1
|
Snoddy AME, Shaw H, Newman S, Miszkiewicz JJ, Stewart NA, Jakob T, Buckley H, Caffell A, Gowland R. Vitamin D status in post-medieval Northern England: Insights from dental histology and enamel peptide analysis at Coach Lane, North Shields (AD 1711-1857). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296203. [PMID: 38295005 PMCID: PMC10830048 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296203] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The post-medieval period in Europe saw a dramatic increase in metabolic bone disease related to vitamin D deficiency (VDD). Recent paleopathological work has utilized interglobular dentin (IGD) as a proxy for poor vitamin D status during development, while enamel peptide analysis allows the identification of chromosomal sex in non-adult remains. Here we explore the relationship between sex, the presence of IGD, and macroscopic markers of VDD in an industrial era assemblage from Northeast England. MATERIALS AND METHODS 25 individuals (9 females, 9 males, 9 unknown sex) from the cemetery site at Coach Lane, North Shields (1711-1857) were selected for paleopathological analysis, histological assessment of IGD, and enamel peptide determination of chromosomal sex. RESULTS Ground tooth sections from 21 individuals were of suitable quality for detection of IGD, and enamel peptide analysis confirmed the chromosomal sex of ten individuals. Sixteen individuals (76.1%) exhibited ≥1 episode of IGD. Nine of these (42.8%) exhibited >1 episode and four (19%) exhibited ≥4 episodes in regular intervals. Male sex was significantly associated with the presence of IGD (p = 0.0351; 100% males vs. 54.5% females). Females were more likely to exhibit macroscopic evidence of VDD (45.5% females vs 30% males) but this was not statistically significant. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Periods of poor mineral metabolism during childhood appear much more prevalent at Coach Lane than macroscopic evidence suggests. Evidence of seasonal IGD episodes indicates that northern latitude played a major role in poor VD status in the Northeast of England. The significant association of IGD with male sex may be due to sex-related differences in dentinal mineralization or a higher risk of poor VD status in males aged <5 years. More work is needed to establish an evidence-based threshold for pathological levels of IGD before the presence of this feature can confidently be used as a biomarker for poor VD status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Heidi Shaw
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Newman
- School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Nicolas A. Stewart
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Tina Jakob
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Hallie Buckley
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Anwen Caffell
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Gowland
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Quade L, Králík M, Bencúrová P, Dunn EC. Cortisol in deciduous tooth tissues: A potential metric for assessing stress exposure in archaeological and living populations. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2023; 43:1-6. [PMID: 37639895 PMCID: PMC10840740 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone produced by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis that is regularly assessed in modern human and non-human populations in saliva, blood, and hair as a measure of stress exposure and stress reactivity. While recent research has detected cortisol concentrations in modern and archaeological permanent dental tissues, the present study assessed human primary (deciduous) teeth for cortisol concentrations. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-one dentine and enamel samples from nine modern and 10 archaeological deciduous teeth were analyzed for cortisol concentrations via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS Detectable concentrations of cortisol were identified in 15 (of 32) dentine and 8 (of 19) enamel samples coming from modern and archaeological deciduous teeth. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first known analysis of cortisol from deciduous dental tissues, demonstrating the potential to identify measurable concentrations. SIGNIFICANCE The ability to analyze deciduous teeth is integral to developing dental cortisol methods with multiple potential future applications, including research on the biological embedding of stress in the skeleton. This study marks a key step in a larger research program to study stress in primary dentition from living and archaeological populations. LIMITATIONS Multiple samples generated cortisol values that were not detectable with ELISA. Minimum quantities of tissue may be required to generate detectable levels of cortisol. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Future research should include larger sample sizes and consideration of intrinsic biological and extrinsic preservation factors on dental cortisol. Further method validation and alternative methods for assessing dental cortisol are needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leslie Quade
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, Brno 61137, Czech Republic.
| | - Miroslav Králík
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, Brno 61137, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Bencúrová
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Žerotínovo nám. 617/9, Brno 60177, Czech Republic
| | - Erin C Dunn
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zuckerman MK, Malis SW, Dillon DD, Widrick KJ, Adams EJ, Hill ME, McKenna MK, Baumgartel OC, Willis HD. Sex, gender, and sexuality in paleopathology: Select current developments and pathways forward. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2023; 41:8-21. [PMID: 36889217 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2023.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Overall, paleopathology trails behind related fields in exploring sex, gender, and sexuality in past societies. Here, we interrogatively synthesize scholarship on topics not included in similar reviews, focusing on sex estimation methods, and considering the social determinants of health; trauma; reproduction and family; and childhood - to highlight novel, social epidemiology- and social theory-informed frameworks and interpretive devices. CONCLUSIONS Many paleopathological interpretations focus on sex-gender differences relative to health, with increasing use of intersectionality. Others consistently project present-day ideologies about sex, gender, and sexuality (e.g., binary sex-gender systems) into paleopathological interpretations (i.e., presentism). SIGNIFICANCE Paleopathologists have an ethical imperative to generate scholarship that contributes to social justice initiatives focused on dismantling structural inequalities, especially relative to sex, gender, and sexuality (e.g., homophobia), such as through denaturalizing presentist binary systems. They also have a responsibility towards greater inclusivity relative to researcher identity and diversification of method and theory. LIMITATIONS In addition to material limitations complicating reconstructions of sex, gender, and sexuality relative to health and disease in the past, this review wasn't comprehensive. The review was also limited by the relative paucity of paleopathological work on these topics. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH The outlook for paleopathological research on sex, gender, and sexuality is, however, positive; paleopathology is well situated to tackle these aspects of social identity. Future work should consider critical, self-reflective movement away from presentism; more robust contextualization; and further engagement with social theory and social epidemiology theory and approaches, including the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), social determinants of health, and intersectionality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Molly K Zuckerman
- Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University, 340 Lee Blvd, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
| | - Sierra W Malis
- Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University, 340 Lee Blvd, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA; National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560, USA.
| | - Daniel D Dillon
- Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University, 340 Lee Blvd, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
| | - Kerri J Widrick
- Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University, 340 Lee Blvd, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
| | - Elise J Adams
- Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University, 340 Lee Blvd, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
| | - Mary E Hill
- Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University, 340 Lee Blvd, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
| | - M Kathryn McKenna
- Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University, 340 Lee Blvd, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
| | - Olivia C Baumgartel
- Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University, 340 Lee Blvd, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
| | - Hannah D Willis
- Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University, 340 Lee Blvd, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mangal U, Noh K, Lee S, Cha JK, Song JS, Cha JY, Lee KJ, Kim KM, Kwon JS, Choi SH. Multistability and hysteresis in states of oral microbiota: Is it impacting the dental clinical cohort studies? J Periodontal Res 2023; 58:381-391. [PMID: 36641544 DOI: 10.1111/jre.13098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Microbiome from a "healthy cohort" is used as a reference for comparison to cases and intervention. However, the studies with cohort-based clinical research have not sufficiently accounted for the multistability in oral microbial community. The screening is limited to phenotypic features with marked variations in microbial genomic markers. Herein, we aimed to assess the stability of the oral microbiome across time from an intervention-free "healthy" cohort. METHODS We obtained 33 supragingival samples of 11 healthy participants from the biobank. For each participant, we processed one sample as baseline (T0) and two samples spaced at 1-month (T1) and 3-month (T2) intervals for 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing analysis. RESULTS We observed that taxonomic profiling had a similar pattern of dominant genera, namely, Rothia, Prevotella, and Hemophilus, at all time points. Shannon diversity revealed a significant increase from T0 (p < .05). Bray Curtis dissimilarity was significant (R = -.02, p < .01) within the cohort at each time point. Community stability had negative correlation to synchrony (r = -.739; p = .009) and variance (r = -.605; p = .048) of the species. Clustering revealed marked differences in the grouping patterns between the three time points. For all time points, the clusters presented a substantially dissimilar set of differentially abundant taxonomic and functional biomarkers. CONCLUSION Our observations indicate towards the presence of multistable states within the oral microbiome in an intervention-free healthy cohort. For a conclusive and meaningful long-term reference, dental clinical research should account for multistability in the personalized therapy approach to improve the identification and classification of reliable markers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Utkarsh Mangal
- Department of Orthodontics, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.,Institute of Craniofacial Deformity, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kowoon Noh
- Institute of Craniofacial Deformity, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.,Department and Research Institute of Dental Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.,BK21 FOUR Project, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seeyoon Lee
- Department of Orthodontics, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae-Kook Cha
- Department of Periodontology, Research Institute of Periodontal Regeneration, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea
| | - Je Seon Song
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.,Oral Science Research Center, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jung-Yul Cha
- Department of Orthodontics, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.,Institute of Craniofacial Deformity, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kee-Joon Lee
- Department of Orthodontics, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.,Institute of Craniofacial Deformity, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kwang-Mahn Kim
- Department and Research Institute of Dental Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae-Sung Kwon
- Department and Research Institute of Dental Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.,BK21 FOUR Project, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sung-Hwan Choi
- Department of Orthodontics, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.,Institute of Craniofacial Deformity, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lamer M, Veselka B, Schrader S, Hoogland M, Brickley MB. Precarious adolescence: Adolescent rickets and anterior sacral angulation in two Dutch skeletal collections from the 18th-19th centuries. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2023; 40:63-69. [PMID: 36586233 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2022.12.006] [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: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This project aims to provide an objective approach to suggesting cases of adolescent rickets using the presence of anterior sacral angulation and interglobular dentine. MATERIALS Sacra from 49 individuals from Hattem and 150 individuals from Middenbeemster, and second and third molars from five individuals from Hattem were analyzed. Both sites date to the 17th to 19th centuries. METHODS The sacra were visually assessed for sacral angulation and measured to quantify anterior sacral angulation. The sampled molars were thin sectioned to look for the presence of interglobular dentine. RESULTS Metric analysis determined that seven individuals had significantly anteriorly angled sacra. Three of the five individuals with sampled molars had interglobular dentine formed during adolescence. CONCLUSIONS Adolescent rickets may be associated with anterior sacral angulation. SIGNIFICANCE Anterior sacral angulation may help identify possible cases of adolescent rickets in archaeological human remains. LIMITATIONS The small sample size for the molars prevented the identification of more individuals with interglobular dentine present during adolescence. Several individuals with visibly angled sacra were unmeasurable due to post-mortem damage and lacked molars. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Research on a larger sample would allow us to understand better the association between anterior sacral angulation and adolescent rickets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Lamer
- Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Anthropology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - B Veselka
- Chemistry Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Archaeology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - S Schrader
- Faculty of Archaeology, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - M Hoogland
- Faculty of Archaeology, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - M B Brickley
- Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lewis ME. Exploring adolescence as a key life history stage in bioarchaeology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 179:519-534. [PMCID: PMC9825885 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Adolescence is a unique period in the life history of an individual. It is characterized by a myriad of changes that bioarchaeologists are only just coming to appreciate, related to sexual maturation, linear growth, immunological transformation, and emotional and cognitive development. New methods allow us to measure this age of transition through the stages of the adolescent growth, as a proxy for the physical development associated with sexual maturation (puberty). This review outlines ways bioarchaeologists may draw on research developments from the fields of human biology, evolutionary theory and neurobiology to advance a more holistic approach to the study of adolescence in the past. It considers current theoretical and analytical approaches to highlight the research potential of this critical stage of life history. This synthesis integrates the most recent research in the medical sciences concerned with body and brain development, and outlines the biological processes involved with sexual and physical maturation of the adolescent. The goal of this review is to help inform potentially rewarding areas of research that bioarchaeologists can contribute to and draw from, as well as the challenges and limitations, theoretical and methodological questions, and ways in which we can develop the study of adolescence in the discipline going forward.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary E. Lewis
- Department of ArchaeologyUniversity of ReadingReadingUK
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Buikstra JE, DeWitte SN, Agarwal SC, Baker BJ, Bartelink EJ, Berger E, Blevins KE, Bolhofner K, Boutin AT, Brickley MB, Buzon MR, de la Cova C, Goldstein L, Gowland R, Grauer AL, Gregoricka LA, Halcrow SE, Hall SA, Hillson S, Kakaliouras AM, Klaus HD, Knudson KJ, Knüsel CJ, Larsen CS, Martin DL, Milner GR, Novak M, Nystrom KC, Pacheco-Forés SI, Prowse TL, Robbins Schug G, Roberts CA, Rothwell JE, Santos AL, Stojanowski C, Stone AC, Stull KE, Temple DH, Torres CM, Toyne JM, Tung TA, Ullinger J, Wiltschke-Schrotta K, Zakrzewski SR. Twenty-first century bioarchaeology: Taking stock and moving forward. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 178 Suppl 74:54-114. [PMID: 36790761 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
This article presents outcomes from a Workshop entitled "Bioarchaeology: Taking Stock and Moving Forward," which was held at Arizona State University (ASU) on March 6-8, 2020. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the School of Human Evolution and Social Change (ASU), and the Center for Bioarchaeological Research (CBR, ASU), the Workshop's overall goal was to explore reasons why research proposals submitted by bioarchaeologists, both graduate students and established scholars, fared disproportionately poorly within recent NSF Anthropology Program competitions and to offer advice for increasing success. Therefore, this Workshop comprised 43 international scholars and four advanced graduate students with a history of successful grant acquisition, primarily from the United States. Ultimately, we focused on two related aims: (1) best practices for improving research designs and training and (2) evaluating topics of contemporary significance that reverberate through history and beyond as promising trajectories for bioarchaeological research. Among the former were contextual grounding, research question/hypothesis generation, statistical procedures appropriate for small samples and mixed qualitative/quantitative data, the salience of Bayesian methods, and training program content. Topical foci included ethics, social inequality, identity (including intersectionality), climate change, migration, violence, epidemic disease, adaptability/plasticity, the osteological paradox, and the developmental origins of health and disease. Given the profound changes required globally to address decolonization in the 21st century, this concern also entered many formal and informal discussions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jane E Buikstra
- Center for Bioarchaeological Research, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Sharon N DeWitte
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Sabrina C Agarwal
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Brenda J Baker
- Center for Bioarchaeological Research, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Eric J Bartelink
- Department of Anthropology, California State University, Chico, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth Berger
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | | | - Katelyn Bolhofner
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Alexis T Boutin
- Department of Anthropology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, California, USA
| | - Megan B Brickley
- Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michele R Buzon
- Department of Anthropology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Carlina de la Cova
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lynne Goldstein
- Department of Anthropology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Anne L Grauer
- Department of Anthropology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lesley A Gregoricka
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Social Work, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Siân E Halcrow
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sarah A Hall
- Center for Bioarchaeological Research, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Simon Hillson
- Institute of Archaeology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ann M Kakaliouras
- Department of Anthropology, Whittier College, Whittier, California, USA
| | - Haagen D Klaus
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Kelly J Knudson
- Center for Bioarchaeological Research, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Christopher J Knüsel
- Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie, University of Bordeaux, CNRS, MC, PACEA, UMR5199, F-33615, Pessac, France
| | | | - Debra L Martin
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| | - George R Milner
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mario Novak
- Center for Applied Bioanthropology, Institute for Anthropological Research, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Kenneth C Nystrom
- Department of Anthropology, State University of New York at New Paltz, New Paltz, New York, USA
| | | | - Tracy L Prowse
- Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gwen Robbins Schug
- Environmental Health Program, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Jessica E Rothwell
- Center for Bioarchaeological Research, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Ana Luisa Santos
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Christopher Stojanowski
- Center for Bioarchaeological Research, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Anne C Stone
- Center for Bioarchaeological Research, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Kyra E Stull
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Daniel H Temple
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Christina M Torres
- Department of Anthropology and Heritage Studies, University of California, Merced, USA, and Instituto de Arqueología y Antropología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - J Marla Toyne
- Department of Anthropology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Tiffiny A Tung
- Department of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jaime Ullinger
- Bioanthropology Research Institute, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chinique de Armas Y, Mavridou AM, Garcell Domínguez J, Hanson K, Laffoon J. Tracking breastfeeding and weaning practices in ancient populations by combining carbon, nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes from multiple non-adult tissues. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262435. [PMID: 35108296 PMCID: PMC8809549 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper explores the potential of combining different isotope systems from different tissues to improve resolution when reconstructing breastfeeding and weaning practices (BWP) in archaeology. Additionally, we tested whether changes in diet can be detected in deciduous teeth. Rib collagen samples from 22 infants/children from the archaeological site of Bacuranao I (Mayabeque, Cuba) were processed for nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13Cco) stable isotopes and assessed using a Bayesian model (WARN). In addition, enamel of 48 teeth from 30 infants/children were analyzed for oxygen (δ18Oen) and carbon (δ13Cen) stable isotopes. Data revealed that the timing of weaning cannot be characterized precisely by analyzing either δ18O or δ15N. While a depletion in both δ15N and δ13Cco is only evident after one year, the WARN model suggested that the weaning process started at around 3 months and ended around 1.7 years. Most teeth were enriched in δ18Oen compared to deciduous incisors, suggesting a breastfeeding signal. However, a high variability in δ18O was found between similar teeth from the same individuals. Higher enrichment in δ18Oen, and variability, was observed in tissues formed during the first six months of life. A δ13C enrichment of 1.0‰ was observed among deciduous teeth and ribs. While most individuals enriched in δ15N showed enrichment in δ13C, the δ18O values were more variable. Our data suggests that stable isotopes of deciduous teeth, especially δ13Cen, can be used to detect changes in diet during the weaning process. It is also possible that the δ18O enrichment observed in M1 is influenced by the effects of cooking techniques on weaning foods. The combination of multiple isotope systems and tissues overcome some of the limitations posed by single tissue approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kaitlyn Hanson
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Jason Laffoon
- Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Interglobular dentine attributed to vitamin D deficiency visible in cremated human teeth. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20958. [PMID: 34697324 PMCID: PMC8545959 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00380-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitamin D deficiency has hugely impacted the health of past societies. Its identification in skeletal remains provides insights into the daily activities, cultural habits, and the disease load of past populations. However, up till now, this approach remained impossible in cremated bones, because temperatures reached during cremations destroyed all macroscopic evidence of vitamin D deficiency. This precluded the analyses of a large fraction of the archaeological record, as cremation was an important burial ritual from the Late Neolithic until the Early Medieval period in Europe. Here, the identification of interglobular dentine (IGD), a dental mineralisation defect attributed to vitamin D deficiency, in experimentally burnt teeth, demonstrates this deficiency to be observable in human teeth burned to temperatures as high as 900 °C. In most cases, it becomes even possible to assess the ages-of-occurrence as well as the severity of the IGD and possibly vitamin D deficiency intensity. This study represents a major step forward in the fields of biological anthropology, archaeology, and palaeopathology by opening up a variety of new possibilities for the study of health and activities related to sunlight exposure of numerous past populations that practiced cremation as their funerary ritual.
Collapse
|
10
|
McPherson CB. Examining developmental plasticity in the skeletal system through a sensitive developmental windows framework. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 176:163-178. [PMID: 34105143 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Developmental plasticity facilitates energetically costly but potentially fitness-enhancing adjustments to phenotypic trajectories in response to environmental stressors, and thus may significantly impact patterns of growth, morbidity, and mortality over the life course. Ongoing research into epigenetics and developmental biology indicate that the timing of stress exposures is a key factor when assessing their impact on developmental processes. Specifically, stress experienced within sensitive developmental windows (SDWs), discrete developmental periods characterized by heightened energy requirements and rapid growth, may alter the pace and tempo of growth in ways that significantly influence phenotypic development over both the short and long term. In human skeletal biology, efforts to assess how developmental environments shape health outcomes over the life course could be enhanced by incorporating the SDW concept into existing methodological approaches. The goal of this article is to outline an interpretive framework for identifying and interpreting evidence of developmental stress in the skeletal system using the SDW concept. This framework provides guidance for the identification of elements most likely to capture evidence of stress most relevant to a study's core research questions, the interpretation of developmental stress exhibited by those elements, and the relationship of skeletal indicators of stress to the demographic patterning of morbidity and mortality. Use of the SDW concept in skeletal biology has the potential to enrich traditional approaches to addressing developmental origins of health and disease hypotheses, by targeting periods in which individuals are most susceptible to stress and thus most likely to exhibit plasticity in response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cait B McPherson
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.,Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Perry MA, Edwards E. Differential diagnosis of metabolic disease in a commingled sample from 19th century Hisban, Jordan. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2021; 33:220-233. [PMID: 34004547 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This research attempts a differential diagnosis of skeletal lesions in a commingled sample from Hisban, Jordan, focusing on non-adults in the assemblage. MATERIALS 2,883 well-preserved skeletal elements and 9 relatively complete skulls representing an MNI of 32 non-adults (<18 years old). METHODS All skeletal elements were observed macroscopically and pathophysiological processes underlying any lesions or other anomalies were assessed, followed by a comparative approach to rule out potential diagnoses. RESULTS The skeletal lesions observed were caused by inflammation due to chronic hemorrhaging, marrow hyperplasia due to an increase in hemopoiesis, rapid bone growth, and the impact of biomechanical strain on poorly mineralized elements. Rickets, scurvy, and acquired anemias best fit this pattern of lesions, although inflammation from other sources such as trauma or infection could not be definitively ruled out. CONCLUSIONS The in utero and postnatal environments at Hisban were conducive to the development of vitamin C and D deficiencies from birth until 2 years of age. The analysis of commingled remains requires an ontological shift in the importance of the individual to the population in paleopathology. SIGNIFICANCE This investigation demonstrates the efficacy of a combined biological and comparative approach in differential diagnosis in complicated commingled collections. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of the mother-infant dyad in understanding metabolic disease. LIMITATIONS Histological and radiographic analyses were not included in this diagnostic study due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Isotopic analysis to investigate childhood diet and histological and radiographic analyses to assess survival of deficiencies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Perry
- Department of Anthropology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27858, USA.
| | - Emily Edwards
- Department of Anthropology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27858, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Welsh H, Nelson AJ, van der Merwe AE, de Boer HH, Brickley MB. An Investigation of Micro-CT Analysis of Bone as a New Diagnostic Method for Paleopathological Cases of Osteomalacia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2020; 31:23-33. [PMID: 32927328 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2020.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This paper looks to broaden the methodological possibilities for diagnosing osteomalacia in archaeological bone using micro-CT analysis. Increasing the identification of osteomalacia in paleopathology will provide support for important interpretive frameworks. MATERIALS Nine embedded and two unembedded rib fragments were sourced from St. Martin's Birmingham and Ancaster, UK, and Lisieux Michelet, France. Of the 11 samples, nine were previously confirmed as osteomalacic, and presented with varying levels of diagenesis and two were non-osteomalacic controls, one of which exhibits diagenetic change. METHODS Micro-CT, backscattered scanning electron microscopy, and light microscopy were employed. Micro-CT images were evaluated for osteomalacic features using corresponding microscopic images. RESULTS Micro-CT images from osteomalacic samples demonstrated the presence of defective mineralization adjacent to cement lines, areas of incomplete mineralization, and resorptive bays/borders, three key diagnostic features of osteomalacia. Diagenetic change was also detectable in micro-CT images, but did not prevent the diagnosis of osteomalacia. CONCLUSIONS Micro-CT analysis is a non-destructive method capable of providing microstructural images of osteomalacic features in embedded and unembedded samples. When enough of these features are present, micro-CT images are capable of confirming a diagnosis of osteomalacia. SIGNIFICANCE Vitamin D deficiency has important health consequences which operate throughout the life course. Increasing the ability to detect cases of vitamin D deficiency provides researchers with a greater understanding of health and disease in past communities. LIMITATIONS Only adult rib samples were used. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Paleopathologists should look to test the utility of micro-CT analysis in diagnosing active rickets in subadult individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H Welsh
- Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L9, Canada.
| | - A J Nelson
- Departments of Anthropology and Chemistry, Bone and Joint Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C3, Canada
| | - A E van der Merwe
- Department of Medical Biology, Section Clinical Anatomy and Embryology, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H H de Boer
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Forensic Medicine, Netherlands Forensic Institute, The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - M B Brickley
- Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
O'Donnell L, Hill EC, Anderson ASA, Edgar HJH. Cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis are associated with respiratory infections in a contemporary mortality sample from New Mexico. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 173:721-733. [PMID: 32869279 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cribra orbitalia (CO) and porotic hyperostosis (PH) are porous cranial lesions (PCLs) classically associated with iron-deficiency anemia in bioarchaeological contexts. However, recent studies indicate a need to reassess the interpretation of PCLs. This study addresses the potential health correlates of PCLs in a contemporary sample by examining relationships between the known cause of death (COD) and PCL presence/absence. METHODS This study includes a sample of 461 juvenile individuals (6 months to 15 years of age) who underwent examination at the University of New Mexico's Office of the Medical Investigator between 2011 and 2019. The information available for each individual includes their sex, age at death, and their COD and manner of death. RESULTS Odds ratio of having CO (OR = 3.92, p < .01) or PH (OR = 2.86, p = .02) lesions are increased in individuals with respiratory infections. Individuals with heart conditions have increased odds of having CO (OR = 3.52, p = .03) lesions, but not PH. CONCLUSION Individuals with respiratory infection are more likely to have CO and/or PH. CO appears to have a greater range of health correlates than PH does, as indicated by the heart condition results. However, individuals with congenital heart defects are at higher risk for respiratory infections, so bony alterations in cases of heart conditions may be due to respiratory illness. Since respiratory infection remains a leading cause of mortality today, CO and PH in bioarchaeological contexts should be considered as potential indicators of respiratory infections in the past.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lexi O'Donnell
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi, USA
| | - Ethan C Hill
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | | | - Heather J H Edgar
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,Office of the Medical Investigator, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Brickley MB, Kahlon B, D'Ortenzio L. Using teeth as tools: Investigating the mother-infant dyad and developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis using vitamin D deficiency. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 171:342-353. [PMID: 31709512 PMCID: PMC7004071 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES With a growing interest in the mother-infant dyad and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis among biological and medical anthropologists, this study set out to provide all the information required to evaluate if mineralization defects in dentine might be caused by vitamin D deficiency in the critical first 1000 days of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS Information was compiled on dentine formation in utero to approximately 18 years, and a method for determining the location of the neonatal line in dentine was devised, allowing the assessment of the prenatal and early life period. Re-evaluation of previously analyzed teeth (n = 61) was undertaken with detailed examination of n = 5/22 first permanent molars forming in the prenatal and critical early life periods. RESULTS First permanent molars and all deciduous teeth give information on intrauterine development and on the first 1000 days postnatally providing a direct window on maternal and fetal health. Three archaeological individuals had interglobular dentine that formed prenatally suggesting that their mothers experienced vitamin D deficiency at the time dentine was forming and all other individuals had a deficiency during the first 1000 days of life. Conditions that could cause systemic mineralization defects were determined, and in each, case they were found to be consistent with vitamin D deficiency. DISCUSSION The neonatal line serves as a clear baseline for determining prenatal and postnatal events, particularly those related to vitamin D, calcium, and phosphate metabolism, and can be used to investigate the maternal-infant dyad for both past and present communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Bonnie Kahlon
- Department of AnthropologyMcMaster UniversityHamiltonOntarioCanada
| | - Lori D'Ortenzio
- Department of AnthropologyMcMaster UniversityHamiltonOntarioCanada
| |
Collapse
|