Non-specific Stress Indicators Research Articles

An integrative skeletal and paleogenomic analysis of stature variation suggests relatively reduced health for early European farmers

Human culture, biology, and health were shaped dramatically by the onset of agriculture ∼12,000 y B.P. This shift is hypothesized to have resulted in increased individual fitness and population growth as evidenced by archaeological and population genomic data alongside a decline in physiological health as inferred from skeletal remains. Here, we consider osteological and ancient DNA data from the same prehistoric individuals to study human stature variation as a proxy for health across a transition to agriculture. Specifically, we compared “predicted” genetic contributions to height from paleogenomic data and “achieved” adult osteological height estimated from long bone measurements for 167 individuals across Europe spanning the Upper Paleolithic to Iron Age (∼38,000 to 2,400 B.P.). We found that individuals from the Neolithic were shorter than expected (given their individual polygenic height scores) by an average of −3.82 cm relative to individuals from the Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic (P = 0.040) and −2.21 cm shorter relative to post-Neolithic individuals (P = 0.068), with osteological vs. expected stature steadily increasing across the Copper (+1.95 cm relative to the Neolithic), Bronze (+2.70 cm), and Iron (+3.27 cm) Ages. These results were attenuated when we additionally accounted for genome-wide genetic ancestry variation: for example, with Neolithic individuals −2.82 cm shorter than expected on average relative to pre-Neolithic individuals (P = 0.120). We also incorporated observations of paleopathological indicators of nonspecific stress that can persist from childhood to adulthood in skeletal remains into our model. Overall, our work highlights the potential of integrating disparate datasets to explore proxies of health in prehistory.

Untargeted Lipidomics for Determining Cellular and Subcellular Responses in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Liver Cells Following Exposure to Complex Mixtures in U.S. Streams.

Surface waters often contain a variety of chemical contaminants potentially capable of producing adverse outcomes in both humans and wildlife due to impacts from industrial, urban, and agricultural activity. Here, we report the results of a zebrafish liver (ZFL) cell-based lipidomics approach to assess the potential ecotoxicological effects of complex contaminant mixtures using water collected from eight impacted streams across the United States mainland and Puerto Rico. We initially characterized the ZFL lipidome using high resolution mass spectrometry, resulting in the annotation of 508 lipid species covering 27 classes. We then identified lipid changes induced by all streamwater samples (nonspecific stress indicators) as well as those unique to water samples taken from specific streams. Subcellular impacts were classified based on organelle-specific lipid changes, including increased lipid saturation (endoplasmic reticulum stress), elevated bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (lysosomal overload), decreased ubiquinone (mitochondrial dysfunction), and elevated ether lipids (peroxisomal stress). Finally, we demonstrate how these results can uniquely inform environmental monitoring and risk assessments of surface waters.

3D enamel profilometry reveals faster growth but similar stress severity in Neanderthal versus Homo sapiens teeth

Early life stress disrupts growth and creates horizontal grooves on the tooth surface in humans and other mammals, yet there is no consensus for their quantitative analysis. Linear defects are considered to be nonspecific stress indicators, but evidence suggests that intermittent, severe stressors create deeper defects than chronic, low-level stressors. However, species-specific growth patterns also influence defect morphology, with faster-growing teeth having shallower defects at the population level. Here we describe a method to measure the depth of linear enamel defects and normal growth increments (i.e., perikymata) from high-resolution 3D topographies using confocal profilometry and apply it to a diverse sample of Homo neanderthalensis and H. sapiens anterior teeth. Debate surrounds whether Neanderthals exhibited modern human-like growth patterns in their teeth and other systems, with some researchers suggesting that they experienced more severe childhood stress. Our results suggest that Neanderthals have shallower features than H. sapiens from the Upper Paleolithic, Neolithic, and medieval eras, mirroring the faster growth rates in Neanderthal anterior teeth. However, when defect depth is scaled by perikymata depth to assess their severity, Neolithic humans have less severe defects, while Neanderthals and the other H. sapiens groups show evidence of more severe early life growth disruptions.

Social Relations, Deprivation and Violence at Schleinbach, Lower Austria. Insights from an Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Early Bronze Age Human Remains

The interdisciplinary analysis of the skeletal remains of 63 individuals from settlement features and graves from Schleinbach in Lower Austria brought new insights into Early Bronze Age social relations, health aspects, signs of stress and trauma patterns. The individuals were buried in two groups of formal graves as well as in former storage pits. Mitochondrial DNA analysis identified genetic relationships between two individuals placed close together in a double grave, and between individuals from a multiple burial. The sex of four children buried in contexts suggestive of violence was revealed by proteomic sex identification. The high incidence of peri-mortem fractures in individuals from formal graves and pit burials suggests conflict within the community and neighbouring groups that were competing for scarce resources. The osteological analysis focused on skeletal and dental markers of deprivation, traumas, degenerative conditions and pelvic changes possibly linked to reproduction. In addition, we present data from 14C dating, tooth cementum annulation and δ13C/δ15N isotope analyses for selected individuals. The detailed examination of the archaeological context in conjunction with assessing and interpreting non-specific stress indicators and traumas revealed a rich and complex picture of social differentiation at Early Bronze Age Schleinbach, in which conflict, abuse and marginalization played a decisive role.

High status diet and health in Medieval Lisbon: a combined isotopic and osteological analysis of the Islamic population from S\xe3o Jorge Castle, Portugal

This paper presents the first bioarchaeological study of Islamic diet and lifeways in medieval Portugal. Stable isotopes of δ13C and δ15N and osteological and paleopathological analyses are combined to explore the diet and health status of 27 humans buried within São Jorge Castle, Lisbon (eleventh to twelfth century), interpreted as a high status population. Human isotopic data are considered alongside an animal baseline comprised of 30 specimens sampled from nearby Praça da Figueira, including the main domesticates and fish. Isotopic data indicate an age- and sex-related difference in diet among the population, suggesting a difference in food access between females and children compared to males. Palaeopathological analysis indicates a low prevalence of non-specific stress indicators such as Harris lines (HL), linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) and cribra orbitalia (CO) in this population in comparison to other medieval populations. LEH is only present in adults. These results suggest the presence of socio-cultural patterning relating to the organisation of the Islamic family, where women and men occupied different places in the household and society. This paper demonstrates the utility of a combined osteological and isotopic approach to understand the lifeways of Islamic populations in Medieval Iberia, as well as illuminates the lifeways of understudied segments of the population.

Does Stature Really Matter? The Effect of Short Stature on Adult Survivorship

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.

Gyermekkorú maradványok összehasonlító biológiai antropológiai vizsgálata történeti népességekben

The process of biological adaptation to a certain environment can be studied by human remains both from a socio-cultural and a biological perspective. From a biological point of view, the skeletal remains of non-adults similarly to adult remains are suitable for acquiring such data that, if they are interpreted in depth, can provide a more complete picture of past lives. The dissertation attempts to interpret data of children from the Carpathian Basin in order to draw conclusions regarding the life quality of past populations. My aims and objectives were the followings. From the in depth analyses of the mortality pattern of children and pathological lesions connected to metabolic and infectious diseases, I attempted to make conclusions regarding how children reacted to the changes of stress factors in different historical periods. I tried to estimate the extent of the effect of stress factors on different populations with the help of the morphological characteristics and frequency data of their pathological indicators. I tried to detect and interpret the effect of economic and environmental changes of certain historical periods with the comparison of the examined populations. The examined time scale involves the Avar Age (7–8th c.), the Arpadian Age (12–14th c.) and the Late Medieval Period (14–16th c.).
 During the accomplishment of the tasks referred to in the aims and objectives above I reached the following conclusions. Differences in life circumstances and in the nature of diseases in the three populations can be suggested based on the varying of mortality patterns and frequencies of non-specific stress indicators. The extent of stress effect could be estimated, which testified also to the osteological paradox.
 The economic, environmental and historical effects of certain periods could be demonstrated and interpreted to a certain extent: (1) based on the mortality data, at the Avar Kölked site, apart from the high mortality rate at an early age, other significant stress factors cannot be discerned in comparison to the other two populations. The variation perhaps can be sought in the different customs of child rearing; however, this proposition could not be answered based on the methods employed in the doctoral thesis. (2) Judging by the mortality rates and the above mentioned pathological characteristics of the children of Kána, the Arpadian Age can be regarded as a more balanced period. (3) At the same time, by observing the symptoms of the lack of vitamin C, it could also be determined that temporary effects can also be observed within a population despite the generally good living circumstances. (4) The results of the Late Medieval child remains from Paks reflect perfectly well the difficult living circumstances defined by the negative social and political relation characteristic of the age, which may have resulted in the lower resistance of children.
 This study wanted to present how the living circumstances and environmental challenges characterizing a population can be examined through children; thus, the analysis of the remains of children can be the perfect basis for comparison in future Hungarian bioarchaeological researches.

Effect of oral exposure to artificially weathered Deepwater Horizon crude oil on blood chemistries, hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities, organ weights and histopathology in western sandpipers (Calidris mauri)

Shorebirds were among birds exposed to Mississippi Canyon 252 (MC252) crude oil during the 2010 Deep Water Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The western sandpiper (Calidris mauri) was chosen as one of four species for initial oral dosing studies conducted under Phase 2 of the avian toxicity studies for the DWH Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA). Thirty western sandpipers were assigned to one of three treatment groups, 10 birds per group. The control group was sham gavaged and the treatment groups were gavaged with 1 or 5mL oil kg bw−1 daily for 20 days. Periodic blood samples for hemoglobin measurements were collected during the trial. A final blood sample used to determine hemoglobin concentration in addition to complete blood counts, plasma clinical chemistries, haptoglobin concentration and plasma electrophoresis was collected when birds were euthanized and necropsied on day 21. Tissues were removed, weighed and processed for subsequent histopathological evaluation. There were numerical decreases in hemoglobin concentrations in oil-dosed birds over the 21-day trial, but values were not significantly different compared to controls on day 21. There were no significant differences between controls and oiled birds in complete blood counts, plasma chemistries, haptoglobin concentration, and plasma electrophoresis endpoints. Of the hepatic oxidative stress endpoints assessed, the total antioxidant capacity assessment (Trolox equivalents) for the control group was lower compared to the 1mL oil kg bw−1 group. Absolute liver weights in the 5mL oil kg bw−1 group were significantly greater compared to controls. While not conclusive, the numerical decrease in hemoglobin concentration and significant increase in absolute liver weight are consistent with exposure to oil. Histological changes in the adrenal gland could be considered a non-specific indicator of stress resulting from exposure to oil. It is possible that the quantity of oil absorbed was not sufficient to induce clearly evident hemolytic anemia or that the western sandpiper is relatively insensitive to ingested oil.

Skeletal Indicators of Stress: A Component of the Biocultural Profile of Undocumented Migrants in Southern Arizona.

The ability of forensic anthropologists in the United States to distinguish the remains of foreign nationals from those of American citizens may be crucial to the identification process. This study adds new criteria for identifying Hispanic foreign nationals in southern Arizona to those previously outlined by Birkby et al. (J Forensic Sci 53, 2008, 29) in the "cultural profile." Skeletal indicators of nonspecific stress were evaluated in undocumented border crossers (UBCs) at the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner and in documented American samples. Odds ratios show significant associations between UBC status and the presence of porotic hyperostosis and enamel hypoplasias, which are, respectively, 7.9 and 3 times more prevalent among UBCs. These findings are consistent with disparities in access to adequate nutrition and health care during childhood. In conjunction with context and other biocultural factors, the presence of these conditions should prompt practitioners to consider that unidentified remains may represent foreign nationals.

A bioarchaeological analysis of oral and physiological health on the south coast of New Guinea.

The south coast of New Guinea has a complex prehistory known for its exchange systems that linked distinct cultural groups living along the coast, inland, and on offshore islands. Here we compare the palaeohealth of two relatively contemporaneous skeletal samples from the south coast of New Guinea (850-200 BP) that were from two ecologically different sites (one inland and one offshore island) and likely represent distinct cultural groups. We aim to elucidate health patterns that may provide information about the specific lifeways and quality of life of each community. Oral conditions (caries, calculus, alveolar lesions, and antemortem tooth loss [AMTL]) were analyzed macroscopically to assess possible intra- and inter-population variation in oral and physiological health. The frequency of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) was also used as a nonspecific indicator of stress to assess childhood health at each site. The inhabitants from the small offshore island of Motupore, thought to be associated with Austronesian-speaking Motu tribes, displayed different patterns of oral pathological conditions (more carious lesions on the tooth crown and calculus) and LEH (lower frequencies) compared with inland people residing at the site of Nebira. It is suggested that the causes for the variation in oral and physiological health were likely multifactorial and potentially associated with variables such as the ecological and geographical settings of the sites, cultural differences, infectious disease, differential fertility and, potentially, diet. This research provides previously unknown information about possible culturally-moderated practices that affected health in the past. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:414-426, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

7000 éves dél-magyarországi tuberkulózis esetek oszteológiai és molekuláris biológiai vizsgálata

This study derives from the macroscopic analysis of a Late Neolithic population from southern Hungary. Remains were recovered from a tell settlement at Hodmezővasarhely-Gorzsa from graves within the settlement as well as pits, ditches, houses and as stray finds. Pathological analysis of the 71 individuals revealed numerous cases of infections and non-specific stress indicators, metabolic diseases, and evidence of trauma and mechanical changes. Several cases showed potential signs of tuberculosis and further analyses were undertaken, including biomolecular studies. The five individuals were all very young adults and included a striking case of hypertrophic pulmonary osteopathy. The initial macroscopic diagnosis of these five cases was confirmed by lipid biomarker analyses, and three of them were corroborated by DNA analysis. At present, these 7000-year-old individuals are among the oldest palaeopathological and palaeomicrobiological cases of tuberculosis worldwide.

The long-term impact of developmental stress. Evidence from later medieval and post-medieval London (AD1117-1853).

Episodes of ill-health in childhood can predispose affected individuals to further periods of illness and early adult mortality. This study uses nonspecific indicators of stress to examine how growth disruptions during infancy/early childhood, and late childhood/early adolescence affected adult longevity in later medieval and post-medieval London. Hazards analysis was used to evaluate the effect of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) and the size of the anteroposterior (AP) and transverse (TR) diameters of the vertebral neural canal (VNC) on adult age-at-death. This was applied to skeletal samples from later medieval (n = 461) and post-medieval (n = 480) London. Growth disruptions during infancy/early childhood (LEH and AP VNC diameters) were not associated with longevity, or with impaired growth at later stages of development (TR VNC diameters). Growth disruptions during late childhood/early adolescence (TR VNC diameters) were associated with a significantly increased risk of adult mortality. Macroscopic hypoplasia represent short periods of stress during infancy/early childhood which did not disrupt future investments in growth or cause long-term damage to health. Small TR diameters represent chronic stress during late childhood/early adolescence which resulted in greater susceptibility to infections and increased risk of mortality. These interactions were influenced by sex and socioeconomic status, suggesting that socioeconomic circumstances in both childhood and adult life could influence exposure and resistance to stressors.

7000 year-old tuberculosis cases from Hungary – Osteological and biomolecular evidence

This study derives from the macroscopic analysis of a Late Neolithic population from Hungary. Remains were recovered from a tell settlement at Hódmezővásárhely-Gorzsa from graves within the settlement as well as pits, ditches, houses and as stray finds. One of the most important discoveries from these remains was evidence of tuberculosis. Pathological analysis of the seventy-one individuals revealed numerous cases of infections and non-specific stress indicators on juveniles and adults, metabolic diseases on juveniles, and evidence of trauma and mechanical changes on adults. Several cases showed potential signs of tuberculosis and further analyses were undertaken, including biomolecular studies. The five individuals were all very young adults and included a striking case of Hypertrophic Pulmonary Osteopathy (HPO) with rib changes, one case with resorptive lesions on the vertebrae, two cases with hypervascularisation on the vertebrae and periosteal remodelling on the ribs, and one case with abnormal blood vessel impressions and a possible lesion on the endocranial surface of the skull. The initial macroscopic diagnosis of these five cases was confirmed by lipid biomarker analyses, and three of them were corroborated by DNA analysis. At present, these 7000-year-old individuals are among the oldest palaeopathological and palaeomicrobiological cases of tuberculosis worldwide.

Urban and rural infant-feeding practices and health in early medieval Central Europe (9th-10th Century, Czech Republic).

In the Central European context, the 9th and 10th centuries are well known for rapid cultural and societal changes concerning the development of the economic and political structures of states as well as the adoption of Christianity. A bioarchaeological study based on a subadult skeletal series was conducted to tackle the impact of these changes on infant and young child feeding practices and, consequently, their health in both urban and rural populations. Data on growth and frequency of nonspecific stress indicators of a subadult group aged 0-6 years were analyzed. A subsample of 41 individuals was selected for nitrogen and carbon isotope analyses, applying an intra-individual sampling strategy (bone vs. tooth). The isotopic results attest to a mosaic of food behaviors. In the urban sample, some children may have been weaned during their second year of life, while some others may have still been consuming breast milk substantially up to 4-5 years of age. By contrast, data from the rural sample show more homogeneity, with a gradual cessation of breastfeeding starting after the age of 2 years. Several factors are suggested which may have been responsible for applied weaning strategies. There is no evidence that observed weaning strategies affected the level of biological stress which the urban subadult population had to face compared with the rural subadult population.

Reconciling "stress" and "health" in physical anthropology: what can bioarchaeologists learn from the other subdisciplines?

The concepts of "stress" and "health" are foundational in physical anthropology as guidelines for interpreting human behavior and biocultural adaptation in the past and present. Though related, stress and health are not coterminous, and while the term "health" encompasses some aspects of "stress," health refers to a more holistic condition beyond just physiological disruption, and is of considerable significance in contributing to anthropologists' understanding of humanity's lived experiences. Bioarchaeological interpretations of human health generally are made from datasets consisting of skeletal markers of stress, markers that result from (chronic) physiological disruption (e.g., porotic hyperostosis; linear enamel hypoplasia). Non-specific indicators of stress may measure episodes of stress and indicate that infection, disease, or nutritional deficiencies were present in a population, but in assessing these markers, bioarchaeologists are not measuring "health" in the same way as are human biologists, medical anthropologists, or primatologists. Rather than continue to diverge on separate (albeit parallel) trajectories, bioarchaeologists are advised to pursue interlinkages with other subfields within physical anthropology toward bridging "stress" and "health." The papers in this special symposium set include bioarchaeologists, human biologists, molecular anthropologists, and primatologists whose research develops this link between the concepts of "stress" and "health," encouraging new avenues for bioarchaeologists to consider and reconsider health in past human populations.

Osteological and Biomolecular Evidence of a 7000-Year-Old Case of Hypertrophic Pulmonary Osteopathy Secondary to Tuberculosis from Neolithic Hungary

Seventy-one individuals from the late Neolithic population of the 7000-year-old site of Hódmezővásárhely-Gorzsa were examined for their skeletal palaeopathology. This revealed numerous cases of infections and non-specific stress indicators in juveniles and adults, metabolic diseases in juveniles, and evidence of trauma and mechanical changes in adults. Several cases showed potential signs of tuberculosis, particularly the remains of the individual HGO-53. This is an important finding that has significant implications for our understanding of this community. The aim of the present study was to seek biomolecular evidence to confirm this diagnosis. HGO-53 was a young male with a striking case of hypertrophic pulmonary osteopathy (HPO), revealing rib changes and cavitations in the vertebral bodies. The initial macroscopic diagnosis of HPO secondary to tuberculosis was confirmed by analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex specific cell wall lipid biomarkers and corroborated by ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis. This case is the earliest known classical case of HPO on an adult human skeleton and is one of the oldest palaeopathological and palaeomicrobiological tuberculosis cases to date.

Bone growth, limb proportions and non-specific stress in archaeological populations from Croatia

Background: The effect of environmental factors and, in particular, non-specific stress on the growth patterns of limbs and other body dimensions of children from past populations is not well understood.Aims: This study assesses whether growth of mediaeval and post-mediaeval children aged between 0–11.5 years from Adriatic (coastal) and continental Croatia varies by region and by the prevalence and type of non-specific stress.Methods: Dental ages were estimated using the Moorrees, Fanning and Hunt (MFH) scoring method. Growth of long bone diaphyses (femur, tibia, humerus, radius and ulna) was assessed by using a composite Z-score statistic (CZS). Clavicular length was measured as a proxy for upper trunk width, distal metaphyseal width of the femur was measured as a proxy for body mass and upper and lower intra-limb indices were calculated. Differences between sub-sets sampled by (a) region and (b) active vs healed non-specific stress indicators and (c) intra-limb indices were tested by Mann--Whitney U-tests and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA).Results: Adriatic children attained larger dimensions-per-age than continental children. Children with healed stress lesions had larger dimensions-per-age than those with active lesions. No inter-regional difference was found in intra-limb indices.Conclusion: These findings highlight the complexity of growth patterns in past populations and indicate that variation in environmental conditions such as diet and differences in the nature of non-specific stress lesions both exert a significant effect on long bone growth.

A Discussion of Some Recent Methodological Developments in the Osteoarchaeology of Childhood

The purpose of this article is to discuss some recent scientific developments in subadult osteoarchaeology in the areas of breastfeeding and diet, palaeopathology and sex identification. Microsampling of incremental structures of dental hard tissues by laser ablation or other techniques is increasing the chronological resolution with which weaning and other changes in subadult diet can be studied using isotopic or other analyses. Much palaeopathological research on subadults has concentrated upon growth and on indicators of non-specific stress. However, recent diagnostic developments have advanced the study of specific diseases in subadult remains. This is particularly so for diseases due to deficiency of vitamin C or D, conditions which are sensitive indicators of aspects of past diets and living conditions. Sex identification from morphological techniques still presents problems, although odontometric techniques appear more useful than those based upon bone morphology. In future, sex identification using ancient DNA may become more routinely used, but significant problems are likely to remain.

Detection of multiple stresses in Scots pine growing at post-mining sites using visible to near-infrared spectroscopy

Heavy metal contamination, low pH and high substrate heterogeneity are multiple stress factors that often occur at the post-mining sites and make difficult the biological reclamation. Efficient tools for detection of the status of reclaimed vegetation at post-mining sites are needed. We tested the potential of visible to near-infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy to detect multiple stresses in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) at acidic substrates rich in As. The needle chemical traits (chlorophyll a + b - Cab; carotenoids - Car; Car/Cab; relative water content - RWC; soluble phenolics; lignin contents) were tested for sensitivity to different soil conditions of post-mining sites. For Scots pine growing on degraded substrates, at least three non-specific stress indicators (RWC, photosynthetic pigments and phenolics) are required to achieve good site separability corresponding to the stress load. We constructed and validated empirical models of selected needle chemical traits using VNIR spectroscopy: calibration of Cab (R(2) = 0.97, RMSE = 0.17 mg g(-1)), RWC (R(2) = 0.88, RMSE = 1.41 mg g(-1)), Car (R(2) = 0.66, RMSE = 0.08 mg g(-1)), phenolics (R(2) = 0.64, RMSE = 23.01 mg g(-1)) and lignin (R(2) = 0.45, RMSE = 3.32 mg g(-1)). The reflectance data yielded comparable site separability with the separability calculated from the laboratory data. The presented approach has potential for large-scale monitoring of Scots pine status, thus, assessment of reclamation quality in post-mining regions using air-born or satellite hyperspectral data.

Frequency and chronological distribution of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) in the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age population from Żerniki Górne (Poland) – preliminary report

Linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) is treated as a nonspecific indicator of stress, but even so, many authors consider it the most reliable tool stress in anthropological research. Its analysis allows the reconstruction of health related to the socio-economic status of the group. This study documents and interprets patterns of LEH in Żerniki Górne (Poland), a settlement which was functional in the Late Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age. We examined two successive cultures: the Corded Ware Culture (CWC; 3200–2300BC) and the Trzciniec Culture (TC; 1500–1300BC).
 In total, there were 1486 permanent teeth (124 adult individuals). The frequency of LEH in the examined cultures shows a small rising trend. In these series from Żernik Górne, males showed a higher occurrence of LEH (16.5%) than females (13.4%). The earliest LEH appeared at similar ages at about 2.0/2.2 years and the last LEH occurred at about 4.2 years of age in both cultures. However, it is worth noting that periods associated with physiological stress were more common but not very long (four months on average) in the CWC. Longer stress periods (nine months on average) were associated with the TC.