Physical anthropological approaches to aging

Abstract

The field of gerontology is remarkably diverse; yet there has been relatively little investigation of physical anthropological issues in aging research. This review explores gerontologic topics of actual andlor potential interest to physical anthropologists. The evolution of aging presents a theoretical dilemma in that postreproductively expressed traits may be outside the influence of natural selection. The physiological changes of aging comprise a diversified mosaic of physical deterioration as would be expected from an evolutionary model. Studies of prehistoric aging are limited to estimating lifespan, which may not be indicative of rate of aging. Considerable attention has been devoted to body composition and aging, and notable findings include a loss of lean tissue with age and relatively constant (though redistributing) fat mass. Osteoporosis is a major problem of aging in females, as is tooth loss in both sexes. The study of variation in rates of aging is only beginning, and a number of approaches to measuring biological age in adulthood are presented. Determining the associations of lifestyle, economic, and nutritional status with biological age may reveal sources of variation in rates of aging and may be of practical importance.Gerontology is one of the most interdisciplinary scientific fields. Problems of aging are relevant to all branches of medicine and physiology, as well as to anthropology, sociology, psychology, economics, and others. Examination of the journals of the Gerontological Society of America (Journal of Gerontology and The Gerontologist) reveals numerous perspectives from which gerontology is being approached. The diversity of approaches has both advantages and disadvantages, for there are few unifying themes or methods.Research in gerontology to date, as would be expected in a relatively new discipline, has focused largely on describing normal aging and on differentiating it from disease. Little attention has been given to comparative studies of biological aging between individuals and populations, and through time. It is possible that lifestyle, diet, or genetic characteristics, which retard or accelerate aging, would be revealed by such studies and thus have major public health implications. Physical anthropologists are well equipped for this type of investigation because they have been engaged in longitudinal and cross-sectional developmental research and have focused on interactions between biological and cultural influences in development.This review offers an overview of aging research in topics of relevance to physical anthropologists, whether conducted by physical anthropologists or not. More attention 0096-848W8212501-0181$06.00 0 1982 Alan R. Liss, Inc 182 YEARBOOK OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY [Val. 25, 1982 is devoted to aging in contemporary than in prehistoric human populations; this reflects both the orientation of the authors and the amount of scientific investigation of these topics to date. DEFINING TERMSIt is necessary to define aging. Aging is the sum of ...

Aging-related changes in the skulls of Japanese macaques (<i>Macaca fuscata</i>)

“…Senescence is defined by changes that occur primarily in the postreproductive period in humans (around 50 years of age or more; Fedigan and Pavelka, 2001), which overall reduce the functional capacities of the organism and tissues in the decades after menopause (Borkan et al, 1982;Bogin, 2001). Although nonhuman primates maintain their reproductive activity almost until their death (Pavelka and Fedigan, 1999), physical aging advances from young adulthood throughout adult life (Hamada and Yamamoto, 2010).…”

Sexual dimorphism using elliptical Fourier analysis: shape differences in the craniofacial complex

“…A recent study on metacarpals using the Spitafields collection at the Museum of Natural History, London, also displayed significant dimorphism (Sulzmann et al, 2008). The assessment of sexual dimorphism remains an essential aspect of many disciplines, such as: (1) forensics, where the concern with skeletal identification includes sexing (Snow, 1982;Iscan, 1988); (2) archeology, where sexing of skeletal materials is essential to see if differences in sexual dimorphism exist between modern humans and ancestral populations (Frayer, 1980); (3) primatology, where sex differences are diverse and complex in character, and whether humans reflect any residual elements of primate sexual dimorphism; (4) paleoanthropology, the identification of sex can be critical in making taxonomic and phylogenetic decisions, often rendered uncertain because of sampling and the fragmentary nature of fossil materials (Armelagos and van Gerven, 1980;Brace and Ryan, 1980); (5) growth and development, to characterize differences before and after puberty, and to see how sex differences affect body build and performance; (6) orthodontics, where sex differences during growth may potentially influence treatment practices; (7) gerontology, with the search for underlying mechanisms that may lead to sexual differences in bone loss with aging (Borkan et al, 1982;Crews, 1993); (8) nutrition, to establish whether dimorphic differences are affected by diet and malnutrition (Garn, 1975;Robson, 1975); (9) medicine, to see whether response to disease is, in some cases, sex influenced and whether sex differences have an effect on medical treatment modalities (Robinow, 1982); etc.…”

Do environmental disturbances of an individual's growth and development influence the later bone involution processes? A study of two mediaeval populations

“…Estimation of the degree of skeletal mineralization, depending on an individual's living conditions, diet and a type of body build, is a relatively new research aspect also in physical anthropology (Garn et al, 1967(Garn et al, , 1969Smith 1967;Newton-John & Morgan, 1970;Martin et al, 1980Martin et al, , 1985Borkan et al, 1982;Stini, 1990aStini, ,b, 1994Nelson et al, 1991;Prado et al, 1992;Stini et al, 1992;Crews, 1993Crews, , 1997.…”