928 research outputs found
How does diet influence our lives? Evaluating the relationship between isotopic signatures and mortality patterns in italian roman imperial and medieval periods
The present research investigates the relationship between dietary habits and mortality patterns in the Roman Imperial and Medieval periods. The reconstructions of population dynamics and subsistence strategies provide a fascinating source of information for understanding our history. This is particularly true given that the changes in social, economic, political, and religious aspects related to the transition from the Roman period to the Middle Ages have been widely discussed. We analyzed the isotopic and mortality patterns of 616 individuals from 18 archeological sites (the Medieval Latium sites of Colonna, Santa Severa, Allumiere, Cencelle, and 14 Medieval and Imperial funerary contexts from Rome) to compile a survivorship analysis. A semi-parametric approach was applied, suggesting variations in mortality patterns between sexes in the Roman period. Nitrogen isotopic signatures influenced mortality in both periods, showing a quadratic and a linear effect for Roman Imperial and Medieval populations, respectively. No influence of carbon isotopic signatures has been detected for Roman Imperial populations. Conversely, increased mortality risk for rising carbon isotopic values was observed in Medieval samples
Evolution of human IgH3 ' EC duplicated structures: both enhancers HS1,2 are polymorphic with variation of transcription factor's consensus sites
The enhancer complex regulatory region at the 3' of the immunoglobulin heavy cluster (IgH3'EC) is duplicated in apes along with four constant genes and the region is highly conserved throughout humans. Both human IgH3'ECs consist of three loci high sensitive (HS) to DNAse I with enhancer activity. It is thus possible that the presence of structural divergences between the two IgH3'ECs and of relative polymorphisms correspond to functional regulatory changes. To analyse the polymorphisms of these almost identical regions, it resulted mandatory to identify the presence of divergent sequences, in order to select distinctive primers for specific PCR genomic amplifications. To this aim, we first compared the two entire IgH3'ECs in silicio, utilising the updated GenBank (GB) contigs, then we analysed the two IgH3'ECs by cloning and sequencing amplicons from independent genomes. In silicio analysis showed that several inversions, deletions and short insertions had occurred after the duplication. We analysed in detail, by sequencing specific regions, the polymorphisms occurring in enhancer HS1,2-A (which lies in IgH3'EC-1, 3' to the C alpha-1 gene) and in enhancer HS1,2-B (which lies in IgH3'EC-2, 3' to C alpha-2). Polymorphisms are due to the repetition (occurring one to four times) of a 38-bp sequence present at the 3' of the core of enhancers HS1,2. The structure of both human HS1,2 enhancers has revealed not yet described polymorphic features due to the presence of variable spacer elements separating the 38-bp repetitions and to variable external elements bordering the repetition cluster. We found that one of the external elements gave rise to a divergent allele 3 in the two clusters. The frequency of the different alleles of the two loci varies in the Italian population and allele 3 of both loci are very rare. The analysis of the Callicebus moloch, Gorilla gorilla and Pan troglodytes HS1,2 enhancers showed the transformation from the ancestral structure with the 31- to the 17-by external element in hominids. The relevance of the polymorphisms in the HS1,2 enhancers is due to the variable number of binding sites for the transcription factors: NF-kappa B, CMYB, BSAP1/2, AP1/4, E47, MyoD and mu E5 and thus to the possible influence of these variations on switch, production of Ig and on maturation of B cells. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Pathological and normal variability of foot bones in osteological collections from Catalonia (Spain) and Lazio (Italy)
A wide number of factors can affect the structure of the bones in the foot. In bioarchaeology, few studies about foot anomalies include population comparisons and
changes across time. We aimed to identify normal and pathological variability that
affected the foot in the recent history of West Mediterranean populations. Thus, we
analyzed change in occurrence of rare variants, pathological lesions, entheseal morphology, and their probable causes. We studied 518 pairs of skeletonized feet dated
from the 2nd–20th centuries CE, from Catalonia (Spain) and the region of Lazio
(Italy). Moreover, a Neolithic series from Oman has been analyzed for contrast. We
found that calcaneal spur, hypertrophic peroneal trochlea of calcaneus, periosteal
reaction of talar neck, alteration of articular surface to lateral cuneiform, displaced
talar neck to medial plane, osteophytes in cuneiform-navicular joint, fused phalanges,
and forefoot eburnation showed significant differences among countries. Contrasting
by countries and dates, we noticed an increase in the frequencies of these variables
from Spain over the centuries. Conversely, there are no temporal differences among
the Italian series. The period encompassing the 10th–19th centuries CE demonstrated the highest differences between countries. Lifestyle, occupations, footwear,
and geography could be the origin of variability
First glimpse into the genomic characterization of people from the imperial Roman community of Casal Bertone (Rome, first–third centuries AD)
This paper aims to provide a first glimpse into the genomic characterization of individuals buried in Casal Bertone (Rome, first-third centuries AD) to gain preliminary insight into the genetic makeup of people who lived near a tannery workshop, fullonica. Therefore, we explored the genetic characteristics of individuals who were putatively recruited as fuller workers outside the Roman population. Moreover, we identified the microbial communities associated with humans to detect microbes associated with the unhealthy environment supposed for such a workshop. We examined five individuals from Casal Bertone for ancient DNA analysis through whole-genome sequencing via a shotgun approach. We conducted multiple investigations to unveil the genetic components featured in the samples studied and their associated microbial communities. We generated reliable whole-genome data for three samples surviving the quality controls. The individuals were descendants of people from North African and the Near East, two of the main foci for tannery and dyeing activity in the past. Our evaluation of the microbes associated with the skeletal samples showed microbes growing in soils with waste products used in the tannery process, indicating that people lived, died, and were buried around places where they worked. In that perspective, the results represent the first genomic characterization of fullers from the past. This analysis broadens our knowledge about the presence of multiple ancestries in Imperial Rome, marking a starting point for future data integration as part of interdisciplinary research on human mobility and the bio-cultural characteristics of people employed in dedicated workshops
Uniparental lineages from the oldest indigenous population of Ecuador: the Tsachilas
Together with Cayapas, the Tsachilas constitute the oldest population in the country of
Ecuador and, according to some historians, they are the last descendants of the ancient Yumbos.
Several anthropological issues underlie the interest towards this peculiar population: the uncertainty
of their origin, their belonging to the Barbacoan linguistic family, which is still at the center
of an intense linguistic debate, and the relations of their Yumbo ancestors with the Inca invaders
who occupied their ancient territory. Our contribution to the knowledge of their complex past was
the reconstruction of their genetic maternal and paternal inheritance through the sequencing of 70
entire mitochondrial genomes and the characterization of the non‐recombinant region of the Y chromosome
in 26 males. For both markers, we built comprehensive datasets of various populations
from the surrounding geographical area, northwestern South America, NW, with a known linguistic
affiliation, and we could then compare our sample against the overall variability to infer relationships
with other Barbacoan people and with other NW natives. We found contrasting patterns
of genetic diversity for the two markers, but generally, our results indicated a possible common
origin between the Tsachilas, the Chachi, and other Ecuadorian and Colombian Barbacoans and are
suggestive of an interesting ancient linkage to the Inca invaders in Yumbo country
He or she? The Use of an Integrated Approach for Sex Determination in the Bioarcheological Research
This research aims to determine the sex of non-adult skeletal
remains from two archaeological sites dating to the Roman
Imperial and Medieval periods by using morphological, morphometrics
and molecular approaches. The determination of sex from non-adult remains is a debated issue in the literature even though it has important
implications in the palaeodemographic reconstruction of past populations.
Concordance between the different approaches was obtained in the 63% of cases (N=19). The
obtained results although preliminary are encouraging even though much research is needed
for enlarging the sample size and for applying the cutting-edge High Throughput Sequencing (HTS) technologies
He or she? The use of an integrated approach for sex determination in the bioarcheological research
This research aims to determine the sex of non-adult skeletal
remains from two archaeological sites dating to the Roman
Imperial and Medieval periods by using morphological, morphometrics
and molecular approaches. The determination of sex from non-adult remains is a debated issue in the literature even though it has important implications in the palaeodemographic reconstruction of past populations.
Concordance between the different approaches was obtained in the 63% of cases (N=19). The
obtained results although preliminary are encouraging even though much research is needed
for enlarging the sample size and for applying the cutting-edge High Throughput Sequencing
(HTS) technologies
Bioarchaeology-related studies in the Arabian Gulf: potentialities and shortcomings
Archaeological studies provide a powerful tool to understand the prehistoric societies, especially when combined to cutting-edge morphological and molecular anthropological analyses, allowing reconstructing past population dynamics, admixture events, and socio-cultural changes. Despite the advances achieved in the last decades by archaeological studies worldwide, several regions of the World have been spared from this scientific improvement due to various reasons. The Arabian Gulf represents a unique ground to investigate, being the passageway for human migrations and one of the hypothesized areas in which Neanderthal introgression occurred. A number of archaeological sites are currently present in the Arabian Gulf and have witnessed the antiquity and the intensiveness of the human settlements in the region. Nevertheless, the archaeological and anthropological investigation in the Gulf is still in its infancy. Data collected through archaeological studies in the area have the potential to help answering adamant questions of human history from the beginning of the structuring of genetic diversity in human species to the Neolithisation process. This review aims at providing an overview of the archaeological studies in the Arabian Gulf with special focus to Qatar, highlighting potentialities and shortcomings
Family History in the Iberian Peninsula during Chalcolithic and Bronze Age: An Interpretation through the Genetic Analysis of Plural Burials
Throughout history, it has been observed that human populations have buried the deceased members of their communities following different patterns. During the Copper Age and the Bronze Age-periods on which this study focuses-in the northern sub-plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, we identified different patterns of multiple or collective burial. This work analyzes a total of 58 individuals buried in different multiple or collective graves, to investigate whether the practice of these burials implies a family or biological link between individuals buried together. With this aim, STR markers of nuclear DNA were analyzed, as well as the hypervariable regions I and II of mitochondrial DNA, establishing both close kinship relationships and relationships through maternal lineage. We observed different burial patterns, detecting certain maternal lines preserved in some common burials maintained over time. Close family relationships were observed to a lesser extent, with some occasional exceptions. The results of the analysis formed the basis for a discussion on the concepts of family and community
Food at the heart of the Empire. Dietary reconstruction for Imperial Rome inhabitants
This paper aims to provide a broad diet reconstruction for people buried in archaeologically defined contexts in Rome (first to third centuries CE), in order to combine archaeological and biological evidence focusing on dietary preferences in Imperial Rome. A sample of 214 human bones recovered from 6 funerary contexts was selected for carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. The baseline for the terrestrial protein component of the diet was set using 17 coeval faunal remains recovered from excavations at Rome supplemented by previously published data for the same geographic and chronological frames. δ13C ranges from − 19.9 to − 14.8‰, whereas δ15N values are between 7.2 and 10.0‰. The values are consistent with an overall diet mainly based on terrestrial resources. All the human samples rely on a higher trophic level than the primary consumer faunal samples. Certainly, C3 plants played a pivotal role in the dietary habits. However, C4 plants also seem to have been consumed, albeit they were not as widespread and were not always used for human consumption. The environment played a critical role also for Romans of lower social classes. The topographical location determined the preferential consumption of food that people could obtain from their neighborhood
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