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Towle I, Loch C, Oxenham M, Krueger KL, Samir Salem A, de Pinillos MM, Modesto-Mata M, Hlusko LJ. Technical note: Micro-computed tomography calibration using dental tissue for bone mineral research. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 184:e24952. [PMID: 38775381 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24952] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Computed tomography (CT) and microcomputed tomography (μCT) require calibration against density phantoms scanned with specimens or during routine internal calibration for assessment of mineral concentration (MC) and density. In clinical studies involving bone, alternative calibration methods using bodily tissues and fluids ("phantomless" calibration) have been suggested. However, such tissues are seldom available in archeological and osteological research. This study investigates the potential of dental tissue as internal reference for calibration of μCT scans, facilitating the analysis of bone MC. We analyzed 70 molars from 24 extant primate species, including eight human teeth, each scanned with density phantoms for calibration. Our findings indicate that sampling specific regions of molars (lateral aspects of the mesial cusps) yields low variation in enamel and dentine MC values, averaging 1.27 g/cm3 (±0.03) for dentine and 2.25 g/cm3 (±0.03) for enamel. No significant differences were observed across molar types or among scanning procedures, including scanner model, resolution, and filters. An ad hoc test on 12 mandibles revealed low variance in MC between the conventional phantom and dental tissue calibration methods; all 36 measurements (low, medium, and high MC for each mandible) were within 0.05 g/cm3 of each other -81% were within 0.03 g/cm3 and 94% within 0.04 g/cm3. Based on these results, we propose a new "phantomless" calibration technique using these mean enamel and dentine MC values. The presented phantomless calibration method could aid in the assessment of bone pathology and enhance the scope of studies investigating bone structure and physical property variations in archeological, osteological, and laboratory-based research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Towle
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Carolina Loch
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Marc Oxenham
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
- Department of Archaeology, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Kristin L Krueger
- Department of Anthropology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Amira Samir Salem
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Marina Martínez de Pinillos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana (LEH), Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
| | - Mario Modesto-Mata
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
- Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR), Logroño La Rioja, Spain
| | - Leslea J Hlusko
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
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McFadden C. From the Ground Up: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Past Fertility and Population Narratives. HUMAN NATURE (HAWTHORNE, N.Y.) 2023; 34:476-500. [PMID: 37723407 PMCID: PMC10543153 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-023-09459-x] [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] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Population dynamics form a crucial component of human narratives in the past. Population responses and adaptations not only tell us about the human past but also offer insights into the present and future. Though an area of substantial interest, it is also one of often limited evidence. As such, traditional techniques from demography and anthropology must be adapted considerably to accommodate the available archaeological and ethnohistoric data and an appropriate inferential framework must be applied. In this article, I propose a ground-up, multidisciplinary approach to the study of past population dynamics. Specifically, I develop an empirically informed path diagram based on modern fertility interactions and sources of past environmental, sociocultural, and biological evidence to guide high-resolution case studies. The proposed approach is dynamic and can evolve in response to data inputs as case studies are undertaken. In application, this approach will create new knowledge of past population processes which can greatly enhance our presently limited knowledge of high-frequency, small-scale demographic fluctuations, as well as contribute to our broader understanding of significant population disturbances and change throughout human history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare McFadden
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia.
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Tran HL, Mai HP, Le Thi D, Thi ND, Le Tung L, Thanh TP, Manh HT, Mau HN, Chu HH, Hoang H. The first maternal genetic study of hunter-gatherers from Vietnam. Mol Genet Genomics 2023:10.1007/s00438-023-02050-0. [PMID: 37438447 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-023-02050-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The current limitation of ancient DNA data from Vietnam led to the controversy surrounding the prehistory of people in this region. The combination of high heat and humidity damaged ancient bones that challenged the study of human evolution, especially when using DNA as study materials. So far, only 4 k years of history have been recorded despite the 65 k years of history of anatomically modern human occupations in Vietnam. Here we report, to our knowledge, the oldest mitogenomes of two hunter-gatherers from Vietnam. We extracted DNA from the femurs of two individuals aged 6.2 k cal BP from the Con Co Ngua (CCN) site in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam. This archeological site is the largest cemetery of the hunter-gatherer population in Southeast Asia (SEA) that was discovered, but their genetics have not been explored until the present. We indicated that the CCN haplotype belongs to a rare haplogroup that was not detected in any present-day Vietnamese individuals. Further matrilineal analysis on CCN mitogenomes showed a close relationship with ancient farmers and present-day populations in SEA. The mitogenomes of hunter-gatherers from Vietnam debate the "two layers" model of peopling history in SEA and provide an alternative solution for studying challenging ancient human samples from Vietnam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huyen Linh Tran
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam
- University of Science and Technology of Hanoi, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Huong Pham Mai
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Dung Le Thi
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam
- University of Science and Technology of Hanoi, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Nhung Doan Thi
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Lam Le Tung
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Tung Pham Thanh
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Ha Tran Manh
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Hung Nguyen Mau
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Hoang Ha Chu
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam
- University of Science and Technology of Hanoi, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Ha Hoang
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Vlok M, Maloney T, Dilkes-Hall IE, Oktaviana AA, Setiawan P, Priyatno AAD, Ririmasse M, Geria IM, Effendy MAR, Istiawan B, Atmoko FT, Adhityatama S, Moffat I, Joannes-Boyau R, Brumm A, Aubert M. Reply to: Common orthopaedic trauma may explain 31,000-year-old remains. Nature 2023; 615:E15-E18. [PMID: 36922613 PMCID: PMC10017509 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05757-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Melandri Vlok
- Sydney Southeast Asian Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Tim Maloney
- Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia.
- Research into Deer Genetics and Environment, RIDGE Group Inc, Ascot, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - India Ella Dilkes-Hall
- Archaeology, School of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Adhi Agus Oktaviana
- School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
- BRIN, OR Arkeologi, Bahasa dan Sastra, Pusat Riset Arkeometri, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Pindi Setiawan
- Faculty of Art and Design, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, Indonesia
| | | | - Marlon Ririmasse
- BRIN, OR Arkeologi, Bahasa dan Sastra, Pusat Riset Arkeometri, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - I Made Geria
- BRIN, OR Arkeologi, Bahasa dan Sastra, Pusat Riset Arkeometri, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | | | - Budy Istiawan
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Kalimantan Timur, Samarinda, Indonesia
| | | | - Shinatria Adhityatama
- School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ian Moffat
- Archaeology, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Renaud Joannes-Boyau
- Geoarchaeology and Archaeometry Research Group (GARG), Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Adam Brumm
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Maxime Aubert
- Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
- Geoarchaeology and Archaeometry Research Group (GARG), Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
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Vlok M, Buckley HR, Domett K, Willis A, Tromp M, Trinh HH, Minh TT, Mai Huong NT, Nguyen LC, Matsumura H, Huu NT, Oxenham MF. Hydatid disease (Echinococcosis granulosis) diagnosis from skeletal osteolytic lesions in an early seventh-millennium BP forager community from preagricultural northern Vietnam. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 177:100-115. [PMID: 36787713 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Con Co Ngua is a complex, sedentary forager site from northern Vietnam dating to the early seventh millennium BP. Prior research identified a calcified Echinococcus granulosis cyst, which causes hydatid disease. Osteolytic lesions consistent with hydatid disease were also present in this individual and others. Hydatid disease is observed in high frequencies in pastoralists, and its presence in a hunter-gatherer community raises questions regarding human-animal interaction prior to farming. The objective of this article is to identify and describe the epidemiology of hydatid disease in the human skeletal assemblage at Con Co Ngua. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred and fifty-five individuals were macroscopically assessed for lesions. Of these, eight individuals were radiographed. Hydatid disease was diagnosed using a new threshold criteria protocol derived from clinical literature, which prioritizes lesions specific to the parasite. RESULTS Twenty-two individuals (14.2%) presented with osteolytic lesions consistent with hydatid disease, affecting the distal humerus, proximal femur and forearm, and pelvis. Seven individuals radiographed (4.5%) had multilocular cystic lesions strongly diagnostic for hydatid disease. All probable cases had lesions of the distal humerus. The remaining lesions were macroscopically identical to those radiographed and were considered possible cases. DISCUSSION While hydatid disease has previously been found in pre-agricultural communities, the high prevalence at Con Co Ngua is non-incidental. We propose that the presence of wild canids and management of wild buffalo and deer increased the risk of disease transmission. These findings further reveal subsistence complexity among hunter-gatherers living millennia prior to the adoption of farming in Southeast Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melandri Vlok
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Hallie R Buckley
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kate Domett
- College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Anna Willis
- College of Arts, Society & Education, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Monica Tromp
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,School of Social Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Marc F Oxenham
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
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Forager and farmer evolutionary adaptations to malaria evidenced by 7000 years of thalassemia in Southeast Asia. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5677. [PMID: 33707498 PMCID: PMC7952380 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83978-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalassemias are inherited blood disorders that are found in high prevalences in the Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. These diseases provide varying levels of resistance to malaria and are proposed to have emerged as an adaptive response to malaria in these regions. The transition to agriculture in the Holocene has been suggested to have influenced the selection for thalassemia in the Mediterranean as land clearance for farming encouraged interaction between Anopheles mosquitos, the vectors for malaria, and human groups. Here we document macroscopic and microscopic skeletal evidence for the presence of thalassemia in both hunter-gatherer (Con Co Ngua) and early agricultural (Man Bac) populations in northern Vietnam. Firstly, our findings demonstrate that thalassemia emerged prior to the transition to agriculture in Mainland Southeast Asia, from at least the early seventh millennium BP, contradicting a long-held assumption that agriculture was the main driver for an increase in malaria in Southeast Asia. Secondly, we describe evidence for significant malarial burden in the region during early agriculture. We argue that the introduction of farming into the region was not the initial driver of the selection for thalassemia, as it may have been in other regions of the world.
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