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HETEROCHRONY, ALLOMETRY, AND CANALIZATION IN THE HUMAN VERTEBRAL COLUMN: EXAMPLES FROM PREHISTORIC AMERINDIAN POPULATIONS (GROWTH, BONE, MORTALITY)
Abstract
This study analyzes the impact of biocultural change in vertebrae from Dickson Mounds. Dickson underwent a transition from hunting and gathering (PreMississippian) to greater reliance on maize (Middle Mississippian) between A.D. 950-1300. Previous research has found that with this transition health declined markedly. However, vertebrae have unique growth patterns which permit inference into health not possible using traditional paleopepidemiological techniques. Vertebral canals are mature by age five, while vertebral heights continue to grow past adolescence. Thus, depending on the duration of growth disruption, canals may be stunted without smaller heights. The brain and thymicolymphatic system also develop by age five, and small canals in the adult may be associated with morbidity and decreased life expectancy. Lumbar and thoracic vertebrae (n = 1,073), from 91 individuals (ages 15-55), as well as tibiae (n = 30), were analyzed for various aspects of their covariation within age, sex, and cultural groups. Results indicated that Mississippians, compared to PreMississippians, (combined sexes) had significantly decreased canal size, while their vertebral heights significantly increased. In PreMississippians, no difference in canal size was found between males and females. Males had larger heights. In Mississippians, females, compared to males, had significantly smaller canals and heights. Mississippian females, compared to PreMississippian females, had significantly smaller canals and heights. Mississippian males, compared to PreMississippian males, had smaller canals, but their heights increased. Small canal size was significantly associated with vertebral wedging. Wedging (anterior divided by posterior vertebral height) was used as a conservative measure of cancellous bone loss. Wedging cannot occur unless the cortical shell breaks down, and cancellous bone loss always precedes cortical loss. Harris lines, composed of cancellous bone, were significantly inversely correlated with wedging. This suggested that more cancellous bone in the tibiae was positively associated with more cancellous bone in the vertebral body. Lines were also consistently associated with larger tibial and vertebral morphometrics. Therefore, the use of adult Harris lines as indicators of morbidity must be reconsidered. Vertebral analysis offers important new insights into biocultural change at Dickson. Mississippian males apparently enjoyed better postnatal health compared to PreMississippian males. Females in the Mississippian declined in both prenatal and postnatal health. Clinical implications in modern populations are also discussed.
Subject Area
Physical anthropology
Recommended Citation
CLARK, GEORGE ARTHUR, "HETEROCHRONY, ALLOMETRY, AND CANALIZATION IN THE HUMAN VERTEBRAL COLUMN: EXAMPLES FROM PREHISTORIC AMERINDIAN POPULATIONS (GROWTH, BONE, MORTALITY)" (1985). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI8509532.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI8509532