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Lorentz KO, Lemmers SAM, Chrysostomou C, Dirks W, Zaruri RM, Foruzanfar F, Sajjadi SMS. First permanent molars with accentuated line patterns: Assessment of childhood health in an urban complex of the fifth millennium before the present. Arch Oral Biol 2020; 123:104969. [PMID: 33450640 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2020.104969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The objectives are 1) to calculate the position of highly accentuated lines in dental enamel of a group of individuals from Shahr-i-Sokhta, a thriving urban centre in Bronze Age South West Asia; 2) to identify peak frequencies of physiologically stressful periods during early childhood of these individuals; and 3) to relate these peak frequencies to developmental milestones at population level. DESIGN We analysed highly accentuated lines in the enamel of nine (n = 9) permanent mandibular first molars of nine individuals from the 5th millennium before the present urban and long-distance-trading complex, Shahr-i Sokhta (Iran). Age at death ranged between 4.5 years and 18-20 years. Permanent mandibular first molar enamel begins to mineralise before birth, and is normally completed sometime between 2.1-3.3 years, giving us insight to early childhood physiological stress, the ages at which it occurs, and any peaks in the frequencies in highly accentuated line formation, through histological sections investigated using transmitted light microscopy. RESULTS Highly accentuated line peak frequencies occur in the sample at c. four, nine, eleven, and twelve months. After 1 year of age, no more peaks occur. CONCLUSION The peak frequencies coincide with the timing timing of the type of developmental milestones which may have exposed the individuals to an increased pathogen load, injury, or sub-optimal diet. We note similarity in peak timings in the few published, disparate populations, suggest a potential link with attainment of developmental milestones connected with morbidity, and propose reporting standardised statistics to enable exploration of differences between populations in terms of postnatal health-related stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsi O Lorentz
- Science and Technology in Archaeology Research Center (STARC), The Cyprus Institute, Cyprus.
| | - Simone A M Lemmers
- Science and Technology in Archaeology Research Center (STARC), The Cyprus Institute, Cyprus
| | - Charalambos Chrysostomou
- Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center (CaSToRC), The Cyprus Institute, Cyprus
| | - Wendy Dirks
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, United Kingdom
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Orellana-González E, Sparacello VS, Bocaege E, Varalli A, Moggi-Cecchi J, Dori I. Insights on patterns of developmental disturbances from the analysis of linear enamel hypoplasia in a Neolithic sample from Liguria (northwestern Italy). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2020; 28:123-136. [PMID: 31901428 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2019.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess developmental disturbances through the analysis of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) frequency and to infer environmental stress and life history within Neolithic communities from Liguria (Italy). MATERIALS 43 unworn/minimally worn permanent anterior teeth of 13 individuals recovered from nearby caves and dated to c. 4800-4400 cal. BCE. METHODS LEH defects were identified with high-resolution macrophotos of dental replicas, age at LEH was calculated via perikymata counts. LEH defects matched between two or more teeth were considered as systemic disturbances. LEH frequency by age classes was analyzed via GLZ and Friedman ANOVA. RESULTS Number of matched defects per individual range between 2-12. The mean LEH per individual was highest in the 2.5-2.99 age category, with a significant increase relative to earlier growth stages, followed by a decline. CONCLUSION LEH may reflect life-history in the local ecology of Neolithic Liguria, where several individuals with osteoarticular tuberculosis have been recorded. Disease burden may have triggered developmental disturbances around the time of weaning. Age at first defect was negatively correlated with age at death and positively with the total number of defects, suggesting that early stress may have affected survivorship. SIGNIFICANCE The study contributes to the reconstruction of ecological pressures among Neolithic people of Liguria, and informs on environmental challenges during the Neolithic adaptive expansion. LIMITATIONS The visual examination of macrophotos is prone to observer error; mid-crown tends to display more visible LEH due to tooth architecture. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Apply different quantitative methods to examine severity and duration of disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Emmy Bocaege
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Alessandra Varalli
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33615 Pessac, France; Department of Archaeology, Durham University, UK
| | - Jacopo Moggi-Cecchi
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Anthropology, University of Florence, via del Proconsolo 12, 50122 Florence, Italy
| | - Irene Dori
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33615 Pessac, France; Department of Biology, Laboratory of Anthropology, University of Florence, via del Proconsolo 12, 50122 Florence, Italy; Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Verona, Rovigo e Vicenza, Piazza S. Fermo 3, 37121 Verona, Italy.
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Gamble JA, Boldsen JL, Hoppa RD. Stressing out in medieval Denmark: An investigation of dental enamel defects and age at death in two medieval Danish cemeteries. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2017; 17:52-66. [PMID: 28521912 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2015] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The influence of early life stress on later life experiences has become a major focus of research in medicine and more recently in bioarchaeology. Dental enamel, which preserves a record of childhood stress events, represents an important resource for this investigation when paired with the information from adult skeletal remains, such as age at death. The purpose of this research was to use a life history approach to the exploration of sex differences in the relationship between childhood stress and adult longevity by examining accentuated striae of Retzius (AS). A medieval Danish sample (n=70) drawn from the rural cemetery of Sejet and the urban cemetery of Ole Wormsgade was considered for AS and age at death. The results suggest sex differences in survivorship, with more stress being associated with reduced survivorship in males and increased survivorship in females. A consideration of AS formation time also suggests a difference in the impact of developmental timing between males and females. These results are interpreted in terms of differential frailty and selective mortality, drawing in both biomedical and cultural perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia A Gamble
- University of Manitoba, Department of Anthropology, 15 Chancellor Circle, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Canada.
| | - Jesper L Boldsen
- University of Southern Denmark, Institute of Forensic Medicine - ADBOU, Lucernemarken 20, DK-5260, Odense S, Denmark.
| | - Robert D Hoppa
- University of Manitoba, Department of Anthropology, 15 Chancellor Circle, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Canada.
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Sandberg PA, Sponheimer M, Lee-Thorp J, Van Gerven D. Intra-tooth stable isotope analysis of dentine: A step toward addressing selective mortality in the reconstruction of life history in the archaeological record. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2014; 155:281-93. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul A. Sandberg
- Department of Anthropology; University of Colorado at Boulder; Boulder CO 80309
| | - Matt Sponheimer
- Department of Anthropology; University of Colorado at Boulder; Boulder CO 80309
| | - Julia Lee-Thorp
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art; University of Oxford; Oxford OX1 2JD UK
| | - Dennis Van Gerven
- Department of Anthropology; University of Colorado at Boulder; Boulder CO 80309
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Cucina A, Cantillo CP, Sosa TS, Tiesler V. Carious lesions and maize consumption among the Prehispanic Maya: An analysis of a coastal community in northern Yucatan. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2011; 145:560-7. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2010] [Accepted: 03/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Dental health and lifestyle in four early mediaeval juvenile populations: comparisons between urban and rural individuals, and between coastal and inland settlements. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2010; 61:421-39. [PMID: 20971466 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2010.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2009] [Accepted: 06/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Dental stress markers such as enamel hypoplasia and caries are suitable indicators of population health and lifestyle, although they must be recorded and interpreted carefully. To date, they have been predominantly studied in adult samples, whereas juvenile remains are also affected by these lesions. In this study, dental enamel hypoplasia and caries were both evaluated on 613 non-adult individuals from four early mediaeval Moravian and Frankish skeletal series, who had experienced contrasting environments and lifestyles. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between these biological traits and living conditions, and how this is manifested in the juvenile dental remains. Significant differences between populations were found in stress markers, dental lesions and the way these were manifested. Exposure to stressful conditions varies between urban and rural populations and is related to age groups. Although the children under investigation seem to have had different diets, it is difficult to distinguish the biological contribution (different enamel susceptibility) from the lifestyle contribution (different food, environment) in the formation of caries. Moreover, such studies must be interpreted carefully due to the possibility of intra- and inter-observer errors and the subjectivity of the scoring techniques. Nevertheless, this study also demonstrates that results of an investigation of juvenile skeletal remains can be as informative as a study of adults and that juvenile skeletons can be included in large bioarchaeological population studies.
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Méndez Collí C, Sierra Sosa T, Tiesler V, Cucina A. Linear enamel hypoplasia at Xcambó, Yucatán, during the Maya Classic period: An evaluation of coastal marshland impact on ancient human populations. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2009; 60:343-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2009.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2008] [Accepted: 04/30/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Hoover KC, Matsumura H. Temporal variation and interaction between nutritional and developmental instability in prehistoric Japanese populations. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2008; 137:469-78. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Griffin RC, Donlon D. Patterns in dental enamel hypoplasia by sex and age at death in two archaeological populations. Arch Oral Biol 2008; 54 Suppl 1:S93-100. [PMID: 18990363 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2008.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2008] [Revised: 09/05/2008] [Accepted: 09/24/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Levels of enamel hypoplasia in past populations are frequently used to study health. However, few studies have looked at patterning in the occurrence of different types of hypoplasia. In this pilot study, skeletal remains from an Iron Age tomb at Pella in Jordan were analysed for the presence of linear and pit enamel hypoplasia, to investigate enamel hypoplasia aetiology by comparison of the results obtained for adults and juveniles, and females and males. METHODS AND RESULTS The proportion of individuals with enamel hypoplasia was determined for males and females and for adults and juveniles using the F.D.I. Developmental Defects of Enamel (DDE) Index. Although males and females had a similar percentage of individuals affected, females had a higher prevalence of enamel hypoplasia per tooth than males. Adults had a higher prevalence of enamel hypoplasia than juveniles. In particular, adults had a higher prevalence of linear enamel hypoplasias and pit enamel hypoplasia arrays, but a similar prevalence of single pit enamel hypoplasia when both the permanent and deciduous dentitions were considered. These differences were largely due to different patterns and frequencies of enamel hypoplasia in deciduous teeth compared to permanent teeth. CONCLUSIONS The different patterns of occurrence of the various forms of hypoplasia observed in this study imply that single pits may have a different aetiology to linear enamel hypoplasias and pit arrays. By investigating similar patterns in other archaeological populations, we may develop a better understanding of the specific causes of particular types of enamel hypoplasia, and may be able to more meaningfully interpret enamel hypoplasia data from past populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Griffin
- School of Dental Sciences, Edwards Building, University of Liverpool, Daulby Street, Liverpool L69 3GN, UK.
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Neiman FD. Conspicuous Consumption as Wasteful Advertising: a Darwinian Perspective on Spatial Patterns in Classic Maya Terminal Monument Dates. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1525/ap3a.1997.7.1.267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Ritzman TB, Baker BJ, Schwartz GT. A fine line: A comparison of methods for estimating ages of linear enamel hypoplasia formation. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2008; 135:348-61. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Griffin RC, Donlon D. Dental enamel hypoplasias and health changes in the Middle Bronze Age – Early Iron Age transition at Pella in Jordan. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2007; 58:211-20. [PMID: 17582411 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2006.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2006] [Accepted: 08/14/2006] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Dental enamel hypoplasias are increasingly being used in epidemiological studies as indicators of health within both modern and prehistoric populations. This symptom of growth disruption is used here to examine possible changes in health occurring at the transition between the Bronze Age and Iron Age in Jordan, through examination of enamel hypoplasias in skeletal remains from two tombs at the archaeological site of Pella. A small but not statistically significant difference in the prevalence and frequency of hypoplastic defects was found between the two time periods. These results suggest that the political and economic changes occurring at this time were not sufficiently stressful to cause a dramatic deterioration in health at the onset of the Early Iron Age.
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Griffin
- Department of Archaeology, Laver Building, North Park Road, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QE, UK.
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White C, Maxwell J, Dolphin A, Williams J, Longstaffe F. Pathoecology and paleodiet in Postclassic: Historic Maya from northern coastal Belize. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2006; 101 Suppl 2:35-42. [PMID: 17308807 DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762006001000007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2006] [Accepted: 10/16/2006] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper examines the synergism among diet, disease, and ecology at two related coastal Maya sites in Belize (Marco Gonzalez and San Pedro) for the Postclassic and Historic periods (1350-1650 AD), which immediately follow the Classic period collapse. Stable carbon- and nitrogen-isotope ratios in collagen and stable carbon-isotope ratios in structural carbonate were analysed for bones from 65 humans and a wide variety of faunal species. There are no apparent differences in whole diets or degree of carnivory between individuals with lesions indicative of anemia and those without, but those with lesions appear to have consumed significantly more C4 foods and protein from lower trophic levels. Non-specific infection (periostitis) and vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) are also present in high frequencies and appear to co-occur with lesions indicative of anemia, particularly in childhood. Individuals with scurvy also appear to have consumed significantly more C4 foods than normal individuals. Spondyloarthropathy is common in adults. These findings are discussed in light of: (1) the debate on how anemia versus scurvy are manifest and diagnosed, (2) Spanish ethnohistoric descriptions of the poor state of Maya health at the time of contact, and (3) the Osteological Paradox. We suggest that although this coastal environment exacerbated morbidity because of possible parasitic infection, the inhabitants were probably able to survive physiological stresses better than either their inland contemporaries or their modern counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine White
- Department of Anthropology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada.
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King T, Humphrey LT, Hillson S. Linear enamel hypoplasias as indicators of systemic physiological stress: evidence from two known age-at-death and sex populations from postmedieval London. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2005; 128:547-59. [PMID: 15861429 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Enamel hypoplasias are useful indicators of systemic growth disturbances during childhood, and are routinely used to investigate patterns of morbidity and mortality in past populations. This study examined the pattern of linear enamel hypoplasias in two different burial populations from 18th and 19th Century church crypts in London. Linear enamel hypoplasias on the permanent dentitions of individuals from the crypt of Christ Church, Spitalfields, were compared to enamel defects on the teeth of individuals from St. Bride's. The method used involves the identification of enamel defects at a microscopic level, and systemic perturbations are detected by matching hypoplasias among different tooth classes within each individual. The pattern of linear enamel hypoplasias was contrasted between individuals from the burial sites of Spitalfields and St. Bride's, between males and females, and between those aged less than 20 years of age and those aged over 20 years at death. Six different parameters were examined: frequency of linear enamel hypoplasias, interval between defects, duration of hypoplasias, age at first occurrence of hypoplasia, age at last occurrence of hypoplasia, and the percentage of enamel formation time taken up by growth disturbances. All individuals in the study displayed linear enamel hypoplasias, with up to 33% of total visible enamel formation time affected by growth disruptions. Multiple regression analysis indicated a number of significant differences in the pattern of enamel hypoplasias. Individuals from Spitalfields had shorter intervals between defects and greater percentages of enamel formation time affected by growth disturbances than did individuals from St. Bride's. Females had greater numbers of linear enamel hypoplasias, shorter intervals between defects, and greater percentages of enamel formation time affected by growth disturbances than males. There were also differences in the pattern of enamel hypoplasias and age at death in this study. Individuals who died younger in life had an earlier age at first occurrence of enamel hypoplasia than those who survived to an older age. The pattern of enamel hypoplasias detected in this study was influenced by tooth crown geometry and tooth wear such that most defects were found in the midcrown and cervical regions of the teeth, and greater numbers of defects were identified on the anterior teeth. Differences in sensitivity of the parameters used for the detection of enamel hypoplasias were found in this study. The percentage of visible enamel formation time affected by growth disturbances was the parameter that identified the greatest number of significant differences among the subgroups examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- T King
- Human Origins Group, Department of Palaeontology, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK.
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Santos RV, Coimbra CE. Hardships of contact: enamel hypoplasias in Tupí-Mondé Amerindians from the Brazilian Amazonia. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 1999; 109:111-27. [PMID: 10342468 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-8644(199905)109:1<111::aid-ajpa9>3.0.co;2-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents an assessment of enamel defects (hypoplasias) in the permanent anterior teeth of three Tupí-Mondé-speaking groups from the Brazilian Amazonia: the Gavião, Suruí, and Zoró. These are native societies that experienced the onset of permanent contact with Brazilian national society in different periods of the 20th century. Tupí-Mondé dentition is highly hypoplastic, which is possibly related to exposure to adverse health and nutritional conditions. Data for the Gavião, Suruí, and Zoró are in agreement with results from other populations that show that certain teeth, the maxillary central incisors and the mandibular canines in particular, tend to be more hypoplastic. Although all types of teeth show hypoplasia concentrations at some enamel zones, there is substantial intertooth variation in the age at which peaks occur. It is argued that hypoplasia concentrations at certain ages are unlikely to be related to postweaning stresses for the Tupí-Mondé. Statistically significant associations between presence of enamel defects and deficits in physical growth (height-for-age) were detected in children 7-11 years of age. Diachronic assessment of enamel defects, which rested upon the potential of enamel as "memory" of past periods of systemic physiological perturbation, allowed us to unravel aspects related to the dynamics of Tupí-Mondé life during the 20th century. Frequencies of enamel zones with defects peaked during the contact years of each of the Tupí-Mondé groups, attesting to the extreme social and biological hardships that characterized the contact experiences of these native societies with Brazilian national society.
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Affiliation(s)
- R V Santos
- Departamento de Endemias, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro RJ, Brazil.
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