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Ryan-Despraz J, Villotte S, Desideri J, Besse M. Multivariate assessments of activity-related skeletal changes: Interpreting Bell Beaker specialized male archery and social organization in Central Europe. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 182:237-263. [PMID: 37525512 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24817] [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: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Bell Beaker period witnessed the rise of individual inhumations with "wealthy" burial contexts containing archery-related grave goods, leading archaeologists to label the individuals in these tombs as "archers." This study looks to (1) compare the skeletons from male "archer" burials with those from male "non-archer" burials-those not having archery-related grave goods-in order to assess a possible link between burial context and physical activity, and (2) apply a biomechanics profile to evaluate whether the individuals associated with these "archer" burials practiced specialized archer activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS The corpus (males only) included 46 "archers" and 40 "non-archers" from Bell Beaker individual inhumations. Osteological data included measurements, scores of entheseal changes, and a diagnosis of certain pathologies. Data analyses involved visual observations, hypothesis tests, dimension reduction, and MANOVA, with approaches aimed at exploring the treatment of data missingness. RESULTS Measurement data revealed no differences between the two groups. Evaluations of entheseal changes found that "non-archers" had consistently more instances of bone surface modifications than "archers." Individual assessments of specialized archer occupation identified 11 possible specialized archers. DISCUSSION These findings indicate a possible labor differentiation represented through the presence of a probably prestigious "archer" burial context. This suggests a link between grave good presence and labor, but not between a Bell Beaker archery occupation and an "archer" burial context. Data analyses support the application of biomechanics to osteological analyses in order to assess specialized activity on the skeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Ryan-Despraz
- Laboratory of Prehistoric Archaeology and Anthropology, Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - S Villotte
- UMR7206 Éco-Anthropologie, CNRS, MNHN, Université Paris Cité. Musée de l'Homme, Paris, France
- Quaternary environments & Humans, OD Earth and History of life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
- Unité de Recherches Art, Archéologie Patrimoine, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - J Desideri
- Laboratory of Archaeology of Africa and Anthropology, Section of Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - M Besse
- Laboratory of Prehistoric Archaeology and Anthropology, Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Radini A, Nikita E. Beyond dirty teeth: Integrating dental calculus studies with osteoarchaeological parameters. QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR QUATERNARY RESEARCH 2023; 653-654:3-18. [PMID: 37089908 PMCID: PMC10109118 DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2022.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The study of ancient human dental calculus (mineralized dental plaque, also known as tartar) is becoming increasingly important in osteoarchaeology, human palaeoecology and environmental archaeology. Microremains of different origin (e.g. starch granules, pollen, phytoliths, feather barbules) as well as biomolecules and chemical compounds retrieved from its mineral matrix may represent an important link between past humans and their physical, biological and social environment, but they are rarely fully linked to the evidence from skeletal remains. This paper critically reviews the lines of evidence retrieved from dental calculus in relation to osteoarchaeological parameters, employing macroscopic, microscopic and biomolecular approaches, assessing synergy potential and limitations. The scope of this paper is also to contribute to the building of a much needed theoretical framework in this emerging subfield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Radini
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, The University of York, Wentworth Way, York, UK
- York JEOL Nanocentre, The University of York, Science Park, York, UK
| | - Efthymia Nikita
- Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, 2121, Aglantzia, Nicosia, Cyprus
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Bird EE, Kivell TL, Skinner MM. Patterns of internal bone structure and functional adaptation in the hominoid scaphoid, lunate, and triquetrum. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emma E. Bird
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Canterbury UK
| | - Tracy L. Kivell
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Canterbury UK
- Department of Human Evolution Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig Germany
| | - Matthew M. Skinner
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Canterbury UK
- Department of Human Evolution Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig Germany
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Jiménez-Brobeil SA, Charisi D, Laffranchi Z, Maroto Benavides RM, Delgado Huertas A, Milella M. Sex differences in diet and life conditions in a rural Medieval Islamic population from Spain (La Torrecilla, Granada): An isotopic and osteological approach to gender differentiation in al-Andalus. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 175:794-815. [PMID: 33772756 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Gender differentiation can influence the diet, physical activity, and health of human populations. Multifaceted approaches are therefore necessary when exploring the biological consequences of gender-related social norms in the past. Here, we explore the links between diet, physiological stress, physical activity, and gender differentiation in the Medieval Islamic population of La Torrecilla (Granada, Spain, 13th-15th century AD), by analyzing stable isotope patterns, stature, and long bone diaphyseal measurements. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sample includes 96 individuals (48 females, 48 males) classified as young and middle adults (20-34 and 35-50 years of age respectively). Diet was reconstructed through the analysis of δ13 C and δ15 N. Stature, humeral and femoral diaphyseal shape and product of diaphyseal diameters served as proxies of physiological stress and physical activity. RESULTS Isotopic ratios suggest a substantial dietary contribution of C4 plants (e.g., sorghum, millet), a variable access to animal proteins, and no differences between the sexes. Sexual dimorphism in stature derives from a markedly low female stature. Long bone diaphyseal properties suggest that men performed various physically stressful activities, whereas women were involved in less physically demanding activities (possibly related to household work). DISCUSSION Gender differentiation in La Torrecilla was expressed by a possibly differential parental investment in male versus female offspring and by culturally sanctioned gender differences in the performance of physical tasks. Diet was qualitatively homogenous between the sexes, although we cannot rule out quantitative differences. Our results shed new light on the effects of gender-related social norms on human development and lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia A Jiménez-Brobeil
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Drosia Charisi
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Zita Laffranchi
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.,Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rosa M Maroto Benavides
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Antonio Delgado Huertas
- Biogeochemistry of Stable Isotopes Laboratory, Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences, (IACT-CSIC-UGR), Granada, Spain
| | - Marco Milella
- Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Betsinger TK, DeWitte SN. Toward a bioarchaeology of urbanization: Demography, health, and behavior in cities in the past. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 175 Suppl 72:79-118. [PMID: 33619721 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Urbanization is one of the most important settlement shifts in human history and has been the focus of research within bioarchaeology for decades. However, there have been limited attempts to synthesize the results of these studies in order to gain a broader perspective on whether or how urbanization affects the biology, demography, and behavior of humans, and how these potential effects are embodied in the human skeleton. This paper outlines how bioarchaeology is well-suited to examine urbanization in the past, and we provide an overview and examples of three main ways in which urbanization is studied in bioarchaeological research: comparison of (often contemporaneous) urban and rural sites, synchronic studies of the variation that exists within and between urban sites, and investigations of changes that occur within urban sites over time. Studies of urbanization, both within bioarchaeology and in other fields of study, face a number of limitations, including a lack of a consensus regarding what urban and urbanization mean, the assumed dichotomous nature of urban versus rural settlements, the supposition that urbanization is universally bad for people, and the assumption (at least in practice) of homogeneity within urban and rural populations. Bioarchaeologists can address these limitations by utilizing a wide array of data and methods, and the studies described here collectively demonstrate the complex, nuanced, and highly variable effects of urbanization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sharon N DeWitte
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
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Laffranchi Z, Charisi D, Jiménez-Brobeil SA, Milella M. Gendered division of labor in a Celtic community? A comparison of sex differences in entheseal changes and long bone shape and robusticity in the pre-Roman population of Verona (Italy, third-first century BC). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 173:568-588. [PMID: 32812226 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The presence of a gendered subdivision of labor has been bioarchaeologically investigated in various prehistoric and historical contexts. Little is known, however, about the type of differences in daily activities characterizing men and women among the Celtic communities of Italy. The focus of the present study is the analysis of differences in patterns of entheseal changes (ECs) and long bone shape and robusticity between sexes among the Cenomani Gauls of Seminario Vescovile (SV-Verona, Italy, third-first century BC). MATERIALS AND METHODS The sample includes 56 adult individuals (22 females and 34 males). Presence of ECs on nine bilateral postcranial attachment sites, and values of humeral and femoral shape and robusticity indices based on external measurements were compared between sexes by means of generalized linear models and Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS Results show a lack of difference between sexes in long bone shape and robusticity, and a higher incidence of upper and, especially, lower limb ECs in males. DISCUSSION These results suggest the presence of sex-specific activities at SV mostly related to farming and differently influencing the considered variables. Also, this study suggests the relevance of a series of nonbiomechanical factors (developmental, hormonal, genetic, and methodological) when attempting biocultural reconstructions from osteoarchaeological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zita Laffranchi
- Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Medicine Faculty, University of Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
| | - Drosia Charisi
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Medicine Faculty, University of Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
| | - Sylvia A Jiménez-Brobeil
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Medicine Faculty, University of Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
| | - Marco Milella
- Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Mulder B, Stock JT, Saers JPP, Inskip SA, Cessford C, Robb JE. Intrapopulation variation in lower limb trabecular architecture. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 173:112-129. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bram Mulder
- University of Cambridge, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Cambridge UK
| | - Jay T. Stock
- University of Cambridge, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Cambridge UK
- Department of Anthropology University of Western Ontario London Canada
- Department of Archaeology Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History Jena Germany
| | - Jaap P. P. Saers
- University of Cambridge, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Cambridge UK
| | - Sarah A. Inskip
- University of Cambridge, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Cambridge UK
| | - Craig Cessford
- University of Cambridge, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Cambridge UK
| | - John E. Robb
- University of Cambridge, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Cambridge UK
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Saers JP, Ryan TM, Stock JT. Trabecular bone structure scales allometrically in the foot of four human groups. J Hum Evol 2019; 135:102654. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Holt B, Whittey E. The impact of terrain on lower limb bone structure. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 168:729-743. [PMID: 30771265 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Lower limb diaphyseal geometry is often used to evaluate mobility in past populations. Diaphyseal dimensions such as high shape (IX /IY ) indices generally thought to reflect high mobility may also result from walking over rough terrain. This study investigates the possible effects of terrain on lower limb diaphyseal cross-sectional geometric dimensions. MATERIALS The sample (N = 3,195) comprises adult skeletons from Europe, Africa, North America, and Asia, spanning from around 30,000 BP to mid-twentieth century. METHODS Femoral and tibial shape and bending/torsional strength dimensions were gathered either as part of a previous project or were generously provided by researchers. Local terrain for each site was quantified with ArcGIS mapping software using geographic coordinates and USGS elevation data, and characterized as flat, hilly, or mountainous. RESULTS Analysis of variance shows significant differences (p < .05) in midshaft femoral and tibial shape ratio and relative bending/torsional strength among the three terrain categories, with more AP oriented diaphyseal shapes and greater relative strength in hilly and mountainous groups, even after correcting for the effect of subsistence. As expected, the impact of terrain is much more marked for hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists than for more mechanized recent populations. Interestingly, the effect of terrain is confounded in higher latitude individuals that exhibit increased ML bending strength, probably reflecting larger body breadth. DISCUSSION This study underscores the mechanical significance of traveling over rough terrain and highlights the complex interactions of mobility, terrain, and body shape that contribute to shaping lower limb bone diaphyseal structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Holt
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Erin Whittey
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
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Saers JPP, Ryan TM, Stock JT. Trabecular bone functional adaptation and sexual dimorphism in the human foot. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 168:154-169. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jaap P. P. Saers
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Cambridge United Kingdom
| | - Timothy M. Ryan
- Department of Anthropology Pennsylvania State University State College Pennsylvania
| | - Jay T. Stock
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Cambridge United Kingdom
- Department of Anthropology University of Western Ontario London Ontario Canada
- Department of Archaeology Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History Jena Germany
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Hagihara Y, Nara T. The characteristic mid-shaft cross-sectional shape of the ulna in Jomon hunter-gatherers. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 164:598-608. [PMID: 28832931 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Jomon people were hunter-gatherers who inhabited the Japanese archipelago between 10,000 BC and 300 BC. Here, we focus on the mid-shaft cross-sectional shape of the ulna in the Jomon population and compare it with modern Japanese people. MATERIALS AND METHODS Jomon specimens, including 32 males and 22 females, were excavated from shell mound sites in the Pacific and Seto inland coastal area of Honshu island in the Japanese archipelago dated to the Late-to-Final Jomon phase (between 2,000 BC and 300 BC). Mid-shaft ulna cross-sectional shapes were compared with modern Japanese specimens (25 males, 21 females) using standard linear measurements and elliptic Fourier analysis (EFA). Differences from both sides of this element were compared using predicted handedness. RESULTS Linear measurements and EFA results show that ulna shape of both sexes within the Jomon population are relatively larger in the antero-posterior direction and have more developed posterior borders than modern Japanese males and females. No significant differences were observed between Jomon sexes based on the predicted dominant side, but differences were evident in the predicted nondominant side. At the same time, bilateral differences were recognized in Jomon females, because of a lower level of posterior border development in the predicted nondominant side compared to the dominant side. DISCUSSION Shape differences between Jomon people and modern Japanese can be explained by variation in the habitual loading of the ulna. Sexual dimorphism in ulna shape within the Jomon population suggests division of labor differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuo Hagihara
- Department of Medical Technology, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Kita-ku, Niigata City, Niigata, Japan
| | - Takashi Nara
- Department of Medical Technology, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Kita-ku, Niigata City, Niigata, Japan
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Kuil L, Carr G, Viglione A, Prskawetz A, Blöschl G. Conceptualizing socio-hydrological drought processes: The case of the Maya collapse. WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH 2016; 52:6222-6242. [PMID: 27840455 PMCID: PMC5091644 DOI: 10.1002/2015wr018298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
With population growth, increasing water demands and climate change the need to understand the current and future pathways to water security is becoming more pressing. To contribute to addressing this challenge, we examine the link between water stress and society through socio-hydrological modeling. We conceptualize the interactions between an agricultural society with its environment in a stylized way. We apply the model to the case of the ancient Maya, a population that experienced a peak during the Classic Period (AD 600-830) and then declined during the ninth century. The hypothesis that modest drought periods played a major role in the society's collapse is explored. Simulating plausible feedbacks between water and society we show that a modest reduction in rainfall may lead to an 80% population collapse. Population density and crop sensitivity to droughts, however, may play an equally important role. The simulations indicate that construction of reservoirs results in less frequent drought impacts, but if the reservoirs run dry, drought impact may be more severe and the population drop may be larger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Kuil
- Centre for Water Resource Systems, Vienna University of TechnologyViennaAustria
| | - Gemma Carr
- Centre for Water Resource Systems, Vienna University of TechnologyViennaAustria
| | - Alberto Viglione
- Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources ManagementVienna University of TechnologyViennaAustria
| | - Alexia Prskawetz
- Institute of Statistics and Mathematical Methods in Economics, Vienna University of TechnologyViennaAustria
- Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, VID/OEAW,WU)ViennaAustria
| | - Günter Blöschl
- Centre for Water Resource Systems, Vienna University of TechnologyViennaAustria
- Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources ManagementVienna University of TechnologyViennaAustria
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MIZUSHIMA SOICHIRO, SUWA GEN, HIRATA KAZUAKI. A comparative analysis of fetal to subadult femoral midshaft bone distribution of prehistoric Jomon hunter-gatherers and modern Japanese. ANTHROPOL SCI 2016. [DOI: 10.1537/ase.151104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- SOICHIRO MIZUSHIMA
- Department of Anatomy, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki-shi
| | - GEN SUWA
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo
| | - KAZUAKI HIRATA
- Department of Anatomy, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki-shi
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Michopoulou E, Nikita E, Valakos ED. Evaluating the efficiency of different recording protocols for entheseal changes in regards to expressing activity patterns using archival data and cross-sectional geometric properties. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2015; 158:557-68. [PMID: 26239396 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In the past decade there have been extensive discussions on the potential utility of entheseal changes (EC) as activity markers. Nevertheless, no study to date has compared different EC recording protocols with respect to their correlation to activity patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS This article records changes on fibrocartilaginous entheses of the upper limbs of 90 male skeletons from the documented Athens Collection using the Hawkey and Merbs (Int J Osteoarchaeol 5 (1995) 324-338), Mariotti et al. (Collegium Antropol 28 (2004) 145-159), and Villotte et al. (Am J Phys Anthropol 142 (2010) 224-234) recording schemes in order to determine which one exhibits the highest correlation with activity. Activity is assessed by means of the recorded profession of each individual, as well as employing cross-sectional geometric properties. Generalized Linear Models are used to explore the impact of age, body mass, and activity on EC expression. RESULTS Our results agree with previous studies that age is the primary factor determining EC, whereas body mass is the second most influential factor. In contrast, activity in the form of profession or cross-sectional geometry rarely showed a significant correlation to EC expression and no clear pattern could be discerned irrespective of the recording technique. However, bilateral differences in the impact of age and body mass in EC expression were traced and may relate to activity patterns. CONCLUSIONS The differences found in the bilateral impact of age and body mass highlight the fact that the activity patterns of the individuals under examination must play an underlying role to EC expression, though current recording schemes for EC do not capture this, rendering further work in the direction of developing more elaborate recording standards imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efrossyni Michopoulou
- Department of Biology, Section of Animal and Human Physiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens, 15771
| | | | - Efstratios D Valakos
- Department of Biology, Section of Animal and Human Physiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens, 15771
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Nikita E, Mattingly D, Lahr M. Dental indicators of adaptation in the Sahara Desert during the Late Holocene. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2014; 65:381-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2014.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 05/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Nikita E. The use of generalized linear models and generalized estimating equations in bioarchaeological studies. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 153:473-83. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2013] [Revised: 12/01/2013] [Accepted: 12/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Efthymia Nikita
- Department of History and Archaeology; Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; 54124 Thessaloniki Greece
- The American School of Classical Studies at Athens; 54 Souidias Street, 106 76 Athens
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Functional plasticity of the human humerus: Shape, rigidity, and muscular entheses. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 150:609-17. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2012] [Revised: 12/28/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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