Search

Estimating sex is a fundamental task in biological and forensic anthropology. This study aimed to develop new methods for sex estimation based on femoral cross-sectional geometry (CSG) variables and to test their applicability in recent and ancient assemblages. The sample was divided into a study group (living individuals, N = 124) for creating sex prediction equations and two test groups: living individuals (N = 31) and prehistoric individuals (N = 34). The prehistoric sample was divided into three subgroups according to subsistence strategy (hunter-gatherers, early farmers that also hunted, and farmers and herders). Femoral CSG variables (size, strength, and shape) were measured from CT images using dedicated software. Discriminant functions for sex estimation were calculated for various bone completeness scenarios and validated using the test groups. Size and strength parameters were sexually dimorphic, while shape was not. Discriminant functions for sex estimation produced success rates in the living sample between 83.9 and 93.5%; the distal shaft yielded the highest results. Success rates were lower among the prehistoric test sample, with better results (83.3%) for the mid-Holocene population (farmers and herders) than for earlier groups (e.g., hunter-gatherers; < 60%). These results were compared with those obtained using other methods for sex estimation based on various skeletal elements. This study provides new, reliable, and simple methods with high success rates for sex estimation based on femoral CSG variables obtained automatically from CT images. Discriminant functions were created for various conditions of femoral completeness. However, these functions should be used carefully in past populations from different settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to bipedal locomotion was a fundamental milestone in human evolution. Consequently, the human skeleton underwent substantial morphological adaptations. These adaptations are responsible for many of today's common physical impairments, including hip fractures. This study aims to reveal the morphological changes in the proximal femur, which increase the risk of intracapsular hip fractures in present-day populations. Our sample includes chimpanzees, early hominins, early Homo Neanderthals, as well as prehistoric and recent humans. Using Geometric Morphometric methods, we demonstrate differences in the proximal femur shape between hominids and populations that practiced different lifestyles. We show that the proximal femur morphology is a risk factor for intracapsular hip fracture independent of osteoporosis. Changes in the proximal femur, such as the shortening of the femoral neck and an increased anterolateral expansion of the greater trochanter, are associated with an increased risk for intracapsular hip fractures. We conclude that intracapsular hip fractures are a trade-off for efficient bipedal walking in humans, and their risk is exacerbated by reduced physical activity. This study demonstrates how proximal femoral adaptations to bipedal locomotion and lifestyles impact the risk of intracapsular hip fracture, independent of osteoporosis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike bones, teeth are remarkably resilient and can withstand severe trauma, making age assessment based on the dentition essential for forensic analysis. Modern techniques for age estimation focus on pulp-chamber volume measurements using radiographs and computerized tomography (CT); however, these are applicable only for complete teeth (i.e., with intact crown and root). In the current study, we developed a new approach using high-resolution micro-computerized tomography (μCT) to visualize the secondary dentin (SD), an inner layer surrounding the pulp which accumulates with age, thus facilitating age estimation of fragmented and broken teeth. The growth pattern of the SD with age was analyzed for 77 lower premolars from two anthropological collections. A comparison of SD virtual segmentation and histological measurement was highly correlative (ICC = 0.95). SD was measured per volume (mm3) of a 1 mm thick slice directly below the cemento-enamel junction. Regression analysis using SD measurements increased the success rates of age estimation (82%) compared with the "gold-standard" pulp/dentin method (54%) in the range of ± 10 years. The accuracy of age estimation based on SD analysis was improved to a range of 7–8 years. The SD method thus allows age estimation with greater prediction rates and better accuracy based on only a small fragment of a tooth in a non-invasive manner. This novel methodology is easy to use, accessible, and bears implications in various fields such as forensic sciences and anthropological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex estimation of skeletal remains is of great importance in the fields of physical and forensic anthropology. Since skeletons are often incomplete, it is essential to estimate sex from as many skeletal remains as possible. The aim of this study was to establish new methods for estimating sex using the morphology of the sternum and the fifth to ninth ribs. We considered two conditions of skeletal preservation: All skeletal elements measured are available, or only a single element is available. Traditional or virtual measurements were carried out on three samples: (1) A skeletal sample from the Hamann-Todd Human osteological collection, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, USA (N = 413), was used to create prediction equations for sex estimation. (2) A recent, CT-based sample from Israel (N = 33) was used to cross-validate the accuracy of the prediction equations. (3) A skeletal sample from the Anthropological Collection at Tel Aviv University (N = 15) was used to test the validity of the virtual measurements. Reliability and validity analyses were carried out via intraclass correlation coefficient analysis. Prediction equations for sex were created using logistic regression. The measurements were found to be highly reliable and valid. Success rates for sex estimation were high (> 80%) and correspond well between the skeletal and recent samples, especially for the left sixth, left eigth, and left ninth ribs. To conclude, measurements of the sternum and ribs are valuable for estimating sex and can be carried out using either traditional or virtual tools. Of all the skeletal elements examined in this study, the sternum, left sixth, left eighth, and left ninth ribs were found to be the most reliable skeletal elements for estimating the sex of an individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Susceptibility to diseases is common to humans and dinosaurs. Since much of the biological history of every living creature is shaped by its diseases, recognizing them in fossilized bone can furnish us with important information on dinosaurs' physiology and anatomy, as well as on their daily activities and surrounding environment. In the present study, we examined the vertebrae of two humans from skeletal collections with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH), a benign osteolytic tumor-like disorder involving mainly the skeleton; they were diagnosed in life, along with two hadrosaur vertebrae with an apparent lesion. Macroscopic and microscopic analyses of the hadrosaur vertebrae were compared to human LCH and to other pathologies observed via an extensive pathological survey of a human skeletal collection, as well as a three-dimensional reconstruction of the lesion and its associated blood vessels from a µCT scan. The hadrosaur pathology findings were indistinguishable from those of humans with LCH, supporting that diagnosis. This report suggests that hadrosaurids had suffered from larger variety of pathologies than previously reported. Furthermore, it seems that LCH may be independent of phylogeny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anatolia was home to some of the earliest farming communities. It has been long debated whether a migration of farming groups introduced agriculture to central Anatolia. Here, we report the first genome-wide data from a 15,000-year-old Anatolian hunter-gatherer and from seven Anatolian and Levantine early farmers. We find high genetic continuity (~80–90%) between the hunter-gatherers and early farmers of Anatolia and detect two distinct incoming ancestries: an early Iranian/Caucasus related one and a later one linked to the ancient Levant. Finally, we observe a genetic link between southern Europe and the Near East predating 15,000 years ago. Our results suggest a limited role of human migration in the emergence of agriculture in central Anatolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex estimation of skeletal parts is of great value even in the DNA era. When computed tomography (CT) facilities were introduced to forensic institutes, new possibilities for sex estimation emerged. The aim of this study was to develop a CT-based method for sex estimation using the mandible. Twenty-five CT-based measurements of the mandible were developed and carried out on 3D reconstructions (volume rendering) and cross sections of the lower jaw of 438 adult individuals (214 males and 224 females). Intraobserver and interobserver variances of the measurements were examined using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis. Five discriminant functions were developed using different states of completeness of the mandible. The success rates of these equations were cross validated twice. The measurements were found to be highly reliable (for intraobserver 0.838 < ICC < 0.995 and for interobserver 0.71 < ICC < 0.996). For a complete mandible, the correct classification rate was 90.8%. For incomplete mandibles, the correct classification rates varied from 72.9 to 85.6%. Cross-validation tests yielded similar success rates, for the complete mandible 89% and for the incomplete mandible 67.5 to 89%. We concluded that CT techniques are appropriate for estimating sex based on the mandible size and shape characteristics. Suggested discriminant functions for sex estimation are given with data on the correct classification rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The effect of impact tool geometry and soft material covering on bone fracture patterns plays a major role in fracture patterns. However, the literature is nearly void of such studies and only general correlations between the fracture pattern and the mechanism underlying the insult were reported. Purpose: The aim of this study is to reveal the association between the geometry of the impact tool and the presence of soft material covering on bone fracture patterns. The Dynatup Model POE 2000 (Instron Co.) low energy pendulum impact machine was utilized to apply impact loading on fresh pig femoral bones ( n = 50). The bone clamp shaft was adjusted to position the bone for three-point bending with additional bone compression simulating a situation occurring in pedestrian road traffic accidents. Five different tests using varying impact tool sizes with and without soft interface covering were carried out. Results: A significant positive correlation was found between the fracture features and the impact tool's geometry. Only bones that were damaged by a rounded impact body result in a 'false' butterfly fragment; in all other cases where the impact body is flat and wide, double trapezoid fragments are observed in the area of impact. The impacted aspect is the most affected. All fracture line features were significantly greater in bones subjected to an impact by tools without soft covering. With an impact with soft covering, the impacted aspect exhibits numerous unique fracture lines and a fragmented pattern. Our study clearly shows that impact tool geometry and soft material covering markedly affect the fracture pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Vertebral hemangiomas (VHs) are the most common form of benign tumors in the spine. The aim of this research was to study the prevalence of VHs in the human population, their distribution along the spine and their location in the vertebral body.Methods: The presence of VHs was assessed in full spine CT scans of 196 adults. Demographic data were gathered from medical records.Results: VHs were present in 26.0% of the individuals studied, a rate significantly higher (χ2=43.338, p<0.001) than the prevalence reported in the literature (10.7%). Multiple VHs (≥2) appeared in 7.2% of the population studied. VHs prevalence is sex-independent, appearing in 28.6% of females and 23.5% of males (χ2=0.663, p=0.416); and age-dependent: the mean age of affected individuals (65.8 years) was significantly higher (p<0.001) than unaffected individuals (56.2 years). VH size was also age-dependent (p=0.023). No vertebra was significantly more prone to be affected by a hemangioma. T11 and T12 show the highest prevalence of VHs (3.57% of vertebrae affected). VHs were found in similar percentages in the anterior and posterior parts of the vertebral body (52.8 vs. 47.2%, respectively); and at its center and periphery (50.1 and 49.9%, respectively). VHs usually appeared at mid-height of the vertebral body or slightly higher.Conclusions: The reported prevalence of VHs is dependent on the demographic structure of the population studied, the size of the VHs and the method used to identify them. Overall, the phenomenon is more frequent than usually reported. VHs may appear at all vertebral levels and in all areas of the vertebral body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation of sex and age in skeletons is essential in anthropological and forensic medicine investigations. The aim of the current study was to examine the potential of hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) as a criterion for determining sex and age in forensic cases. Macroscopic examination of the inner aspect of the frontal bone of 768 skulls (326 males and 442 females) aged 1 to 103, which had undergone a head computerized tomography scan, was carried out using the volume rendering technique. HFI was divided into two categories: minor and major. HFI is a sex- and age-dependent phenomena, with females manifesting significantly higher prevalence than males ( p < 0.01). In both females and males, prevalence of HFI increases as age increases ( p < 0.01). We present herein the probabilities of designating an unknown skull to a specific sex and age cohort according to the presence of HFI (standardized to age distribution in an Israeli population). Moreover, we present the probability of an individual belonging to a specific sex or age cohort according to age or sex (respectively) and severity of HFI. We suggest a valid, reliable, and easy method for sex and age identification of unknown skulls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lumbar shape in females is thought to be unique, compensating for lumbar hyperlordosis. Yet, the morphological adaptation of various vertebral parameters in the thoracic and lumbar spine to this unique posture in young and adult females has only been partially addressed in the literature. Our aim was to investigate the gender association to vertebral shape in the thoracic and lumbar spine as a possible adaptation to lumbar hyperlordosis in young and adult females. A three-dimensional digitizer was used to measure the vertebral body sagittal wedging, relative spinous process thickness, and relative interfacet width at the T1–L5 level. Two hundred and forty complete, non-pathological skeletons of adults and 32 skeletons of young individuals were assessed. Three major results were found to be independent of age and ethnicity: (a) VB sagittal wedging in females was significantly less kyphotic than males from T9 to L2 (T11 excluded) with a cumulative mean difference of 8.8°; (b) females had a significantly relatively thinner lumbar spinous processes and (c) females had a relatively wider superior interfacet distance (T9–T10 and L1–L4) than males. We conclude that the combination of less kyphotic VB wedging in the lower thoracic and upper lumbar vertebrae, relatively greater interspinous space and larger interfacet width in the lumbar spine in females are key architectural elements in the lumbar hyperlordosis in females and may compensate for the bipedal obstetric load during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Schmorl's nodes (SNs) are a common phenomenon in the normal adult population, their prevalence is controversial and etiology still debatable. The objective was to establish the spatial distribution of SNs along the spine in order to reveal its pathophysiology. In this study, we examined 240 human skeleton spines (T4-L5) (from the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection) for the presence and location of SNs. To determine the exact position of SNs, each vertebral body surface was divided into 13 zones and 3 areas (anterior, middle, posterior). Our results show that SNs appeared more frequently in the T7-L1 region. The total number of SNs found in our sample was 511: 193 (37.7%) were located on the superior surface and 318 (62.3%) on the inferior surface of the vertebral body. SNs were more commonly found in the middle part of the vertebral body (63.7%). No association was found between the SNs location along the spine and gender, ethnicity and age. This study suggests that the frequency distribution of SNs varies with vertebra location and surface. The results do not lend support to the traumatic or disease explanation of the phenomenon. SNs occurrences are probably associated with the vertebra development process during early life, the nucleus pulposus pressing the weakest part of the end plate in addition to the various strains on the vertebrae and the intervertebral disc along the spine during spinal movements (especially torsional movements). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to food production, exploitation of 'secondary' products (e.g., milk), and advances in cookware technology have affected all aspects of human life. The aim of the present study was to follow changes in mandibular form and shape throughout the terminal Pleistocene-Holocene Levant. The hemimandibles of four populations were included in this study: Natufian hunter-gatherers (n = 10), Pre-pottery Neolithic early farmers (n = 6), Chalcolithic farmers (n = 9), Roman-Byzantine (n = 16), and modern (n = 63) populations. A surface mesh of each mandible was reconstructed from CT or surface scans. Changes in mandibular form and shape were studied using the Procrustes-based geometric morphometrics method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to examine differences in size and shape between the studied populations. Our results reveal considerable temporal changes in mandibular shape throughout the Holocene Levant, mainly between the pre-agricultural population (the Natufian) and the succeeding ones, and between the post-industrial (the Modern) and the pre-industrial populations. A tendency for a reduction in mandibular size was identified between the pre-agricultural population and the farmers. Most regions of the mandible underwent shape changes. In conclusion, substantial changes in mandibular shape occurred throughout the Holocene Levant, especially following the agricultural revolution. These changes can be explained by the "masticatory-functional hypothesis". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the original version of this Article, references in the format ‘First author et al.’ were inappropriately deleted. These errors have been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the Article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The material culture of the Late Chalcolithic period in the southern Levant (4500-3900/3800 BCE) is qualitatively distinct from previous and subsequent periods. Here, to test the hypothesis that the advent and decline of this culture was influenced by movements of people, we generated genome-wide ancient DNA from 22 individuals from Peqi’in Cave, Israel. These individuals were part of a homogeneous population that can be modeled as deriving ~57% of its ancestry from groups related to those of the local Levant Neolithic, ~17% from groups related to those of the Iran Chalcolithic, and ~26% from groups related to those of the Anatolian Neolithic. The Peqi’in population also appears to have contributed differently to later Bronze Age groups, one of which we show cannot plausibly have descended from the same population as that of Peqi’in Cave. These results provide an example of how population movements propelled cultural changes in the deep past. The Late Chalcolithic material culture in the southern Levant has unique attributes that suggest spread of people or culture. Here, the authors use genome-wide ancient DNA data from 22 individuals from a Chalcolithic site and show evidence of complex population movements and turnovers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]