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Glass DJ, Godwin J, Bez E, Corley MK, Valeggia CR, Martin MA. Longitudinal analysis of cortisol changes during pubertal development in indigenous Qom girls. Am J Hum Biol 2024:e24133. [PMID: 39034658 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Pubertal research has primarily focused on hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG) regulation of puberty, though the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) is increasingly considered critical. Heightened HPA function proxied by increasing cortisol levels may play a role in accelerated pubertal timing. However, the extent to which cortisol varies across ages and its relation to pubertal changes in linear growth are less well substantiated. We explored relationships between age, linear growth, adiposity, C-peptide (proxy for insulin), and cortisol across puberty, and we tested whether higher cortisol levels are associated with earlier ages at menarche and peak height velocity. We utilize longitudinal data (n = 777 urine samples) from Qom females ages 7-14 (n = 46) and test our pre-registered analysis using Bayesian longitudinal mixed effects models and joint modeling techniques. We find limited evidence supporting the overarching hypothesis that HPA upregulation is associated with pubertal maturation or timing. We find some evidence that HPA upregulation, as proxied by cortisol, may be more clearly related to differences in relative linear growth at early-mid puberty, as measured by height-for-age z-scores. Transdisciplinary perspectives on puberty, including the assumption that stressors acting via cortisol accelerate pubertal development, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delaney J Glass
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jessica Godwin
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Eleanna Bez
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Margaret K Corley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Claudia R Valeggia
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Melanie A Martin
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Oliveira KCE, Neto JC, Aragon DC, Antonini SR. Nutritional status and age at menarche in Amazonian students. J Pediatr (Rio J) 2024; 100:406-412. [PMID: 38522477 PMCID: PMC11331225 DOI: 10.1016/j.jped.2024.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Age at menarche (MA) is a proxy for biological maturation and a parameter of socioeconomic changes. Worldwide, anticipation of menarche is associated with nutritional transition and excess weight. The objective of this study was to evaluate the MA in Amazonian students and its association with nutritional status, ethnicity, and socioeconomic level. METHODS Cross-sectional study with 1,017 students aged 6 to 17 living in the city of Manaus, Brazil. MA was analyzed by status quo and recall; its association with body mass index (BMI), race, socioeconomic status, and adult height was examined. RESULTS 559 (51.9%) participants had already experienced menarche. In 91.7%, menarche occurred between 10 and 14 years of age; the mean age at the onset of menarche was 11.9 years. Overweight (11.6 years) and obese (11.4 years) participants reached menarche earlier than those with normal weight (12 years) and lean (12.7 years) participants. The associations between MA and nutritional status showed that overweight and obesity are risk factors for the early occurrence of menarche. MA was not associated with socioeconomic status/parental education or race. However, excess weight was associated with earlier MA in all races and social classes. The adult height was slightly lower in girls with menarche before 12 years old (157.9 vs 159.4 cm). CONCLUSION Regardless of socioeconomic level or ethnicity, excess weight was associated with earlier menarche in Amazonian students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kettyuscia Coelho E Oliveira
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA), Departamento de Clínica Médica, Manaus, AM, Brazil; Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Pediatria, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - José Cardoso Neto
- Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Departamento de Estatística, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Davi C Aragon
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Pediatria, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Sonir R Antonini
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Pediatria, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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Gibb JK, Spake L, McKinnon L, Shattuck EC, McKerracher L. Sexual minority status is associated with earlier recalled age of menarche: Evidence from the 2005-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23825. [PMID: 36301198 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Menarcheal timing is associated with growth, development, health, wellbeing, and reproduction across the lifespan. Although sexual orientation is a known correlate of health and developmental inequities, relatively little evolutionarily framed research has investigated sexual orientation-based variation in maturational timing. To improve our understanding of menarcheal timing among sexual minority (SM) people, we use a biocultural-evolutionary life history lens that takes into account the stresses of minoritization to examine the relationship between sexual orientation and self-reported age at menarche in a sample of American adults. METHODS Using the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a large, nationally representative dataset (n = 9757), we fit multiple logistic regression models and survival curves to evaluate associations between sexual orientation, indicators of somatic and material resources during adolescence (e.g., education, citizenship, upper arm length), and self-reported menarche. RESULTS SM respondents were more likely to report earlier (by 4-5 months) ages of menarche (p < .001). Post-hoc tests revealed that these differences were driven by bisexual (p < .001) and same-sex experienced (p < .001) relative to heterosexual and lesbian/gay respondents. Earlier menarcheal timing among SM respondents persisted after adjusting for socio-demographic factors and proxies of developmental conditions. DISCUSSION Our findings reveal that SM status is associated with earlier ages of menarche, an important social and reproductive milestone. We argue that uniting life history theory with the minority stress hypothesis better explains differences in menarcheal timing by sexual orientation than previous paradigms. Investigators should attend to sexual orientation-based variation in maturational timing using holistic, inclusive approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- James K Gibb
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Department of Health & Society, University of Toronto, Scarborough, Canada
| | - Laure Spake
- Religion Programme, and Centre for Research on Evolution, Belief, and Behaviour, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.,Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, USA
| | - Leela McKinnon
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Eric C Shattuck
- Department of Public Health, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA.,Institute for Health Disparities Research, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA
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Roberts SA, Kaiser UB. GENETICS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY: Genetic etiologies of central precocious puberty and the role of imprinted genes. Eur J Endocrinol 2020; 183:R107-R117. [PMID: 32698138 PMCID: PMC7682746 DOI: 10.1530/eje-20-0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Pubertal timing is regulated by the complex interplay of genetic, environmental, nutritional and epigenetic factors. Criteria for determining normal pubertal timing, and thus the definition of precocious puberty, have evolved based on published population studies. The significance of the genetic influence on pubertal timing is supported by familial pubertal timing and twin studies. In contrast to the many monogenic causes associated with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, only four monogenic causes of central precocious puberty (CPP) have been described. Loss-of-function mutations in Makorin Ring Finger Protein 3(MKRN3), a maternally imprinted gene on chromosome 15 within the Prader-Willi syndrome locus, are the most common identified genetic cause of CPP. More recently, several mutations in a second maternally imprinted gene, Delta-like noncanonical Notch ligand 1 (DLK1), have also been associated with CPP. Polymorphisms in both genes have also been associated with the age of menarche in genome-wide association studies. Mutations in the genes encoding kisspeptin (KISS1) and its receptor (KISS1R), potent activators of GnRH secretion, have also been described in association with CPP, but remain rare monogenic causes. CPP has both short- and long-term health implications for children, highlighting the importance of understanding the mechanisms contributing to early puberty. Additionally, given the role of mutations in the imprinted genes MKRN3 and DLK1 in pubertal timing, other imprinted candidate genes should be considered for a role in puberty initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A. Roberts
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ursula B. Kaiser
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Nyati LH, Pettifor JM, Ong KK, Norris SA. Adolescent growth and BMI and their associations with early childhood growth in an urban South African cohort. Am J Hum Biol 2020; 33:e23469. [PMID: 32808697 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The timing and magnitude of adolescent growth may be influenced by ethnicity and early life factors. We aimed to (a) characterize ethnic differences in the magnitude, timing, and intensity of adolescent growth in height, weight, and BMI; (b) assess the effect of early childhood growth on adolescent growth in black children. METHODS Data were from the Birth to Twenty Plus cohort (Bt20+) in Johannesburg, South Africa (n = 3273). Height, weight, and BMI were modeled with ethnic comparisons using the SuperImposition by Translation and Rotation for 2089 participants who had data from 7 to 23 years. Relative weight gain and relative linear growth between 0 and 24 months and 24 and 60 months were generated. Multiple regression analyses were used to assess associations between childhood and adolescent growth. RESULTS White children were 5 cm (SE: 0.7) taller than black children through adolescence. Black boys had a later timing of adolescent height (0.65 years ±0.12) than white boys, which in black girls was 0.24 years (0.11) earlier than in white girls. Black girls had faster BMI velocity than white girls. Among black children, birth weight and both relative weight gain 0 to 24 and relative linear growth between 3 and 24 months and 24 and 60 months were positively associated with the magnitude of adolescent growth and negatively associated with timing. CONCLUSION Sex dimorphism in ethnic differences in timing of adolescent height growth may reflect some yet unexplained drivers for rapid weight gain and obesity in black females but not black males. Rapid weight gain in early life may contribute to faster adiposity accrual in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukhanyo H Nyati
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - John M Pettifor
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ken K Ong
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,MRC Epidemiology Unit and Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
| | - Shane A Norris
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Boeyer ME, Middleton KM, Duren DL, Leary EV. Estimating peak height velocity in individuals: a comparison of statistical methods. Ann Hum Biol 2020; 47:434-445. [PMID: 32543236 PMCID: PMC7590904 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2020.1763458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estimates pertaining to the timing of the adolescent growth spurt (e.g. peak height velocity; PHV), including age at peak height velocity (aPHV), play a critical role in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of skeletal growth and/or developmental disorders. Yet, distinct statistical methodologies often result in large estimate discrepancies. AIM The aim of the present study was to assess the advantages and disadvantages of three modelling methodologies for height as well as to determine how estimates derived from these methodologies may differ, particularly those that may be useful in paediatric clinical practice. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Height data from 686 individuals of the Fels Longitudinal Study were modelled using 5th order polynomials, natural cubic splines, and SuperImposition by Translation and Rotation (SITAR) to determine aPHV and PHV for all individuals together (i.e. population average) by sex and separately for each individual. Estimates within and between methodologies were calculated and compared. RESULTS In general, mean aPHV was earlier, and PHV was greater for individuals when compared to estimates from population average models. Significant differences between mean aPHV and PHV for individuals were observed in all three methodologies, with SITAR exhibiting the latest aPHV and largest PHV estimates. CONCLUSION Each statistical methodology has a number of advantages when used for specific purposes. For modelling growth in individuals, as one would in paediatric clinical practice, we recommend the use of the 5th order polynomial methodology due to its parameter flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie E. Boeyer
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Missouri Orthopaedic Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Thompson Laboratory for Regenerative Orthopaedics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Kevin M. Middleton
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Dana L. Duren
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Missouri Orthopaedic Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Thompson Laboratory for Regenerative Orthopaedics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Emily V. Leary
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Missouri Orthopaedic Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Thompson Laboratory for Regenerative Orthopaedics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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Piras GN, Bozzola M, Bianchin L, Bernasconi S, Bona G, Lorenzoni G, Buzi F, Rigon F, Tonini G, De Sanctis V, Perissinotto E. The levelling-off of the secular trend of age at menarche among Italian girls. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04222. [PMID: 32613111 PMCID: PMC7322252 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The main aim of this study was to verify whether the secular trend stopped in Italy by comparing the results of a 1990-2000 birth cohort versus a 1980-1990 birth cohort of Italian young women. The results were used to speculate about age at menarche as adaptive response to non-genetic factors. METHODS In 2016, a study was set on 413, 18-to-26 year-old women (1990-2000 birth cohort) attending two Italian Universities by web-based, self-reported questionnaires. Previously in 2000, a research including 3,783 high school female students (1980-1990 birth cohort) was led. The age at menarche distribution was performed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. The comparison between the findings of the two birth cohorts was performed by Wilcoxon sum-rank test. Mixed models analysis was applied to evaluate the effect of cohort and socio-economic status on age at menarche. RESULTS 1990-2000 cohort's age at menarche median was 12.44y (95%CI 12.37; 12.59y). There was no significant difference with age at menarche of the previous cohort (p = 0.56). Consistently, the advance of age at menarche in comparison to the mothers' one was not significantly different between the two cohorts (-0.27y±0.10y vs -0.25y±0.03y, p = 0.33). The socio-economic level was not significantly associated with menarcheal age. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study confirm that, like in other developed countries, the advance of age at menarche has stopped in Italy, consistently with the stop of the improvement of socio-economic conditions. Further studies are needed to explore the differential effect of each non-genetic factor to outline future scenarios of human sexual maturation. TRIAL REGISTRATION the Comitato Etico per la Sperimentazione Clinica (CESC) della Provincia di Padova of the Veneto Region (Italy), n°3993/U16/16.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Niccolò Piras
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Italy
| | | | - Luigi Bianchin
- UOC Infanzia, Adolescenza, Famiglia, AULSS 3, Serenissima Venezia, Italy
| | | | - Gianni Bona
- Department of Mother and Child Health, Division of Pediatrics, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy
| | - Giulia Lorenzoni
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Italy
| | - Fabio Buzi
- Department of Pediatrics, “Carlo Poma” Hospital, Mantova, Italy
| | - Franco Rigon
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Giorgio Tonini
- Centre of Pediatric Diabetology, Burlo Garofolo Hospital, Trieste, Italy
| | - Vincenzo De Sanctis
- Private Accredited Hospital Quisisana, Paediatric and Adolescent Outpatients Clinic, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Egle Perissinotto
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Italy
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Abstract
While the categories of adolescence and puberty are often treated as one, the existence of two distinct terms points to different kinds of maturation in humans. Puberty refers to a period of coordinated somatic growth and reproductive maturation that shifts individuals from nonreproductive juvenility to reproductive maturity. Adolescence includes the behavioral and social assumption of adult roles. Life history theory offers powerful tools for understanding why puberty occurs later in humans than in other primates, including the benefits of delayed reproduction as part of a cooperation-intensive life history strategy. It also sheds light on the ways that pubertal timing responds to environmental variation. I review the mechanisms of maturation in humans and propose biocultural approaches to integrate life historical understandings of puberty with a broader definition of environment to encompass the concept of adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith W. Reiches
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts 02125, USA
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Martin MA, Veile AJ, Valeggia CR. Birth mode and infectious morbidity risks in Qom children of Argentina. Am J Hum Biol 2019; 31:e23200. [PMID: 30565345 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cesarean delivery may increase childhood infectious morbidity risks via altered birth exposures and subsequent immune, microbial, and epigenetic development. Many Latin American indigenous populations experience dual burdens of infectious and chronic diseases, and are particularly vulnerable to rising rates of cesarean delivery and associated adverse outcomes. The Qom/Toba are an indigenous population in Argentina experiencing rapid lifestyle transitions. We hypothesized that cesarean delivery would be associated with increased risk of infectious symptoms in Qom children after adjusting for gestational and nutritional factors. METHODS We conducted a secondary analysis of birth records and monthly anthropometric and illness data collected previously from 90 Qom children (aged 1-55 months). We tested for additive effects of birth mode on risk of gastrointestinal (GI) and respiratory illness (RI) in mixed-effects logistic regression models adjusting for child weight-for-age (WAZ), weaning, and gestational and maternal age. RESULTS Cesarean deliveries accounted for 46% of births and were associated with maternal age < 20 and ≥ 30 years, gestational age < 39 weeks, and prenatal complications. GI and RI risks were reduced in association with cesarean delivery, greater WAZ, weaning, maternal age ≥ 30 years, and gestational age < 39 weeks. CONCLUSIONS The relationship between cesarean delivery and reduced infectious risks may reflect statistical confounding with relatively rapid postnatal growth and greater adiposity. Postnatal growth trajectories may be important mediators of long-term morbidity risks associated with cesarean delivery. The frequency of cesarean deliveries among the Qom remains concerning given traditionally high rates of fertility and adolescent pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie A Martin
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Amanda J Veile
- Department of Anthropology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
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