A sub-continent of caries

Carter, Fawn; Irish, Joel D.

doi:10.26575/daj.v32i2.285

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…A recent study of caries in the African sub-continent through time found that hunter-gatherer groups had a caries prevalence similar to that of the South African fossil hominins analysed here. 59 This includes groups relevant to the present study because of geographic proximity, i.e. prehistoric and historic Khoesan peoples.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dental caries in South African fossil hominins

Towle¹,

Irish²,

Groote³

et al. 2021

S. Afr. J. Sci.

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Once considered rare in fossil hominins, caries has recently been reported in several hominin species, requiring a new assessment of this condition during human evolution. Caries prevalence and location on the teeth of South African fossil hominins were observed and compared with published data from other hominin samples. Teeth were viewed macroscopically, with lesion position and severity noted and described. For all South African fossil hominin specimens studied to date, a total of 10 carious teeth (14 lesions), including 4 described for the first time here, have been observed. These carious teeth were found in a minimum of seven individuals, including five Paranthropus robustus, one early Homo, and one Homo naledi. All 14 lesions affected posterior teeth. The results suggest cariogenic biofilms and foods may have been present in the oral environment of a wide variety of hominins. Caries prevalence in studied fossil hominins is similar to those in pre-agricultural human groups, in which 1–5% of teeth are typically affected.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dental caries in South African fossil hominins

Towle¹,

Irish²,

Groote³

et al. 2021

S. Afr. J. Sci.

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“…In principle, the same approach might also help to elucidate the evolutionary history of both commensal and pathogenic taxa within the human oral microbiome. Periodontitis and dental caries have likely afflicted humans since their origins [14][15][16][17]. They may now be amenable to population genetic analyses because a landmark publication by Adler et al in 2013 [18] demonstrated that dental calculus (calcified dental plaque) from the teeth of skeletons that were up to 7500 years old could contain relatively well preserved ancient bacterial DNA.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metagenomics of the modern and historical human oral microbiome with phylogenetic studies onStreptococcus mutansandStreptococcus sobrinus

Achtman

Zhou

2020

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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We have recently developed bioinformatic tools to accurately assign metagenomic sequence reads to microbial taxa: SPARSE for probabilistic, taxonomic classification of sequence reads; EToKi for assembling and polishing genomes from short-read sequences; and GrapeTree, a graphic visualizer of genetic distances between large numbers of genomes. Together, these methods support comparative analyses of genomes from ancient skeletons and modern humans. Here, we illustrate these capabilities with 784 samples from historical dental calculus, modern saliva and modern dental plaque. The analyses revealed 1591 microbial species within the oral microbiome. We anticipated that the oral complexes of Socransky et al ., which were defined in 1998, would predominate among taxa whose frequencies differed by source. However, although some species discriminated between sources, we could not confirm the existence of the complexes. The results also illustrate further functionality of our pipelines with two species that are associated with dental caries, Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus . They were rare in historical dental calculus but common in modern plaque, and even more common in saliva. Reconstructed draft genomes of these two species from metagenomic samples in which they were abundant were combined with modern public genomes to provide a detailed overview of their core genomic diversity. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Insights into health and disease from ancient biomolecules’.

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“…Given the above synergistic relationship, palaeodietary studies often macroscopically examine dental diseases and dental wear in tandem to explore past population socioeconomic dynamics and cultural interactions (Avery et al, 2019;Karapetian et al, 2021;Keenleyside, 2008;Zhang et al, 2016). There are studies, however, occasionally focusing on single dental diseases, mostly caries (e.g., Bertilsson et al, 2021;Burns, 1979;Carter and Irish, 2019;Da-Gloria et al, 2017;Liebe-Harkort, 2012;Mant and Roberts, 2015;Nagaoka and Abe, 2018;Whittaker et al, 1981). In addition, the last two decades have seen a growing trend towards combining dental disease macroscopic data with dietary stable isotope analysis (e.g., Beck et al, 2018;Bondioli et al, 2016;Fabra and González, 2019;Jílková et al, 2019;Lillie and Richards, 2000;Prowse, 2011;Prowse et al, 2008;Toso et al, 2019).…”

Section: The Synergistic Relationship Between Dental Diseases and Den...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet and differentiation in the Roman province of Macedonia: A bioarchaeological approach

Vergidou

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The Roman Macedonian society was highly diverse and heterogeneous, as attested by textual evidence showing several hierarchies at play and many factors contributing to their reproduction. Among them, food holds a central place through the ostentatious display surrounding the royal symposia, the elite banquets, or during public festivals. However, food inequalities have so far been studied through condensed approaches that perpetuate oversimplified interpretations of the differences between the elite and the 'common' people, the wealthy and the poor. Inequalities and diversity within any society are much more complex and should be examined from multiple perspectives. Unfortunately, information about the dietary habits of ancient Macedonians is limited due to the paucity of available textual sources, which are often fragmented and biased, either referring to the region sporadically or written with a focus on the urban elite. As a result, any dietary insights gleaned from these sources, particularly regarding the diet of the common people, must be approached with caution. Bioarchaeological studies across the Roman Empire have shown that human skeletal remains could fill this gap by providing direct information for the diet of the people 'without name', and by revealing aspects of the social history that cannot be approached through other data (e.g., textual or mortuary record). This approach has been rarely adopted in Roman Macedonia.This study used dietary data obtained through macroscopic (palaeodemographic and palaeopathological -both dental and skeletal) and stable isotope analysis (δ 13 C and δ 15 N values from bone collagen) to explore the influence of the micro-ecology on the dietary choices of the inhabitants of two distinct but contemporaneous communities of Roman Macedonia (1 st -4 th century CE). It also examined whether status, sex, and age differences existed to gain insights on the dietary preferences of certain groups. The main research question of this study is: To what extent can dietary variation within and between particular communities of the Province of Macedonia be related to differences in the local micro-ecology of the sub-regions in which they resided, and/or to inter-and intra-site status, sex, and/or age differences? 5.2.4.3 Considering diet in relation to other frequently observed skeletal lesions .

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A sub-continent of caries

Cited by 4 publications

References 11 publications

Dental caries in South African fossil hominins

Dental caries in South African fossil hominins

Metagenomics of the modern and historical human oral microbiome with phylogenetic studies onStreptococcus mutansandStreptococcus sobrinus

Diet and differentiation in the Roman province of Macedonia: A bioarchaeological approach

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