Paleopathology and anthropology are fields of research which have benefited from the use of diagnostic imaging since its introduction in the clinical setting. The deriving discipline, that is, paleoimaging, has effectively employed several diagnostic techniques. However, while Multi-Slice Computed Tomography (MSCT) has found its role in paleoimaging, Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), despite its several advantages with regard to MSCT, is still struggling to find a clear position in this field. The aim of our study is to evaluate the possible advantages CBCT could bring to paleoimaging. We describe the characteristics and role of CBCT in clinical applications, in forensic and legal medicine, and in paleopathology. We report the study of an ancient mandible by means of CBCT and MSCT, in order to compare the quality of the images in terms of spatial resolution. CBCT allows to obtain good quality images of mineralized tissues. Moreover, the possibility of imaging metallic manufacts makes the technique suitable for the study not only of bony remains, but also of museum and archaeological artifacts. Our study highlights the strengths of CBCT as a valid imaging technique for the study of ancient bone remains and manufacts. A revision of the current uses of CBCT is provided and gives insights into the possible role it can cover in bioarchaeological studies. Further evaluation is needed in terms of possible applications of this technique to paleopathology. We strongly encourage the use of CBCT in paleoimaging, and suggest a broader application of the technique to the study of archaeological samples.
{"title":"Cone-Beam Computed Tomography vs. Multi-Slice Computed Tomography in paleoimaging: where we stand.","authors":"Rossana Izzetti, Raffaele Gaeta, Davide Caramella, Valentina Giuffra","doi":"10.1127/homo/2020/1063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1127/homo/2020/1063","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Paleopathology and anthropology are fields of research which have benefited from the use of diagnostic imaging since its introduction in the clinical setting. The deriving discipline, that is, paleoimaging, has effectively employed several diagnostic techniques. However, while Multi-Slice Computed Tomography (MSCT) has found its role in paleoimaging, Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), despite its several advantages with regard to MSCT, is still struggling to find a clear position in this field. The aim of our study is to evaluate the possible advantages CBCT could bring to paleoimaging. We describe the characteristics and role of CBCT in clinical applications, in forensic and legal medicine, and in paleopathology. We report the study of an ancient mandible by means of CBCT and MSCT, in order to compare the quality of the images in terms of spatial resolution. CBCT allows to obtain good quality images of mineralized tissues. Moreover, the possibility of imaging metallic manufacts makes the technique suitable for the study not only of bony remains, but also of museum and archaeological artifacts. Our study highlights the strengths of CBCT as a valid imaging technique for the study of ancient bone remains and manufacts. A revision of the current uses of CBCT is provided and gives insights into the possible role it can cover in bioarchaeological studies. Further evaluation is needed in terms of possible applications of this technique to paleopathology. We strongly encourage the use of CBCT in paleoimaging, and suggest a broader application of the technique to the study of archaeological samples.</p>","PeriodicalId":46714,"journal":{"name":"Homo-Journal of Comparative Human Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2020-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"37548194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clotilde Lambeaux, Frederic Savall, Fabrice Dedouit, Nicolas Sans, Etienne Cavaignac, Norbert Telmon, Marie Faruch Bilfeld
Data regarding sexual dimorphism in children are sparse with contradictory results. Recently, geometric morphometric analysis has shown that the pubis and ilium have both sexual shape dimorphism and shape differences that increase during ontogeny, but little is known about the entire pelvic (os coxae) bone shape in very young children. The goal of this study was to show pelvic bone age-related and sex-related shape changes using 3D geometric morphometric analysis in very young children. Geometric morphometric analysis was carried out on CT scans of the pelvic bone of 96 children aged from 3 to 24 months. Eleven landmarks were defined on the left pelvic bone. Geometric morphometric analyses were carried out to identify trends in bone shape in sex-based and age-based subgroups. Age-related differences in shape were statistically significant (Goodall's F = 3.68; p < 0.001) but there were no sex-related differences in shape (Goodall's F = 1.95; p = 0.065). Overall, the superior part of the pelvic bone becomes narrower with age. This study has shown that geometric morphometric analysis of the pelvic bone is feasible in very young children and revealed changes in shape with age but not differences with sex.
关于儿童两性异形的数据很少,结果相互矛盾。最近,几何形态计量学分析表明耻骨和髂骨具有两性形状二态性和在个体发育过程中增加的形状差异,但对非常年幼的儿童的整个骨盆(os coxae)骨形状知之甚少。本研究的目的是利用三维几何形态分析显示非常年幼的儿童骨盆骨与年龄和性别相关的形状变化。对96例3 ~ 24月龄儿童骨盆骨的CT扫描进行几何形态分析。在左侧骨盆骨上确定了11个地标。进行几何形态分析,以确定基于性别和年龄的亚群中骨骼形状的趋势。年龄相关的外形差异有统计学意义(Goodall’s F = 3.68;p < 0.001),但在形状上没有性别相关的差异(Goodall’s F = 1.95;P = 0.065)。总的来说,随着年龄的增长,骨盆骨的上部变窄。这项研究表明,骨盆骨的几何形态计量学分析在非常年幼的儿童中是可行的,并揭示了形状随年龄的变化,而不是性别的差异。
{"title":"Geometric morphometric study of the early shape of the hip bone (os coxae): variations with age and sex.","authors":"Clotilde Lambeaux, Frederic Savall, Fabrice Dedouit, Nicolas Sans, Etienne Cavaignac, Norbert Telmon, Marie Faruch Bilfeld","doi":"10.1127/homo/2020/1197","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1127/homo/2020/1197","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Data regarding sexual dimorphism in children are sparse with contradictory results. Recently, geometric morphometric analysis has shown that the pubis and ilium have both sexual shape dimorphism and shape differences that increase during ontogeny, but little is known about the entire pelvic (os coxae) bone shape in very young children. The goal of this study was to show pelvic bone age-related and sex-related shape changes using 3D geometric morphometric analysis in very young children. Geometric morphometric analysis was carried out on CT scans of the pelvic bone of 96 children aged from 3 to 24 months. Eleven landmarks were defined on the left pelvic bone. Geometric morphometric analyses were carried out to identify trends in bone shape in sex-based and age-based subgroups. Age-related differences in shape were statistically significant (Goodall's F = 3.68; <i>p</i> < 0.001) but there were no sex-related differences in shape (Goodall's F = 1.95; <i>p</i> = 0.065). Overall, the superior part of the pelvic bone becomes narrower with age. This study has shown that geometric morphometric analysis of the pelvic bone is feasible in very young children and revealed changes in shape with age but not differences with sex.</p>","PeriodicalId":46714,"journal":{"name":"Homo-Journal of Comparative Human Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2020-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"37548195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Heba Alzer, A. Alhadidi, M. Al-Shayyab, A. Sabrah, F. Alsoleihat
The objective was to determine the degree of fluctuating asymmetry in the expression of 13 dental morphological traits among adult Jordanians. Cone beam computed tomography images for the dentitions of 150 adult Jordanians (67 males, 83 females; age range = 18-58, mean ages 28.2, SD = 10.0 years) were studied in 2017. The traits were classified using the Arizona State University dental anthropology system, and dichotomized according to the most widely accepted criteria to define trait presence. Asymmetry was assessed using three different methods: percentage of discordance including bilateral absence cases (PDIBAC), percentage of discordance excluding bilateral absence cases (PDEBAC), and inter-side correlation (ISC) using Kendall's tau coefficient. Fisher's exact test was used to assess sexual dimorphism in the degree of asymmetry. The mean PDIBAC and the mean ISC for all the traits considered are 4.1% and 0.837, respectively. For traits observed on key teeth (mesial members of teeth districts) the mean PDIBAC and the mean ISC are 3.0% and 0.860, respectively; and for those observed on variable teeth (distal members of teeth districts) the mean PDIBAC and the mean ISC are 6.5% and 0.783, respectively. No statistically significant difference was found in the degree of asymmetry between sexes. The overall low degree of asymmetry found in the present sample (4.1%) compared to the world range of 5-15% may indicate great ability of its individuals to buffer the adverse effects of environmental stresses affecting the living Jordanians during early tooth development.
{"title":"Unexpectedly low levels of dental morphological asymmetry suggesting developmental resilience amongst living Jordanians: A cone beam computed tomography study.","authors":"Heba Alzer, A. Alhadidi, M. Al-Shayyab, A. Sabrah, F. Alsoleihat","doi":"10.1127/homo/2019/1029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1127/homo/2019/1029","url":null,"abstract":"The objective was to determine the degree of fluctuating asymmetry in the expression of 13 dental morphological traits among adult Jordanians. Cone beam computed tomography images for the dentitions of 150 adult Jordanians (67 males, 83 females; age range = 18-58, mean ages 28.2, SD = 10.0 years) were studied in 2017. The traits were classified using the Arizona State University dental anthropology system, and dichotomized according to the most widely accepted criteria to define trait presence. Asymmetry was assessed using three different methods: percentage of discordance including bilateral absence cases (PDIBAC), percentage of discordance excluding bilateral absence cases (PDEBAC), and inter-side correlation (ISC) using Kendall's tau coefficient. Fisher's exact test was used to assess sexual dimorphism in the degree of asymmetry. The mean PDIBAC and the mean ISC for all the traits considered are 4.1% and 0.837, respectively. For traits observed on key teeth (mesial members of teeth districts) the mean PDIBAC and the mean ISC are 3.0% and 0.860, respectively; and for those observed on variable teeth (distal members of teeth districts) the mean PDIBAC and the mean ISC are 6.5% and 0.783, respectively. No statistically significant difference was found in the degree of asymmetry between sexes. The overall low degree of asymmetry found in the present sample (4.1%) compared to the world range of 5-15% may indicate great ability of its individuals to buffer the adverse effects of environmental stresses affecting the living Jordanians during early tooth development.","PeriodicalId":46714,"journal":{"name":"Homo-Journal of Comparative Human Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2020-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78926064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Noha Maher Elrewieny, Manal Mohy Eldin Ismail, Hala Saied Zaghloul, Mohsen Hussein Abielhassan, Mona Mohamed Ali
Background: Sex determination is the first step in personal identification in the forensic field. This study aimed to evaluate sexual dimorphism by using palatal rugae pattern and odontometrics, construct an Egyptian equation for sex determination using the discriminant function analysis. Participants and methods: The study sample included 200 participants of both sexes. Maxillary arch impressions were taken with alginate impression material using stainless steel impression tray. Identification and measurements were done to study the palatal rugae pattern, dental arch dimensions, and maxillary canine. Results: There was a highly statistically significant difference between males and females with higher male values regarding the total palatal rugae number, wavy rugae number, primary rugae number, arch length, width, maxillary canine right width, maxillary canine left width, intercanine distance, and maxillary canine right index while there was a highly statistically significant difference with higher female value regarding the straight rugae numbers. Four Egyptian equations were constructed using discriminant function analysis to determine the sex of an unidentified person. Conclusions: Palatal rugae pattern, dental arch dimensions, and maxillary canine index can be considered as useful tools for sex determination in the forensic field.
{"title":"Palatoscopy and odontometrics' potential role in sex determination among an adult Egyptian population sample: A pilot study.","authors":"Noha Maher Elrewieny, Manal Mohy Eldin Ismail, Hala Saied Zaghloul, Mohsen Hussein Abielhassan, Mona Mohamed Ali","doi":"10.1127/homo/2020/1086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1127/homo/2020/1086","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Background:</i> Sex determination is the first step in personal identification in the forensic field. This study aimed to evaluate sexual dimorphism by using palatal rugae pattern and odontometrics, construct an Egyptian equation for sex determination using the discriminant function analysis. <i>Participants and methods:</i> The study sample included 200 participants of both sexes. Maxillary arch impressions were taken with alginate impression material using stainless steel impression tray. Identification and measurements were done to study the palatal rugae pattern, dental arch dimensions, and maxillary canine. <i>Results:</i> There was a highly statistically significant difference between males and females with higher male values regarding the total palatal rugae number, wavy rugae number, primary rugae number, arch length, width, maxillary canine right width, maxillary canine left width, intercanine distance, and maxillary canine right index while there was a highly statistically significant difference with higher female value regarding the straight rugae numbers. Four Egyptian equations were constructed using discriminant function analysis to determine the sex of an unidentified person. <i>Conclusions:</i> Palatal rugae pattern, dental arch dimensions, and maxillary canine index can be considered as useful tools for sex determination in the forensic field.</p>","PeriodicalId":46714,"journal":{"name":"Homo-Journal of Comparative Human Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2020-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"37545695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Agnieska Tomaszewska, D. Psonak, P. Maślińska, B. Kwiatkowska
Although the foramen magnum is often described in the context of sex determination, to date, it has not been studied in relation to the Polish population. Considering interpopulation variation of human skull dimensions and shapes, study of a Polish population is needed. The aim of this paper is to evaluate a hierarchy of selected measurements of the foramen magnum in terms of their usefulness for sex determination and provide reference data for Polish non-modern populations in order to propose an alternative method of sex determination for fragmented human remains. Adult skulls from skeletal collection from Poland (N = 101, males 46.5% and females 53.5%) were measured to derive statistical functions. The anteroposterior diameter, transverse diameter, and the circumference of the foramen magnum were found to be significantly larger in males. Mollison's index and discriminant function analysis were performed to derive models for estimation of sex from the foramen magnum measurements and the ± 1 SD ranges of the dimensions were calculated. Each of foramen magnum dimensions was able to predict sex in above 90% of crania. Due to some limitations of this study and the need of population-specific standards, it is recommend employing the foramen magnum in sex determination only in cases of fragmented human remains and when no other method can be applied. Further investigation of possible factors influencing the variability of the foramen magnum size and shape should be conducted in larger and geographically more diverse samples, and this could contribute to forensic, clinical, anatomical, and anthropological studies of this anatomical structure.
{"title":"Sex determination from fragmented human remains - hierarchy of the foramen magnum dimensions.","authors":"Agnieska Tomaszewska, D. Psonak, P. Maślińska, B. Kwiatkowska","doi":"10.1127/homo/2019/1139","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1127/homo/2019/1139","url":null,"abstract":"Although the foramen magnum is often described in the context of sex determination, to date, it has not been studied in relation to the Polish population. Considering interpopulation variation of human skull dimensions and shapes, study of a Polish population is needed. The aim of this paper is to evaluate a hierarchy of selected measurements of the foramen magnum in terms of their usefulness for sex determination and provide reference data for Polish non-modern populations in order to propose an alternative method of sex determination for fragmented human remains. Adult skulls from skeletal collection from Poland (N = 101, males 46.5% and females 53.5%) were measured to derive statistical functions. The anteroposterior diameter, transverse diameter, and the circumference of the foramen magnum were found to be significantly larger in males. Mollison's index and discriminant function analysis were performed to derive models for estimation of sex from the foramen magnum measurements and the ± 1 SD ranges of the dimensions were calculated. Each of foramen magnum dimensions was able to predict sex in above 90% of crania. Due to some limitations of this study and the need of population-specific standards, it is recommend employing the foramen magnum in sex determination only in cases of fragmented human remains and when no other method can be applied. Further investigation of possible factors influencing the variability of the foramen magnum size and shape should be conducted in larger and geographically more diverse samples, and this could contribute to forensic, clinical, anatomical, and anthropological studies of this anatomical structure.","PeriodicalId":46714,"journal":{"name":"Homo-Journal of Comparative Human Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2020-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80906062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Susana Gómez-González, Consuelo Roca de Togores Muñoz, Laura González-Garrido
Syphilis, together with its variant congenital syphilis, is a disease caused by Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum. This paper documents possible new skeletal evidence for congenital syphilis from the Medieval Era (twelfth and thirteenth centuries CE) burial site of Medinaceli in the Province of Soria in North-Central Spain. What is involved is dental alteration due to congenital syphilis, mercury treatment, or a combination of both. This study focuses on the hypoplastic dental changes observed in a child approximately eight years of age. Only a fragmented skull with left maxilla and the left side of the mandible were preserved. Macroscopic analysis, X-rays, computerized tomography (CT) and mercury detection analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) techniques were used to observe dental abnormalities. In addition to extensive caries in the upper second deciduous molar, pulpo-alveolar lesions and facial alterations were observed. The absence of the rest of the skeleton tends to make a diagnosis of congenital syphilis difficult. However, the dental stigmata observed do permit a reasonable diagnosis.
{"title":"Congenital syphilis or mercury treatment: dental alterations in a twelfth- or thirteenth-century child from Medinaceli, Soria, Spain.","authors":"Susana Gómez-González, Consuelo Roca de Togores Muñoz, Laura González-Garrido","doi":"10.1127/homo/2020/1173","DOIUrl":"10.1127/homo/2020/1173","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Syphilis, together with its variant congenital syphilis, is a disease caused by <i>Treponema pallidum</i> subsp. <i>pallidum</i>. This paper documents possible new skeletal evidence for congenital syphilis from the Medieval Era (twelfth and thirteenth centuries CE) burial site of Medinaceli in the Province of Soria in North-Central Spain. What is involved is dental alteration due to congenital syphilis, mercury treatment, or a combination of both. This study focuses on the hypoplastic dental changes observed in a child approximately eight years of age. Only a fragmented skull with left maxilla and the left side of the mandible were preserved. Macroscopic analysis, X-rays, computerized tomography (CT) and mercury detection analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) techniques were used to observe dental abnormalities. In addition to extensive caries in the upper second deciduous molar, pulpo-alveolar lesions and facial alterations were observed. The absence of the rest of the skeleton tends to make a diagnosis of congenital syphilis difficult. However, the dental stigmata observed do permit a reasonable diagnosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":46714,"journal":{"name":"Homo-Journal of Comparative Human Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2020-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"37545696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Charles Sylvester, Mysore Siddaiah Krishna, Jaya Sankar Rao, Adimoolam Chandrasekar
This study reports the mitochondrial DNA haplogroup M diversity in two tribal populations of South India. The aim of this study was to analyze and establish a mitochondrial profile to know the genetic origin and relatedness of people of India. MtDNA variability of the complete mitochondrial genome was analyzed by the Sanger sequencing method. Our results revealed novel sub-lineages of haplogroup: M2, M3, M6, M35, M65, and an M* lineage, indicating a deep in-situ origin and spread of haplogroup M lineages in India, shared with many tribal and caste populations.
{"title":"<i>In-situ</i> clustering of mtDNA haplogroup M inferred from complete mitogenomes of two tribal populations of Southern India.","authors":"Charles Sylvester, Mysore Siddaiah Krishna, Jaya Sankar Rao, Adimoolam Chandrasekar","doi":"10.1127/homo/2020/1144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1127/homo/2020/1144","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study reports the mitochondrial DNA haplogroup M diversity in two tribal populations of South India. The aim of this study was to analyze and establish a mitochondrial profile to know the genetic origin and relatedness of people of India. MtDNA variability of the complete mitochondrial genome was analyzed by the Sanger sequencing method. Our results revealed novel sub-lineages of haplogroup: M2, M3, M6, M35, M65, and an M* lineage, indicating a deep <i>in-situ</i> origin and spread of haplogroup M lineages in India, shared with many tribal and caste populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":46714,"journal":{"name":"Homo-Journal of Comparative Human Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2020-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"37548192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In 1996, Grün and coworkers provided an ESR age determination for a hominin molar from Florisbad, South Africa, at 259 ± 35 ka. The most anatomically informative hominin specimen from Florisbad is a fragmentary craniofacial specimen, attributed by many to early Homo sapiens, which has been assumed to derive from the same individual as this tooth. Since 1996, evidence about the evolutionary context for the later Middle Pleistocene and its associated hominins in Africa had markedly changed. If the Florisbad date is accurate and if the molar is associated with the craniofacial specimen, this evidence may suggest that Homo naledi coexisted in time and geography with H. sapiens in southern Africa. Thus, the accuracy for all dates needs critical investigation. This study examines the published record of excavation and subsequent analyses for the Florisbad material. We find that the contemporary records raise doubt about the contemporaneity of the tooth and calvaria. The site's complex stratigraphy and the details about the tooth's discovery also pose challenges for the previous ESR age estimate. Because the fragmentary cranial specimen has value for morphological comparisons, developing additional means of understanding its geological age is necessary. The current data do not demonstrate the presence of H. sapiens in southern Africa at ~260 ka.
{"title":"Revisiting the age of the Florisbad hominin material.","authors":"L. Berger, J. Hawks","doi":"10.31730/osf.io/eqs7d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31730/osf.io/eqs7d","url":null,"abstract":"In 1996, Grün and coworkers provided an ESR age determination for a hominin molar from Florisbad, South Africa, at 259 ± 35 ka. The most anatomically informative hominin specimen from Florisbad is a fragmentary craniofacial specimen, attributed by many to early Homo sapiens, which has been assumed to derive from the same individual as this tooth. Since 1996, evidence about the evolutionary context for the later Middle Pleistocene and its associated hominins in Africa had markedly changed. If the Florisbad date is accurate and if the molar is associated with the craniofacial specimen, this evidence may suggest that Homo naledi coexisted in time and geography with H. sapiens in southern Africa. Thus, the accuracy for all dates needs critical investigation. This study examines the published record of excavation and subsequent analyses for the Florisbad material. We find that the contemporary records raise doubt about the contemporaneity of the tooth and calvaria. The site's complex stratigraphy and the details about the tooth's discovery also pose challenges for the previous ESR age estimate. Because the fragmentary cranial specimen has value for morphological comparisons, developing additional means of understanding its geological age is necessary. The current data do not demonstrate the presence of H. sapiens in southern Africa at ~260 ka.","PeriodicalId":46714,"journal":{"name":"Homo-Journal of Comparative Human Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2020-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76692141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Abdelhady, Asharf M T Elewa, Moustafa H. El-Dawy
To evaluate the taxonomic position of the Neandertal and Homo erectus within the hominid clade, the variation among and within the hominid taxa was assessed based on the craniodental morphology and integrated with molecular analyses of the whole mtDNA genomes. Ordination and clustering of the Procrustes craniodental landmarks have showed a notable shape transformation from the earliest hominid species to the modern humans. Although levels of distinction between the analyzed taxa (Homo, Pan, Gorilla, and Pongo) are generally corresponding to probable expectations based on their taxonomic rank, few exceptions were found. Notably, the craniodental morphology of Homo erectus showed a greater dissimilarity to other Homo species, where it consistently overlapped or grouped with Pan species on all ordination plots and clustering. In addition, the direct link between European humans and Neandertals, which is well-characterized on all of the phylogenetic trees based on maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods, was not outlined in the morphologic-based clustering. Both morphological and molecular distances between Neandertal and modern humans were consistently greater than the distances among modern humans, however, the distances are still smaller than those between any two distinct species (so they are subspecies). The topology of the phylogenetic trees based on the whole mtDNA has shown a minor discrepancy with the results obtained from the craniodental morphologies.
{"title":"The position of Neandertal and Homo erectus within the hominid clade based on craniodental morphology and whole mtDNA genomes.","authors":"A. Abdelhady, Asharf M T Elewa, Moustafa H. El-Dawy","doi":"10.1127/homo/2019/1119","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1127/homo/2019/1119","url":null,"abstract":"To evaluate the taxonomic position of the Neandertal and Homo erectus within the hominid clade, the variation among and within the hominid taxa was assessed based on the craniodental morphology and integrated with molecular analyses of the whole mtDNA genomes. Ordination and clustering of the Procrustes craniodental landmarks have showed a notable shape transformation from the earliest hominid species to the modern humans. Although levels of distinction between the analyzed taxa (Homo, Pan, Gorilla, and Pongo) are generally corresponding to probable expectations based on their taxonomic rank, few exceptions were found. Notably, the craniodental morphology of Homo erectus showed a greater dissimilarity to other Homo species, where it consistently overlapped or grouped with Pan species on all ordination plots and clustering. In addition, the direct link between European humans and Neandertals, which is well-characterized on all of the phylogenetic trees based on maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods, was not outlined in the morphologic-based clustering. Both morphological and molecular distances between Neandertal and modern humans were consistently greater than the distances among modern humans, however, the distances are still smaller than those between any two distinct species (so they are subspecies). The topology of the phylogenetic trees based on the whole mtDNA has shown a minor discrepancy with the results obtained from the craniodental morphologies.","PeriodicalId":46714,"journal":{"name":"Homo-Journal of Comparative Human Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2019-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82255592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paulina Pruszkowska-Przybylska, I. Rosset, A. Sitek, E. Żądzińska
Breastfeeding in the first year of life is an important factor that may modify the child's later development.The aim of this study was to examine the association between the duration of breastfeeding and the time of achieving motor development of Polish children taking into account their familial background. The study material comprised 460 individuals including 252 boys and 208 girls aged 9 to 56 months who were born at term (37-42 weeks) selected in years 1993-1997. The investigated dependent variables were: first attempts of sitting, standing and walking (months). The independent variables were divided into: explanatory variable - the duration of breastfeeding, and other covariates - birth weight, the paternal and maternal age at the time of childbirth, maternal tobacco smoking during and after pregnancy as well as the parental level of education. The results of regression models after removing the prenatal and familial factors did not indicate a significant relationship between the duration of breastfeeding and sitting up (F = 0.03, p = 0.8569), standing up (F = 0.79, p = 0.3741) and walking variability (F = 0.20, p = 0.6568) in studied group of children. The results showed that parental age and education may affect the offspring's gross motor development, though effect sizes are small and directions of influence vary between fathers and mothers. The study underlines the importance of familial factors over the breastfeeding duration impact on time of developmental milestones.
在生命的第一年母乳喂养是一个重要的因素,可能会改变孩子以后的发展。本研究的目的是在考虑波兰儿童的家庭背景的情况下,研究母乳喂养的持续时间和实现运动发育的时间之间的关系。研究材料包括460人,其中包括252名男孩和208名女孩,年龄在9至56个月之间,出生于1993-1997年的足月(37-42周)。调查的因变量是:第一次尝试坐着、站立和行走(月)。自变量分为:解释变量-母乳喂养的持续时间,以及其他协变量-出生体重,分娩时父母和母亲的年龄,怀孕期间和怀孕后母亲的吸烟情况以及父母的教育水平。剔除产前和家族因素后的回归模型结果显示,母乳喂养时间与研究组儿童坐起(F = 0.03, p = 0.8569)、站立(F = 0.79, p = 0.3741)和行走变异性(F = 0.20, p = 0.6568)之间无显著关系。结果表明,父母的年龄和受教育程度可能会影响后代的大肌肉运动发展,尽管影响规模很小,而且影响方向在父亲和母亲之间有所不同。该研究强调了家庭因素对母乳喂养持续时间对发育里程碑时间的影响的重要性。
{"title":"Familial factors more importantly modify the age of achieving motor developmental milestones than duration of breastfeeding amongst Polish children.","authors":"Paulina Pruszkowska-Przybylska, I. Rosset, A. Sitek, E. Żądzińska","doi":"10.1127/homo/2019/1121","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1127/homo/2019/1121","url":null,"abstract":"Breastfeeding in the first year of life is an important factor that may modify the child's later development.The aim of this study was to examine the association between the duration of breastfeeding and the time of achieving motor development of Polish children taking into account their familial background. The study material comprised 460 individuals including 252 boys and 208 girls aged 9 to 56 months who were born at term (37-42 weeks) selected in years 1993-1997. The investigated dependent variables were: first attempts of sitting, standing and walking (months). The independent variables were divided into: explanatory variable - the duration of breastfeeding, and other covariates - birth weight, the paternal and maternal age at the time of childbirth, maternal tobacco smoking during and after pregnancy as well as the parental level of education. The results of regression models after removing the prenatal and familial factors did not indicate a significant relationship between the duration of breastfeeding and sitting up (F = 0.03, p = 0.8569), standing up (F = 0.79, p = 0.3741) and walking variability (F = 0.20, p = 0.6568) in studied group of children. The results showed that parental age and education may affect the offspring's gross motor development, though effect sizes are small and directions of influence vary between fathers and mothers. The study underlines the importance of familial factors over the breastfeeding duration impact on time of developmental milestones.","PeriodicalId":46714,"journal":{"name":"Homo-Journal of Comparative Human Biology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2019-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87760651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}