Estimating the length of incomplete long bones: forensic standards from Guatemala

We report on new standards for estimating long bone length from incomplete bones for use in forensic and archaeological contexts in Central America. The measurements we use closely follow those defined by Steele ([1970] Personal Identification in Mass Disasters; Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution), but we add several new landmarks. We measured the femur, humerus, tibia, and fibula of 100 Maya skeletons (68 males, 32 females) recovered from forensic exhumations. We derived the equations by regressing bone segment length on bone length, and solved for bone length to maximize the utility of the equations for taller populations. We generated equations for all segments that were significantly correlated with bone length for males, for females, and for both sexes combined, but accepted only regressions with r(2) > 0.85 as reliable. Landmarks defined by muscle attachment sites were more variable in location than landmarks on articular architecture; thus we retained few equations that use these landmarks. We tested the male and combined sex equations on 36 males of unknown ethnicity exhumed from a military base in Guatemala, and found that the equations performed satisfactorily. We also evaluated the performance of equations by Steele ([1970] Personal Identification in Mass Disasters; Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution) and Jacobs ([1992] Am J Phys Anthropol 89:333-345) on the Maya bones, and conclude that significant population variation in long bone proportions hinders their application in Central America.     

Estimating femur and tibia length from fragmentary bones: an evaluation of Steele's (1970) method using a prehistoric European sample.

Steele's (1970) regression method for estimating femur and tibia length from fragmentary bones is tested on a sample of complete femora (female N = 26; male N = 33) and tibiae (female N = 16; male N = 22) from a number of European Mesolithic and Neolithic sites. Over half of the regression equations given by Steele for predicting maximum length of the bone from the length(s) of one or more of its constituent segments are shown to produce inaccurate predictions in this test sample. However, a closer evaluation of these results, including calculation of regression equations for the test sample itself, reveals that this inaccuracy does not derive from any inherent flaw in Steele's method. Rather, it is shown that differential distribution of maximum bone length among the various bone segments as defined by Steele may occur due to variation in muscular activity pattern and intensity. This argues for the retention of Steele's basic method, with care being taken to match closely the activity pattern typical of the sample from which regression equations are derived with that of the population to which the equations are to be applied. The equations calculated in this study thus are provided for use where deemed appropriate.     

The short die young: the interrelationship between stature and longevity-evidence from skeletal remains

It has long been observed that tall people display longer life spans. The current data were employed to verify this association within the bioarchaeological context. To this end, stature and its association with age-at-death were analyzed in a pooled sample of 2,923 skeletons. Height was estimated from proxy indicators based on the maximum length of the humerus, radius, femur, and tibia. Stature estimation followed the procedure outlined by Pearson ([1899] Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. [A] 192:169-244), incorporating minor modifications by R?sing ([ 1988] Handbuch der vergleichenden Biologie des Menschen; Stuttgart: Gustave Fischer, p 586-600). Individual age estimates were classified into three mutually exclusive age groups: 20-39 years (591 males, 667 females), 40-59 years (876 males, 499 females), and 60+ years (171 males, 119 females). The results document that both sexes display a statistically significant inverse relationship between adult height and age-at-death (males, P < 0.01; females, P < 0.05). Taking an epidemiological approach, the risk model implies that the estimated odds of survival beyond age 40 improve by approximately 16% for 1 SD in bone length. However, not all bones may be equally adept at displaying the association. The radius failed to support the positive association between stature and longevity, which may be indicative of a relatively greater contribution of environmental factor to radius length. Overall, the relationship between body height and longevity is not causal but coincidental: mitigated by diverse environmental factors such as nutrition, socioeconomic stressors, and disease load.     

Accentuated lines in the enamel of primary incisors from skeletal remains: A contribution to the explanation of early childhood mortality in a medieval population from Poland

Physiological disruptions resulting from an impoverished environment during the first years of life are of key importance for the health and biological status of individuals and populations. Studies of growth processes in archaeological populations point to the fact that the main causes of childhood mortality in the past are to be sought among extrinsic factors. Based on this assumption, one would expect random mortality of children, with the deceased individuals representing the entire subadult population. The purpose of this study is to explore whether differences in early childhood survival are reflected in differences in deciduous tooth enamel, which can provide an insight into the development of an individual during prenatal and perinatal ontogeny. Deciduous incisors were taken from 83 individuals aged 2.0–6.5 years from a medieval inhumation cemetery dated AD 1300–1600. Prenatal and postnatal enamel formation time, neonatal line width, and the number of accentuated lines were measured using an optical microscope. The significantly wider neonatal line and the higher frequency of accentuated lines in the enamel of the incisors of children who died at the age of 2–3 years suggest the occurrence of stronger or more frequent stress events in this group. These results indicate that in skeletal populations mortality was not exclusively determined by random external factors. Individuals predisposed by an unfavorable course of prenatal and perinatal growth were more likely to die in early childhood. Am J Phys Anthropol 157:402–410, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A new method for assessing the sex of fragmentary skeletal remains: femoral shaft circumference

A simple discriminant function using midshaft femoral circumference for the determination of sex has been tested with 114 skeletons from the Libben Site, Ontario County, Ohio. The results have been shown to be 85% consistent with other, accepted means of determining sex. Femur circumference an be an aid to the sexual identification of poorly preserved and fragmentary skeletal remains.     

Estimating piscine prey size from partial remains: testing for shifts in foraging mode by juvenile bluefish

Knowledge of prey sizes consumed by a predator aids in the estimation of predation impact. Young-of-the-year bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, attack their prey tail-first and often bite their prey in half; this poses a unique problem in determining prey sizes from stomach content analysis. We developed a series of linear regressions to estimate original prey lengths from measurements of eye diameter and caudal peduncle depth for striped bass, Morone saxatilis, bay anchovy, Anchoa mitchilli, American shad, Alosa sapidissima, blueback herring, Alosa aestivalis, Atlantic silverside, Menidia menidia, and white perch, Morone americana. We then used these regressions to estimate original prey sizes from pieces of prey found in stomachs of bluefish collected in the Hudson River estuary from 1990–1993. Lengths of prey that were swallowed whole were compared to estimated lengths of prey that were consumed in pieces. Lengths of prey that were consumed in pieces were larger than prey that were consumed whole. We determined the prey length/predator length ratio at which bluefish began shifting from swallowing their prey whole to partial consumption. Shifting occurred at a ratio of approximately 0.35 irrespective of prey species, suggesting that prey length plays an important role in predator foraging decisions and may contribute to gape limitations. Shifts in foraging mode effectively reduce gape limitation and allow bluefish to consume larger prey sizes which may increase their effect on prey populations.     

Technical note: Error in Olivier and Pineau's regression formulae for calculation of stature and lunar age from radial diaphyseal length in forensic fetal remains

Stewart ([1979] Essentials of Forensic Anthropology, pp. 128–131) cites five regression formulae presented by Olivier and Pineau ([1960] Ann. Méd. Lég. 40:141–144) for estimation of fetal stature from diaphyseal length. Of these formulae, one appears problematic: the formula for calculation of stature from the radius yields values which suggest the fetus has a much greater crown-heel (CH) length than do the remaining formulae for the diaphyses of other long bones. Moreover, when this stature estimate, so derived, is then inserted into these authors' earlier general formula for estimation of lunar age (Olivier and Pineau [1958] Arch. Anat. 6:21–28) the error is compounded. A fetus is now indicated to be nearly a trimester older than when the CH lengths obtained by the other long bone formulae are used. Accordingly, we believe this particular formula, unlike the others, is incorrect and should not be used to estimate lunar age from fetal remains. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Unlocking the potential of survival data for model organisms through a new database and online analysis platform: SurvCurv

Lifespan measurements, also called survival records, are a key phenotype in research on aging. If external hazards are excluded, aging alone determines the mortality in a population of model organisms. Understanding the biology of aging is highly desirable because of the benefits for the wide range of aging‐related diseases. However, it is also extremely challenging because of the underlying complexity. Here, we describe SurvCurv, a new database and online resource focused on model organisms collating survival data for storage and analysis. All data in SurvCurv are manually curated and annotated. The database, available at www.ebi.ac.uk/thornton-srv/databases/SurvCurv/ , offers various functions including plotting, Cox proportional hazards analysis, mathematical mortality models and statistical tests. It facilitates reanalysis and allows users to analyse their own data and compare it with the largest repository of model‐organism data from published experiments, thus unlocking the potential of survival data and demographics in model organisms.     

Paleodemography of a medieval population in Japan: analysis of human skeletal remains from the Yuigahama-minami site

The purpose of this study is to obtain demographic data regarding the medieval population buried at the Yuigahama-minami site in Kamakura, Japan, and to detect a secular trend in the life expectancy of Japanese population over the last several thousand years. The Yuigahama-minami skeletal sample consists of 260 individuals, including 98 subadults (under 20 years old) and 162 adults. A Yuigahama-minami abridged life-table analysis yielded a life expectancy at birth (e0) of 24.0 years for both sexes, a life expectancy at age 15 years (e15) of 15.8 years for males, and an e15 of 18.0 years for females. The reliability of the estimated e0 was confirmed by analysis of the juvenility index. Demographic profiles comparing the Yuigahama-minami series with other skeletal series indicated that both the survivorship curve and life expectancy of the Yuigahama-minami sample are similar to those of the Mesolithic-Neolithic Jomon population, but are far lower than those of the early modern Edo population. These comparisons strongly suggest that life expectancy changed little over the thousands of years between the Mesolithic-Neolithic Jomon and medieval periods, but then improved remarkably during the few hundred years between the medieval period and early modern Edo period. The short-lived tendency of the Yuigahama-minami sample does not contradict the archaeological hypothesis of unsanitary living conditions in medieval Kamakura. This is the first investigation to address the demographic features of a medieval population in Japan, and will help refine our understanding of long-term trends in the demographic profiles of inhabitants of Japan.     

Technical note: a re-evaluation of stature estimation from skeletal length in the grave

Several methods for stature estimation have been proposed over the years. Among these methods is anatomical reconstruction, regression based on long bone lengths, and measuring skeletal vertex - talus length in the grave for individuals buried in a supine position. Recent studies have dealt with the applicability of skeletal length in the grave (Petersen: Int J Osteoarchaeol 15 (2005) 106-114) and anatomical reconstruction (Raxter et al.: Am J Phys Anthropol 130 (2006) 374-384). The results from the latter study calls into question the results of the former study. Therefore an investigation of the potential bias of using skeletal length in the grave as an estimate of living stature has been performed. Twenty Medieval Danish skeletons were measured both in situ and in the laboratory, and the anatomically reconstructed stature (Raxter et al.: Am J Phys Anthropol 130 (2006) 374-384) was compared with the skeletal length in the grave. The results show that 2.5 cm should be added to skeletal length in the grave in order to obtain an unbiased estimate ofliving stature.     

Marsileaceaephyllum, a new genus for marsileaceous macrofossils: leaf remains from the Early Cretaceous (Albian) of southern Gondwana

Three new taxa from Albian, Early Cretaceous assemblages in Gondwana (Australia and Antarctica) and two previously described fossils from the Late Cretaceous and Eocene of North America are attributable to the heterosporous semi-aquatic fern family Marsileaceae. They are assigned to Marsileaceaephyllum, a morphotaxon erected here for sterile remains (whole plants, and isolated leaves and leaflets) of Marsileaceae. The Gondwanan taxa, Marsileaceaephyllum lobatum and Marsileaceaephyllum spp. B-C, have either a cruciform leaflet arrangement or dichotomous and anastomosing venation characteristic of modern Marsileaceae. Two previously established taxa, Marsilea johnhallii and Marsilea sp., which represent sterile Marsileaceae, are also transferred to the new genus (now Marsileaceaephyllum johnhallii and Marsileaceaephyllum sp. A, respectively). Examination of all fossil venation patterns reveals four new venation types not present in extant taxa, suggesting that most fossil Marsileaceae (leaves) are distinct from extant genera, and are likely members of extinct lineages. This is further supported by the absence of modern megaspore types in the Early Cretaceous.     

Early Holocene human skeletal remains from Santana do Riacho,Brazil: implications for the settlement of the New World

In this study we compare the cranial morphology of several late Paleoindian skeletons uncovered at Santana do Riacho, Central Brazil, with worldwide human cranial variation. Mahalanobis Distance and Principal Component Analysis are used to explore the extra-continental morphological affinities of the Brazilian Paleoindian sample. Santana do Riacho is a late Paleoindian burial site where approximately 40 individuals were recovered in varying states of preservation. The site is located at Lagoa Santa/Serra do Cipó, State of Minas Gerais. The first human activities in this rockshelter date back to the terminal Pleistocene, but the burials are bracketed between circa 8200 and 9500BP. The collection contains only six skulls well-enough preserved to be measured. The Santana do Riacho late Paleoindians present a cranial morphology characterized by long and narrow neurocrania, low and narrow faces, with low nasal apertures and orbits. The multivariate analyses show that they exhibit strong morphological affinities with present day Australians and Africans, showing no resemblance to recent Northern Asians and Native Americans. These findings confirm our long held opinion that the settlement of the Americas was more complicated in terms of biological input than has been widely assumed. The working hypothesis is that two very distinct populations entered the New World by the end of the Pleistocene, and that the transition between the cranial morphology of the Paleoindians and the morphology of later Native Americans, which occurred around 8-9ka, was abrupt. This, in our opinion, is a more parsimonious explanation for the diversity detected than a long, local microevolutionary process mediated by selection and drift. The similarities of the first South Americans with sub-Saharan Africans may result from the fact that the non-Mongoloid Southeast Asian ancestral population came, ultimately, from Africa, with no major modification in the original cranial bau plan of the first modern humans.     

Brief communication: Estimates of some demographic parameters in a neolithic rock-cut chamber (approximately 2000 BC) using iterative techniques for aging and demographic estimators

Two new techniques—one anthropological, which estimates the mean age at death for adult skeletons, the other demographic, which gives main survivorship curve parameters—are used on a sample of skeletons (N ≅ 170) discovered in a Neolithic rock-cut chamber (Loisy-en-Brie, France). The iterative technique for aging used a stochastic sampled F matrix derived from the trabecular involution of the femoral head observed in the reference collection of Coimbra (Portugal; N = 421). The results, obtained from techniques and data, independent of each other, are strongly consistent. Overall, they give a life expectancy at birth of about 25–28 years and the probability of death at 1 and 5 years, respectively, of about .271-.249 and .429-.380. Am J Phys Anthropol 102:569–575, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Comparative demography of a specialist and generalist fruit fly: Implications for host use and pest management

Host plants used by phytophagous insects can have significant consequences on demography parameters, overall lifetime fitness and their subsequent population dynamics. Here, we conduct a comparative demographic study between the specialist Zeugodacus cucumis (French) and generalist Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae) to determine whether the host plants used by these fly species play any role in their overall lifetime fitness and explains current host use patterns. These two fly species are pests within the north-eastern region of Australia and we further aimed to use complete life-history data to determine the population parameters and models that would help identify the sensitive life-history stage that could be targeted for effective field management. Eggs collected from laboratory-reared flies were inoculated into organically grown fruits of both the primary and alternate host plant cultivars of both fly species. The proportion surviving each life stage from egg through to adult and fecundity were monitored for all cohorts from the different plant cultivars. Complete stage-base life-tables for cohorts of each fly species developing from each fruit cultivar were constructed, and the key demographic parameters and population models were analysed using PopTools matrix model programme. Our results showed that the host used by each fly species had significant consequences on fly demographic parameters and hence their overall lifetime fitness. The generalist B. tryoni was able to compensate for the fitness loss experienced at the pre-adult stage by having adults with higher fecundity, but this was not the case for the specialist Z. cucumis. Stage-base population models revealed that the population growth rate of both species was highly sensitive at the adult reproductive stage, indicating that manipulating probability of survival at this life stage would effectively manage populations of these pest species. This study provides the empirical evidence of undertaking complete life history demography studies of phytophagous insects to accurately understand their lifetime fitness consequences of using a certain host, their observed host use patterns, and overall population dynamics. We suggest that any efforts to manage dacine fruit fly pest population should consider life-history consequences of host use.     

Auditory exostoses as an aquatic activity marker: a comparison of coastal and inland skeletal remains from tropical and subtropical regions of Brazil

Auditory exostoses are bone masses located in the external auditory canal. Currently, most researchers agree that the environment (especially water temperature, but also atmospheric temperature and wind action) plays a pivotal role in the development of this trait. This article discusses whether the presence of auditory exostoses can be used as an aquatic activity marker in bioarchaeological studies, especially in groups that inhabited tropical and subtropical regions. We analyzed 676 skeletons (5,000 years BP to historical times) from 27 coastal and inland native Brazilian groups. Very low frequencies of auditory exostoses were found in the inland groups (0.00-0.03), but the expected high frequency of auditory exostoses in the coastal groups was not always observed (0.00-0.56). These differences might be explained by the combination of water and atmospheric temperatures in conjunction with wind effects. In areas with mild atmospheric temperatures and wind chill factors, the coastal populations analyzed do not show high frequencies of auditory exostoses. However, high frequencies of auditory exostoses develop where cold atmospheric temperatures are further lowered by strong wind chill. Therefore, the association between aquatic activities, low atmospheric temperature, and wind chill is strongly correlated with the presence of auditory exostoses, but where these environmental factors are mild, the frequencies of auditory exostoses are not necessarily high. Concluding, auditory exostoses should be cautiously used as a marker of aquatic activity in bioarchaeological studies in tropical and subtropical regions, since these activities do not always result in the presence of this trait.     

Tyrosinase‐catalyzed oxidation of resveratrol produces a highly reactive ortho‐quinone: Implications for melanocyte toxicity

trans‐Resveratrol (3,5,4′‐trihydroxy‐trans‐stilbene, RES), a naturally occurring polyphenol, has recently attracted increased interest as a health‐beneficial agent. However, based on its p‐substituted phenol structure, RES is expected to be a substrate for tyrosinase and to produce a toxic o‐quinone metabolite. The results of this study demonstrate that the oxidation of RES by tyrosinase produces 4‐(3′,5′‐dihydroxy‐trans‐styrenyl)‐1,2‐benzoquinone (RES‐quinone), which decays rapidly to an oligomeric product (RES‐oligomer). RES‐quinone was identified after reduction to its corresponding catechol, known as piceatannol. RES‐quinone reacts with N‐acetylcysteine, a small thiol, to form a diadduct and a triadduct, which were identified by NMR and MS analyses. The production of a triadduct is not common for o‐quinones, suggesting a high reactivity of RES‐quinone. RES‐quinone also binds to bovine serum albumin through its cysteine residue. RES‐oligomer can oxidize GSH to GSSG, indicating its pro‐oxidant activity. These results suggest that RES could be cytotoxic to melanocytes due to the binding of RES‐quinone to thiol proteins.