggest that early humans possessed the necessary abilities to actively and regularly hunt proboscideans; and performed this unique and challenging task at will.
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Sikora M, Seguin-Orlando A, Sousa VC, Albrechtsen A, Korneliussen T, Ko A, Rasmussen S, Dupanloup I, Nigst PR, Bosch MD, Renaud G, Allentoft ME, Margaryan A, Vasilyev SV, Veselovskaya EV, Borutskaya SB, Deviese T, Comeskey D, Higham T, Manica A, Foley R, Meltzer DJ, Nielsen R, Excoffier L, Mirazon Lahr M, Orlando L, Willerslev E. Ancient genomes show social and reproductive behavior of early Upper Paleolithic foragers. Science 2017; 358:659-662. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aao1807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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15
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Comment on "Deliberate body disposal by hominins in the Dinaledi Chamber, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa?" [J. Hum. Evol. 96 (2016) 145-148]. J Hum Evol 2016; 96:149-53. [PMID: 27289545 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2016] [Revised: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Potter BA, Irish JD, Reuther JD, McKinney HJ. New insights into Eastern Beringian mortuary behavior: a terminal Pleistocene double infant burial at Upward Sun River. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:17060-5. [PMID: 25385599 PMCID: PMC4260572 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1413131111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we report on the discovery of two infant burials dating to ∼11,500 calibrated years (cal) B.P. at the Upward Sun River site in central Alaska. The infants were interred in a pit feature with associated organic and lithic grave goods, including the earliest known North American hafted bifaces with decorated antler foreshafts. Skeletal and dental analyses indicate that Individual 1 died shortly after birth and Individual 2 was a late-term fetus, making these the youngest-aged late Pleistocene individuals known for the Americas and the only known prenate, offering, to our knowledge, the first opportunity to explore mortuary treatment of the youngest members of a terminal Pleistocene North American population. This burial was situated ∼40 cm directly below a cremated 3-y-old child previously discovered in association with a central hearth of a residential feature. The burial and cremation are contemporaneous, and differences in body orientation, treatment, and associated grave goods within a single feature and evidence for residential occupation between burial episodes indicate novel mortuary behaviors. The human remains, grave goods, and associated fauna provide rare direct data on organic technology, economy, seasonality of residential occupations, and infant/child mortality of terminal Pleistocene Beringians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben A Potter
- Department of Anthropology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775;
| | - Joel D Irish
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L33AF, United Kingdom; and
| | - Joshua D Reuther
- Department of Anthropology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775; Archaeology Department, University of Alaska Museum of the North, Fairbanks, AK 99775
| | - Holly J McKinney
- Department of Anthropology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775
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Buccal Dental Microwear and Diet of the Sunghir Upper Paleolithic Modern Humans. ARCHAEOLOGY ETHNOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY OF EURASIA 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aeae.2015.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Wu XJ, Xing S, Trinkaus E. An enlarged parietal foramen in the late archaic Xujiayao 11 neurocranium from Northern China, and rare anomalies among Pleistocene Homo. PLoS One 2013; 8:e59587. [PMID: 23527224 PMCID: PMC3601107 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2012] [Accepted: 02/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We report here a neurocranial abnormality previously undescribed in Pleistocene human fossils, an enlarged parietal foramen (EPF) in the early Late Pleistocene Xujiayao 11 parietal bones from the Xujiayao (Houjiayao) site, northern China. Xujiayao 11 is a pair of partial posteromedial parietal bones from an adult. It exhibits thick cranial vault bones, arachnoid granulations, a deviated posterior sagittal suture, and a unilateral (right) parietal lacuna with a posteriorly-directed and enlarged endocranial vascular sulcus. Differential diagnosis indicates that the perforation is a congenital defect, an enlarged parietal foramen, commonly associated with cerebral venous and cranial vault anomalies. It was not lethal given the individual’s age-at-death, but it may have been associated with secondary neurological deficiencies. The fossil constitutes the oldest evidence in human evolution of this very rare condition (a single enlarged parietal foramen). In combination with developmental and degenerative abnormalities in other Pleistocene human remains, it suggests demographic and survival patterns among Pleistocene Homo that led to an elevated frequency of conditions unknown or rare among recent humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Jie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Song Xing
- Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Erik Trinkaus
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Direct radiocarbon dates for the Mid Upper Paleolithic (eastern Gravettian) burials from Sunghir, Russia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s13219-011-0044-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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21
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Late Pleistocene adult mortality patterns and modern human establishment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:1267-71. [PMID: 21220336 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1018700108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The establishment of modern humans in the Late Pleistocene, subsequent to their emergence in eastern Africa, is likely to have involved substantial population increases, during their initial dispersal across southern Asia and their subsequent expansions throughout Africa and into more northern Eurasia. An assessment of younger (20-40 y) versus older (>40 y) adult mortality distributions for late archaic humans (principally Neandertals) and two samples of early modern humans (Middle Paleolithic and earlier Upper Paleolithic) provides little difference across the samples. All three Late Pleistocene samples have a dearth of older individuals compared with Holocene ethnographic/historical samples. They also lack older adults compared with Holocene paleodemographic profiles that have been critiqued for having too few older individuals for subsistence, social, and demographic viability. Although biased, probably through a combination of preservation, age assessment, and especially Pleistocene mobility requirements, these adult mortality distributions suggest low life expectancy and demographic instability across these Late Pleistocene human groups. They indicate only subtle and paleontologically invisible changes in human paleodemographics with the establishment of modern humans; they provide no support for a life history advantage among early modern humans.
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Walker M, Zapata J, Lombardi A, Trinkaus E. New Evidence of Dental Pathology in 40,000-year-old Neandertals. J Dent Res 2010; 90:428-32. [DOI: 10.1177/0022034510387797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- M.J. Walker
- Area de Antropología Física, Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Biología, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - J. Zapata
- Area de Antropología Física, Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Biología, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | | | - E. Trinkaus
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
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Mitochondrial DNA analysis of Yayoi period human skeletal remains from the Doigahama site. J Hum Genet 2009; 54:581-8. [PMID: 19696790 DOI: 10.1038/jhg.2009.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We analyzed the mitochondrial DNA extracted from 14 human skeletal remains from the Doigahama site in Japan to clarify the genetic structure of the Doigahama Yayoi population and the relationship between burial style and kinship among individuals. The sequence types obtained in this study were compared with those of the modern Japanese, northern Kyushu Yayoi and ancient Chinese populations. We found that the northern Kyushu Yayoi populations belonged to the groups that include most of the modern Japanese population. In contrast, most of the Doigahama Yayoi population belonged to the group that includes a small number of the modern Japanese population. These results suggest that the Doigahama Yayoi population might have contributed less to the formation of the modern Japanese population than the northern Kyushu Yayoi populations. Moreover, when we examined the kinship between individuals in the Doigahama site, we found that the vicinal burial of adult skeletons indicated a maternal kinship, although that of juvenile skeletons did not. The vicinal burial style might have been influenced by many factors, such as paternal lineages, periods and geographical regions, as well as maternal lineages. In addition, skeletons considered to be those of shamans or leaders had the same sequence types. Their crucial social roles may have been inherited through maternal lineage.
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Holt BM, Formicola V. Hunters of the Ice Age: The biology of Upper Paleolithic people. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2009; Suppl 47:70-99. [PMID: 19003886 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The Upper Paleolithic represents both the phase during which anatomically modern humans appeared and the climax of hunter-gatherer cultures. Demographic expansion into new areas that took place during this period and the diffusion of burial practices resulted in an unprecedented number of well-preserved human remains. This skeletal record, dovetailed with archeological, environmental, and chronological contexts, allows testing of hypotheses regarding biological processes at the population level. In this article, we review key studies about the biology of Upper Paleolithic populations based primarily on European samples, but integrating information from other areas of the Old World whenever possible. Data about cranial morphology, skeletal robusticity, stature, body proportions, health status, diet, physical activity, and genetics are evaluated in Late Pleistocene climatic and cultural contexts. Various lines of evidence delineate the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) as a critical phase in the biological and cultural evolution of Upper Paleolithic populations. The LGM, a long phase of climatic deterioration culminating around 20,000 BP, had a profound impact on the environment, lifestyle, and behavior of human groups. Some of these effects are recorded in aspects of skeletal biology of these populations. Groups living before and after the LGM, Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) and Late Upper Paleolithic (LUP), respectively, differ significantly in craniofacial dimensions, stature, robusticity, and body proportions. While paleopathological and stable isotope data suggest good health status throughout the Upper Paleolithic, some stress indicators point to a slight decline in quality of life in LUP populations. The intriguing and unexpected incidence of individuals affected by congenital disorders probably indicates selective burial practices for these abnormal individuals. While some of the changes observed can be explained through models of biocultural or environmental adaptation (e.g., decreased lower limb robusticity following decreased mobility; changes in body proportions along with climatic change), others are more difficult to explain. For instance, craniodental and upper limb robusticity show complex evolutionary patterns that do not always correspond to expectations. In addition, the marked decline in stature and the mosaic nature of change in body proportions still await clarifications. These issues, as well as systematic analysis of specific pathologies and possible relationships between genetic lineages, population movements and cultural complexes, should be among the goals of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte M Holt
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Abstract
The Natufians of the southern Levant (15,000-11,500 cal BP) underwent pronounced socioeconomic changes associated with the onset of sedentism and the shift from a foraging to farming lifestyle. Excavations at the 12,000-year-old Natufian cave site, Hilazon Tachtit (Israel), have revealed a grave that provides a rare opportunity to investigate the ideological shifts that must have accompanied these socioeconomic changes. The grave was constructed and specifically arranged for a petite, elderly, and disabled woman, who was accompanied by exceptional grave offerings. The grave goods comprised 50 complete tortoise shells and select body-parts of a wild boar, an eagle, a cow, a leopard, and two martens, as well as a complete human foot. The interment rituals and the method used to construct and seal the grave suggest that this is the burial of a shaman, one of the earliest known from the archaeological record. Several attributes of this burial later become central in the spiritual arena of human cultures worldwide.
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