Search

Objectives Natural history collections are often thought to represent environments in a pristine natural state—free from human intervention—the so‐called “wild.” In this study, we aim to assess the level of human influence represented by natural history collections of wild‐collected primates over 120 years at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). Materials and Methods Our sample consisted of 875 catarrhine primate specimens in NMNH collections, representing 13 genera collected in 39 countries from 1882 to 2004. Using archival and accession information we determined the approximate locations from which specimens were collected. We then plotted location coordinates onto publicly available anthrome maps created by Ellis et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2010, 19, 589), which delineate terrestrial biomes of human population density and land use worldwide since the 1700s. Results We found that among primates collected from their native ranges, 92% were from an environment that had some level of human impact, suggesting that the majority of presumed wild‐collected primate specimens lived in an environment influenced by humans during their lifetimes. Discussion The degree to which human‐modified environments may have impacted the lives of primates currently held in museum collections has been historically ignored, implicating unforeseen consequences for collection‐based research. While unique effects related to commensalism with humans remain understudied, effects currently attributed to natural phenomena may, in fact, be related to anthropogenic pressures on unmanaged populations of primates., Natural history collections are often thought to represent environments in a pristine natural state—free from human intervention—the so‐called “wild.” We found that among primates collected from their native ranges, 92% were from an environment that had some level of human impact, suggesting that the majority of presumed wild‐collected primate specimens may have lived in a human‐influenced environment during their lifetime. Effects attributed to natural phenomena may, in fact, be related to anthropogenic pressures on populations of primates, while unique effects related to ecological interactions with humans remain understudied.

In April 2020, the Bronx Zoo made a headline-grabbing announcement: one of their tigers tested positive for COVID-19, a striking example of zoos as microcosms of human health and medicine. Indeed, many diseases and health problems experienced by zoo animals are found in, and frequently linked to, humans. Furthermore, the veterinary care they receive often incorporates knowledge, tools and treatments used in human health care. Here, we analyse these developments across the history of non-human primate health at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZP), one of the oldest zoos in the United States. From NZP's opening in 1891, we distinguish five historical time periods within its first century based on how animal health was described, treated and understood. Concentrating on descriptions of primates in annual Smithsonian reports, we see notable changes in NZP activities focused on housing and environment (1889–1900), disease diagnosis and prevention (1901–1916), human–animal connections (1917–1940), research and collaboration (1941–1973) and conservation (1974–1989). We relate these shifts to concurrent medical events and trends in the United States, and interpret NZP's history in a broader scientific and societal context leading to a ‘One Health’ approach to animal care and welfare today.

OBJECTIVES To describe and interpret previously unreported marks on the dry cranium of an adult chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) from Cote d'Ivoire at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (USNM 450071). MATERIALS AND METHODS All marks on the cranium were documented and assessed through physical examination of the specimen, photography, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), and 3D laser scanning. Pits and punctures were measured with digital calipers for comparison with published carnivore tooth mark measurements. RESULTS The cranium shows perimortem or postmortem damage to the temporal, occipital, and maxillary regions that is not recent. Size and color variation in the marks suggest two damage events, possibly involving chewing by different animals, at least one of which was a large-bodied mammal. The 22 tooth pits and punctures (0.89-8.75 mm in maximum length and 0.88-6.63 mm in breadth) overlap in size with those inflicted by wild leopards, the most significant predators of common chimpanzees due to their largely overlapping ecological distributions. CONCLUSIONS Based on qualitative and quantitative evidence, we conclude that leopards are the most likely cause of the most prominent marks on the cranium. However, we cannot rule out the additional possibility of other chimpanzees, although there are no published studies of chimpanzee tooth marks for direct comparison. This study is the most extensive documentation to date of a modern adult chimpanzee skull exhibiting tooth marks by a large mammal, thus providing new evidence to help identify and interpret other events of predation and scavenging of large-bodied apes in the modern and fossil records.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an incurable disease and the main cause of age-related dementia worldwide, despite decades of research. Treatment of AD with lithium (Li) has showed promising results, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. The pathological hallmark of AD brains is deposition of amyloid plaques, consisting mainly of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides aggregated into amyloid fibrils. The plaques contain also metal ions of e.g. Cu, Fe, and Zn, and such ions are known to interact with Aβ peptides and modulate their aggregation and toxicity. The interactions between Aβ peptides and Li+ ions have however not been well investigated. Here, we use a range of biophysical techniques to characterize in vitro interactions between Aβ peptides and Li+ ions. We show that Li+ ions display weak and non-specific interactions with Aβ peptides, and have minor effects on Aβ aggregation. These results indicate that possible beneficial effects of Li on AD pathology are not likely caused by direct interactions between Aβ peptides and Li+ ions.

Chemical analysis of archeological objects can provide important clues about their purpose and function. In this study, we used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and chemical spectroscopy (SEM-EDS and XRD) to identify a white residue present on cylindrical rhizoliths from a component at an archaeological site (CA-SNI-25) on San Nicolas Island, California, dated ca. AD 1300 to 1700. The residue was found to consist of biogenic calcite and aragonite particles, different in composition and morphology from the CaCO3 particles in the rhizoliths, but identical to marine shell material. These results, together with observations of surface micro-wear patterning on fishhooks and rhizoliths, replicative experiments, in situ spatial analysis, and other archaeological evidence, show that rhizoliths were used as files in a larger tool kit for crafting shell fishhooks. Our findings shed new light on the technological innovations devised by Native Americans to exploit the rich marine resources surrounding the Channel Islands, and provide the first analytical evidence for the use of rhizoliths as a production tool.

Histological analysis of teeth can yield information on an organism’s growth and development, facilitating investigations of diet, health, environment, and long-term responses to selective pressures. In the Americas, an extraordinary abundance of Late Pleistocene fossils including teeth has been preserved in petroleum seeps, constituting a major source of information about biotic changes and adaptations at the end of the last glacial period. However, the usefulness of these fossils for histological studies is unclear, due to the unknown taphonomic effects of long-term deposition in petroleum. Here, we compare histological and chemical analyses on dire wolf (Canis dirus) teeth obtained from two different environments, i.e. a petroleum seep (Rancho La Brea tar pits, California) and a carstic sinkhole (Cutler Hammock sinkhole, Florida). Optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) together with X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed excellent preservation of dental microstructure in the seep sample, and the petroleum-induced discoloration was found not to interfere with the histological and chemical examination. By comparison, teeth from the sinkhole sample showed severe degradation and contamination of the dentine by exogenous substances. These results indicate that petroleum seep assemblages are useful, or even ideal, environments for preserving the integrity of fossil material for chemical and histological analysis.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an incurable disease and the main cause of age-related dementia worldwide, despite decades of research. Treatment of AD with lithium (Li) has showed promising results, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. The pathological hallmark of AD brains is deposition of amyloid plaques, consisting mainly of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides aggregated into amyloid fibrils. The plaques contain also metal ions of e.g. Cu, Fe, and Zn, and such ions are known to interact with Aβ peptides and modulate their aggregation and toxicity. The interactions between Aβ peptides and Li+ ions have however not been well investigated. Here, we use a range of biophysical techniques to characterize in vitro interactions between Aβ peptides and Li+ ions. We show that Li+ ions display weak and non-specific interactions with Aβ peptides, and have minor effects on Aβ aggregation. These results indicate that possible beneficial effects of Li on AD pathology are not likely caused by direct interactions between Aβ peptides and Li+ ions.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent age-related cause of dementia. AD affects millions of people worldwide, and to date there is no cure. The pathological hallmark of AD brains is deposition of amyloid plaques, which mainly consist of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, commonly 40 or 42 residues long, that have aggregated into amyloid fibrils. Intermediate aggregates in the form of soluble Aβ oligomers appear to be highly neurotoxic. Cell and animal studies have previously demonstrated positive effects of the molecule 6-gingerol on AD pathology. Gingerols are the main active constituents of the ginger root, which in many cultures is a traditional nutritional supplement for memory enhancement. Here, we use biophysical experiments to characterizein vitrointeractions between 6-gingerol and Aβ40peptides. Our experiments with atomic force microscopy imaging, and nuclear magnetic resonance and Thioflavin-T fluorescence spectroscopy, show that the hydrophobic 6-gingerol molecule interferes with formation of Aβ40aggregates, but does not interact with Aβ40monomers. Thus, together with its favourable toxicity profile, 6-gingerol appears to display many of the desired properties of an anti-AD compound.

The frontal bone is one of the sexually dimorphic elements of the human skull that can be used for sex estimation of unidentified human remains. Numerous morphological features of the frontal bone, such as its angle of inclination, maximum anterior projection (glabella), and rounded elevations (frontal eminences) have been shown to differ between males and females. Various approaches have been developed to assess the frontal inclination in particular, and recently a method has been proposed where the angle of the frontal slope is measured from snapshots of digital three-dimensional (3D) models of human crania. However, as 3D-based investigations of skeletal material can be time-consuming and expensive, we here compare measurements of frontal angle inclination from 3D model snapshots to measurements from 2D photographs for a large sample (61 females and 61 males) of dry archaeological crania from medieval Croatia. Although angles measured from 3D snapshots and 2D photographs produced discriminant functions that classified crania by sex with similar accuracy (around 73%), the angles recorded from the 2D photographs were systematically one degree smaller than the angles recorded from the 3D images. Thus, even though both data sets were useful for sex estimation, we conclude that angles measured with the two different techniques should not be combined.

3D analysis of skeletal volumes has become an important field in digital anthropology studies. The volume of the mastoid process has been proposed to display significant sexual dimorphism, but it has a complex shape and to date no study has quantified the full mastoid volume for sex estimation purposes. In this study we compared three different ways to isolate the volume of the mastoid process from digital 3D models of dry crania, and then evaluated the performance of the three different volume definitions for sex estimation purposes. A total of 170 crania (86 male, 84 females) excavated from five medieval Croatian sites were CT-scanned and used to produce 3D stereolitographic models. The three different isolation techniques were based on various anatomical landmarks and planes, as well as the anatomy of the mastoid process itself. Measurements of the three different mastoid volumes yielded different accuracies and precisions. Interestingly, anatomical structures were sometimes more useful than classical landmarks as demarcators of mastoid volume. For all three volume definitions, male mastoid volumes were significantly larger than female volumes, in both relative and absolute numbers. Sex estimation based on mastoid volume showed a slightly higher precision and better accuracy (71 % correct classifications) than visual scoring techniques (67 %) and linear distance measurements (69 %) of the mastoid process. Sex estimation based on cranial size performed even better (78 %), and multifactorial analysis (skull size + mastoid volume) reached up to 81% accuracy. These results show that measurements of the mastoid volume represent a promising metric to be used in multifactorial approaches for sex estimation of human remains.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron loss and widespread muscular atrophy. Despite intensive investigations on genetic and environmental factors, the cause of ALS remains unknown. Recent data suggest a role for metal exposures in ALS causation. In this study we present a patient who developed ALS after a traditional medical procedure in Kenya. The procedure involved insertion of a black metal powder into several subcutaneous cuts in the lower back. Four months later, general muscle weakness developed. Clinical and electrophysiological examinations detected widespread denervation consistent with ALS. The patient died from respiratory failure less than a year after the procedure. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses identified the black powder as potassium permanganate (KMnO4). A causative relationship between the systemic exposure to KMnO4 and ALS development can be suspected, especially as manganese is a well-known neurotoxicant previously found to be elevated in cerebrospinal fluid from ALS patients. Manganese neurotoxicity and exposure routes conveying this toxicity deserve further attention.

Elucidating the tools and production steps involved in manufacturing the characteristic circular shell fishhooks found on the California Channel Islands has been a long-standing problem in California archaeology. A prehistoric production site for shell fishhooks excavated on the most remote island, San Nicolas Island, has provided a rare opportunity to examine manufacturing sequences. We have previously employed a multidisciplinary research approach to demonstrate that fishhook production at this site involved using sandstone slabs as abraders, or “saws”. Here, we use chemical residue analysis, replicative experiments, and microwear patterns to show that fishhook production also involved the use of small pointed pieces of sandstone as reamers. These results bring us one step closer to understanding the complete prehistoric toolkit used for production of circular shell fishhooks.

Cribra orbitalia (CO), or porotic hyperostosis (PH) of the orbital roof, is one of the most common pathological conditions found in archaeological subadult skeletal remains. Reaching frequencies higher than 50% in many prehistoric samples, CO has been generally attributed to a variety of factors including malnutrition (e.g., megaloblastic anemia) and parasitism. In this study, we tested the relationship between CO, trace element concentrations, and stable isotope values (δ13C, δ15N, δ18O) in subadult skeletons from a 17th to 18th century cemetery in the historic town of Jēkabpils, Latvia. A total of 28 subadults were examined, seven of which (25%) showed evidence of CO. Bioarchaeological evidence indicated high mortality for children in this cemetery: half of the burials were subadults under the age of 14, while a third were under the age of four. Life expectancy at birth was estimated to have been only 21.6 years. Trace element concentrations measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) showed no relationship between presence or absence of CO and levels of manganese, zinc, strontium, barium, copper, cadmium, or lead in the bones (p>0.05). However, a significant correlation (p

Biomolecular research has sparked a methodological revolution in the field of anthropology, and museums are now faced with the curatorial challenge of conserving and evaluating materials for these new methods. Since 2010, hundreds of genome-wide datasets from ancient human samples have been published, and thousands more have been generated; doubling the amount of data in the field of paleogenomics now requires less time than the publication of a single article (1). Technological advances in laboratory and bioinformatic approaches have also led to a new era in paleomicrobiology, in which entire ancient microbial communities can be recovered from various substrates, such as calcified dental calculus (2). Increasingly, large-scale datasets for other biomolecules, such as proteins and metabolites, are generated and integrated into multi-omic understandings of the human past (2). Fig. 1. Museum collections staff stand among the anthropological collections at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Museums are responsible for preserving collections and the information they contain for future generations. But in recent years, they’ve been given the increasingly challenging task of curating and conserving biomolecular data. Image credit: Chip Clark (Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC). Anthropological collections are important for science and society for reasons that include their potential applications for biomolecular research (3, 4). Ethical issues are central in the changing circumstances for ancient biomolecular information. Potential negative impacts on indigenous communities (such as when paleogenomic studies contradict traditional histories and undermine territorial or repatriation claims) have magnified the importance of community-based practices (5). Competition among ancient-DNA laboratories for museum samples has been likened to “the Wild West” (6), and more strictly regulating access to samples has been advocated to prevent “hoarding” (7). As stewards of collections that contain ancient biomolecules (e.g., isotopes, proteins, DNA, and metabolites), museums play a critical role among stakeholders in biomolecular research and should … [↵][1]2To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: sholtss{at}si.edu or courtney.hofman{at}ou.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1

Dysregulation and aggregation of the peptide hormone IAPP (islet amyloid polypeptide, a.k.a. amylin) into soluble oligomers that appear to be cell-toxic is a known aspect of diabetes mellitus (DM) Type 2 pathology. IAPP aggregation is influenced by several factors including interactions with metal ions such as Cu(II). Because Cu(II) ions are redox-active they may contribute to metal-catalyzed formation of oxidative tyrosyl radicals, which can generate dityrosine cross-links. Here, we show that such a process, which involves Cu(II) ions bound to the IAPP peptide together with H2O2, can induce formation of large amounts of IAPP dimers connected by covalent dityrosine cross-links. This cross-linking is less pronounced at low pH and for murine IAPP, likely due to less efficient Cu(II) binding. Whether IAPP can carry out its hormonal function as a cross-linked dimer is unknown. As dityrosine concentrations are higher in blood plasma of DM Type 2 patients - arguably due to disease-related oxidative stress - and as dimer formation is the first step in protein aggregation, generation of dityrosine-linked dimers may be an important factor in IAPP aggregation and thus relevant for DM Type 2 progression.

Aggregation of the amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide into insoluble plaques is a major factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Another major factor in AD is arguably metal ions, as metal dyshomeostasis is observed in AD patients, metal ions modulate Aβ aggregation, and AD plaques contain numerous metals including redox-active Cu and Fe ions. In vivo, Aβ is found in various cellular locations including membranes. So far, Cu(II)/Aβ interactions and ROS generation have not been investigated in a membrane environment. Here, we study Cu(II) and Zn(II) interactions with Aβ bound to SDS micelles or to engineered aggregation-inhibiting molecules (the cyclic peptide CP-2 and the ZAβ3(12-58)Y18L Affibody molecule). In all studied systems the Aβ N-terminal segment was found to be unbound, unstructured, and free to bind metal ions. In SDS micelles, Aβ was found to bind Cu(II) and Zn(II) with the same ligands and the same KD as in aqueous solution. ROS was generated in all Cu(II)/Aβ complexes. These results indicate that binding of Aβ to membranes, drugs, and other entities that do not interact with the Aβ N-terminal part, appears not to compromise the N-terminal segment's ability to bind metal ions, nor impede the capacity of N-terminally bound Cu(II) to generate ROS.

Atlas occipitalization (AO) is a spinal anomaly, characterized by the fusion of the first cervical vertebra and occipital bone, with a complex etiology that can arise from congenital and environmental causes. AO has been reported in three regions of pre-Hispanic Peru in skeletal remains with artificial cranial modification (ACM), which involves the use of compression devices to permanently alter cranial shape and may have affected the fusion of the atlas and occipital bone. The aims of this study were to gain insights into AO’s etiology by testing correlations between AO and ACM presence/type and geographic region as well as to characterize morphological variation associated with AO. We investigated the geographic distribution of AO and its potential relationship to ACM in a large sample of human crania from eight coastal and highland regions of pre-Hispanic Peru, held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (n = 608, 1300–1500 CE). Eleven cases of AO were observed in three coastal regions—including two previously unreported regions—at an overall frequency of 1.8%. The frequency of AO did not differ significantly between crania with and without ACM, in general or by type, suggesting that ACM is not an etiological factor that influences AO in this sample. AO was observed at a significantly higher rate in the southern coastal region of Arequipa than in any other region. Genetic, dietary, and epidemiological conditions are evaluated as factors possibly shaping the geographic distribution of AO along the central and southern coasts of Peru.

Landmarks are the hallmark of biological shape analysis as discrete anatomical points of correspondence. Various systems have been developed for their classification. In the most widely used system, developed by Bookstein in the 1990s, landmarks are divided into three distinct types based on their anatomical locations and biological significance. As Bookstein and others have argued that different landmark types possess different qualities, e.g., that Type 3 landmarks contain deficient information about shape variation and are less reliably measured, researchers began using landmark types as justification for selecting or avoiding particular landmarks for measurement or analysis. Here, we demonstrate considerable variation in landmark classifications among 17 studies using geometric morphometrics (GM), due to disagreement in the application of both Bookstein's landmark typology and individual landmark definitions. A review of the literature furthermore shows little correlation between landmark type and measurement reproducibility, especially when factors such as differences in measurement tools (calipers, digitizer, or computer software) and data sources (dry crania, 3D models, or 2D images) are considered. Although landmark typology is valuable when teaching biological shape analysis, we find that employing it in research design introduces confusion without providing useful information. Instead, researchers should choose landmark configurations based on their ability to test specific research hypotheses, and research papers should include justifications of landmark choices along with landmark definitions, details on landmark collection methods, and appropriate interobserver and intraobserver analyses. Hence, while the landmarks themselves are crucial for GM, we argue that their typology is of little use in applied studies. Anat Rec, 302:1144-1153, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In a previous study of female Han/Wistar (H/W) and Long-Evans (L-E) rats, we found that adult exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) was associated with size decreases in the cranium and especially the face. In this study we compared these crania to those from male and female Sprague-Dawley (S-D) rats with in utero/lactational exposure to TCDD, using morphometric variables of size, shape, and fluctuating asymmetry to quantify the effects of dose on craniofacial development and growth. At the highest levels of exposure, in utero/lactational and adult TCDD exposures both resulted in small but significant reductions in facial size parameters (i.e., 3-5%) in only females and minor effects on facial shape in both sexes. The shape effects of in utero/lactational exposure were most significant at the sutural intersections, whereas adult exposure to TCDD corresponded to dose-dependent changes of decreasing facial length and vault breadth. Fluctuating asymmetry in general explained a relatively small amount of shape variation compared with other effects, and only increased significantly in female L-E rats with high levels of adult exposure to TCDD. These results indicate that TCDD-related changes in cranial development and growth in rats can vary with the timing and duration of exposure, and with sex. Further investigations of other dioxin-like compounds and animal species will broaden our understanding of how chemicals exposure can influence the development and growth of the mammalian skeleton.

The mastoid process is one of the most sexually dimorphic features in the human skull, and is therefore often used to identify the sex of skeletons. Numerous techniques for assessing variation in the size and shape of the mastoid process have been proposed and implemented in osteological research, but its complex form still presents difficulties for consistent and effective analysis. In this article, we compare the different techniques and variables that have been used to define, measure, and visually score sexual dimorphism in the mastoid process. We argue that the current protocols fail to capture the full morphological range of this bony projection, and suggest ways of improving and standardizing them, regarding both traditional and 3D-based approaches.

Since the 1980s, cremation has become the fastest growing area of the U.S. funeral industry. At the same time, the number of litigations against funeral homes and cremation facilities has increased. Forensic anthropologists are often asked to determine whether the contents of an urn are actually cremated bone, and to address questions regarding the identity of the remains. This study uses both metric and chemical analyses for resolving a case of contested cremains. A cremains weight of 2021.8 g was predicted based on the decedent's reported stature and weight. However, the urn contents weighed 4173.5 g. The urn contents also contained material inconsistent with cremains (e.g., moist sediment, stones, ferrous metal). Analysis using XRD and SEM demonstrated that the urn contained thermally altered bone as well as inorganic material consistent with glass fiber cement. Although forensically challenging, cremains cases such as this one can be resolved using a multidisciplinary approach.

We propose the term âpan-epidemic Anthropoceneâ to refer to multifocal infectious disease epidemics related to human-caused (anthropogenic) forces such as urbanization, globalization, industrialization and the growing populations of humans and animals. The integrated framework of One Health (human, animal, and environmental health) helps both to understand why epidemics occur when and where they do, and also how to respond, mitigate, and sometimes prevent them. We suggest a collaborative mechanism for increasing One Health in medical education to create a synergy of strengths between the growing number of contributing One Health organizations in the US and internationally. Keywords: Pan-epidemic anthropocene, One health, Physician education

Between January 1, 2015, and December 14, 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) found mosquito-transmitted Zika virus infections in 69 countries or territories and person-to-person Zika virus transmission in 13 of them. Of great concern, in 29 of the 69 countries, Zika virus–associated central nervous system (CNS) malformations (such as microcephaly) were found among infants and fetuses suggestive of congenital infection.1 Although these Zika virus–related CNS abnormalities were first recognized in the Americas in 2015, the earliest known cases occurred in the French Polynesia islands in 2014. Zika virus–related CNS abnormalities also have been seen in Southeast Asia and West Africa.1

The frontal bone is one of the most sexually dimorphic elements of the human skull, due to features such as the glabella, frontal eminences, and frontal inclination. While glabella is frequently evaluated in procedures to estimate sex in unknown human skeletal remains, frontal inclination has received less attention. In this study we present a straightforward, quick, and reproducible method for measuring frontal inclination angles from glabella and supraglabella. Using a sample of 413 human crania from four different populations (U.S. Whites, U.S. Blacks, Portuguese, and Chinese), we test the usefulness of the inclination angles for sex estimation and compare their performance to traditional methods of frontal inclination assessment. Accuracy rates in the range 75–81% were achieved for the U.S. White, U.S. Black, and Portuguese groups. For Chinese the overall accuracy was lower, i.e. 66%. Although some regional variation was observed, a cut-off value of 78.2° for glabellar inclination angles separates female and male crania from all studied populations with good accuracy. As inclination angles measured from glabella captures two sexually dimorphic features (i.e. glabellar prominence and frontal inclination) in a single measure, the observed clear male/female difference is not unexpected. Being continuous variables, inclination angles are suitable for use in statistical methods for sex estimations.

Pelvic ring fractures are associated with high rates of mortality and thus can provide key information about circumstances surrounding death. These injuries can be particularly informative in skeletonized remains, yet difficult to diagnose and interpret. This study adapted a clinical system of classifying pelvic ring fractures according to their resultant degree of pelvic stability for application to gross human skeletal remains. The modified Tile criteria were applied to the skeletal remains of 22 individuals from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México that displayed evidence of pelvic injury. Because these categories are tied directly to clinical assessments concerning the severity and treatment of injuries, this approach can aid in the identification of manner and cause of death, as well as interpretations of possible mechanisms of injury, such as those typical in car-to-pedestrian and motor vehicle accidents.

Three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning is a nondestructive and versatile technique that provides archaeologists with 3D models of archaeological and ethnographic objects. We have previously shown that 3D models facilitate shape analysis of archaeological bones and stone tools, due to the high measurement accuracy inherent in the latest generation of 3D laser scanners. Here, we explore the utility of 3D modeling as a tool for analyzing Viking Age metal artefacts with complex morphologies. Four highly ornate Viking Age brooches from Scandinavia and Russia were digitized with a portable laser scanner, and the resulting 3D models were used in three case studies of (a) artefact reconstruction, (b) tool mark analysis, and (c) motif documentation. The results revealed both strengths and limitations of the employed techniques. 3D modeling proved to be very well suited for artefact reconstruction and was helpful also in the stylistic and motif analysis. The tool mark analysis was only partially successful, due to the resolution limits of the laser scanner used. 3D-based motif analysis of a grandiose Scandinavian-style brooch from Yelets, Russia, identified an anthropomorphic figure with a bird-like body that previously has been overlooked. This figure may be a Rurikid coat of arms, possibly linking the object to a princely household and providing further evidence for a connection between Scandinavia and the Rurikids. As 3D technology keeps improving, we expect that additional applications for 3D modeling in archaeology will be developed, likely leading to many new findings when old objects are re-analyzed with modern techniques. However, our results indicate that 3D modeling cannot completely replace traditional artefact analysis—instead, we argue that the two approaches are best used in combination.

Sex estimation from the skull is commonly performed by physical and forensic anthropologists using a five-trait scoring system developed by Walker. Despite the popularity of this method, validation studies evaluating its accuracy across a variety of samples are lacking. Furthermore, it remains unclear what other intrinsic or extrinsic variables are related to the expression of these traits. In this study, cranial trait scores and postcranial measurements were collected from four diverse population groups (U.S. Whites, U.S. Blacks, medieval Nubians, and Arikara Native Americans) following Walker's protocols (total n = 499). Univariate and multivariate analyses were utilized to evaluate the accuracy of these traits in sex estimation, and to test for the effects of population, age, and body size on trait expressions. Results revealed significant effects of population on all trait scores. Sample-specific correct sex classification rates ranged from 74% to 94%, with an overall accuracy of 85% for the pooled sample. Classification performance varied among the traits (best for glabella and mastoid scores and worst for nuchal scores). Furthermore, correlations between traits were weak or nonsignificant, suggesting that different factors may influence individual traits. Some traits displayed correlations with age and/or postcranial size that were significant but weak, and within-population analyses did not reveal any consistent relationships between these traits across all groups. These results indicate that neither age nor body size plays a large role in trait expression, and thus does not need to be incorporated into sex estimation methods. Am J Phys Anthropol 154:259–269, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Differences in Paleoindian projectile point morphology have previously been used to define technologies, infer colonization patterns, propose chronological and regional boundaries. In this study, w ...

Aggregation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides into oligomers and amyloid plaques in the human brain is considered a causative factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD). As metal ions are over-represented in AD patient brains, and as distinct Aβ aggregation pathways in presence of Cu(II) have been demonstrated, metal binding to Aβ likely affects AD progression. Aβ aggregation is moreover pH-dependent, and AD appears to involve inflammatory conditions leading to physiological acidosis. Although metal binding specificity to Aβ varies at different pH's, metal binding affinity to Aβ has so far not been quantitatively investigated at sub-neutral pH levels. This may be explained by the difficulties involved in studying monomeric peptide properties under aggregation-promoting conditions. We have recently devised a modified Affibody molecule, Z(Aβ3)(12-58), that binds Aβ with sub-nanomolar affinity, thereby locking the peptide in monomeric form without affecting the N-terminal region where metal ions bind. Here, we introduce non-fluorescent Aβ-binding Affibody variants that keep Aβ monomeric while only slightly affecting the Aβ peptide's metal binding properties. Using fluorescence spectroscopy, we demonstrate that Cu(II)/Aβ(1-40) binding is almost two orders of magnitude weaker at pH 5.0 (apparent K(D)=51 μM) than at pH 7.3 (apparent K(D)=0.86 μM). This effect is arguably caused by protonation of the histidines involved in the metal ligandation. Our results indicate that engineered variants of Affibody molecules are useful for studying metal-binding and other properties of monomeric Aβ under various physiological conditions, which will improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in AD.

Objective Herein we introduce a newly recovered partial calvaria, OH 83, from the upper Ndutu Beds of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. We present the geological context of its discovery and a comparative analysis of its morphology, placing OH 83 within the context of our current understanding of the origins and evolution of Homo sapiens. Materials and methods We comparatively assessed the morphology of OH 83 using quantitative and qualitative data from penecontemporaneous fossils and the W.W. Howells modern human craniometric dataset. Results OH 83 is geologically dated to ca. 60–32 ka. Its morphology is indicative of an early modern human, falling at the low end of the range of variation for post-orbital cranial breadth, the high end of the range for bifrontal breadth, and near average in frontal length. Discussion There have been numerous attempts to use cranial anatomy to define the species Homo sapiens and identify it in the fossil record. These efforts have not met wide agreement by the scientific community due, in part, to the mosaic patterns of cranial variation represented by the fossils. The variable, mosaic pattern of trait expression in the crania of Middle and Late Pleistocene fossils implies that morphological modernity did not occur at once. However, OH 83 demonstrates that by ca. 60–32 ka modern humans in Africa included individuals that are at the fairly small and gracile range of modern human cranial variation.

Cribra orbitalia (CO), or porotic hyperostosis (PH) of the orbital roof, is one of the most common pathological conditions found in archaeological subadult skeletal remains. Reaching frequencies higher than 50% in many prehistoric samples, CO has been generally attributed to a variety of factors including malnutrition (e.g., megaloblastic anemia) and parasitism. In this study, we tested the relationship between CO, trace element concentrations, and stable isotope values (δ

Growing evidence links neurodegenerative diseases to metal exposure. Aberrant metal ion concentrations have been noted in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, yet the role of metals in AD pathogenesis remains unresolved. A major factor in AD pathogenesis is considered to be aggregation of and amyloid formation by amyloid-beta (A beta) peptides. Previous studies have shown that A beta displays specific binding to Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions, and such binding has been shown to modulate A beta aggregation. Here, we use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to show that Mn(II) ions also bind to the N-terminal part of the A beta(1-40) peptide, with a weak binding affinity in the milli- to micromolar range. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, solid state atomic force microscopy (AFM), fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular modeling suggest that the weak binding of Mn(II) to A beta may not have a large effect on the peptide's aggregation into amyloid fibrils. However, identification of an additional metal ion displaying A beta binding reveals more complex AD metal chemistry than has been previously considered in the literature.

Clovis points are the principal diagnostic artifacts of a Clovis complex that spread across North America between ca. 11,050–10,800 radiocarbon years before present. Clovis may be the best documented Paleoamerican culture in North America, but much remains to be learned about the movement and interactions of Clovis peoples. Similarities among Clovis points from geographically diverse locations have led some researchers to suggest that a uniform projectile point technology existed across North America during Clovis times. Others have rejected this idea, proposing local and independent technological adaptations to different regional environments. To investigate these ideas, we used digital morphometrics to analyze 50 Clovis points from nine different contexts. First, 3D surface models of the points were created with a portable laser scanner. Next, these models were digitally cross-sectioned through both faces, yielding two-dimensional isoheight contours of flake scar patterns that reflect the original reduction techniques used to shape the projectile points. In the final step, the contours were transformed with elliptic Fourier analysis into Fourier coefficient series, and patterns of variation and symmetry were explored with principal components analysis. When compared to modern Clovis point replicas made by an expert knapper, the flake scar contours of the ancient Clovis points showed little morphological variation and a large degree of bifacial symmetry. Our results support the existence of a widespread standardized “Clovis” knapping technique, most likely transmitted through direct interaction between knappers from different groups.

Published by American Schools of Oriental Research via Near Eastern Archaeology and copyright of American Schools of Oriental Research. The definitive version of this article is available at: http://0-www.jstor.org.iii.sonoma.edu/stable/10.5615/neareastarch.75.2.0068

Although the Suchey-Brooks (SB) system is currently the most widely used method for age-at-death estimation from the pubic bone, the system continues to evolve through stepwise improvements. Since the system was developed from a pubic bone sample derived mainly from North Americans, it is unclear how well it performs on populations from other continents. During the last decade, studies of the SB system on pubic bone samples from local populations in Europe and Asia have indicated regional differences in the relationship between age and pubic bone development. However, these studies have for the most part followed different research protocols, which make comparisons between their results less meaningful. It would be most useful if future regional analysis of the SB system were done in a rigorous and uniform fashion, following standard procedures. In this paper, sampling and statistical considerations are outlined that hopefully will help to standardize research on the SB system.

Identifying group affinity from human crania is a long-standing problem in forensic and physical anthropology. Many craniofacial differences used in forensic skeletal identification are difficult t ...

This article identifies and discusses seven new cases of complete maxillary canine-premolar transposition in ancient populations from the Santa Barbara Channel region of California. A high frequency of this tooth transposition has been previously documented within a single prehistoric cemetery on one of the Channel Islands. A total of 966 crania representing 30 local sites and about 7,000 years of human occupation were examined, revealing an abnormally high prevalence of this transposition trait among islanders during the Early period of southern California prehistory (-,5500-600 B.C.). One of the affected crania is from a cemetery more than 7,000-years-old and constitutes the earliest case of tooth transposition in humans so far reported. The results are consistent with findings by other studies that have indicated inbreeding among the early Channel Islands groups. Together with the normal transposition rates among mainland populations, the decreasing prevalence of maxillary canine-first premolar transposition among island populations across the Holocene suggests that inbreeding on the northern Channel Islands had all but ceased by the end of the first millennium B.C., most likely as a result of increased cross-channel migration and interaction. Am J Phys Anthropol 143:155-160, 2010.

Three-dimensional (3D) laser scanner models of human crania can be used for forensic facial reconstruction, and for obtaining craniometric data useful for estimating age, sex, and population affinity of unidentified human remains. However, the use of computer-generated measurements in a casework setting requires the measurement precision to be known. Here, we assess the repeatability and precision of cranial volume and surface area measurements using 3D laser scanner models created by different operators using different protocols for collecting and processing data. We report intraobserver measurement errors of 0.2% and interobserver errors of 2% of the total area and volume values, suggesting that observer-related errors do not pose major obstacles for sharing, combining, or comparing such measurements. Nevertheless, as no standardized procedure exists for area or volume measurements from 3D models, it is imperative to report the scanning and postscanning protocols employed when such measurements are conducted in a forensic setting.

A total of 11 340 Cartesian coordinates of 42 homologous landmarks on five excavated human crania were recorded by three observers using a three-dimensional (3D) digitiser and computer models created with a 3D laser scanner. The aim was to compare the errors of the coordinate data of landmarks of different types recorded with these two techniques. The results showed that digitiser-based and 3D model-based coordinate measurements had overall standard deviations of, respectively, ±0.79 and ±1.05 mm. However, the 3D digitiser yielded the most precise coordinate data for landmarks defined primarily by biological criteria (Type I landmarks), while the 3D laser scanner models yielded the most precise coordinate data for landmarks defined primarily by geometric criteria (Type III landmarks). These findings are likely to influence the research design of future craniometric studies, as they indicate that the suitability of certain landmark types as reference points for geometric operations, such as partial Procrustes analysis, depends on the method by which they are measured. This information is particularly important for retrospective research or for combined databases such as FORDISC or CRANID, which may integrate different types of landmarks recorded by different researchers and/or instruments. Crania displaying poor preservation and surface discoloration yielded larger measurement errors, especially for the 3D model measurements. This is not surprising given that landmarks on 3D models cannot be located using tactile means, but have to be located solely on a visual basis. Nonetheless, even though the digitiser measurements exhibit an overall precision slightly greater than the 3D model measurements, both techniques yield coordinate data with a precision sufficient for most craniometric research. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.