Objectives: To study female pelves from Neolithic area (5000 years AD) in order to better understand the evolution of obstetrical mecanisms.
Materials And Methods: The fossil material comprised 73 Homo sapiens pelves: we reconstructed all the 20 adult female bony pelves. We realised the shape and morphometric analysis of the pelvic cavity. Changes in pelvic neolithic morphology were compared with pelvic modern morphology.
Results: The pelves of prehistoric female were similar in shape with modern female. However, they differ in relative dimensions (transversal diameter of the pelvis inlet: respectively 118 mm vs 125 mm, p=0.02).
Discussion And Conclusion: Reconstructions based on Neolithic hominin fossils suggest that obstetrical mechanisms were probably common to Neolithic and modern humans: childbirth would probably require social adaptations and risks of perinatal and obstetric complications were undoubtedly high. However, the differences in morphometric analysis could suggest a change of human pelvis and raise the question of the evolution in obstetrical mechanisms in the future.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gyobfe.2011.07.028 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Pan-European atmospheric lead pollution, enhanced blood lead levels, and cognitive decline from Roman-era mining and smelting.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 4PG, United Kingdom.
Ancient texts and archaeological evidence indicate substantial lead exposure during antiquity that potentially impacted human health. Although lead exposure routes were many and included the use of glazed tablewares, paints, cosmetics, and even intentional ingestion, the most significant for the nonelite, rural majority of the population may have been through background air pollution from mining and smelting of silver and lead ores that underpinned the Roman economy. Here, we determined potential health effects of this air pollution using Arctic ice core measurements of Roman-era lead pollution, atmospheric modeling, and modern epidemiology-based relationships between air concentrations, blood lead levels (BLLs), and cognitive decline.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIdentification of 10,000-year-old rice beer at Shangshan in the Lower Yangzi River valley of China.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
December 2024
Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
The origins of rice domestication and the beginnings of alcoholic fermentation in China are intriguing research topics, with the Shangshan culture in the Lower Yangzi River region being a focal point of archaeological investigations. This study employs a multiproxy approach (phytolith, starch, and fungi) to analyze microfossil remains associated with pottery vessels from the earliest phase of the Shangshan site (ca. 10,000 to 9,000 cal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFirst evidence of early neolithic archery from Cueva de los Murciélagos (Albuñol, Granada) revealed through combined chemical and morphological analysis.
Sci Rep
December 2024
Departament de Prehistòria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
The extraordinary preservation of Cueva de Los Murciélagos (Albuñol, Spain) provides a unique opportunity to identify the materials and the techniques involved in archery during the Early Neolithic period. Arrows with preserved feathers, tied fibres, adhesive substance, and two probable bowstrings have been studied trough an unprecedented multi-proxy investigation, including microscopy and biomolecular methods, to unravel archery techniques. The study has identified the oldest known sinew bowstrings, the first evidence for the use of olive tree (Olea europaea) and reed (Phragmites sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBifid rib in bioarchaeological material on the example of new cases from Poland with literature review and proposal of classification.
Sci Rep
December 2024
Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Banacha Str. 12/16, Łódź, 90-237, Poland.
Article Synopsis
- - The study examines the rare skeletal anomaly known as bifid rib, which appears in less than 1.5% of the population and faces challenges in identification due to postmortem damage and similarity to other conditions.
- - It presents five cases of rib bifurcation from four individuals across different populations in the Kujawy region of Poland, analyzed through morphological and paleoradiological methods.
- - The research also critiques existing evidence linking bifurcated ribs to naevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome and proposes a new way to classify this anomaly in osteological studies.
The dynamics of Bovini exploitation strategies on the Central Plains of China from the Middle Neolithic to the Bronze Age.
Sci Rep
November 2024
School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China.
Article Synopsis
- Bos and Bubalus, important bovine resources, were exploited in Neolithic and Bronze Age China, but distinguishing between them has been challenging due to similar physical traits.
- This research uniquely combines Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry and isotope analysis to identify these species at ancient sites and discuss their diets.
- The findings reveal that exploitation strategies for these animals were dynamic, with shifts from wild aurochs and water buffaloes to cattle, and highlight the importance of these animals in ritual practices and human-animal relationships over time.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!