Abstract
Stature is a multifactorial growth process, influenced by genetics, health and nutrition. Short stature estimates from skeletal remains have traditionally been used as an indicator of a disruption in physiological growth processes within past populations, which may decrease adult survivorship. This project questions whether this non‐specific indicator of stress, affected the survivorship of individuals associated with the historic Arikara Native Americans of South Dakota (AD 1600–1832). Previous research suggests that short stature decreased survivorship among adult individuals from one archaeological site. In that study, the two sexes were pooled and survivorship was estimated relative to different time periods. In the current project, survivorship differences between the sexes were estimated, while time period was pooled. It is hypothesized that individuals with below average stature will exhibit a decrease in survivorship compared to their taller peers. One‐hundred and eighty‐four adult individuals, (79 females, 105 males), across four archaeological sites, were analyzed. Survivorship was estimated using Kaplan‐Meier estimates with log‐rank tests in SPSS version 22. Two analytical steps were taken. First, differences in survivorship between tall and short individuals were estimated per sex. Next, survivorship of tall females and tall males was compared and survivorship of short females and short males was compared. The results were not statistically significant. Therefore, short stature does not affect survivorship relative to sex. Broadly, these results suggest that the significance of short stature is context specific and cannot always be used as an indicator of decreased survivorship. It is recommended that researchers utilize multiple indicators of stress to infer survivorship and health in past populations. This project contributes to research focused on human growth, the disruption of physiological processes and their effects on adult survivorship.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
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