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Estimating the stature of ancient high‐altitude Andean populations from skeletal remains of the Chachapoya of Peru
Abstract
Objectives:
Previous studies have demonstrated the need for regionally specific stature estimation formulae due to the geographical specificity of limb proportionality related to the effects of environmental pressures on growth and development. High-altitude Andean populations have often been neglected in the creation of these formulae. This study uses a hybrid approach to create linear regression formulae for stature estimation and test their accuracy when compared previously published formulae traditionally used in Andean bioarchaeology.
Materials and methods:
We studied a sample from a high-altitude Andean population to create linear regression formulae based on anatomical estimates of stature from the femur, tibia, and calcaneus and compare the newly created formulae with those traditionally employed in Andean bioarchaeology. We also examine the reliability of calcanei in stature estimation by creating and testing regression formulae based on metrics from that element.
Results:
We include specific formulae accurate to within 1 cm of anatomical stature estimates using femoral, tibial, and calcaneal metrics. These formulae provide estimates that are closer to anatomical stature than those traditionally used in the Andes. ANOVA results were statistically significant for differences between Andean-derived and Mesoamerican-derived formulae.
Discussion:
Although regionally proximate (mid-altitude) formulae provide estimates approximating population-specific formulae, those created from geographically distant populations from sites at or near sea-level are inappropriate in high-altitude studies. Like some previous studies on stature, we found that the most accurate estimates were based on the tibia rather than the femur and that the calcaneus can be used reliably in stature estimation when no other element is present or measurable.
... While the anatomical method is the most reliable, because it does not depend on a correlation in a modern reference sample, it can hardly be applied in paleoanthropology, because it requires nearly complete skeletons, which is rare in archeological samples (Porter 2002), and inapplicable in commingled contexts (Anzellini and Toyne 2019). On the other hand, the proportionality of femur to stature (allometry) is variable across populations, present and past, and follows certain spatiotemporal patterns due to ecogeographic and growth plasticity factors (Béguelin 2011;Raxter et al. 2008;Ruff 2002), leading to regional and temporal biases in stature estimates (Hens et al. 2000). ...
... FL estimation using equations devised from the ancient Egyptians as calibration sample to the same target archeological population did not perform much better than those based on the contemporary population ( Figure 1). These results also emphasize that the proximal lower limb bone (femur) is less susceptible to environmental stressors than are the distal parts of lower limb (tibia and fibula), leading to greater consistency of femoral metrics regardless of reference population (Pomeroy et al. 2012;Anzellini and Toyne 2019;Mahakkanukrauh et al. 2011;Albanese et al. 2016). Considering the same ecogeographic zone as a criterion to select the representative population and the similar moderate-to-high correlations between femoral measurements and FL obtained in the present study, these findings confirm the usefulness of our models to reduce potential errors (Mays 2016;Béguelin 2011). ...
... First, we proposed a series of generic equations for estimating the FL that are best suited for bioarchaeological studies. Generic equations are bet-hedging strategies that minimize the potential wrongful selection of a model or loss of information due to inapplicability in unknown/ambiguously sexed specimens and technical difficulties in estimating the age from fragmentary remains or commingled contexts, in addition to the use of few skeletal metric predictors (Feldesman and Fountain 1996;Meyer et al. 2020;Albanese et al. 2016;Reynolds et al. 2018;Nikita and Chovalopoulou 2017;Anzellini and Toyne 2019). Moreover, the combined-sex equations are derived from a larger metrics to change through time. ...
... Unfortunately, it requires nearly complete skeletons which is rarely fulfilled in archeological samples (Porter, 2002) in addition to inapplicability in commingled contexts (Anzellini & Toyne, 2019). On the other hand, the proportionality of femur to stature (allometry) is variable across populations as well as present and past populations and it follows certain spatiotemporal pattern due to eco-geographic and growth plasticity factors (Béguelin, 2011;Raxter, Ruff, Azab, Erfan, et al., 2008;Ruff, 2002) leading to regional and temporal biases in stature estimates (Hens et al. 2000). ...
... Figure 1 showed that FL estimation using equations devised from the Ancient Egyptians as caliberation sample to the same target archeological population did not perform much better than those based on the contemporary population. These results also emphasize that proximal lower limb bone (femur) is less susceptible to environmental stressors as compared to the distal parts of lower limb (tibia and fibula), leading to greater consistency of femoral metrics regardless of reference population (Pomeroy et al., 2012;Anzellini and Toyne, 2019;Mahakkanukrauh et al., 2011;Albanese et al., 2016). Considering the same ecogeographic zone as a criterion to select the representative population and the similar moderate-to-high correlations between femoral measurements and FL obtained in the present study, these findings confirm the usefulness of our models and reduce the potential errors (Mays, 2016;Béguelin, 2011). ...
... Generic equations are bet-hedging strategies that minimize the potential wrongful selection of the model or loss of information due to inapplicability in unknown/ambiguously sexed specimens and technical difficulties in estimating the age from fragmentary remains or commingled contexts in addition to the use of few skeletal metric predictors (Feldesman & Fountain, 1996;Meyer et al., 2020;Albanese et al., 2016;Reynolds et al., 2018;Nikita & Chovalopoulou, 2017;Anzellini & Toyne, 2019). Moreover, the combined-sex equations are derived from larger sample size than each sex alone, and include wide spectrum of variation to provide the best fit of the line to the data and statistically more robust (Albanese et al., 2016). ...
Inferences in bioarchaeology and forensic contexts require mathematical stature estimation using long bone lengths. This study is in hand to identify predictors of femur length (FL) from epiphyseal and diaphysial width measurements that are not bound to assumptions of sex or laterality. Both standard and new measurements around dominant foramen nutricium (NF) were collected on modern femora (n=64) from Alexandria university unidentified skeletal Collection to compute linear regression models. Four equations were then validated on Ancient Egyptian sample (n=73) from Goldman’s Osteometric dataset to evaluate effect of sex subdivision on the prediction accuracy of FL and indirect stature estimation using Raxter’s formulae. Most of models reflected significant positive association r>0.60) between width variables and FL. Oddly, the distance from proximal end to NF correlated weakly with FL (r=0.34). The stepwise selected equations preferred measurements around NF to midshaft where the anteroposterior diameter was included in proximal fragment model (r=0.77) and circumference in diaphyseal fragment model (r=0.62). Tested equations performed consistently on the ancient Egyptian sample. Measurements from femoral proximal fragment are more reliable predictors than distal fragment with the exception of femur neck diameter. However, distal epicondylar breadth is a better predictor of FL in females than in males. Indirect stature estimation showed a reasonable degree of accuracy in both sexes. These models can be applied successfully in Contemporary and Ancient Egyptians fragmentary remains however, due to larger size of femora from Old Kingdom sample, they would be most applicable to individuals from the following dynasties.
... This study has several limitations. The measurements useful in other reports, such as the femoral diaphysis length, physiological length, or bicondylar length [13,29,65,68,69], were not measured because the semi-automatic measurement application was not configured to measure them. Furthermore, the application was developed by Fujifilm, including measurements selection. ...
Stature estimation is one of the most basic and important methods of personal identification. The long bones of the limbs provide the most accurate stature estimation, with the femur being one of the most useful. In all the previously reported methods of stature estimation using computed tomography (CT) images of the femur, laborious manual measurement was necessary. A semi-automatic bone measuring method can simplify this process, so we firstly reported a stature estimation process using semi-automatic bone measurement software equipped with artificial intelligence. Multiple measurements of femurs of adult Japanese cadavers were performed using automatic three-dimensional reconstructed CT images of femurs. After manually setting four points on the femur, an automatic measurement was acquired. The relationships between stature and five femoral measurements, with acceptable intraobserver and interobserver errors, were analyzed with single regression analysis using the standard error of the estimate (SEE) and the coefficient of determination (R2). The maximum length of the femur (MLF) provided the lowest SEE and the highest R2; the SEE and R2 in all cadavers, males and females, respectively, were 3.913 cm (R2 = 0.842), 3.664 cm (R2 = 0.705), and 3.456 cm (R2 = 0.686) for MLF on the right femur, and 3.837 cm (R2 = 0.848), 3.667 cm (R2 = 0.705), and 3.384 cm (R2 = 0.699) for MLF on the left femur. These results were non-inferior to those of previous reports regarding stature estimation using the MLF. Stature estimation with this simple and time-saving method would be useful in forensic medical practice.
The present paper aims to reconstruct lifestyle and health parameters of three populations from Puémape site on the Peruvian north coast, Central Andes, active during the Formative Period (2500-1 B.C.). Since the factors that led to social complexity and its relation to
crop-based subsistence are still being discussed, this analysis of 85 well-preserved individuals using 12 osteological markers for nutritional and functional stress, infectious diseases, and interpersonal violence offers the opportunity to understand the biological dimension of this process.
Although we observe auditory exostosis in all samples, indicating the continuing importance of marine resources, other paleopathological findings, in accordance with archaeological data, support the idea of profound changes in lifestyle related to the rise of social complexity in the region.
These include a 10 cm height decrease, changes in nutritional stress markers, and an increase in degenerative joint diseases in vertebra but not in the appendicular skeleton, whereas infectious diseases and violent trauma became more frequent. Thus, in Puémape we witness considerable
changes in the way of life across the Formative period, associated with changes in diet, division of labor, and social stratification.
Adult stature variation is commonly attributed to differential stress-levels during development. However, due to selective mortality and heterogeneous frailty, a population's tall stature may be more indicative of high selective pressures than of positive life conditions. This article examines stature in a biocultural context and draws parallels between bioarchaeological and living populations to explore the multidimensionality of stature variation in the past. This study investigates: 1) stature differences between archaeological populations exposed to low or high stress (inferred from skeletal indicators); 2) similarities in growth retardation patterns between archaeological and living groups; and 3) the apportionment of variance in growth outcomes at the regional level in archaeological and living populations. Anatomical stature estimates were examined in relation to skeletal stress indicators (cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, linear enamel hypoplasia) in two medieval bioarchaeological populations. Stature and biocultural information were gathered for comparative living samples from South America. Results indicate 1) significant (P < 0.01) differences in stature between groups exposed to different levels of skeletal stress; 2) greater prevalence of stunting among living groups, with similar patterns in socially stratified archaeological and modern groups; and 3) a degree of regional variance in growth outcomes consistent with that observed for highly selected traits. The relationship between early stress and growth is confounded by several factors-including catch-up growth, cultural buffering, and social inequality. The interpretations of early life conditions based on the relationship between stress and stature should be advanced with caution. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Las medidas antropométricas están siendo ampliamente utilizadas para el acompañamiento y el desenvolvimiento de niños, en la verificación de las adaptaciones en respuesta a entrenamiento, en la seleción de atletas y en estudios de caracterización étnica, entre várias otras áreas. El control da la calidad de esas medidas va a resultar en datos mas confiables y medidas antropométricas mas precisas. El propósito del presente estudio es el de difundir la estrategia para la obtención del error técnico de medición (ETM), siguiendo la metodología de Kevin Norton y Tim Olds (2000) y evaluar el desempeño de empleados de laboratorio. Tres antropometristas del Laboratorio de Fisiologia del Ejercicio (Labofise) de la Universidad del Brasil fueron evaluados. Ellos realizaron las medidas de pliegues cutáneos (Cescorf, 0.1mm) en nueve diferentes puntos antropométricos de 35 voluntarios (25,45 ± 9,96 años). Para las medidas, fue adoptada la padronización de la International Society for Advancement in Kinanthropometry (ISAK). Para la verificación del ETM intra-evaluador, las medidas fueron realizadas en los mismos voluntarios en dos días diferentes; y, para la obtención del ETM inter-avaliador, las medidas fueron hechas en un mismo grupo de voluntarios, en el mesmo dia, por los tres antropometristas. Los resultados apuntaron ETMs no aceptables apenas para dos evaluadores en el análisis intra-evaluador. Los demás ETMs alcanzaron resultados aceptables. Los ETMs no aceptables demostraron la necesidad de entrenamiento técnico de los antropometristas, de modo de minimizar la variabilidad constatada.
Several studies have shown that the human body generally conforms to the ecogeographical expectations of Bergmann's and Allen's rules; however, recent evidence suggests that these expectations may not hold completely for some populations. Egypt is located at the crossroads of Sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Europe, and the Near East, and gene flow among groups in these regions may confound ecogeographical patterning. In this study, we test the fit of the adult physique of a large sample (N = 163) of females and males from the Kellis 2 cemetery (Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt) against ecogeographical predictions. Body shape (i.e., body mass relative to stature) was assessed by the femur head diameter to bicondylar femur length index (FHD/BFL), and brachial and crural indices were calculated to examine intralimb proportions. Body shape in the Kellis 2 sample is not significantly different from high-latitude groups and a Lower Nubian sample, and intralimb proportions are not significantly different from mid-latitude and other low-latitude groups. This study demonstrates the potential uniqueness of body shape and intralimb proportions in an ancient Egyptian sample, and further highlights the complex relationship between ecogeographic patterning and adaptation. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Background and methods:
Both the concept of 'brain-sparing' growth and associations between relative lower limb length, childhood environment and adult disease risk are well established. Furthermore, tibia length is suggested to be particularly plastic under conditions of environmental stress. The mechanisms responsible are uncertain, but three hypotheses may be relevant. The 'thrifty phenotype' assumes that some components of growth are selectively sacrificed to preserve more critical outcomes, like the brain. The 'distal blood flow' hypothesis assumes that blood nutrients decline with distance from the heart, and hence may affect limbs in relation to basic body geometry. Temperature adaptation predicts a gradient of decreased size along the limbs reflecting decreasing tissue temperature/blood flow. We examined these questions by comparing the size of body segments among Peruvian children born and raised in differentially stressful environments. In a cross-sectional sample of children aged 6 months to 14 years (n = 447) we measured head circumference, head-trunk height, total upper and lower limb lengths, and zeugopod (ulna and tibia) and autopod (hand and foot) lengths.
Results:
Highland children (exposed to greater stress) had significantly shorter limbs and zeugopod and autopod elements than lowland children, while differences in head-trunk height were smaller. Zeugopod elements appeared most sensitive to environmental conditions, as they were relatively shorter among highland children than their respective autopod elements.
Discussion:
The results suggest that functional traits (hand, foot, and head) may be partially protected at the expense of the tibia and ulna. The results do not fit the predictions of the distal blood flow and temperature adaptation models as explanations for relative limb segment growth under stress conditions. Rather, our data support the extension of the thrifty phenotype hypothesis to limb growth, and suggest that certain elements of limb growth may be sacrificed under tough conditions to buffer more functional traits.
African pygmies' short stature has been studied for more than a century, but the evolution of this extreme phenotype remains unknown. The present study tests the hypothesis that sexual selection, through preference for short partners, may have contributed to the evolution of pygmies' stature. We gathered anthropometric and familial data from 72 Baka pygmy couples and 27 neighboring Nzimé nonpygmy couples from Cameroon. We found evidence for positive assortative mating and partial evidence for the male-taller norm in both groups. This is surprisingly close to results reported for many modern occidental populations, in which sexual selection is thought to exert a positive selective pressure on men height. Semistructured interviews of Baka pygmies concerning height and mate choice suggested that the male-taller norm matches mating preferences. Stature was also positively correlated with the number of serial marriages contracted by men of both populations, while the stature of women was not related to their mating success. Finally, we did not detect any linear or quadratic effect of height on reproductive success for either men or women. Altogether, our results demonstrate that stature influences mate choice in pygmies, and we argue that, if of any influence for sexual selection, mate choice should have favored tallness rather than shortness in our pygmy population. Consequently, this study establishes that sexual selection is a very unlikely candidate to account for the evolution of pygmies' short stature.
Entre octubre de 2006 y enero de 2007, el arqueólogo Klaus Koschmieder excavó nueve entierros en el sitio andino de Chichita, ubicado en el norte de Perú cerca de la ciudad de Chachapoyas. Un entierro, un hombre adulto, demostró varias características patológicas interesantes que sugieren un raro trastorno endocrino hereditario, conocido como neoplasia endocrina múltiple tipo 1 (MEN1). Este raro trastorno esta también implicado en varios esqueletos con características similares excavados del sitio costero de Dos Cabezas en el valle de Jequetepeque, también situada en el norte del Perú. En este informe se describe los síntomas encontrados en este esqueleto que sugieren MEN1, explora las posibilidades de un diagnostico alternativo, y se discute las implicaciones de diagnóstico de esta raro cáncer genético, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta los hallazgos de Dos Cabezas. Resumen Palabras claves: Chichita, gigantismo, Neoplasia endocrina múltiple tipo 1 Between October 2006 and January, 2007, archaeologist Klaus Koschmieder excavated nine burials from the highland site of Chichita, located in northern Peru near the modern city of Chachapoyas. One burial, an adult male, demonstrated several interesting pathological characteristics that suggest a rare hereditary endocrine disorder known as Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 (MEN1). This rare disorder is also believed to be the cause of similar pathological features in numerous skeletons excavated from the coastal site of Dos Cabezas in the Jequetepeque Valley, also located in northern Peru. This paper will describe the symptoms found in this skeleton that suggest MEN1, explore alternative diagnostic possibilities, and discuss the implications of diagnosing this rare genetic cancer, particularly given the finds at Dos Cabezas.
Decomposing stature into its major components is proving to be a useful strategy to assess the antecedents of disease, morbidity and death in adulthood. Human leg length (femur + tibia), sitting height (trunk length + head length) and their proportions, for example, (leg length/stature), or the sitting height ratio (sitting height/stature x 100), among others) are associated with epidemiological risk for overweight (fatness), coronary heart disease, diabetes, liver dysfunction and certain cancers. There is also wide support for the use of relative leg length as an indicator of the quality of the environment for growth during infancy, childhood and the juvenile years of development. Human beings follow a cephalo-caudal gradient of growth, the pattern of growth common to all mammals. A special feature of the human pattern is that between birth and puberty the legs grow relatively faster than other post-cranial body segments. For groups of children and youth, short stature due to relatively short legs (i.e., a high sitting height ratio) is generally a marker of an adverse environment. The development of human body proportions is the product of environmental x genomic interactions, although few if any specific genes are known. The HOXd and the short stature homeobox-containing gene (SHOX) are genomic regions that may be relevant to human body proportions. For example, one of the SHOX related disorders is Turner syndrome. However, research with non-pathological populations indicates that the environment is a more powerful force influencing leg length and body proportions than genes. Leg length and proportion are important in the perception of human beauty, which is often considered a sign of health and fertility.
Allen's Rule documents a century-old biological observation that strong positive correlations exist among latitude, ambient temperature, and limb length in mammals. Although genetic selection for thermoregulatory adaptation is frequently presumed to be the primary basis of this phenomenon, important but frequently overlooked research has shown that appendage outgrowth is also markedly influenced by environmental temperature. Alteration of limb blood flow via vasoconstriction/vasodilation is the current default hypothesis for this growth plasticity, but here we show that tissue perfusion does not fully account for differences in extremity elongation in mice. We show that peripheral tissue temperature closely reflects housing temperature in vivo, and we demonstrate that chondrocyte proliferation and extracellular matrix volume strongly correlate with tissue temperature in metatarsals cultured without vasculature in vitro. Taken together, these data suggest that vasomotor changes likely modulate extremity growth indirectly, via their effects on appendage temperature, rather than vascular nutrient delivery. When combined with classic evolutionary theory, especially genetic assimilation, these results provide a potentially comprehensive explanation of Allen's Rule, and may substantially impact our understanding of phenotypic variation in living and extinct mammals, including humans.
This inquiry explores a series of problems related to the femur/stature ratio first raised by Feldesman et al. (1990). In particular, we used a revised data set and a more elaborate research protocol to address questions pertaining to: (1) whether the femur/stature ratios of three quasi-geographic “races” (“Blacks,” “Whites,” “Asians”) are statistically significantly different; (2) whether these are statistically (as opposed to biologically) coherent groups; and (3) whether the “race”-specific ratios are more accurate than the simple generic femur/stature ratio.
Mediante un ajuste de análisis de regresión a las ecuaciones originales propopuestas por Santiago Genovés; se hacen las estimaciones de tallas .
The nature of the adjustments made by the steadily increasing population of central coastal Peru in the Middle through Late Preceramic time periods can be examined by careful study of bioindicators. Nonspecific indicators of stress (NSIS) preserved in human remains provide independent evidence for validating paleodemographic hypotheses. If life expectancy improves over a period of time, one expects diminished indication of nonspecific stress. Decreasing stress over time also may imply increasing fertility in precontraceptive peoples, which, along with declining mortality, would lead to population growth. However, the converse does not follow; populations may grow over time whether responding to increasing, stable, or decreasing stress. Other factors, such as changing subsistence strategies or hybrid vigor, also may be useful in explaining diminished indications of either nonspecific stress or population increase. The complex relations among (a) population structure and density (PSD), (b) nonspecific indicators of stress, and (c) diet have not yielded deductions that could form a universal set of expectations. However, several kinds of adaptation that are distinct with respect to population growth and health status are considered and illustrated with analyses of 201 skeletons from the preagricultural village of Paloma in central coastal Peru.
This paper presents an analysis of stature of the prehistoric population from the Maya site of Tikal, Guatemala. From this analysis, based on 55 skeletons from the Tikal burial series, three important conclusions emerge with respect to ancient Maya demography and social organization. (1) Tikal was settled by people of moderate stature, and this remained relatively stable over several centuries. A marked reduction in male stature in Late Classic times may be indicative of a situation of nutritional stress, which may have had something to do with the collapse of Classic Maya civilization. (2) Stature differences between those buried in tombs and others at Tikal suggest that, in the last century B.C., a distinct ruling class developed at Tikal. This simple class division of rulers and commoners may have become more complex in Late Classic times. (3) There was a marked sexual dimorphism in stature between males and females at Tikal. This is probably partially genetic and partially a reflection of relatively lower status for women as opposed to men in Maya society.
Background:
Applying sexual stature dimorphism (SSD) to history and the social sciences faces the difficulty of disentangling nature from nurture in addition to the limitations of sources (e.g. small, fragmented or heterogeneous samples).
Aim:
To investigate the relationship between inter-generational changes and social differences in SSD and the evolution of living conditions in 20th-century Spain.
Subjects and methods:
Self-reported height and socio-demographic information from individuals born 1910-1979 (n = 99,023) were drawn from health interview surveys. Weighed least squares regression was used to construct continuous time-cohort series of SSD for the entire population and for specific socioeconomic groups represented by levels of educational attainment.
Results:
SSD remained below modern values among cohorts that were exposed to structural deprivation at pre-adult ages. Socioeconomic status mediated the correction of these deviations among subsequent cohorts. Lower classes (less educated segments of the population) systematically deviated to a greater extent from normal modern SSD values and they reached these values later in time.
Conclusions:
In Spain, variations in SSD have been found that are associated with both socioeconomic changes at a nationwide level and SES differentials at the individual level, thus continuous series of this indicator offer new opportunities in the study of living conditions of current and past generations.
The Ganga Plain of North India provides an archaeological and skeletal record of semi-nomadic Holocene foragers in association with an aceramic Mesolithic culture. Prior estimates of stature for Mesolithic Lake Cultures (MLC) used inappropriate equations from an American White reference group and need revision. Attention is given to intralimb body proportions and geo-climatic provenance of MLC series in considering the most suitable reference population. Regression equations from ancient Egyptians are used in reconstructing stature for MLC skeletal series from Damdama (DDM), Mahadaha (MDH), and Sarai Nahar Rai (SNR). Mean stature is estimated at between 174 (MDH) and 178 cm (DDM and SNR) for males, and between 163 cm (MDH) and 179 cm (SNR) for females. Stature estimates based on ancient Egyptian equations are significantly shorter (from 3.5 to 7.1 cm shorter in males; from 3.2 to 7.5 cm shorter in females) than estimates using the American White reference group. Revised stature estimates from tibia length and from femur + tibia more accurately estimate MLC stature for two reasons: a) these elements are highly correlated with stature and have lower standard estimates of error, and b) uncertainty regarding methods of measuring tibia length is avoided. When compared with Holocene samples of native Americans and Mesolithic Europeans, MLC series from North India are tall. This aspect of their biological variation confirms earlier assessments and results from the synergistic influence of balanced nutrition from broad-spectrum foraging, body-proportions adapted to a seasonally hot and arid climate, and the functional demands of a mobile, semi-nomadic life-style. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Stature estimation of individuals from extinct human populations is a classic topic in anthropology. The estimations, using regression formulae generated from different reference samples, display different results. This fact is related to inter-populational differences in body proportions, which is a phenotypic trait mainly correlated with climatic parameters. The aim of this paper is to address the problem of stature estimation of an archaeological skeletal sample from Patagonia – a region for which there are no specific models available – using different methods and considering differences in body proportions between reference and target populations. The sample used in this analysis is composed of 35 Late Holocene adults of both sexes recovered in central Patagonia (Argentina). The stature of each individual was first reconstructed using the anatomical method [Fully G. 1956. Une nouvelle me´thode de de´termination de la taille. Annales Medicine Legale35: 266–273], which has no assumptions on body proportions. The results were compared with estimations based on 32 different regression formulae [Trotter M, Gleser G. 1958. A re-evaluation of estimation of stature based on measurements taken during life and the long bones after death. American Journal of Physical Anthropology16: 79–124. 10.1002/ajpa.1330160106] and three femur/stature ratios [Feldesman MR, Fountain RL. 1996. Race specificity and the femur/stature ratio. American Journal of Physical Anthropology100: 207–224. 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199606)]. The average reconstructed stature was 160.8 cm for females (95% confidence band = 155.6–166.2 cm), and 170.5 cm for males (95% confidence band = 168.8–172.2 cm). Most of the comparisons of the regression formulae and femur/stature ratios showed significant differences, which are explained by differences in body proportions between the Patagonian sample and the ones chosen as reference. Finally, a set of new equations was developed using simple regression techniques. It is suggested that whenever possible, population-specific formulae should be used in archaeological studies. In any other situation, the choice of a reference population should be made by taking into account its geographic (latitudinal) provenance. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
After reviewing various systems of age determination based on analysis of the pubic bone, the discussion concentrates on the
collection and preparation of an extensive autopsy sample (n=1225) of pubic bones from modern individuals with legal documentation
of age at death (death and/or birth certificates). TheSuchey-Brooks method derived from this sample is described. TheAcsádi-Nemeskéri system is evaluated in terms of the documented collection and it is seen that their five stage method focuses only on the
early and late morphological changes. The intermediate stages, in which the ventral rampart is in process of completion, are
not described. Their suggested age ranges do not correspond with the documented modern sample. Based on these limitations
of theAcsádi-Nemeskéri method, applications of theSuchey-Brooks system are discussed.
Techniques that are currently available for estimating stature and body mass from European skeletal remains are all subject to various limitations. Here, we develop new prediction equations based on large skeletal samples representing much of the continent and temporal periods ranging from the Mesolithic to the 20th century. Anatomical reconstruction of stature is carried out for 501 individuals, and body mass is calculated from estimated stature and biiliac breadth in 1,145 individuals. These data are used to derive stature estimation formulae based on long bone lengths and body mass estimation formulae based on femoral head breadth. Prediction accuracy is superior to that of previously available methods. No systematic geographic or temporal variation in prediction errors is apparent, except in tibial estimation of stature, where northern and southern European formulae are necessary because of the presence of relatively longer tibiae in southern samples. Thus, these equations should bebroadly applicable to European Holocene skeletal samples.
Adult stature and body mass represent fundamental biological characteristics of individuals and populations, as they are relevant to a range of problems from assessing nutrition and health to longer term evolutionary processes. Stature and body mass estimation from skeletal dimensions are therefore key to addressing biological and social questions about past populations. Anatomical reconstruction provides the most direct proxy for living stature but is only suitable for well-preserved remains. Regression equations for estimating stature from bone lengths are therefore extremely useful, though it is well recognized that differences in body proportions limit the cross-application of equations between samples. Here, we assess the accuracy of published stature estimation equations from worldwide and New World groups applied to archaeological samples from the central Andean coast and highlands of South America. As no existing equations are clearly appropriate, new sample-specific regression equations are presented. Anatomical stature reconstruction is further complicated by artificial cranial modification (ACM) influencing cranial height in Andean samples, so this problem is investigated in the current sample. Although ACM has minimal impact here, the possibility should be explored in other samples before anatomical stature estimation is attempted. Recommendations are also made for estimating body mass from femoral head diameter. The mean of three previously published equations is shown to offer minimal bias and the most reliable estimate of body mass in the study samples.
The population explosion that followed the Neolithic revolution was initially explained by improved health experiences for agriculturalists. However, empirical studies of societies shifting subsistence from foraging to primary food production have found evidence for deteriorating health from an increase in infectious and dental disease and a rise in nutritional deficiencies. In Paleopathology at the Origins of Agriculture (Cohen and Armelagos, 1984), this trend towards declining health was observed for 19 of 21 societies undergoing the agricultural transformation. The counterintuitive increase in nutritional diseases resulted from seasonal hunger, reliance on single crops deficient in essential nutrients, crop blights, social inequalities, and trade. In this study, we examined the evidence of stature reduction in studies since 1984 to evaluate if the trend towards decreased health after agricultural transitions remains. The trend towards a decrease in adult height and a general reduction of overall health during times of subsistence change remains valid, with the majority of studies finding stature to decline as the reliance on agriculture increased. The impact of agriculture, accompanied by increasing population density and a rise in infectious disease, was observed to decrease stature in populations from across the entire globe and regardless of the temporal period during which agriculture was adopted, including Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, South America, and North America.
One of the greatest limitations to the application of the revised Fully anatomical stature estimation method is the inability to measure some of the skeletal elements required in its calculation. These element dimensions cannot be obtained due to taphonomic factors, incomplete excavation, or disease processes, and result in missing data. This study examines methods of imputing these missing dimensions using observable Fully measurements from the skeleton and the accuracy of incorporating these missing element estimations into anatomical stature reconstruction. These are further assessed against stature estimations obtained from mathematical regression formulae for the lower limb bones (femur and tibia). Two thousand seven hundred and seventeen North and South American indigenous skeletons were measured, and subsets of these with observable Fully dimensions were used to simulate missing elements and create estimation methods and equations. Comparisons were made directly between anatomically reconstructed statures and mathematically derived statures, as well as with anatomically derived statures with imputed missing dimensions. These analyses demonstrate that, while mathematical stature estimations are more accurate, anatomical statures incorporating missing dimensions are not appreciably less accurate and are more precise. The anatomical stature estimation method using imputed missing dimensions is supported. Missing element estimation, however, is limited to the vertebral column (only when lumbar vertebrae are present) and to talocalcaneal height (only when femora and tibiae are present). Crania, entire vertebral columns, and femoral or tibial lengths cannot be reliably estimated. Further discussion of the applicability of these methods is discussed.
Stature estimation methods for adult indigenous humans from the Americas have generally relied on a limited number of regression equations. The available equations, however, are not broadly applicable to the diversity of the populations that lived in the New World prior to European colonization. Furthermore, some equations that have been used were originally derived from inappropriate reference samples, such as the "Mongoloid" group measured by Trotter and Gleser (Am J Phys Anthropol 16 [1958] 79-123). This study develops new stature estimation equations for long bones of the lower limb from a geographically diverse sample of North American archaeological sites. Statures were reconstructed from 967 skeletons from 75 archaeological sites using the revised Fully anatomical technique (Raxter et al., Am J Phys Anthropol 130 [2006] 374-384). Archaeological samples were grouped according to general body proportions, using relative tibia and femur length to stature as guides. On the basis of differences in these proportions, three broad groupings were identified: a high latitude "arctic" group, a general "temperate" group, and a Great Plains group. Sex-specific ordinary least squares regression formulae were developed based on femoral and tibial lengths for each of these groups. Comparisons of the new stature estimation equations with previously available equations were conducted using several archaeological test samples. In most cases, the new stature estimation equations are more precise than those previously available, and we recommend their use throughout most of North America. The equations developed by Genovés for Mesoamerican and US Southwest samples are a useful alternative for these regions. Applicability of the new equations to South American samples awaits further testing.
This study compared eight versions of the anatomical method for stature estimation on a white male sample (n = 34) from the W. M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection. The aim was to evaluate errors in the estimates and to discuss how useful the methods are in forensic context. The average error estimating living stature was less than 1 cm for six of the methods. The correlations between the estimates were high (r = 0.982-0.999). In practice, differences between the versions as well as those between long bone-based equations and anatomical methods were small. Anatomical method is nevertheless more accurate than long bone regressions when individuals with atypical body proportions are examined.
The biocultural interchange between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres beginning in the late fifteenth century initiated an unprecedented adaptive transition for Native Americans. This article presents findings from the initial population biological study of contact in the Central Andes of Peru using human skeletal remains. We test the hypothesis that as a consequence of Spanish colonization, the indigenous Mochica population of Mórrope on the north coast of Peru experienced elevated systemic biological stress. Using multivariate statistical methods, we examine childhood stress reflected in the prevalence of linear enamel hypoplasias and porotic hyperostosis, femoral growth velocity, and terminal adult stature. Nonspecific periosteal infection prevalence and D(30+)/D(5+) ratio estimations of female fertility characterized adult systemic stress. Compared to the late pre-Hispanic population, statistically significant patterns of increased porotic hyperostosis and periosteal inflammation, subadult growth faltering, and depressed female fertility indicate elevated postcontact stress among both children and adults in Mórrope. Terminal adult stature was unchanged. A significant decrease in linear enamel hypoplasia prevalence may not indicate improved health, but reflect effects of high-mortality epidemic disease. Various lines of physiological, archaeological, and ethnohistoric evidence point to specific socioeconomic and microenvironmental factors that shaped these outcomes, but the effects of postcontact population aggregation in this colonial town likely played a fundamental role in increased morbidity. These results inform a model of postcontact coastal Andean health outcomes on local and regional scales and contribute to expanding understandings of the diversity of indigenous biological variation in the postcontact Western Hemisphere.
In the present report we investigate stature estimation techniques in a sample of 64 (35 male, 29 female) prehistoric Native Americans from Ohio. Because living stature is unknown for these 64 individuals, we use Fully's (1956) anatomical method to provide the best estimates of living stature. In this method all osseous components of skeletal height are measured and soft tissue correction is added.
Comparisons of regression equations commonly used for stature estimation in prehistoric Eastern Woodland Native American populations, but developed for East Asian and East Asian—derived populations (using lower extremity components), show that these commonly used equations consistently yield stature estimates 2 to 8 cm in excess of the best estimates from Fully's method.
Based on the skeletal height measures of the 64 individuals in the present sample, we develop regression equations for the estimation of stature. These equations yield stature estimates virtually identical to estimates from Fully's method and may prove useful for stature reconstruction in other prehistoric Eastern Woodland Native American populations.
A total of 235 (176 ♂ and 59 ♀) cadavers were measured. Of these blood samples of 132 (103 ♂ and 29 ♀) are drawn. Only those cadavers of which the long bones could be measured afterwards were used in the investigation, and of these only those whose blood was of group O and Rh +.
A sample of 98 (69 ♂ and 29 ♀) was thus arrived at and divided morphoscopically into seven categories going from “pure” Indian to “pure” white. With electronic computers, means and standard deviations were calculated for all six unpaired long bones and for stature, as well as the coefficient of multiple correlation among the seven variables, for both males and females. As categories leading from “pure” white towards the other extreme were withdrawn, the sample size was reduced but the coefficient of multiple correlation increased from 0.71 to 0.90 in males, and from 0.74 to 0.94 in females, indicating that a more homogeneous population was being dealt with.
Mean stature for this population was 161.50 cm and 149.80 cm for males and females, after 2.5 cm are deducted from cadaveral measurements.
As the sample is morphoscopically and serologically as close as one could get to pre-hispanic conditions and as the statures arrived at are representative of what is known, tables were drawn giving the corresponding values of statures of males and females going from 180 cm to 130 cm at steps of 0.5 cm.
It is submitted that until a larger sample is obtained, the newly drawn tables and formulae are more appropriate to calculate stature from long bones of American pre-hispanic populations than any other hitherto used.
Calcanei and tali of 100 skeletons in the Hamann-Todd Collection at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History were measured. The skeletons represented 50 males and 50 females distributed equally by race, i.e., whites and blacks. Linear-regression equations, with standard errors ranging from 4.09 to 6.11 cm, were derived from these measurements for the purpose of estimating stature. Two independent control samples, including one comprised of remains of American servicemen lost in World War II and the Korea and Vietnam wars, were tested with relatively accurate results.
This study reevaluates the long-standing observation that human morphology varies with climate. Data on body mass, the body mass index [BMI; mass (kg)/stature (m)2], the surface area/body mass ratio, and relative sitting height (RSH; sitting height/stature) were obtained for 223 male samples and 195 female samples derived from studies published since D.F. Roberts' landmark paper "Body weight, race, and climate" in 1953 (Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 11:533-558). Current analyses indicate that body mass varies inversely with mean annual temperature in males (r=-0.27, P < 0.001) and females (r=-0.28, P < 0.001), as does the BMI (males: r=-0.22, P=0.001; females: r=-0.30, P < 0.001). The surface area/body mass ratio is positively correlated with temperature in both sexes (males: r=0.29, P < 0.001; females: r=0.34, P < 0.001), whereas the relationship between RSH and temperature is negative (males: r=-0.37, P < 0.001; females: r=-0.46, P < 0.001). These results are consistent with previous work showing that humans follow the ecological rules of Bergmann and Allen. However, the slope of the best-fit regressions between measures of body mass (i.e., mass, BMI, and surface area/mass) and temperature are more modest than those presented by Roberts. These differences appear to be attributable to secular trends in mass, particularly among tropical populations. Body mass and the BMI have increased over the last 40 years, whereas the surface area/body mass ratio has decreased. These findings indicate that, although climatic factors continue to be significant correlates of world-wide variation in human body size and morphology, differential changes in nutrition among tropical, developing world populations have moderated their influence.
We examine secular change in long bone lengths and allometry of Americans dating from the mid-19th century to the 1970s. Skeletal samples were derived from the Huntington Collection, Terry Collection, World War II casualties, and the Forensic Anthropology Data Bank. Regression of bone length on year of birth allowed evaluation of the secular change in bone length. Size was computed as the geometric mean of all bone lengths, and shape as the ratio of each bone to size. These variables were then regressed on year of birth, allowing evaluation of allometric secular change. The results revealed a pattern of change that can be summarized as follows: male secular change is stronger than female, lower limb bone secular change is more pronounced than upper limb bone change, and distal bones change more than proximal bones, particularly in the lower limb. In males, white changes are uniformly higher than black but these differences do not rise to the level of statistical significance. Environmental forces, such as nutrition and disease, are the usual causes of secular changes in overall size. This paper shows that long bone proportions also respond to these same environmental factors. Moreover, the changes in body proportion are likely to be due to allometric consequences of growth changes that occur early in life. Am J Phys Anthropol 110:57-67, 1999.
Stature and the pattern of body proportions were investigated in a series of six time-successive Egyptian populations in order to investigate the biological effects on human growth of the development and intensification of agriculture, and the formation of state-level social organization. Univariate analyses of variance were performed to assess differences between the sexes and among various time periods. Significant differences were found both in stature and in raw long bone length measurements between the early semipastoral population and the later intensive agricultural population. The size differences were greater in males than in females. This disparity is suggested to be due to greater male response to poor nutrition in the earlier populations, and with the increasing development of social hierarchy, males were being provisioned preferentially over females. Little change in body shape was found through time, suggesting that all body segments were varying in size in response to environmental and social conditions. The change found in body plan is suggested to be the result of the later groups having a more tropical (Nilotic) form than the preceding populations.
Stature (height) is an important factor in establishing the identity of a person in the living as well as in the skeletonized state. When stature is estimated from the bones of the limbs, regression equations, which estimate the ratios of the lengths of bones to the height of the individual, are generated. The majority of bones that were used previously were the long bones. The calcaneus was used for estimating stature only in American whites and blacks (Holland [1995] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 96:315-320). The regression equations that he generated were found to be useful for stature estimation in these population groups. Since the calcaneus has not been used for the same purpose in South Africa, the aim of this study was to derive regression equations that will allow this bone to be used for stature estimation in South African blacks. In total, 116 complete skeletons (60 males and 56 females) were selected from the Raymond A. Dart Collection of Human Skeletons, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg, South Africa). The skeletal heights of these sets of skeletons were calculated using the anatomical method of Fully ([1956] Ann. Med. Leg. 35:266-273). Nine parameters of the calcaneus were measured and matched against skeletal heights, using univariate and multivariate regression methods. Regression equations were obtained for estimation of the stature of the South African black population from the calcaneus. The standard error of estimate that was obtained with univariate regression analysis was higher than the corresponding values using multivariate regression analysis. In both cases, the standard errors of estimate compared well with the values obtained for fragmentary long bones by previous authors.
Living human populations from high altitudes in the Andes exhibit relatively short limbs compared with neighboring groups from lower elevations as adaptations to cold climates characteristic of high-altitude environments. This study compares relative limb lengths and proportions in pre-Contact human skeletons from different altitudes to test whether ecogeographic variation also existed in Andean prehistory. Maximum lengths of the humerus, radius, femur, and tibia, and femoral head breadth are measured in sex-specific groups of adult human skeletons (N = 346) from the central (n = 80) and the south-central (n = 123) Andean coasts, the Atacama Desert at 2,500 m (n = 102), and the southern Peruvian highlands at 2,000-3,800 m (n = 41). To test whether limb lengths vary with altitude, comparisons are made of intralimb proportions, limb lengths against body mass estimates derived from published equations, limb lengths against the geometric mean of all measurements, and principal component analysis. Intralimb proportions do not statistically differ between coastal groups and those from the Atacama Desert, whereas intralimb proportions are significantly shorter in the Peruvian highland sample. Overall body size and limb lengths relative to body size vary along an altitudinal gradient, with larger individuals from coastal environments and smaller individuals with relatively longer limbs for their size from higher elevations. Ecogeographic variation in relation to climate explains the variation in intralimb proportions, and dietary variation may explain the altitudinal cline in body size and limb lengths relative to body size. The potential effects of gene flow on variation in body proportions in Andean prehistory are also explored.
The "anatomical" method of Fully (1956 Ann. Legale Med. 35:266-273) for reconstructing stature, involving the addition of skeletal elements from the calcaneus to the skull, has been increasingly used in anthropological and forensic contexts, but has undergone little systematic testing on samples other than the original sample used to develop the technique. The original description by Fully of the method also does not provide completely explicit directions for taking all of the necessary measurements. This study tested the accuracy and applicability of his method, and clarified measurement procedures. The study sample consisted of 119 adult black and white males and females of known cadaveric statures from the Terry Collection. Cadaveric statures were adjusted to living statures, following the recommendations of Trotter and Gleser (1952 Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 10:469-514). We obtained the best results using maximum vertebral body heights (anterior to the pedicles) and measurement of the articulated talus and calcaneus height in anatomical position. Statures derived using the original Fully technique are strongly correlated with living statures in our sample (r = 0.96), but underestimate living stature by an average of about 2.4 cm. Anatomical considerations also suggest that the correction factors applied by Fully to convert summed skeletal height to living stature are too small. New formulae are derived to calculate living stature from skeletal height. There is no effect of sex or ancestry on stature prediction. Resulting stature estimates are accurate to within 4.5 cm in 95% of the individuals in our sample, with no directional bias.
Some studies of high altitude populations argue that stature reduction results from caloric, rather than hypoxic, stress. However, tradeoff models of oxygen and glucose metabolism predict that in hypoxemia, glucose metabolism will be downregulated. We used tradeoff assumptions in two hypotheses: First, that hypoxia targets leg segment growth differentially, and second, that proportions of leg segments partition the impact of high altitude into hypoxemic and energetic components. A group of 113 Han and Tibetan middle school children at 3100 m aged 8 to 11 were measured for segment anthropometries, skinfolds, vital capacity, blood oxygen saturation, and percent body fat. MANOVA showed that Tibetan children were significantly larger and fatter than Han children. Independent of ethnicity or caloric status, absolute and relative tibia length was significantly reduced in children with lower blood oxygen saturation. Height, chest circumference, sitting height, tibia length, and ankle diameter were greatest in fatter children, independent of ethnicity or blood oxygen. For children of either ethnicity with the lowest blood oxygen, size as well as proportion was impacted. These results support the tradeoff model. Caloric reserves and ethnicity independently affect total skeletal size. Oxygen saturation and ethnicity affect leg proportions. In hypoxemia, body fat has less impact on growth than when ample oxygen is present. Therefore, we should qualify the claim that size in high altitude populations stems from nutritional stress. The findings also suggest that decanalization may have different meanings and outcomes depending on which body segments contribute to the effect.
Trotter and Gleser's (Trotter and Gleser: Am J Phys Anthropol 10 (1952) 469-514; Trotter and Gleser: Am J Phys Anthropol 16 (1958) 79-123) long bone formulae for US Blacks or derivations thereof (Robins and Shute: Hum Evol 1 (1986) 313-324) have been previously used to estimate the stature of ancient Egyptians. However, limb length to stature proportions differ between human populations; consequently, the most accurate mathematical stature estimates will be obtained when the population being examined is as similar as possible in proportions to the population used to create the equations. The purpose of this study was to create new stature regression formulae based on direct reconstructions of stature in ancient Egyptians and assess their accuracy in comparison to other stature estimation methods. We also compare Egyptian body proportions to those of modern American Blacks and Whites. Living stature estimates were derived using a revised Fully anatomical method (Raxter et al.: Am J Phys Anthropol 130 (2006) 374-384). Long bone stature regression equations were then derived for each sex. Our results confirm that, although ancient Egyptians are closer in body proportion to modern American Blacks than they are to American Whites, proportions in Blacks and Egyptians are not identical. The newly generated Egyptian-based stature regression formulae have standard errors of estimate of 1.9-4.2 cm. All mean directional differences are less than 0.4% compared to anatomically estimated stature, while results using previous formulae are more variable, with mean directional biases varying between 0.2% and 1.1%, tibial and radial estimates being the most biased. There is no evidence for significant variation in proportions among temporal or social groupings; thus, the new formulae may be broadly applicable to ancient Egyptian remains.
This study reconstructs patterns of stress and phenotypic variation in prehistoric Japan. Greater evidence for stress is indicated by elevated enamel hypoplasia frequency among Jomon foragers from western compared to eastern Japan. Geographic variation in stress between Jomon people is related to plant-based diets and resource scarcity in western Japan. The hypothesis that Jomon people from western Japan had shorter stature than those from the east is, therefore, tested. Relationships between individual stature, geographic location, and enamel hypoplasia presence/absence are also explored. In addition, increased population density and reliance on plant foods are observed during the Late/Final Jomon period in western Japan. A second hypothesis proposing shorter stature for Late/Final Jomon people compared to those from the Middle Jomon period is tested. Statistically significant differences in stature between males and females from eastern and western Japan were not observed. Individual relationships between enamel hypoplasia and stature were rejected. Stature decreased significantly over time in western Japan. It is possible that stature between the eastern and western Jomon did not differ because the western Jomon experienced catch up growth after childhood stress episodes. It is also likely that variation in stress between the two groups was not severe enough to warrant stature reduction. Decreases in stature through time in western Japan are related to increased exposure to chronic infection and dietary stress. Overall, these results indicate that enamel hypoplasia frequencies provide an adequate index of general stress but may fail to predict the impact of stress on the human phenotype.
Cerro del Gentil, un sitio Paracas en el Valle de Chincha, costa sur del Perú
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