| Abstract: | The effects of pathology on skeletal populations are indirect as well as direct. A review of the histories of four collections in the National Museum shows that the indirect effects come about largely because collectors sometimes select the skeletons to be saved. If selection is on the basis of state of preservation, it can be against pathological specimens since lesions sometimes weaken the bones and hasten their deterioration. If selection is on the basis of interest in pathology, it can exaggerate the representation of diseased specimens in the collections. As civilization advanced and man learned how better to cope with diseases, life expectancy increased and with it the evidence in the bones of the scars of living. The effects of pathology on skeletal populations are thus proportional to the mean ages of the latter. Aside from gross osseous lesions, the direct effects of pathology on skeletal populations are difficult to demonstrate. In so far as changes in size are concerned the effects thus far detected seem to be more proportional than linear. As regards pathological states with hereditary bases, they will affect populations to the extent that involved family lines are represented. |
