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Moes E, Kuzawa CW, Edgar HJH. Sex-specific effects of environmental temperature during gestation on fluctuating asymmetry in deciduous teeth. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 184:e24944. [PMID: 38623790 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24944] [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: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES External environmental heat exposure during gestation impacts the physiology of human development in utero, but evidence for these impacts has not yet been explored in dentition. We examined deciduous teeth for fluctuating asymmetry (FA), a measure of developmental instability, together with gestational environmental temperature data drawn from historical weather statistics. MATERIALS AND METHODS We measured dental casts from the longitudinal Burlington Growth Study, representing 172 participants (ages 3-6 years) with health records. FA was calculated from crown dimensions and intercuspal distances that develop during gestation. Multiple regression separated by sex (nfemale = 81) examined the effects of mean temperatures in each trimester, controlling for birth year. RESULTS In females, increased temperatures during the first trimester are significantly associated with an increase in FA (p = 0.03), specifically during the second and third prenatal months (p = 0.03). There is no relationship between temperature and FA for either sex in the second or third trimesters, when enamel is formed. DISCUSSION Dental instability may be sensitive to temperature in the first trimester in females during the scaffolding of crown shape and size in the earliest stages of tooth formation. Sexual dimorphism in growth investment strategies may explain the differences in results between males and females. Using enduring dental characteristics, these results advance our understanding of the effects of temperature on fetal physiology within a discrete period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Moes
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- Department of Physician Assistant Studies, University of St. Francis, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 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
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McPherson CB, O'Donnell L, Moes E, Edgar H. No relationship found between dental fluctuating asymmetry, birthweight, and birth term in two modern North American samples. Am J Hum Biol 2024:e24114. [PMID: 38842218 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Deciduous dental crowns primarily develop during gestation and early infancy and embody early life stress exposures. Composite measures of dental fluctuating asymmetry (DFA) generated from the deciduous teeth may therefore indicate cumulative gestational stress in developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) studies. This study examines whether higher composite measures of deciduous DFA are associated with low birthweight and prematurity, two aspects of birth phenotype consistently associated with increased morbidity and mortality risks in adulthood. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We evaluated associations between composite deciduous DFA, birthweight, and birth term in two contemporary North American samples: an autopsy sample from New Mexico (n = 94), and sample from a growth cohort study in Burlington, Ontario (n = 304). Dental metric data for each sample was collected from postmortem CT scans and dental casts, respectively. Composite DFA was estimated using buccolingual (BL) and mesiodistal (MD) crown diameters from paired deciduous teeth. RESULTS Contrary to expectations, the results of linear regression indicated no significant relationship between birthweight and DFA, or birth term and DFA, in either sample. CONCLUSIONS Deciduous DFA does not predict aspects of birth phenotype associated with gestational stress. Birthweight and birth term are plastic relative to the more developmentally stable deciduous dentition, which may only subtly embody early life stress. We suggest that deciduous DFA should be utilized with caution in DOHaD studies until its relationship with gestational stress is clarified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cait B McPherson
- Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Lexi O'Donnell
- College of Population Health, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Emily Moes
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- Department of Physician Assistant Studies, University of St. Francis, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Heather 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
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O'Donnell L, Buikstra JE, Hill EC, Anderson AS, O'Donnell MJ. Skeletal manifestations of disease experience: Length of illness and porous cranial lesion formation in a contemporary juvenile mortality sample. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23896. [PMID: 36974669 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Porous lesions of the orbit (cribra orbitalia [CO]) and cranial vault (porotic hyperostosis [PH]) are used as skeletal indicators of childhood stress. Because they are understudied in contemporary populations, their relationship to disease experience is poorly understood. This paper examines the relationship between length of childhood illness and CO/PH formation in a clinically documented sample. "Turning points," which identify the window for lesion formation for CO/PH, are defined, implications for hidden heterogeneity in frailty are considered. METHODS Data are from 333 (199 males; 134 females) pediatric postmortem computed tomography scans. Individuals died in New Mexico (2011-2019) and are 0.5 to 15.99 years (mean = 7.1). Length of illness was estimated using information from autopsy and field reports. Logistic regression was used to estimate predicted probabilities, odds ratios, and the temporal window for lesion formation. RESULTS Illness, single bouts, or cumulative episodes lasting over 1 month is associated with higher odds of CO; individuals who were never sick have lower odds of having PH. This relationship was consistent for fatal and incidental illnesses that did not cause death. The developmental window for CO formation appears to close at 8 years. CONCLUSIONS Those ill for over 1 month are more likely to have CO/PH than those with acute illnesses. Some individuals lived sufficiently long to form CO/PH but died of illness. Others with lesions died of circumstances unrelated to disease. This indicates hidden variation in robusticity even among ill individuals with CO/PH, which is vital in interpreting lesion frequencies in the archeological record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lexi O'Donnell
- College of Population Health, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Jane E Buikstra
- Center for Bioarchaeological Research, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Ethan C Hill
- Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Amy S Anderson
- Department of Anthropology, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Michael J O'Donnell
- Bureau of Business & Economic Research, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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Spake L, Hoppa RD, Blau S, Cardoso HFV. Biological mortality bias in diaphyseal growth of contemporary children: Implications for paleoauxology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022. [PMCID: PMC9306609 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Biological mortality bias is the idea that individuals who comprise skeletal samples (non‐survivors) are a specific subset of the overall population, who may have been exposed to greater stress during life. Because of this, it is possible that studying growth in a skeletal population misrepresents the growth and health of survivors in that population. Using a modern sample, this study investigates whether biological mortality bias in growth may be present in archaeological skeletal samples. Materials and methods Postmortem computed tomography scans of 206 children aged under 13 years were collected from two institutions in the United States and Australia. The sample was separated into children who died from natural causes as proxies for non‐survivors and from accidental causes as proxies for survivors. Differences in long bone length for age were assessed through analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and z‐score analysis, and these results were compared with studies linking anthropometrics and mortality risk in nonindustrialized societies. Results Differences in growth favoring survivors were greater for girls than for boys and seemed to increase over age. The effect in nonindustrialized societies was 1.5 to 5 times the magnitude of that in our contemporary sample. Conclusions A greater growth delay in girls than in boys has been documented in historical identified collections, and skeletal samples consistently become more stunted relative to modern standards over the course of growth. Our findings on biological mortality bias could explain part of these growth delays and impact interpretations of past ontogenetic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Spake
- Religion Programme and Centre for Research on Evolution, Belief and Behaviour University of Otago Dunedin New Zealand
- Department of Anthropology Western Washington University, Bellingham Washington USA
| | - Robert D. Hoppa
- Department of Anthropology University of Manitoba Winnipeg Canada
| | - Soren Blau
- Forensic Pathology The Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine Southbank Victoria Australia
- Department of Forensic Medicine Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Hugo F. V. Cardoso
- Department of Archaeology and Centre for Forensic Research Simon Fraser University Burnaby Canada
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Decrausaz SL, Cameron ME. A growth area: A review of the value of clinical studies of child growth for palaeopathology. Evol Med Public Health 2022; 10:108-122. [PMID: 35273803 PMCID: PMC8903130 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoac005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of living children demonstrate that early life stress impacts linear growth outcomes. Stresses affecting linear growth may also impact later life health outcomes, including increased cardiometabolic disease risk. Palaeopathologists also assess the growth of children recovered from bioarchaeological contexts. Early life stresses are inferred to affect linear growth outcomes, and measurements of skeletal linear dimensions alongside other bioarchaeological information may indicate the types of challenges faced by past groups. In clinical settings, the impacts of stress on growing children are typically measured by examining height. Palaeopathologists are limited to examining bone dimensions directly and must grapple with incomplete pictures of childhood experiences that may affect growth. Palaeopathologists may use clinical growth studies to inform observations among past children; however, there may be issues with this approach. Here, we review the relationship between contemporary and palaeopathological studies of child and adolescent growth. We identify approaches to help bridge the gap between palaeopathological and biomedical growth studies. We advocate for: the creation of bone-specific growth reference information using medical imaging and greater examination of limb proportions; the inclusion of children from different global regions and life circumstances in contemporary bone growth studies; and greater collaboration and dialogue between palaeopathologists and clinicians as new studies are designed to assess linear growth past and present. We advocate for building stronger bridges between these fields to improve interpretations of growth patterns across human history and to potentially improve interventions for children living and growing today. Studies of living children demonstrate that early life stress impacts linear growth. Stresses affecting linear growth may also impact later life health, including cardiometabolic disease risk. Palaeopathologists also investigate if children and adolescents recovered from bioarchaeological contexts experienced growth disruptions due to early life challenges. In clinical settings, the impacts of stress on growing children are typically measured by examining height. Palaeopathologists are limited to examining bone dimensions directly and must grapple with incomplete pictures of childhood experiences that may affect growth. Here, we review the relationship between contemporary and palaeopathological studies of child and adolescent growth. We advocate for: the creation of bone-specific growth reference information using medical imaging and greater examination of limb proportions; the inclusion of children from different global regions and life circumstances in contemporary bone growth studies; and greater collaboration and dialogue between palaeopathologists and clinicians as new studies are designed to assess linear growth past and present. These steps may improve interpretations of growth patterns across human history and interventions for children living and growing today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah-Louise Decrausaz
- Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Cornett Building, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Michelle E Cameron
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, 19 Ursula Franklin Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2S2, Canada
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Wolfe CA, Herrmann NP. Interpreting error in the estimation of skeletal growth profiles from past populations: An example demonstrating skeletal growth in historic African American communities. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 177:83-99. [PMID: 36787783 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The study of growth in the past is a critical component of bioarcheological analyses. However, our understanding of growth in the past is subject to a number of methodological challenges. This study aims to model the skeletal growth of past populations by considering the challenges associated with the data collection process and the challenges associated with the age estimation procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS We use skeletal remains from two historic African American cemeteries in the American South to model femoral diaphyseal length-for-age. We estimate the age of each individual using dental development techniques and present growth curves as both a product of the maximum likelihood (MLE) age estimate and the estimated posterior age distribution. Growth was compared against a reference sample from the University of Colorado Child Research Council Study. RESULTS The results of our analyses showed that femoral diaphyseal length in two historic African American communities is small-for-estimated age as compared to a modern reference sample. However, the magnitude and characterization of this difference is variable when taking into account the broader posterior age distribution. DISCUSSION Both samples may be small-for-age due to physiological stress associated with racism, inequality, and the compounding effects of early urbanization. However, the interpretation of growth in the past is muddled when considering the relationship between the study sample and the reference sample, when accounting for uncertainty in the age estimation procedure, and the error-inducing steps taken during the data collection process. Future interpretation of skeletal growth in the past must include a full account of the possible sources of error in order to present an accurate representation of growth.
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Coqueugniot H, Colombo A, Dutour O. Are the identified collections of immature skeletons dating from the Industrial Revolution good references for paleoauxological studies? Cases studies from England & France. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2021; 34:142-146. [PMID: 34265668 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Skeletal collections of immature individuals identified by age and sex serve as reference material for studying development in past populations. Several of these collections were established during the Industrial Revolution (IR), a period known for its difficult living conditions in industrial cities. We question if these collections represent useful comparisons from which to explore the natural history of human growth. MATERIALS Immature individuals from two skeletal collections contemporaneous to the IR period were studied: 71 children from the Spitalfields (UK) and 108 from the Strasbourg (F) collections. Among them we selected mandibles of individuals aged from 0 to 30 months, representing 32 and 52 individuals, respectively. METHODS We scored the dental development of first and second left deciduous molars according to (Moorrees et al., 1963) stages, from X-rays (Spitalfields) or CT-scans (Strasbourg) data and compared it with the modern reference pattern from the Lewis Growth Records by covariance analysis (ANCOVA). RESULTS Statistical differences exist in the dental development timeline between the 3 samples. This mainly concerns a delay in the root formation in IR samples that related to post-natal living conditions. CONCLUSIONS The delay in dental development timeline suggests that growth processes were impacted during IR in England and France, probably due to stressful living conditions. SIGNIFICANCE keletal collections dating from the IR period in Europe might be not the most appropriate referencesl for studying the natural history of human growth. LIMITATIONS This study focus on dental development only. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Exploring the skeletal growth pattern in other skeletal collections, pre or post-dating the IR, is advised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Coqueugniot
- UMR 5199 PACEA, CNRS/University of Bordeaux/Ministry of Culture, Pessac, France; Chaire d'Anthropologie biologique Paul Broca, EPHE-PSL University, Paris, France; Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Antony Colombo
- UMR 5199 PACEA, CNRS/University of Bordeaux/Ministry of Culture, Pessac, France; Chaire d'Anthropologie biologique Paul Broca, EPHE-PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Dutour
- UMR 5199 PACEA, CNRS/University of Bordeaux/Ministry of Culture, Pessac, France; Chaire d'Anthropologie biologique Paul Broca, EPHE-PSL University, Paris, France; Department of Anthropology, Canada Social Science Centre, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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McCool WC, Anderson AS, Kennett DJ. Using a multimethod life history approach to navigate the osteological paradox: A case study from Prehispanic Nasca, Peru. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 175:816-833. [PMID: 33782949 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We leverage recent bioarchaeological approaches and life history theory to address the implications of the osteological paradox in a study population. The goal of this article is to evaluate morbidity and mortality patterns as well as variability in the risk of disease and death during the Late Intermediate period (LIP; 950-1450 C.E.) in the Nasca highlands of Peru. We demonstrate how the concurrent use of multiple analytical techniques and life history theory can engage the osteological paradox and provide salient insights into the study of stress, frailty, and resilience in past populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS Crania from LIP burial contexts in the Nasca highlands were examined for cribra orbitalia (n = 325) and porotic hyperostosis (n = 270). All age groups and both sexes are represented in the sample. Survivor/nonsurvivor analysis assessed demographic differences in lesion frequency and severity. Hazard models were generated to assess differences in survivorship. The relationship between dietary diversity and heterogeneity in morbidity was assessed using stable δ15 N and δ13 C isotope values for bone collagen and carbonate. One hundred and twenty-four crania were directly AMS radiocarbon dated, allowing for a diachronic analysis of morbidity and mortality. RESULTS The frequency and expression of both orbital and vault lesions increases significantly during the LIP. Survivor/nonsurvivor analysis indicates cranial lesions co-vary with frailty rather than robusticity or longevity. Hazard models show (1) decreasing survivorship with the transition into the LIP, (2) significantly lower adult life expectancy for females compared to males, and (3) individuals with cranial lesions have lower survivorship across the life course. Stable isotope results show very little dietary diversity. Mortality risk and frequency of pathological skeletal lesions were highest during Phase III (1300-1450 C.E.) of the LIP. CONCLUSION Results provide compelling evidence of increasing physiological stress and mortality in the Nasca highlands during the LIP, but also reveal substantial heterogeneity in frailty and the risk of death. Certain members of society experienced a heavier disease burden and higher mortality compared to their contemporaries. Elevated levels of disease and lethal trauma among females account for some of the sex differences in survivorship but cannot explain the large degree of female-biased mortality. We hypothesize that parental investment in males or increased female fertility rates may explain these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weston C McCool
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Amy S Anderson
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Douglas J Kennett
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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