Trauma, degenerative disease, and other pathologies among the Gombe chimpanzees

The well-known and extremely well-documented chimpanzees from Gombe National Park were analyzed for presence of skeletal pathologies. Of the 15 animals available for study, 11 were old and complete enough to permit systematic analysis. Of these, 10 showed some evidence of skeletal pathological involvement. The most common type of lesion seen resulted from trauma. Those chimps with the most fractures (Old Female, 3; Flo, 4; Hugo, 8) are consistently the oldest individuals in the sample. In addition to accidental falls, the most common cause of trauma was from interpersonal violence, resulting in bite wounds (see in two individuals) and fractures (see in three individuals). Conversely to trauma, degenerative disease was exceedingly rare in this population, found in no large intervertebral joints (N = 344) and only two major synovial joints (N = 186). In fact, the complete lack of osteophytosis, even in older individuals, stands in stark contrast to the situation seen in modern humans, perhaps in our species reflecting a biomechanical cost of bipedality.     

Race, health, and disease in 19th-century-born males

This study analyzed skeletal health disparities among African American and Euro-American males of low socioeconomic status born between 1825 and 1877. A total of 651 skeletons from the Cobb, Hamann-Todd, and Terry anatomical collections were macroscopically examined for skeletal pathologies related to dietary deficiencies and disease. Individuals were separated into age, ancestry, birth (Antebellum, Civil War, Pre-Reconstruction, and Reconstruction), combined ancestry/birth, enslaved versus liberated, and collection cohorts. These groups were statistically evaluated using ANOVA and χ(2) analyses to determine if age, ethnic, and temporal differences existed. Results indicated that African Americans, especially those born during Reconstruction, had significantly higher frequencies of tuberculosis (P = 0.004) and treponematosis (P = 0.006) than Euro-Americans. Historical sources are important in contextualizing why these different ethnic and temporal patterns were present, pointing to environmental conditions related to enslavement, postliberation migration to the industrialized North, crowded urban living conditions, and poor sanitation.     

History shaped the geographic distribution of genomic admixture on the island of Puerto Rico

Contemporary genetic variation among Latin Americans human groups reflects population migrations shaped by complex historical, social and economic factors. Consequently, admixture patterns may vary by geographic regions ranging from countries to neighborhoods. We examined the geographic variation of admixture across the island of Puerto Rico and the degree to which it could be explained by historic and social events. We analyzed a census-based sample of 642 Puerto Rican individuals that were genotyped for 93 ancestry informative markers (AIMs) to estimate African, European and Native American ancestry. Socioeconomic status (SES) data and geographic location were obtained for each individual. There was significant geographic variation of ancestry across the island. In particular, African ancestry demonstrated a decreasing East to West gradient that was partially explained by historical factors linked to the colonial sugar plantation system. SES also demonstrated a parallel decreasing cline from East to West. However, at a local level, SES and African ancestry were negatively correlated. European ancestry was strongly negatively correlated with African ancestry and therefore showed patterns complementary to African ancestry. By contrast, Native American ancestry showed little variation across the island and across individuals and appears to have played little social role historically. The observed geographic distributions of SES and genetic variation relate to historical social events and mating patterns, and have substantial implications for the design of studies in the recently admixed Puerto Rican population. More generally, our results demonstrate the importance of incorporating social and geographic data with genetics when studying contemporary admixed populations.     

Interpersonal violence between 18th century Native Americans and Europeans in Ohio

During the winter of 1778-1779, a garrison of 176 individuals lived within the walls of a Revolutionary era stronghold named Ft. Laurens on the banks of the Tuscarawas River, near the present-day town of Bolivar, Ohio. At least 21 individuals were buried in the fort's cemetery during its occupation, 13 of whom were supposedly killed and scalped by Native Americans while gathering firewood and foraging horses. The purpose of this study is to build on previous work by Sciulli and Gramly ([1989] Am J. Phys. Anthropol. 80:11-24) by adding a more detailed analysis of the traumatic lesions, in order to better understand what happened to the victims. Lesions were analyzed based on type, location, and dimensions, as well as their overall pattern on the skeleton. Results indicate that multiple blows to the cranium were common. Out of 12 observable crania, the order of blows could be determined in only one case. Eleven of 12 of the observable crania from ambush victims and four of the seven nonambush victims exhibited lesions consistent with scalping. Evidence of postcranial trauma was noted on four individuals: one was an ambush victim, and the other three were killed at other times. No evidence of gunshot wounds was found.     

Demography and pathology of an urban slave population from New Orleans

Twenty-nine skeletons from the first cemetery in New Orleans provide significant new information about urban slavery in America. Dating as early as 1720 and used perhaps as late as 1810, the cemetery provided an identifiable sample of two whites, 13 blacks, one individual of possible Indian-white ancestry, and two possibly mulatto individuals. Numerous skeletal and dental lesions were noted in the series, and historical information was used in conjunction with the physical data to draw conclusions about rates and patterns of mortality. Pathological changes indicate that the cemetery contained individuals representing two slave occupational groups, house servants and laborers. This research provides information in the expanding area of Afro-American biohistorical research.     

African ancestry of the population of Buenos Aires

The population of Argentina today does not have a “visible” black African component. However, censuses conducted during most of the 19th century registered up to 30% of individuals of African origin living in Buenos Aires city. What has happened to this African influence? Have all individuals of African origin died, as lay people believe? Or is it possible that admixture with the European immigrants made the African influence “invisible?” We investigated the African contribution to the genetic pool of the population of Buenos Aires, Argentina, typing 12 unlinked autosomal DNA markers in a sample of 90 individuals. The results of this analysis suggest that 2.2% (SEM = 0.9%) of the genetic ancestry of the Buenos Aires population is derived from Africa. Our analysis of individual admixture shows that those alleles that have a high frequency in populations of African origin tend to concentrate among 8 individuals in our sample. Therefore, although the admixture estimate is relatively low, the actual proportion of individuals with at least some African influence is approximately 10%. The evidence we are presenting of African ancestry is consistent with the known historical events that led to the drastic reduction of the Afro‐Argentine population during the second half of the 19th century. However, as our results suggest, this reduction did not mean a total disappearance of African genes from the genetic pool of the Buenos Aires population. Am J Phys Anthropol 128:164‐170, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Association of the CPT1B Gene with Skeletal Muscle Fat Infiltration in Afro‐Caribbean Men

Skeletal muscle fat is greater in African ancestry individuals compared with whites, is associated with diabetes, and is a heritable polygenic trait. However, specific genetic factors contributing to skeletal muscle fat in humans remain to be defined. Muscle carnitine palmitoyltransferase‐1B (CPT1B) is a key enzyme in the regulation of skeletal muscle mitochondrial β‐oxidation of long‐chain fatty acids, and as such is a reasonable biological candidate gene for skeletal muscle fat accumulation. Therefore, we examined the association of three nonsynonymous coding variants in CPT1B (G531L, I66V, and S427C; a fourth, A320G, could not be genotyped) and quantitative computed tomography measured tibia skeletal muscle composition and BMI among 1,774 Afro‐Caribbean men aged ≥40, participants of the population‐based Tobago Health Study. For all variants, no significant differences were observed for BMI or total adipose tissue. Among individuals who were homozygous for the minor allele at G531L or I66V, intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) was 87% (P = 0.03) and 54% lower (P = 0.03), respectively. In contrast, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) was 11% (P = 0.017) and 7% (P = 0.049) higher, respectively, than among individuals without these genotypes. These associations were independent of age, body size, and muscle area. Finally, no individuals with type 2 diabetes were found among those who were homozygous for the minor allele of either at G531L and I66V whereas 14–18% of men with the major alleles had type 2 diabetes (P = 0.03 and 0.007, respectively). Our results suggest a novel association between common nonsynonymous coding variants in CPT1B and ectopic skeletal muscle fat among middle‐aged and older African ancestry men.     

Lead in bone III. Prediction of social correlates from skeletal lead content in four Colonial American populations (Catoctin Furnace, College Landing, Governor's Land, and Irene Mound)

Lead content was determined in the skeletal tissue of 82 individuals representing two black and two white Colonial American populations: Catoctin Furnace, College Landing, Governor's Land, and Irene Mound. Group and individual differences in bone lead concentrations were used to assess behavioral, social and occupational characteristics. Variations in skeletal lead content suggested that the white owners of the Catoctin iron furnace shared little of their food and beverage with their black, male, industrial slaves, but that some of these workers' women had access to the owners' food sources--probably via domestic duty assignments. A broad range of lead concentrations in bones of the free blacks at College Landing implies a wide range of economic success among these tradesmen. Bone lead content of the white populations at Governor's Land and Irene Mound helped confirm family relationships that had been assigned on an archaeological and osteological basis, and also suggested that the social and functional status of the white tenant farmers' white servants frequently differed little from that of black slaves. These findings suggest that, when applied in appropriate circumstances, lead studies of archaeological skeletal tissue may provide information supplemental to that derived from historical, archaeological, or other conventional sources.     

Disease and injury in the late middle ages in Eggenburg, lower Austria

From the skeletal remains of about 5800 individuals from the charnel house of Eggenburg there were 2200 individuals of late medieval date. These were checked for injuries and pathologies. Of the skulls 410 showed various injuries and 430 pathologies. These pathologies could be differentiated into 20 groups. The frequencies of injuries (18.7%) and pathologies (19.5%) were very similar in the skulls, which contrasted with those in the 11600 long bones of 0.5% injuries and 3.8% pathologies. On the whole the degree of expression of the traumatic lesions and of the pathologies was slight to medium.     

The association between periodontal disease and periosteal lesions in the St. Mary Graces cemetery, London, England A.D. 1350-1538

Numerous studies have demonstrated significant associations between periodontal disease and many other diseases in living populations, and some studies have shown that individuals with periodontal disease are at elevated risks of mortality. Recent analysis of a medieval skeletal sample from London has also shown that periodontal disease was associated with increased risks of mortality in the past. This study examines whether periodontal disease is associated with periosteal lesions in a skeletal sample from the urban St. Mary Graces cemetery (n = 265) from medieval London. The results reveal a significant association between periodontal disease and periosteal lesions in the St. Mary Graces sample (i.e., individuals with periodontal disease were also likely to have periosteal lesions), and the association between the two is independent of age. The association between the two pathological conditions might reflect underlying reduced immune competence and thus heightened susceptibility to pathogens that cause periodontal disease or periosteal lesions, exposure to an environmental factor, or underlying heightened inflammatory responses.     

Skeletal pathology in a prehistoric Pacific Island sample: issues in lesion recording, quantification, and interpretation

This paper presents a profile of evidence of disease in a skeletal sample from Taumako Island, Southeast Solomon Islands, Melanesia, and aims to increase awareness of the prehistoric Pacific Island disease environment. It also addresses issues of lesion recording, quantification, and interpretation. Two methodologies for the determination of lesion prevalence were applied, one based on prevalence in observable individuals and one in skeletal elements. The aim of these methodologies was to provide objective data on skeletal lesions in this sample, with transparency in methods for application in comparative studies. The types of lesions observed were predominantly osteoblastic and affecting multiple bones, particularly in the lower limbs. The individual analysis yielded a prevalence of lesions affecting 56.4% of the postcranial sample from birth to old age. As expected, the skeletal element analysis yielded a lower prevalence, with 15.0% of skeletal elements affected. The skeletal element analysis also revealed a pattern of greater lower limb involvement, with a predilection for the tibia. The pattern of skeletal involvement was similar in both analyses, suggesting the validity of employing either method in paleopathological studies. A differential diagnosis of the lesions included osteomyelitis, treponemal disease, and leprosy. Metabolic disease was also considered for subadult lesions. Based on lesion type, skeletal distribution, and epidemiology of lesions in the sample, an etiology of yaws (Treponema pertenue) was suggested as responsible for nearly half the adult lesions, while multiple causes, including yaws, were suggested for the lesions in subadults.     

Testing the value of skeletal samples in demographic research: a comparison with vital registration samples

Critics of paleodemography have suggested that the science is so fraught with error that its demise must be close at hand. Among the problems suggested as unsolvable are representativeness of skeletal samples and inaccuray of skeletal aging techniques. A historical skeletal sample with supportive vital registration might afford the opportunity to test the validity of such criticism or at least to examine the extent of the above problems. In 1984, a skeletal sample of 296 individuals was excavated from a 19th century American poorhouse cemetery. Age at death was determined by macroscopic multivariate examination. Mortality records of 247 individuals who died during four years of the poorhouse's operation provide data for demographic comparisons with the skeletal sample. A comparison of life tables generated from each sample demostrates that there are no significant differences in the age at death structure, life expectancy (at birth: 30.7 in the mortality records and 32.6 from the skeletal sample), or survivorship between the two samples. Skeletal aging techniques can, therefore, provide a demographic picture that is similar in accuracy to that presented by vital registration records.     

Inbreeding as measured by isonymy in two Venezuelan populations and its relationship to other variables

Isonymy is a useful approach to the study of population structure and thus can be utilized to detect deviations from random mating. In this study we give the results of an analysis of inbreeding levels and relate such variables as mean marital distance, surnames repeated in isonymous couples, and percentage of people using only maternal surnames to inbreeding and endogamy in two Venezuelan populations of black ancestry, Birongo and La Sabana. These populations differ in their sociocultural development and degree of isolation. We estimated inbreeding through isonymy and directly from genealogy. The most important findings are that the Ft values are higher than the a's, that the Fn component of Ft is higher than the Fr component, and that there is higher endogamy, inbreeding, and isolation in Birongo than in La Sabana. These results are in agreement with the sociocultural and historical background and development of each population. Nevertheless, both populations show similar temporal trends in almost all the variables analyzed. The use of isonymy as a complementary tool to study population structure is proposed, especially for Ibero-American populations.     

Dental investigation of mummies from the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo (circa 18th–19th century CE)

Within the framework of the Sicily Mummy Project, the orofacial complex of a significant sample of individuals (n = 111) from the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Italy, was inspected. The heads and dentitions of the mummies were documented and the recorded findings described: the state of preservation of skeletal and soft tissues; dental pathologies such as carious lesions and alveolar bone loss; enamel hypoplasia; and ante- and post-mortem tooth loss. Despite limitations in data collection, the oral health of these mummies was assessed and the frequencies of pathologies were compared to those of similar populations. From their position within the corridors of the Catacombs, sex and social status of the mummies were also inferred, allowing the dental pathologies to be specified in the social and historical context. Most interestingly, the rate of oral health problems did not differ between the groups of the members of the Capuchin Order and the laymen of the city of Palermo, despite their different lifestyles.     

河南渑池笃忠遗址仰韶晚期出土的人骨骨病研究

本文对河南省渑池笃忠遗址仰韶晚期灰坑出土人骨的骨病做了详细的观察.在牙病方面.对龋病、牙周病、牙釉质发育不全等情况做了记录和分析,应用两样本率差异的x2检验,比较了龋病在性别、年龄的差异.研究结果表明,笃忠组龋病的患齿率性别差异不显著,与年龄变化也没有明显的关系.此外,笃忠组人骨标本中还观察到错(牙合)畸形、骨瘤、退行...     

Skeletal evidence of tuberculosis in a modern identified human skeletal collection (Certosa cemetery,Bologna, Italy)

The diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in osteoarcheological series relies on the identification of osseous lesions caused by the disease. The study of identified skeletal collections provides the opportunity to investigate the distribution of skeletal lesions in relation to this disease. The aim of this study was to examine the skeletal evidence for TB in late adolescent and adult individuals from the identified human collection of the Certosa cemetery of Bologna (Italy, 19th–20th c.). The sample group consists of 244 individuals (138 males, 106 females) ranging from 17 to 88 years of age. The sample was divided into three groups on the basis of the recorded cause of death: TB (N = 64), pulmonary non‐TB (N = 29), and other diseases (N = 151). Skeletal lesions reported to be related to TB were analyzed. The vertebral lesions were classified into three types: enlarged foramina (EnF, vascular foramina with diameter of 3–5 mm), erosions (ER), and other foramina (OtF, cavities of various shapes > 3 mm). A CT scan analysis was also performed on vertebral bodies. Some lesions were seldom present in our sample (e.g., tuberculous arthritis). OtF (23.7%) and subperiosteal new bone formation on ribs (54.2%) are significantly more frequent in the TB group with respect to the other groups. The CT scan analysis showed that the vertebrae of individuals who have died of TB may have internal cavities in the absence of external lesions. These traits represent useful elements in the paleopathological diagnosis of TB. Am J Phys Anthropol 157:389–401, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Historical translocations and stocking alter the genetic structure of a Mediterranean lobster fishery

Stocking is often used to supplement wild populations that are overexploited or have collapsed, yet it is unclear how this affects the genetic diversity of marine invertebrate populations. During the 1970s, a lobster stock enhancement program was carried out around the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean using individuals translocated from the Atlantic coast of France. This included the release of thousands of hatchery‐reared postlarval lobsters and several adult individuals, but no monitoring plan was established to assess whether these animals survived and recruited to the population. In this study, we sampled European lobster (Homarus gammarus) individuals caught around Corsica and tested whether they showed Atlantic ancestry. Due to a natural marked phylogeographic break between Atlantic and Mediterranean lobsters, we hypothesized that lobsters with dominant (>0.50) Atlantic ancestry were descended from historical stocking releases. Twenty Corsican lobsters were genotyped at 79 single nucleotide polymorphisms, and assignment analysis showed that the majority (13) had dominant Atlantic ancestry. This suggests that the hatchery stocking program carried out in Corsica during the 1970s, using individuals translocated from the Atlantic coast of France, has likely augmented local recruitment but at a cost of altering the genetic structure of the Corsican lobster population.     

Peopling of the Azores Islands (Portugal): data from the Y chromosome

Nine Atlantic islands with approximately five and a half centuries of demographic history constitute the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. Despite the recent peopling history of these islands, written records regarding the specific origin and relative proportions of the first settlers are scarce and incomplete. To gain insights into the history of the peopling of the Azores and to evaluate to what extent population imports described in historical sources left their marks on the genetic constitution of the present-day populations, we analyzed 11 Y-chromosome biallelic markers in a sample of 145 unrelated individuals of Azorean ancestry. The main results of this study indicate that the genetic profile of the Azorean male population shows high affinities with that of mainland Portugal, in accordance with the general knowledge, derived from historical sources, that the Portuguese were the major contributors to the Azorean founding population. Nevertheless, genetic traces of settlers from other origins also mentioned in historical records can still be found in the present-day population. Thus typically sub-Saharan male lineages were detected in the archipelago, in contrast to what has been described for mainland Portugal. Furthermore, compared to what has been described for the mainland Portugal population, our data support a stronger influence of people of Jewish origin, as detected by an increased frequency of lineages belonging to haplogroup J.     

Dismembering bodies for display: a bioarchaeological study of trophy heads from the Wari site of Conchopata, Peru

This study integrates isotopic, palaeopathological, and historical evidence to investigate infant and young child feeding practices in a Roman period (1st to 3rd centuries AD) skeletal sample from the Isola Sacra necropolis (Rome, Italy). Stable isotope analysis of bone collagen from 37 rib samples indicates that transitional feeding began by the end of the first year and weaning occurred by 2-2.5 years of age. Both delta(15)N and delta(13)C data clearly show the trophic level effect associated with breastfeeding. Childhood diet is investigated using dental pathology data in the deciduous dentitions of 78 individuals aged between 1 and 12 years. The presence of calculus, caries, and tooth wear in young children suggests that individuals were provided complementary foods and other items that impacted their dental health at an early age. The isotopic and dental data are generally consistent with the historical evidence from the Roman period with respect to the general timetable of weaning and the character of complementary foods. This is the first study to integrate isotopic and deciduous dental pathology data to explore infant and young child feeding practices in the Roman world.     

Admixture analysis of a rural population of the state of Guerrero, Mexico

We studied 156 individuals of Native American descent from the city of Tlapa in the state of Guerrero in western Mexico. Most individuals' ethnicity was either Nahua, Mixtec, or Tlapanec, but self-identified Mestizos and individuals of mixed ethnicities were also included in the sample. We typed 24 autosomal, one Y-chromosome, and four mitochondrial ancestry-informative markers (AIMs) to estimate group and individual admixture proportions, and determine whether the admixture process involved directional gene flow between parental groups. When genetically defined (GD) Mestizos were excluded from the analysis, Native American ancestry represented approximately 98% of the population's gene pool, while European and West African ancestry represented approximately 1% each. Maternally inherited markers also showed an exceptionally high Native American contribution (98.5%), as did the paternally inherited marker, DYS199 (90.7%). We did not detect genetic structure in this population using these AIMs, which appears consistent with the homogeneity of the sample in terms of admixture proportions. The addition of GD Mestizos to the sample did not produce a considerable change in admixture estimates, but it had a major effect on population structure. These results show that the population of Tlapa in Guerrero, Mexico, has experienced little admixture with Europeans and/or West Africans. They also show that the impact of a small number of admixed individuals on an otherwise homogeneous population might have profound implications on subsequent ancestry/phenotype analysis and mapping strategies. We suggest that heterogeneity is a major characteristic of Mexican populations and, as a consequence, should not be disregarded when designing epidemiological studies of Mexican and Mexican American populations.