Identifying general patterns of colonization and radiation in island faunas is often hindered by past human-caused extinctions. The insular Caribbean is one of the only complex oceanic-type island ...systems colonized by land mammals, but has witnessed the globally highest level of mammalian extinction during the Holocene. Using ancient DNA analysis, we reconstruct the evolutionary history of one of the Caribbean's now-extinct major mammal groups, the insular radiation of oryzomyine rice rats. Despite the significant problems of recovering DNA from prehistoric tropical archaeological material, it was possible to identify two discrete Late Miocene colonizations of the main Lesser Antillean island chain from mainland South America by oryzomyine lineages that were only distantly related. A high level of phylogenetic diversification was observed within oryzomyines across the Lesser Antilles, even between allopatric populations on the same island bank. The timing of oryzomyine colonization is closely similar to the age of several other Caribbean vertebrate taxa, suggesting that geomorphological conditions during the Late Miocene facilitated broadly simultaneous overwater waif dispersal of many South American lineages to the Lesser Antilles. These data provide an important baseline by which to further develop the Caribbean as a unique workshop for studying island evolution.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objectives
The objective of this study is to apply pubertal stage estimation methods to a sample from a rural community: the post‐medieval Dutch skeletal collection from Middenbeemster. Puberty is a ...key developmental period involving transition to physical adulthood with broad societal relevance through its impact on fertility, morbidity, and mortality.
Materials and methods
Individuals (n = 55), including 27 of known sex and age‐at‐death, between the ages of 8 and 25 years were assessed for six skeletal markers indicative of pubertal growth spurt. Recent novel osteoarchaeological methods from Shapland and Lewis are used to reconstruct the timing and duration of pubertal stages.
Results
Pubertal acceleration occurred earlier in females (10.38 years, n = 8) than males (13.30 years, n = 6), whereas maturation occurred later in males (21.36 years, n = 11) than females (19.30 years, n = 5). Onset appears earlier and completion later compared to other archaeological skeletal samples with osteoarchaeological evidence of puberty. Age shortly after menarche was reconstructed at 20.45 years, substantially later than historic records and bioarchaeological research reports suggest.
Conclusion
This early onset and late completion caused a “stretch” of the overall duration of puberty compared to other collections, especially of the last three stages. This prolonged development is reflected in historically known social expectations for the Netherlands, for example, that marriage and children should not occur before about 22–23 years of age. Increasing the range of past peoples with puberty stage reconstruction will permit more insightful interpretations of the biological and cultural patterns of this important life stage.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Sex estimation is an important part of creating a biological profile for skeletal remains in forensics. The commonly used methods for developing sex estimation equations are discriminant function ...analysis (DFA) and logistic regression (LogR). LogR equations provide a probability of the predicted sex, while DFA relies on cutoff points to segregate males and females, resulting in a rigid dichotomization of the sexes. This is problematic because sexual dimorphism exists along a continuum and there can be considerable overlap in trait expression between the sexes. In this study, we used humeral measurements to compare the performance of DFA and LogR and found them to be very similar under multiple conditions. The overall cross‐validated (leave‐one‐out) accuracy of DFA (75.76–95.14%) was slightly higher than LogR (75.76–93.82%) for simple and multiple variable equations, and also performed better under varying sample sizes (94.03% vs. 93.78%). Three of five DFA equations outperformed LogR under the B index, while all five LogR equations outperformed the DFA equations under the Q index. Both methods saw an improvement in overall accuracy (DFA: 86.74–95.79%; LogR: 86.74–95.76%) when individuals with a classification probability lower than 0.80 were excluded. Additionally, we propose a method for calculating additional cutoff points (PMarks) based on posterior probability values. In conclusion, we recommend using LogR over DFA due to the increased flexibility, robusticity, and benefits for future users of the statistical models; however, if DFA is preferred, use of the proposed PMarks facilitates future analysis while avoiding unnecessary dichotomization.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between urbanization and upper respiratory health in two early modern populations from the Netherlands. For this purpose, we analyzed the ...prevalence of chronic maxillary sinusitis in the adult urban population of Arnhem (n = 83) and in the rural village of Middenbeemster (n = 74). A slightly higher prevalence of chronic maxillary sinusitis was observed in the Arnhem sample (55.4%) compared with the Middenbeemster sample (51.3%), and these variations were not statistically significantly different. Although historical sources attest to the fact that life in the postmedieval settlements of Arnhem and Middenbeemster greatly differed, our results suggest that both environments exposed people to certain respiratory hazards. Furthermore, sinusitis prevalence was also investigated in correlation to sex, as urbanization in the Netherlands often involved women in factory work in direct contrast to the traditional domestic role they kept covering in rural environments. No significant differences were observed between males and females, both in an intersite (Arnhem males vs. Middenbeemster males; Arnhem females vs. Middenbeemster females) and in an intrasite (males vs. females at Arnhem; males vs. females at Middenbemster) comparison. As men and women in Arnhem worked on similar tasks, our results confirm that they were both exposed to similar risk factors. In Middenbeemster, where women mainly stayed inside taking care of the house while men worked the fields, the adverse weather conditions and continuous exposure to pollens and allergens may have enhanced men's chances of contracting chronic maxillary sinusitis. This study suggests that urbanization in the early modern Netherlands was in fact not inherently more detrimental than rural living. Future research incorporating a larger sample from other Dutch sites is being considered to better frame the complex etiology of sinusitis within the present understanding of historic regional variation in urbanization patterns.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Objectives
This study investigates vitamin D deficiency patterns in individuals from birth to the beginning of adolescence. Microscopic computed tomography (micro‐CT) evaluation of interglobular ...dentine (IGD) in teeth provides information on the age of disease onset and the number of deficient periods per individual, which will increase our understanding of factors influencing vitamin D deficiency prevalence, including sociocultural practices and latitude.
Materials and methods
Beemster and Hattem, two Dutch 17th–19th century communities, yielded relatively high prevalences of rickets (15–24%) and residual rickets (15–24%). From the affected individuals, a subsample of 20 teeth were selected for micro‐CT scanning. Thin sections were made of 17 teeth, consisting of 6 teeth with and 11 teeth without observable IGD on micro‐CT that were included for method comparison.
Results
About 19 out of 29 (65.5%) individuals (one tooth was deemed unobservable) presented with IGD on micro‐CT. Eight of the 11 (72.7%) individuals without IGD on micro‐CT demonstrated histologically visible IGD. In 40.7% (11/27) of the affected individuals (combined micro‐CT and histology results), vitamin D deficiency was recurrent, and in four individuals, some episodes occurred at approximately annual intervals suggesting vitamin D deficiency was seasonal. In three individuals, IGD occurred in the dentine formed around birth, suggesting maternal vitamin D deficiency.
Discussion
Micro‐CT analysis of IGD is found to be a valuable non‐destructive method that can improve our understanding of the influence of sociocultural practices and latitude on disease development within age and sex groups in past communities.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
In bioarchaeology, the universal concept of “kinship” can be explored through the study of archaeological remains and as such offers a way to connect modern‐day life to the life of past people. This ...study examines the social structure of post‐medieval Dutch communities and their level of genetic homogeneity and inter‐relatedness. The research aims were to identify probable genetic relatives within the Middenbeemster skeletal collection through developmental foot anomalies and to analyze the spatial structure of the Middenbeemster cemetery in the context of intracemetery kinship relations. Three hundred eighty individuals from four different skeletal collections were examined for the presence of fourteen non‐metric traits, selected on various criteria (e.g., heritability). The Middenbeemster trait frequencies were compared with those of a reference sample of the post‐medieval Dutch population (consisting of individuals from the Dutch post‐medieval collections of Arnhem, Eindhoven, and Zwolle). A hypothetical kinship group could be identified when the trait frequencies of the Middenbeemster sample were considerably higher than those in the reference sample. Other sources had only limited validation value in relation to the hypothesis. Visual examination and spatial statistics of the distribution of the hypothetical kinship group revealed a possible patrilineally structured cemetery, although this is based on a small sample. By putting the observed trait frequencies in a broader context, the data suggested a rather high inter‐relatedness of the Middenbeemster community. It also exposed the need for a better understanding of the used traits and perhaps a different approach to kinship analysis (due to necessarily large time investment in contrast to limited results). In conclusion, this study gave an insight into the social structure of post‐medieval Dutch communities. Future improvements to kinship analysis may not only be beneficial for bioarchaeology, but also for other fields such as forensic anthropology.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
This paper presents the results of strontium (Sr) isotope analysis of modern and archaeological animal remains and modern plant samples from the Caribbean region. The goal is to assess if patterns of ...human mobility can be determined from the archaeological record in an archipelagic setting. The range of variability and spatial distribution of biologically available strontium isotope signatures is reported and data evaluated to determine if sufficient heterogeneity exists to permit the identification of mobility despite the presence of potentially large contributions of marine strontium in island and coastal ecosystems. The (is)landscape is divided into several sub-regions based on the age and lithology of underlying geology and the variability of 87Sr/86Sr ratios is reported as; mean 87Sr/86Sr ± 2 standard deviations, number of samples: 1) Volcanic and Intrusive rocks (0.7077 ± 0.0019; n = 162); 2) Cretaceous–Miocene Limestone (0.7085 ± 0.0009; n = 50); 3) Pliocene–Quaternary Limestone (0.7091 ± 0.0004; n = 54); 4) Sedimentary Deposits (0.7094 ± 0.0015; n = 16); 5) Metamorphic Deposits (0.7104 ± 0.0014; n = 6). There are substantial differences between expected 87Sr/86Sr values based on associated geology and measured 87Sr/86Sr in flora and fauna samples. These differences emphasize the importance of focusing on bioavailable strontium, as opposed to geological proxies, for estimations of Sr isotope ranges, especially in archipelagic environments. While some overlap exists between the 87Sr/86Sr ranges of certain sub-regions, other sub-regions possessed limited variation and could be distinguished based on strontium isotope data. This spatial patterning of biologically available strontium indicates that strontium isotope analyses can be successfully applied to the archaeological study of human mobility within the Caribbean region.
► We report strontium (Sr) isotope results of plants and animals from the Caribbean. ► We evaluate these Sr isotope data relative to underlying geology. ► Large differences found between geological and biological Sr isotope ranges. ► Clear spatial patterning of bioavailable Sr isotopes relative to geology. ► Spatial variation of bioavailable Sr is promising for studies of ancient mobility.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
In the late medieval period, Holland experienced substantial socio‐economic change. While the region was largely undeveloped prior to 1200 CE, the period after was characterised by extensive ...urbanisation and flourishing international trade, changes that would have impacted many aspects of life. This paper investigates the effect of these changes on diet by comparing skeletal collections from the early/central medieval rural village of Blokhuizen (800–1200 CE) to the late medieval urban town of Alkmaar (1448–1572 CE) using a combination of the prevalence and location of carious lesions (nteeth = 3475) and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data (n = 50). Results show that the urban Alkmaar population had a significantly higher caries frequency (7.4% vs. 16.1%), starting at a younger age. Moreover, Alkmaar had significantly more approximal caries. These results point to increased consumption of cariogenic products, such as sugars and starches, by the urban citizens. Dietary differences are also demonstrated by the stable isotope data. Alkmaar individuals have significantly enriched δ15N ratios and more variable δ13C ratios compared with rural Blokhuizen. The elevated δ15N values may be due to increased consumption of fish or animals such as omnivorous pigs and chickens. The combination of caries and isotopic data points to clear changes in diet suggesting that urban individuals in the late medieval period had a substantially different diet compared with early rural inhabitants from the same area. Specifically, an increase in market dependence, availability of international trade products, and the growth of commercial fishing in the late medieval period may have contributed to this dietary shift. Future research should include a late medieval rural population to better understand the effects of late medieval socio‐economic developments outside of the urban environment. This study demonstrates that the integration of palaeopathology and stable isotopic research provides a more complete understanding of dietary changes in medieval Holland.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
To investigate the prevalence of respiratory disease in several populations from the Netherlands across different time periods and socioeconomic conditions.
We analyzed 695 adult individuals from six ...different Dutch contexts of urban and rural settlements dating to different time periods (i.e., early-medieval, late-medieval, post-medieval).
For each individual, the presence/absence of chronic maxillary sinusitis, otitis media, and inflammatory periosteal reaction on ribs was recorded macroscopically according to accepted methods.
Statistically significant associations were found in the presence of sinusitis diachronically (early-medieval to late-medieval period, and early-medieval to post-medieval period) both in rural and urban environments. Differences in prevalence rates of otitis media were found statistically significant when comparing rural to urban environments in the early-medieval and late-medieval periods.
Our results suggest that factors such as increased contacts between towns and countryside, higher population densities, and intensification of agricultural production impacted the respiratory health of past populations both in rural and urban settings.
Our study provides new insights into the impact of environmental changes and urbanization on respiratory disease prevalence, shedding light on the relationship between health and changing social and environmental contexts.
Research limitations included the complex etiology of respiratory diseases, and the impact of uncontrollable factors such as hidden heterogeneity, selective mortality, and rural-to-urban migration.
Further research in different contexts is advised in order to continue exploring urbanization and its impact on human health across both time and space.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Zooarchaeological analysis and isotopic niche space modelling of faunal remains excavated from the settlement of El Carril (ca. AD 1100–1500) in the northern Dominican Republic provides evidence that ...the site was situated along an important transportation corridor for the passage of animal commodities. This study qualitatively investigates faunal remains recovered from sample excavation units within the site and relates these findings to a previously conducted palaeobotanical study of the site. The zooarchaeological findings are compared to that of nearby El Flaco, a smaller settlement located 2.5 km to the east and for which zooarchaeological and palaeobotanical data is available. Isotopic niche space modelling was conducted on animal remains from both sites to relatively indicate different ecological zones that were targeted by Indigenous peoples, and to speculate whether native
Isolobodon portoricensis
hutias (Capromyinae) were arriving to El Carril from different regions. Our evidence of animal resources arriving from far-flung environments, and the isotopic niche space modelling all suggest that El Carril may been situated near an important transportation corridor for animal goods passing between the coastline, the Cordillera Septentrional, and the riverine environments of the Cibao Valley.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
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