The palaeopathology of the Ohalo 2 Upper Paleolithic human remains: A reassessment of its appendicular robusticity, humeral asymmetry, shoulder degenerations, and costal lesion

Abstract

AbstractThe 23,000 BP Ohalo 2 human remains, from the Upper Paleolithic of south‐west Asia, have been described by Hershkovitz and colleagues as very robust but especially as pathological with respect to its level of humeral asymmetry and its large anteroinferior costal bony growth. Reassessment of its appendicular robusticity, in the context of western Eurasian and North African Upper Paleolithic human remains, indicates that the Ohalo 2 limb remains are unexceptional in terms of muscular enthesis development, diaphyseal cross‐sectional shape, and major long bone diaphyseal hypertrophy. If anything, the muscular insertions and the humeral diaphyseal robusticity are modest for an Upper Paleolithic human. Similarly, the level of humeral asymmetry, as well as humeral versus radial diaphyseal asymmetry, is well within Upper Paleolithic ranges of variation. None of these aspects require palaeopathological explanations. The minor osteoarthritic changes of the right clavicle and scapula are common and of little importance. However, the massive lower thoracic ossification of the caudal sternum, ribs 6 and 7 and the intervening costal cartilages, has implications beyond the differential diagnosis of Hershkovitz and colleagues. It indicates constraints on thoracic expansion and hence on elevated respiration; as such, it would have placed limitations on the activity levels of this Upper Paleolithic forager. Ohalo 2 therefore joins a growing sample of Upper Paleolithic humans with serious developmental or degenerative abnormalities.