Female Skeleton Research Articles

Deletion of FNDC5/irisin modifies murine osteocyte function in a sex-specific manner

Irisin, released from exercised muscle, has been shown to have beneficial effects on numerous tissues but its effects on bone are unclear. We found significant sex and genotype differences in bone from wildtype (WT) mice compared to mice lacking Fndc5 (knockout [KO]), with and without calcium deficiency. Despite their bone being indistinguishable from WT females, KO female mice were partially protected from osteocytic osteolysis and osteoclastic bone resorption when allowed to lactate or when placed on a low-calcium diet. Male KO mice have more but weaker bone compared to WT males, and when challenged with a low-calcium diet lost more bone than WT males. To begin to understand responsible molecular mechanisms, osteocyte transcriptomics was performed. Osteocytes from WT females had greater expression of genes associated with osteocytic osteolysis and osteoclastic bone resorption compared to WT males which had greater expression of genes associated with steroid and fatty acid metabolism. Few differences were observed between female KO and WT osteocytes, but with a low-calcium diet, the KO females had lower expression of genes responsible for osteocytic osteolysis and osteoclastic resorption than the WT females. Male KO osteocytes had lower expression of genes associated with steroid and fatty acid metabolism, but higher expression of genes associated with bone resorption compared to male WT. In conclusion, irisin plays a critical role in the development of the male but not the female skeleton and protects male but not female bone from calcium deficiency. We propose irisin ensures the survival of offspring by targeting the osteocyte to provide calcium in lactating females, a novel function for this myokine.

Deletion of FNDC5/irisin modifies murine osteocyte function in a sex-specific manner.

Irisin, released from exercised muscle, has been shown to have beneficial effects on numerous tissues but its effects on bone are unclear. We found significant sex and genotype differences in bone from wildtype (WT) mice compared to mice lacking Fndc5 (knockout [KO]), with and without calcium deficiency. Despite their bone being indistinguishable from WT females, KO female mice were partially protected from osteocytic osteolysis and osteoclastic bone resorption when allowed to lactate or when placed on a low-calcium diet. Male KO mice have more but weaker bone compared to WT males, and when challenged with a low-calcium diet lost more bone than WT males. To begin to understand responsible molecular mechanisms, osteocyte transcriptomics was performed. Osteocytes from WT females had greater expression of genes associated with osteocytic osteolysis and osteoclastic bone resorption compared to WT males which had greater expression of genes associated with steroid and fatty acid metabolism. Few differences were observed between female KO and WT osteocytes, but with a low-calcium diet, the KO females had lower expression of genes responsible for osteocytic osteolysis and osteoclastic resorption than the WT females. Male KO osteocytes had lower expression of genes associated with steroid and fatty acid metabolism, but higher expression of genes associated with bone resorption compared to male WT. In conclusion, irisin plays a critical role in the development of the male but not the female skeleton and protects male but not female bone from calcium deficiency. We propose irisin ensures the survival of offspring by targeting the osteocyte to provide calcium in lactating females, a novel function for this myokine.

Anthropometric Measurements Analysis for Sex Determination in Human Ribs: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Sex estimation is one of the primary aspects in determining the biological characteristics of an unknown adult skeleton. The variations between male and female skeletons can be attributed to a complex interplay of genetics, hormonal factors, culture, and environment. However, skeletal remains frequently found are often incomplete, with most sexually dimorphic bone like the pelvis and skull potentially absent. Hence, it is essential to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of multiple skeletal elements to attain a high degree of precision in sex estimation within forensic anthropology context. Ribs have been utilized in forensic anthropology for sex estimation since the 1980s, a comprehensive review of their sexual dimorphism is yet to be conducted. In this study, we examined various anthropological methods applied to ribs for sex estimation. Method: A systematic search was performed using PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar from 2000 to 2020, retrieving a total of 10 articles that met the inclusive criteria. The search followed the main points outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: This systematic review provides a comprehensive summary of the analytical approaches employed to estimate sex using human ribs. Conclusion: The findings revealed that different part of human ribs can be reliably used for sex estimation via metric method.

Palaeoproteomic investigation of an ancient human skeleton with abnormal deposition of dental calculus

Detailed investigation of extremely severe pathological conditions in ancient human skeletons is important as it could shed light on the breadth of potential interactions between humans and disease etiologies in the past. Here, we applied palaeoproteomics to investigate an ancient human skeletal individual with severe oral pathology, focusing our research on bacterial pathogenic factors and host defense response. This female skeleton, from the Okhotsk period (i.e., fifth to thirteenth century) of Northern Japan, poses relevant amounts of abnormal dental calculus deposition and exhibits oral dysfunction due to severe periodontal disease. A shotgun mass-spectrometry analysis identified 81 human proteins and 15 bacterial proteins from the calculus of the subject. We identified two pathogenic or bioinvasive proteins originating from two of the three “red complex” bacteria, the core species associated with severe periodontal disease in modern humans, as well as two additional bioinvasive proteins of periodontal-associated bacteria. Moreover, we discovered defense response system-associated human proteins, although their proportion was mostly similar to those reported in ancient and modern human individuals with lower calculus deposition. These results suggest that the bacterial etiology was similar and the host defense response was not necessarily more intense in ancient individuals with significant amounts of abnormal dental calculus deposition.

Female biased adult sex ratio in the Bronze Age cemetery of Shahr-i Sokhta (Iran) as an indicator of long distance trade and matrilocality.

This paper starts from the unusual observation of the overrepresentation of females among adults in the cemetery of Bronze Age Shahr-i Sokhta (Seistan, Iran) and explores the post marital residence pattern. By integrating taphonomical (skeletal preservation), anthropological (sex ratio [SR], sexual dimorphism, stress indicators, age at death), archeological (long distance trade indicators, habitation floor area, social role of women), and ancient DNA (heterozygosity levels in X chromosomes) data we test the hypothesis of post marital matrilocality in the site. We computed the SR (pelvis-based sex determination) in a random unpublished adult sample from the cemetery of Shahr-i Sokhta and in two samples previously published by other authors. We used comparative data on SR from: a large Supra Regional multi-chronological sample of sites, n = 47, with 8808 adult sexed individuals, from Southern Europe, Egypt, Middle East, Southern Russia; a Regional Bronze Age sample of sites (n = 10) from Bactria Margiana and Indus Valley with 1324 adult sexed individuals. We estimated the heterozygosity levels in X chromosomes compared with the rest of the autosomes on the assumption that in a matrilocal society females should show lower variability than men. Adult SR in a sample (n = 549) from Shahr-i Sokhta is 70.5, the overrepresentation of females is shared with Regional Bronze Age sites from Bactria Margiana (SR = 72.09) and Indus Valley (SR = 67.54). On the contrary, in a larger Supra Regional multi-chronological sample of sites, mean SR ranges between 112.7 (Bronze Age) and 163.1 (Middle Ages). Taphonomical and anthropological indicators do not explain the overrepresentation of female skeletons. Archeological indicators suggest a high social status of women and that the society was devoted to long range trade activities. heterozygosity levels in X chromosomes are in agreement with a matrilocal society. Indicators suggest that Bronze Age Shahr-ì Sokhta was a matrilocal society and that long distance trade was an important economic factor producing an overrepresentation of adult female skeletons in the cemetery.

Inferring the mobility of a middle Upper Paleolithic female skeleton from Caviglione (Liguria, Italy): Impact of trauma and mountainous terrain

Mobility and territory occupation, the participation of injured individuals in group activities, and the role of women in early human groups are crucial issues in human evolution. Previously, a biomechanical study showed evidence of several traumas to the upper limb of the well-preserved middle Upper Paleolithic (UP) female skeleton from Caviglione (Caviglione 1, Liguria, Italy) but did not characterize their impact on locomotor behavior. Furthermore, mobility in the European UP context is thoroughly documented in males but not in females. Therefore, we examined whether this trauma-affected female skeleton shows bone adaptation to high mobility, as expected in UP groups, and to frequent foot eversion and inversion, as expected, given the mountainous area in which it was discovered. This study investigated the structural properties of the femur, tibia, fibula, and first metatarsal to infer the mobility level and pattern of Caviglione 1. We analyzed the diaphyseal ‘shape’, robusticity, fibular cortical distribution, and relative robusticity (fibula versus tibia). No substantial findings were derived from the first metatarsal. The fibular cortical distribution can discriminate ‘active’ (nomadic or settled) and recent sedentary human groups; these findings indicated Caviglione 1 belonged to the former. Interestingly, compared with ancient and recent sedentary humans and some UP individuals, Caviglione 1 had femurs with strong relative anteroposterior rigidity and robust tibias and fibulas reflecting an adaptation to extremely high levels of mobility. The very high relative fibular robusticity of Caviglione 1, higher than that of Middle UP males, is consistent with bone adaptation to frequent travel through mountainous terrain. Such fibular robusticity may also be a consequence of imbalance, due to upper limb traumas, when traveling downhill. These findings indicate that injured individuals may have participated in subsistence activities in past populations and describe an UP female with bone adaptations to habitual high mobility, notably in mountainous terrain.

A history of violence in the Mesolithic female skeleton from Mezzocorona-Borgonuovo (Trento, northeastern Italy)

Scholars have long been interested in understanding conflict in prehistoric times. Skeletal lesions attributable to interpersonal violence constitute the most direct evidence available to make inferences on the diachronic changes in the frequency, scale, and motivation for conflict among human communities. It has been proposed that evidence of violence becomes more common among Early Holocene Mesolithic hunter-gatherers; however, the skeletal record becomes increasingly fragmentary in more ancient periods, making the finding of new evidence of great importance. We present here a case of traumatic recidivism in a Mesolithic female from the site of Mezzocorona-Borgonuovo (MBN-1) in the northeastern Italian Alps (Trento). This female displays a perimortem perforating defect in the frontal bone, as well as healed cranial and forearm fractures. Although it is possible to interpret these injuries as resulting from falls from height, we propose that they are most compatible with MBN-1 being victim over time of multiple episodes of interpersonal violence. In addition, probably a few months before death, MBN-1 suffered another traumatic injury of the ankle, and in this case the fall from height appears the most likely scenario. We further propose that the attacks leading to the cranial and forearm fractures were presumably perpetrated by individuals coming from outside MBN-1's group. Conversely, her group most likely cared for her through medical treatment – as suggested by the successful healing of forearm and ankle fractures – and by according her a formal burial. The traumatic history of MBN-1 provides rare glimpses into the life experience of a Mesolithic female from northeastern Italy, a context where human remains are extremely rare. However, being a single case, more findings are needed to understand whether or not MBN-1 can be viewed as emblematic of the overall exposure to interpersonal or accidental trauma for Mesolithic groups in the area, and to explore issues of frequency, origin, and motivation for ancient conflict.

ANTHROPOLOGICAL COMPOSITION OF THE POPULATION BILOZERSKA CULTURE’, BURIED ON THE BURIAL GROUND NEAR KAIRY VILLAGE

The anthropological material from the burial ground of the Bilozerska Culture near the village of Kairy on the left bank of the Lower Dnieper, came from 53 burials.
 The male group is characterized, on average, by a long, narrow, high, dolihocranial cranium. The forehead is wide, the angle of inclination of the frontal bone is average. The width and height of the face are average. According to the upper face index, it belongs to the mesen category. The face is mesognathous, its horizontal profiling is sharp. The orbits are medium wide and low, the nose is high. The bridge of the nose is high. The bones of the nose stand out well.
 The female series from the burial ground near the village of Kairy is characterized by a long, medium-wide, high, dolihocranial cranium. The forehead is medium wide, the angle of inclination of the frontal bone is on the border between medium and large values. The width and height of the face is average. According to the upper face index, it belongs to the category of mesen, but with a tendency to leptene. The horizontal profiling of the face is sharp. The total facial angle indicates mesognathia. The orbits are medium wide and low in absolute size, they are mesoconch according to the orbital index. The height of the nose is on the border between medium and high, it is medium wide both in absolute dimensions and in terms of the nasal index. The bridge of the nose is high. The nasal bones protrude moderately.
 The introduction into the scientific circulation of preliminary information about the anthropological material from the Belozersky Culture’s burial site of Kairy well illustrates the heterogeneity of the population.
 The male and female groups from Kairy show morphological and statistical similarity to the population from the burial ground of the Bilozerska Culture near the village of Shyroke. The men’s series from Kairy shows a closeness to the collective series of Zrubna Culture of Ukraine (Left Bank). This may indicate in favor of the fact that men from this population were dominated by a biological component that could well connect them with the earlier population of the territory of Ukraine. Women’s groups from Kairy and Shiroke demonstrate a significant statistical difference from women of the Zrubna and Babinska Cultures.
 Male and female parts of the population were formed from slightly different components. One of them was associated with Zrubna Culture’s groups in Ukraine. The other component may have come from a culture that is not represented by craniological material, but whose population was morphologically close to a number of the European groups of Bronze Age: Łużycka, Unetice, and certain groups of the circle of the Corded Ware Culture.
 At the cemetery, a correlation was observed between the placement of skeletons in the grave on the right or left sides with the gender of the buried. 19 female skeletons were lying in a crouched position on their left side and facing west, and 2 women were in a crouched position on their right side facing east. 15 male skeletons were buried in a crouched position on the right side facing east, and 5 on the left side facing west. In the Kairy cemetery, children from the age of 1 were also buried in positions on different sides. The position of the dead facing east or west may reflect the idea of the different location of their forefathers homeland.
 Female burials contain more grave goods. Most of the bronze items are the decorations, which are concentrated in half of women’s burials and a third of children’s burials. The highest concentration of pots is also recorded in the graves of women, besides, the pots from women’s burials are more diverse in shape. In children’s graves, the number of pots varies from 1 to 3, in the burials of children of the first year of life there are no vessels.

Some aspects of the postcranial morphology of the Ural-Mugodzhar population in the Late Bronze Age

The paper reports on the osteometric data of skeletons from the burials of the Kozhumberdy group of the Late Bronze Age Alakul Culture (Southern Ural). The research is aimed to reveal the character of the variability of osteometric features of the sample group and its comparison with synchronous groups of the steppe zone of Eurasia. Twenty-four male and seventeen female skeletons were investigated. Taking into account the poor preser-vation of the material, a new method of identification of sex, developed by I.M. Sineva, was applied. The results of the study of the series by statistical methods (principal component analysis, nonparametric Mann — Whitney cri-terion) are presented. A high degree of morphological diversity of the variants of the skeletal development under the dominance of a rather gracile osteological complex within the Bronze Age of the steppe Eurasia is observed. Several individuals, characterized by the increased size of the skeleton, are distinguished. The similarity of the main part of the studied sample group with the synchronous population of the steppe-forest-steppe zone of the Cis-Urals and Upper Ob Basin is revealed. At the same time, the Kozhumberdy group morphologically differs from the agricultural population of the Bronze Age in Central Asia. These results indicate the main direction of the mor-phological links of the Kozhumberdy group of the Alakul Culture with the sample groups of the Sintashta Culture of the Cis-Urals and Andronovo Culture of Western Siberia. There is also present an insignificant component as-sociated with the Early Bronze Age population of the steppe Volga-Ural region (the Yamnaya Culture). The as-sumption made previously on the basis of the study of craniological materials about a single morphological basis for the formation of the population of the Alakul and Srubnaya Cultures of the Bronze Age is not confirmed. The main component in the formation of the physical appearance of the Srubnaya population is the local Volga-Ural population. As the morphological basis for the formation of the Alakul Ural-Mugodzhar group we consider the Sintashta population of the Cis-Urals.

A rare femoral heterotopic bone formation in a 14th-19th century female skeleton from Constância (Portugal)

ObjectiveThis paper aims to: (1) document a rare femoral heterotopic ossification (HO), and (2) discuss its aetiology and impact on the individual's locomotion and daily living activities. MaterialsAdult female skeleton (SG.14-SK.7) from the village of Constância (Portugal), and dated from the 14th-19th centuries CE. MethodsThe biological profile and the macroscopic analysis of the bone changes were assessed using standardized methods. ResultsThe macroscopic analysis revealed a large bony mass (8 cm length) located immediately inferior to the small trochanter of the right femur. The lesion exhibited a compact, tubular appearance located at the site of attachment of the pectineus muscle. No signs of bone fracture were observed. ConclusionsThe morphology of the SG.14-SK.7 femoral lesion is compatible with a probable case of myositis ossificans traumatica (MOT), secondary to acute trauma of the pectineus muscle. The underlying trauma episode, such as random accidental and/or occupation-related injury, is unknown. However, it is highly possible that this self-limiting condition significantly impaired the individual's daily life and mobility. SignificanceEvidence of severe acute muscle trauma is a rare finding compared with HO secondary to bone trauma and other minor muscle injuries. Moreover, no cases of MOT affecting the pectineus muscle have been reported in the paleopathological literature to date. LimitationsAlthough unlikely, a case of neurogenic or burn-related HO cannot be completely disregarded. It was not possible to undertake radiography as part of this study. Suggestions for further researchThe use of imaging techniques to complement the paleopathological description is advised.

Early Holocene Human Burials from Fa Hien-lena and Kuragala, Sri Lanka

Few human burials from Sri Lankan archaeological contexts have been described. Here we report on the analysis of two early Holocene skeletons, FH8, a young adult female skeleton excavated from Fa Hien-lena and dated to 10,640-10,139 cal BP, and BK1, a middle adult male skeleton excavated at Kuragala and dated to 7,170-6,950 cal BP. The skeletons are both highly fragmentary, which poses challenges for their thorough analysis. However, this paper describes the archaeological context, mortuary treatment and archaeothanatology of the burials, post-mortem taphonomy of human remains, the osteobiography of both individuals, and some general observations on their morphology relative to one another and a broader range of late Pleistocene and Holocene foragers. The results demonstrate common elements of funerary treatment between these two burials, such as interment on the left side with right hands placed near or over the face. The FH8 individual died at a young age and shows some signs of early childhood stress. Both skeletons show moderate to high degrees of tooth wear for their relative ages, and no evidence for dental disease. The body size estimates of FH8 and BK1 fall in the range that would be expected of tropical or temperate forest foragers, although BK1 has a relatively low body mass relative to stature, which aligns his phenotype with populations of more arid environments. We demonstrate that much can be potentially learned about human populations and prehistoric behaviours from skeletal analyses.

THE HEIGHT OF THE POPULATION OF OLD RUS HALYCH

The information about the length of the bones of the population of Old Rus Halych is introduced into the scientific circulation, the average height of the city’s population is reconstructed, and its position among chronologically close groups of the territory of Ukraine is determined in the paper. The material comes from excavations of the burial ground of the 11th—13th centuries in the Tsarinka tract, where in Old Rus times the trading and craft suburb of Halych was existed. Measurements of 45 male and 21 female skeletons were used in the work.
 The people buried in the cemetery had a small height, which fits well into the range of intergroup variations of the series from the territory of Ukraine during the Old Rus period. Men and women are tall (174 cm and 160.4 cm). The difference in average height between men and women in this series is higher than the standard norm. This may be because they were genetically related to different populations. The fact that the male and female parts of the population of Halych were formed on a slightly different basis, we can say from the materials of craniology. A fairly wealthy population was buried in the cemetery, so it is difficult to connect the difference in height with nutritional problems.
 The height of the men of Halych buried in Tsarinka has the closest analogies in the cemeteries of the cities of Kyiv and Pereyaslav. The height of the male population of Halych is bigger than the height of the people of the Old Rus Age from the rural burial grounds of both the western lands of Ukraine and the Middle Dnieper region. Female samples do not demonstrate this so clearly.
 The difference in height between the population of cities and villages of Kyivan Rus is fixed. In a number of cases, it can be said that the composition of the population of cities was intensively replenished by immigrants from other territories, which are characterized by higher height. Perhaps, in addition, there was a certain selection of newcomers to the city, taking into account professional requests. The most physically developed people from those populations, which were generally characterized by a massive body structure, were selected for the prince’s guard as well as for a number of craft professions. In the future, these features could be fixed by marriage contacts in their milieu. Perhaps the better nutrition of city dwellers, especially wealthy ones, also played a role.

A case of a large pedunculated-type osteochondroma from late medieval Ilok, eastern Croatia: Bioarchaeological, paleoradiological and histological study

Osteochondroma or osteocartilaginous exostosis is one of the most common benign tumors of the bone. Causes for the disease are yet unknown, but there are indications that they may be linked to abnormality in the growth plate and possibly mutation in EXT1, EXT2 and EXT3 genes. Cases of reported osteochondromas range from prehistoric to contemporary examples, are not limited geographically, and no evidence for sex predominance has been reported.Here we present a unique case of large pedunculated-type osteochondroma on the right fibula of an adult female skeleton from the medieval site of Ilok-Krstbajer in eastern Croatia. In order to gain more insight into this pathological change we used holistic approach consisting of a combination of techniques that have not been used previously in the analysis of neoplasms from archaeological settings.The cauliflower-shaped growth is 50 mm long in sagittal and 57.41 mm in transverse diameter with the tumor exhibiting a bulbous, rough superior surface, and a flat, smoother inferior surface. The gross morphology of the tumor together with radiological and histopathological features support the diagnosis of a proximal fibular osteochondroma making it the first such case in an archaeological population. Based on archaeological context and similar clinical cases it seems that the presented osteochondroma did not have major impact on the life-quality of a woman affected by this pathology. The procedure used in this study is minimally invasive and highly accurate, and as such sets new analytical criteria for studies of ancient bone neoplasms.

Differential skeletal preservation between sexes: a diachronic study in Milan over 2000 years

A recurring observation in the literature is that females tend to be less represented than males in osteological collections. How can we explain such observations? Do female skeletons preserve less well than their male counterparts? In this study, 200 skeletons from the Collezione Antropologica LABANOF (CAL), equally divided between sexes, were selected from four archaeological sites of Milan, representing a continuum of about 2000 years. The state of preservation was analyzed according to three criteria: quantity, quality, and integrity. Linear model and ANOVA statistical analyses were performed using R software. As a result, females tend to be less complete than males, regardless of age-at-death or post-mortem interval (PMI). Preservation also showed lower values as PMI increased, except for the medieval sample, which may be explained by soil taphonomy and/or general poor bone health. This is one of the few studies to demonstrate a differential skeletal preservation between sexes, supporting bone mineral density as a major factor of bone survival. Further studies may strengthen our results and confirm the trends observed in this paper.

Severe chest polytrauma and vertebral number variation of an old woman from the Early Middle Ages.

This study describes a case of polytrauma of the axial skeleton accompanied by a spinal anatomical variation of an early medieval old female skeleton (dated to the 8th-9th century AD), with the purpose of clarifying the origin of the condition and to understand its impact on the life quality of the individual. The skeleton was subjected to macroscopic and X-ray examination. An anthropological analysis discovered the skeleton is well preserved, gracile, and with significant traces of physical activity. A detailed survey of the spine revealed there are six cervical, 12 thoracic, and six lumbar vertebrae. The examination of the pathological changes discovered a severe chest polytrauma (a compressive fracture of the 9th thoracic vertebra and multiple rib fractures), associated with pleural rind ossification, severe osteoarthritis, and ankylosis of both intervertebral and costovertebral joints. The irregularity in the number of vertebrae was determined as a double meristic vertebral variation probably caused by a presomitic mesoderm segmentation disorder. The pathological changes examined were assumed to be of traumatic aetiology with a possible osteoporotic background, and were compared with similar changes caused by tuberculosis and ankylosing spondylitis. The woman had to have been suffering from severe back pain, her back was deformed to a dowager's hump, but she managed to survive for many years after the traumatic event.

Taphonomic bias in preservation and representativeness of skeletal samples (a case of Gonur Depe)

The topic of this article is theoretical and practical issues underlying the problems of representativeness of skeletal samples, as well as age and sex biases in preservation of skeletal remains, and the impact of these fac-tors on paleodemographic reconstructions. The impact of taphonomic bias in preservation on the qualitative and quantitative composition of skeletal sample is discussed on the materials from Gonur Depe — a Bronze Age proto-urban center in Southern Turkmenistan (2500–1500 BC, BMAC — Bactria-Margiana archaeological com-plex, also referred to as Oxus Civilization). The analyzed sample consists of skeletal remains of 500 individuals (215 non-adults, 115 adult males and 170 adult females) excavated between 2008 and 2015. Based on the type of preservation of skeletal remains, their completeness, as well as the preservation index (computed for each individual by dividing the number of long bones present by 14 — their maximum number per individual), three preservation classes were identified, of which class 1 corresponds to poor, and class 3 — to good state of preser-vation. Comparison of sex and age groups per each preservation class using сhi-square test demonstrates that in the Gonur Depe skeletal remains of infants (0–4 years old) and young adults (under 35 years of age) show the best state of preservation. Skeletons of elderly adults (over 35 years of age) have the worst state of preservation. There are no statistically significant differences between sexes in the degree of bone preservation. On the one hand, these results, contrary to theoretical expectations, testify against the existence of taphonomic biases in preservation of infant and female skeletons. On the other hand, the underrepresentation of elderly individuals in the studied collection is probably explained by a decrease in resistance to taphonomic processes due to the ac-celerated loss of bone calcium. It has been concluded that age and sex-related biases in the demographic struc-ture of prehistoric skeletal samples cannot be universally explained by the preservation factor. Misrepresentation in the percentage of different age and sex groups is a non-linear and a complicated process that requires consid-eration of different factors affecting the qualitative and quantitative composition of a particular skeletal sample. A detailed assessment of the taphonomic characteristics of a studied skeletal collection should be a mandatory step prior to its analysis by paleodemographic methods.

LA DAMA DE TLACOJALPAN:ARQUEOMALACOGIA (RECUPERACION DE RASGOS FACIALES, ANALISIS DEL COLLAR Y SU CONTEXTO ARQUEOLOGICO)

Product of excavations carried out at the archaeological site called La Campana in the municipality of Tlacojalpan, as part of the research activities carried out by the project Pre-Hispanic Settlement and Population Pattern in the Lower Basin of Papaloapan. The discovery of a sumptuous burial was made. And so the program-project La Dama de Tlacojalpan arose because it is a female skeleton. Various studies of the skeleton were made, such as the identification of the sex, origin of the race, height and reason for his death. The objective was the facial restitution of this dignitary character. As part of the grave goods, a necklace of 60 olive spicata snails was identified, made with products from the two oceans: the Atlantic and Pacific. Full identification of the origin of the raw material, techniques used for its preparation and traces of use were made.

Lactation alters fluid flow and solute transport in maternal skeleton: A multiscale modeling study on the effects of microstructural changes and loading frequency.

The female skeleton undergoes significant material and ultrastructural changes to meet high calcium demands during reproduction and lactation. Through the peri-lacunar/canalicular remodeling (PLR), osteocytes actively resorb surrounding matrix and enlarge their lacunae and canaliculi during lactation, which are quickly reversed after weaning. How these changes alter the physicochemical environment of osteocytes, the most abundant and primary mechanosensing cells in bone, are not well understood. In this study, we developed a multiscale poroelastic modeling technique to investigate lactation-induced changes in stress, fluid pressurization, fluid flow, and solute transport across multiple length scales (whole bone, porous midshaft cortex, lacunar-canalicular pore system (LCS), and pericellular matrix (PCM) around osteocytes) in murine tibiae subjected to axial compression at 3N peak load (~320με) at 0.5, 2, or 4Hz. Based on previously reported skeletal anatomical measurements from lactating and nulliparous mice, our models demonstrated that loading frequency, LCS porosity, and PCM density were major determinants of fluid and solute flows responsible for osteocyte mechanosensing, cell-cell signaling, and metabolism. When loaded at 0.5Hz, lactation-induced LCS expansion and potential PCM reduction promoted solute transport and osteocyte mechanosensing via primary cilia, but suppressed mechanosensing via fluid shear and/or drag force on the cell membrane. Interestingly, loading at 2 or 4Hz was found to overcome the mechanosensing deficits observed at 0.5Hz and these counter effects became more pronounced at 4Hz and with sparser PCM in the lactating bone. Synergistically, higher loading frequency (2, 4Hz) and sparser PCM enhanced flow-mediated mechanosensing and diffusion/convection of nutrients and signaling molecules for osteocytes. In summary, lactation-induced structural changes alter the local environment of osteocytes in ways that favor metabolism, mechanosensing, and post-weaning recovery of maternal bone. Thus, osteocytes play a role in balancing the metabolic and mechanical functions of female skeleton during reproduction and lactation.

Differential diagnosis of a calcified cyst found in an 18th century female burial site at St. Nicholas Church cemetery (Libkovice, Czechia).

During archaeological excavations in burial sites, sometimes stoned organic objects are found, in addition to human remains. Those objects might be of a different origin, depending on various factors influencing members of a community (i.e. diseases, trauma), which provides information about their living conditions. The St. Nicholas Church archaeological site (Libkovice, Czechia) in the 18th century horizon of the cemetery, yielded a maturus-senilis female skeleton with a stone object in the left iliac fossa. This object was an oviform cyst-like rough structure, measuring 54 mm in length, 35 mm in maximum diameter and 0.2-0.7 mm shell thickness. Within the object there were small fetal bones (long bones, i.e. femur and two tibias, two scapulas, three ribs, vertebrae and other tiny bone fragments). Methods utilized to analyze the outer and inner surface morphology of the cyst and its inside, included: X-ray, CT imaging, SEM, histological staining and EDS. The EDS analysis revealed the presence of primarily oxygen, calcium and phosphorus in bone samples, and oxygen and silicon, in stone shell. Based on the length of the femur (20.2 mm) and tibia (16 mm) shafts, the fetal age was determined as being in the 15-18 week of pregnancy. The differential diagnosis was conducted, including for the three most probable cases: fetiform teratoma (FT), fetus-in-fetu (FIF) and lithopedion. The possibility of fetiform teratoma was discounted due to the presence of an anatomically correct spine, long bones and the proportions of the find. Although the low calcium content in the shell (2.3% atom mass), the lack of skull bones and the better developed lower limbs indicate fetus-in-fetu rather than lithopedion, the analyses results are unable to conclusively identify the object under one of these two categories since there are insufficient such cases in excavation material with which to draw comparison.

Paleopathological diagnosis of a proportionate short stature on a female skeleton from the Coimbra collection: Turner syndrome versus other causes

ObjectiveThis paper discusses the possible etiologies for the proportionate short stature of a female individual and provides data to allow the diagnosis of future cases of Turner Syndrome (TS) in paleopathology. MaterialsSkeleton of a 26-years-old maid, from the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection, who died of measles in 1920. MethodsMacroscopic examination, imaging techniques, and metric analysis. ResultsHer estimated height is 138.91–144.3 cm, approximately three standard deviations below the average female stature for early 20th century Portugal. The crural, brachial, humero-femoral, and intermembral indexes show a proportionate body, uncommon in dwarfism. Small skull with prominent frontal, maxillary prognathism, enamel hypoplasia, cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, proliferative reaction in the petrous portion of the temporal, obliterated sagittal suture, oval foramen magnum, and small mandible with masculine features. The sternal ends of the ribs are wider and vertebrae present developmental defects (e.g. atlas with both left transverse foramina and posterior tubercle open, absence of the right transverse foramen in the axis, sacrum with six vertebrae). ConclusionsThe differential diagnosis point to a possible case of Turner Syndrome. SignificanceThis study describes the features of Turner Syndrome and provide detail metric analysis of this individual, which will be useful for future paleopathological diagnoses. LimitationsThe confirmation of the diagnosis will only be possible through genetic analysis. Suggestions for further researchReanalysis of skeletal individuals with short stature to detect possible cases of Turner Syndrome.