Changes in osteoarthritis associated with the development of a maritime economy among southern California Indians
01 Sep 1989-International Journal of Anthropology (Kluwer Academic Publishers)-Vol. 4, Iss: 3, pp 171-183
TL;DR: Data show that the rate at which people developed osteoarthritis increased through time, which suggests that the adaptive shift toward more intensive exploitation of the marine environment resulted in an increase in the time people spent in strenuous physical activity.
Abstract: The severity of osteoarthritis was studied in human skeletal remains from archaeological sites in the Santa Barbara Channel area of southern California. These remains were analyzed to better understand changes in activity patterns associated with the economic shift from hunting and gathering to intensive fishing and craft specialization that occurred in this area. The joints of 967 burials from seven archaeological sites occupied between 3500 B.C. and the time of European contact were scored for osteoarthritis. These data show that the rate at which people developed osteoarthritis increased through time. This suggests that the adaptive shift toward more intensive exploitation of the marine environment resulted in an increase in the time people spent in strenuous physical activity. The increase in osteoarthritis affected males to a greater extent than females. One interpretation of this is that the work load of men increased with the economic importance of fishing.
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TL;DR: An updated review of skeletal perspectives on osteoarthritis expands and supports conclusions discussed in the earlier review and suggests that sex differences may often be a consequence of hormones, body size and anatomy, rather than activity related.
Abstract: Osteoarthritis is among the most common pathological conditions in skeletal collections and is the most frequent musculoskeletal disorder in contemporary populations. Jurmain (1991) has previously published in this journal a brief review of skeletal perspectives on osteoarthritis. Subsequent studies by osteologists and medical researchers have added considerably to understanding of the aetiology and patterning of osteoarthritis. Thus, it is timely to present an updated review that expands and supports conclusions discussed in the earlier review. In short, osteoarthritis aetiology is multifactorial, with age being the main influence on the onset and severity of osteoarthritis. Genetic influences also play a large role in the severity of osteoarthritis, especially in the lower limbs. Weight, although playing a significant role for modern populations, seems to have had very minimal effects on prehistoric populations. Sex differences may often be a consequence of hormones, body size and anatomy, rather than activity related. Finally, intense activity starting at a young age still may influence osteoarthritis, especially in the upper limbs. Future directions discussed include within-body comparisons, animal studies, and examining patterns in large populations. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
201 citations
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TL;DR: The basis for the study of the thickening observed in certain Pleistocene crania is the analysis of the tournaisian thickening, a feature of Homo sapiens that has been observed in recent times in Europe.
Abstract: basis for the study of the thickening observed in certain Pleistocene crania." XVIIth International Congress of Medicine, London, July 1913, section 7, pp. 3-46. SMITH, F. H. AND F. SPENCER. I984. The origins of modern humans: A world survey of the fossil evidence. New York: Alan R. Liss. STEWART, T. D. I95 I. The problem of the earliest claimed representatives of Homo sapiens. Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology. I5:97-Io6.
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08 Aug 2012TL;DR: Most contributors to this volume focus on pathological conditions as identified in human remains, and some of the bone changes seen in osteoarthritis that have routinely been used to reconstruct activity are also sometimes pathological.
Abstract: Human skeletal research aimed at reconstructing past activities has had a long and checkered history. In recent years, in fact, it has been embraced as a kind of “Holy Grail” by an entire subfield of human osteology. The quest, however, has proven more hazardous than most of us would have imagined. Many types of bone changes have been proposed as “markers” of activity, occupation, or mechanical stress. Three major research areas have been thought to show the most promise and, consequently, have been most actively pursued: osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal stress markers, and cross-sectional bone geometry.As might be expected, most contributors to this volume focus on pathological conditions as identified in human remains. As has been widely recognized, some of the bone changes seen in osteoarthritis that have routinely been used to reconstruct activity are also sometimes pathological. In addition, much of the complex physiolog-ical change that occurs at muscle attachment sites (entheses) also involves inherently pathological processes—a basic consideration that has not yet been generally acknowledged by bioarchaeologists. In recent years many paleopathologists have actively pursued this type of research under the broad rubric of what Jane Buikstra
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TL;DR: Osteoarthritis in prehistoric Amerindians and on what may be inferred from its prevalence about differences in the level and type of activities in these groups are focused on.
Abstract: Arthritic conditions are among the most commonplace diseases affecting humans, not only today, but in the past as well. Although arthritis means literally "inflammation of the joints," the term is used to encompass an array of conditions affecting the joints, many of which do not involve inflammation. Perhaps the most familiar of these conditions is osteoarthritis (OA) or degenerative joint disease (DJD), caused by what is sometimes described as "wear and tear" on the joints (82). Because of the role that activities play in the etiology of OA, it is often used as an indicator of activity levels in prehistoric societies, or of the prevalence of specific activities (e.g. spear-throwing). Here I focus on osteoarthritis in prehistoric Amerindians and on what may be inferred from its prevalence about differences in the level and type of activities in these groups. With respect to several other forms of arthritis
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TL;DR: In this paper, osteological data was used to evaluate theories about the rise of chiefdoms in southern California, and they examined skeletal evidence for changes in diet, disease and violence in Santa Barbara Channel area populations.
Abstract: In this paper we use osteological data to evaluate theories about the rise of chiefdoms in southern California. To do this, we examine skeletal evidence for changes in diet, disease and violence in Santa Barbara Channel area populations. These collections date from before and after the development of large, sedentary coastal villages and a political system that facilitated inter-village economic interaction. Our data show that the health consequences of the development of these chiefdoms are comparable to those seen with the development of complex agricultural societies. They also provide insights into the causes of social complexity in non-agricultural societies.
129 citations
References
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24 Sep 2013
TL;DR: The human skeleton in forensic medicine as discussed by the authors is an on-line book provided in this website and it can be used as a reference for any reader to read this book and get great information about forensic medicine.
Abstract: Read more and get great! That's what the book enPDFd the human skeleton in forensic medicine will give for every reader to read this book. This is an on-line book provided in this website. Even this book becomes a choice of someone to read, many in the world also loves it so much. As what we talk, when you read more every page of this the human skeleton in forensic medicine, what you will obtain is something great.
2,157 citations
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01 Jun 1986
TL;DR: Paleopathology at the Origins of Agriculture as mentioned in this paper is a seminal work in the field of bioarchaeology that examines how the transition from foraging to farming affected human health and nutrition.
Abstract: In 1982, the Conference on Paleopathology and Socioeconomic Change at the Origins of Agriculture was held in Plattsburgh, New York, to examine previously untested theories about how the adoption of agriculture had impacted human health. The collection of those conference proceedings transformed into this landmark book that set the standard for how to collect, analyse, and interpret osteological data in the study of health transitions. Using skeletal pathologies, the contributors examine how the transition from foraging to farming affected human health and nutrition. Now back in print and for the first time in paperback, Paleopathology at the Origins of Agriculture is a foundational piece in bioarchaeological literature and a central source of information regarding the impact of early farming on socioeconomic evolution. It remains a highly cited reference for archaeologists and physical anthropologists. Contributors present data from nineteen different regions before, during, and after agricultural transitions, analysing populations in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and South America while primarily focusing on North America. A wide range of health indicators are discussed, including mortality, episodic stress, physical trauma, degenerative bone conditions, isotopes, and dental pathology.
799 citations
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TL;DR: The knee joints of adult rabbits were subjected to daily one hour intervals of impulsive loading equivalent to their body weight at 60 cpm and developed changes in their knee joints consistent with those of degenerative joint disease.
616 citations