Changes in Activities with the Shift to Agriculture in the Southeastern United States

Bridges, Patricia S.

doi:10.1086/203756

Cited by 209 publications

(227 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

210

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…In addition, some behaviors characteristic of Holocene populations, including nonmechanized agriculture, may involve relatively heavy loading of the upper limbs (e.g., ref. 39) and thus serve to maintain relatively higher trabecular density in those skeletal elements.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent origin of low trabecular bone density in modern humans

Chirchir

Kivell

Ruff

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

142

168

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Humans are unique, compared with our closest living relatives (chimpanzees) and early fossil hominins, in having an enlarged body size and lower limb joint surfaces in combination with a relatively gracile skeleton (i.e., lower bone mass for our body size). Some analyses have observed that in at least a few anatomical regions modern humans today appear to have relatively low trabecular density, but little is known about how that density varies throughout the human skeleton and across species or how and when the present trabecular patterns emerged over the course of human evolution. Here, we test the hypotheses that (i) recent modern humans have low trabecular density throughout the upper and lower limbs compared with other primate taxa and (ii) the reduction in trabecular density first occurred in early Homo erectus, consistent with the shift toward a modern human locomotor anatomy, or more recently in concert with diaphyseal gracilization in Holocene humans. We used peripheral quantitative CT and microtomography to measure trabecular bone of limb epiphyses (long bone articular ends) in modern humans and chimpanzees and in fossil hominins attributed to Australopithecus africanus, Paranthropus robustus/ early Homo from Swartkrans, Homo neanderthalensis, and early Homo sapiens. Results show that only recent modern humans have low trabecular density throughout the limb joints. Extinct hominins, including pre-Holocene Homo sapiens, retain the high levels seen in nonhuman primates. Thus, the low trabecular density of the recent modern human skeleton evolved late in our evolutionary history, potentially resulting from increased sedentism and reliance on technological and cultural innovations. trabecular bone | human evolution | gracilization | Homo sapiens | sedentism O bligate bipedalism-a defining feature of humans that distinguishes us from our closest living relatives, the African apes-has transformed the human skeleton. Among these unique features are long lower limbs with large joint surfaces. These large joint surfaces help distribute loads over a larger surface area and thus are better at resisting the high forces incurred during locomotion on two limbs instead of four (1-5). Early African Homo erectus at 1.8-1.5 Ma had enlarged lower limb joint surfaces (1, 3) and a larger stature (6) and body mass (7, 8) than many earlier hominins, and this pattern often is considered to reflect the emergence of a more modern human-like body plan (1, 3, 5, 6, 9; but also see ref. 7).Recent modern human (Holocene Homo sapiens) skeletons also appear to be gracile as compared with earlier hominins (10-14). Here, "gracilization" refers to the reduction in strength and bone mass relative to body mass inferred from osseous tissue and overall bone size and has been studied mainly using diaphyseal cortical bone cross-sections (10-16). Although the relationship between mechanical loading during life and bone strength is likely to be complex (17), there is much evidence that increased mechanical loading leads to increases in relative ...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent origin of low trabecular bone density in modern humans

Chirchir

Kivell

Ruff

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

142

168

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Although some early investigators suggested that diaphyseal shape reflects nutritional adequacy, with flatter diaphyses indicating poor nutrition (see reviews in Lovejoy et al, 1976;Bridges, 1989;Larsen, 1997: 222), poor nutrition appears to cause endosteal bone resorption with little effect on external size and shape (reviewed in Bridges, 1989). Therefore diaphyseal shape differences can be attributed to responses to mechanical loading (with the exception of obvious pathological alterations such as rickets).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ruff & Hayes, 1983a,b;Ruff, 1987Ruff, , 1992Ruff, , 2000aBridges, 1989Bridges, , 1991Bridges, , 1993Larsen, 1997;Bridges et al, 2000;Ledger et al, 2000;Ruff & Larsen, 2001;Stock & Pfeiffer, 2001, 2004Lazenby, 2002;Holt, 2003;Weiss, 2003;Marchi et al, 2006;Sládek et al, 2006;Wescott, 2006;Carlson et al, 2007;Wanner et al, 2007). It is difficult to relate interpopulation or sex differences to specific activities, particularly for the upper limb due to its multifunctional usage in humans (Bridges, 1989;Stirland, 1993;Ruff & Larsen, 2001;Weiss, 2003), so studies are concerned with general activity levels. Lower limb diaphyseal cross-sectional properties are assumed to relate primarily to mobility patterns (Stock & Pfeiffer, 2001;Wescott, 2006), but mechanical loading of the lower limb might also relate to other activities such as lifting heavy loads whilst standing still (Ruff & Larsen, 2001), treading mud and straw in adobe brick production, or using pedal-operated machinery.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual dimorphism in diaphyseal cross‐sectional shape in the medieval Muslim population of Écija, Spain, and Anglo‐Saxon Great Chesterford, UK

Pomeroy

Zakrzewski

2008

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Differences in adult male and female activity patterns may influence levels of sexual dimorphism in physical dimensions, including the cross-sectional shape of long bone diaphyses. Previous studies of archaeological populations have demonstrated significant differences in diaphyseal shape between males and females. In this study, dimorphism in external diaphyseal shape of upper and lower limb bones (reflected in indices of external diaphyseal diameters), and bilateral asymmetry in these indices, were examined in two medieval populations: Muslim É cija (Spain) and Anglo-Saxon Great Chesterford (UK). Attempts were made to relate observed patterns to documentary and other osteological evidence for differences in male and female activity patterns. While few significant differences in upper limb bone cross-sectional shape were observed in either population, significant differences in shape were found in the lower limb diaphyses at É cija at the femoral midshaft and tibial foramen and midshaft levels, and at the tibial midshaft for Great Chesterford. Comparison with published data suggests that these differences are marked for É cija, and perhaps fairly high for Great Chesterford compared with other populations with an agriculture-based economy. This is consistent with documentary and osteological evidence suggesting marked gender differences in behaviour in medieval Muslim Spain. No significant differences in bilateral asymmetry were found, but the effects of small sample size cannot be ruled out.

show abstract

“…Los antecedentes de otras regiones señalan similares patrones de estrés en miembros superiores e inferiores tanto para cazadores-recolectores como para agricultores (Bridges 1989(Bridges , 1991(Bridges , 1992. Sin embargo, en este contexto transicional, en el que poblaciones altamente móviles habrían incorporado cultígenos a la dieta y probablemente habrían tendido a reducir su movilidad en el marco de un proceso de intensificación en la explotación de los recursos, se esperaba encontrar cambios entésicos y degeneración articular indicativos de este cambio en los patrones de locomoción.…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

“…Asimismo la etiología multifactorial de los marcadores óseos implica que no todos son consecuencia de la realización de actividades rutinarias y/o intensivas (Jurmain et al 2012;Santos et al 2011;Weiss y Jurmain 2007). Entre las aplicaciones actuales en arqueología se han llevado a cabo estos estudios desde perspectivas poblacionales para discutir y definir patrones de actividad asociados con la organización del trabajo y el tipo de subsistencia (Bridges 1989(Bridges , 1992(Bridges , 1994Cope et al 2005;Henderson et al 2013a;2013b;Quevedo 2000;Villotte et al 2010b;Wilczak 1998). Distintos trabajos han interpretado estos marcadores óseos como informativos sobre la movilidad, principalmente entre grupos cazadores-recolectores (Quevedo 2000;Salega y Fabra 2013;Scabuzzo 2012;Al-Oumaoui et al 2004).…”

Section: Marcadores óSeos De Actividad Y Movilidadunclassified

Cambios y continuidades en la movilidad humana a finales del holoceno tardío: cambios entésicos, lesiones articulares e isótopos estables en el sur de Mendoza

Peralta

2017

Rev. Mus. Antrop.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

RMA Cambios y continuidades en la movilidad humana a finales del holoceno tardío: cambios entésicos, lesiones articulares e isótopos estables en el sur de Mendoza O, es necesario ajustar estos patrones con otros indicadores que puedan observarse a nivel del individuo. En el presente trabajo se articulan estos datos isotópicos con información derivada del análisis de lesiones degenerativas articulares y cambios entésicos que permitan discutir las estrategias de subsistencia y movilidad que implementaron las poblaciones que habitaron la región a finales del Holoceno tardío. Se analizaron muestras osteológicas humanas de diez sitios arqueológicos de la cuenca del Atuel (n=25). Se comparó un entierro múltiple mezclado con entierros aislados e individualizados, que presentan cronologías posteriores a los 2000 años AP. Los patrones de actividad identificados indican grupos que mantienen una alta movilidad para momentos posteriores a la introducción de los cultígenos en el área. Partiendo de un modelo dicotómico ideal (cazadores-recolectores móviles/agricultores sedentarios) pueden entenderse estas tendencias como el resultado de estrategias que combinan a través del tiempo y del espacio, lo productivo y lo extractivo.Palabras clave: Movilidad; estrategias humanas; frontera agrícola; estrés; δ 18O. Abstract Variability in human mobility is one of the most important topics in the study of past societies. In southern Mendoza province, researches deal with this issue in the context of large scale process, such as introduction of food production and intensification in the exploitation of resources (ca. 2000 yr BP). Although mobility can be understood through

show abstract

Changes in Activities with the Shift to Agriculture in the Southeastern United States

Cited by 209 publications

References 0 publications

Recent origin of low trabecular bone density in modern humans

Recent origin of low trabecular bone density in modern humans

Sexual dimorphism in diaphyseal cross‐sectional shape in the medieval Muslim population of Écija, Spain, and Anglo‐Saxon Great Chesterford, UK

Cambios y continuidades en la movilidad humana a finales del holoceno tardío: cambios entésicos, lesiones articulares e isótopos estables en el sur de Mendoza

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About