The Iceman's Last Meal Consisted of Fat, Wild Meat, and Cereals

The history of humankind is marked by the constant adoption of new dietary habits affecting human physiology, metabolism, and even the development of nutrition-related disorders. Despite clear archaeological evidence for the shift from hunter-gatherer lifestyle to agriculture in Neolithic Europe [1], very little information exists on the daily dietary habits of our ancestors. By undertaking a complementary -omics approach combined with microscopy, we analyzed the stomach content of the Iceman, a 5,300-yearold European glacier mummy [2, 3]. He seems to have had a remarkably high proportion of fat in his diet, supplemented with fresh or dried wild meat, cereals, and traces of toxic bracken. Our multipronged approach provides unprecedented analytical depth, deciphering the nutritional habit, meal composition, and food-processing methods of this Copper Age individual

The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Determining Social Behaviors in Animals

This chapter introduces the mechanisms through which microorganisms can influence animal welfare and how this knowledge can be used to keep animals physically and psychologically healthy. Genetics and genomics are well-established concepts in animal welfare sciences. Given the importance of genetics to animal behaviour and health, and the rapid advances in technologies

The microbiota-gut-brain axis in determining social behaviours of animals

This chapter introduces the mechanisms through which microorganisms can influence animal welfare and how this knowledge can be used to keep animals physically and psychologically healthy. Genetics and genomics are well-established concepts in animal welfare sciences. Given the importance of genetics to animal behaviour and health, and the rapid advances in technologies

The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Determining Social Behaviors in Animals

This chapter introduces the mechanisms through which microorganisms can influence animal welfare and how this knowledge can be used to keep animals physically and psychologically healthy. Genetics and genomics are well-established concepts in animal welfare sciences. Given the importance of genetics to animal behaviour and health, and the rapid advances in technologies

The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Determining Social Behaviors in Animals

This chapter introduces the mechanisms through which microorganisms can influence animal welfare and how this knowledge can be used to keep animals physically and psychologically healthy. Genetics and genomics are well-established concepts in animal welfare sciences. Given the importance of genetics to animal behaviour and health, and the rapid advances in technologies

A possible case of dyschondrosteosis in a bog body from the Netherlands

International audienceIIn 1951 peat cutters unearthed the bog body of an adult female dating from the Roman period (AD 78-233) in the ‘Damsel’s Bog’ northwest of the villages of Aalden and Zweeloo (province of Drenthe, the Netherlands, fig. 1). The degree of the body’s preservation has now been assessed using atomic force microscopy imaging (AFM) and histology. AFM images of the skin showed evidence of moderate decomposition of collagen fibrils. Although histology revealed moderate decalcification of the bones, the abdominal organs were found to be very well preserved. Apart from shrinkage and deformation caused by the long immersion in the bog, Zweeloo Woman’s skeleton shows possible signs of a pathological disorder affecting both the forearms and the lower legs.The long bones were measured, the woman’s stature was assessed and a CT scan was carried out to assess the degree of micromelia and the possibility of dwarfism. Although shrinkage had caused overall shortening and deformation of single bones (i.e. the pelvis, heel bones and the femora) altering the stature, the radiological findings show probable evidence of Léri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (DCS). DCS is a dominantly inherited dysplasia characterised by short stature with mesomelic shortening of middle segments of the forearms and lower legs. Only three cases of probable or indicative DCS have so far been diagnosed in pre-modern societies. Here we propose evidence of a probable case of DCS syndrome in a bog body dating from the Roman period.It has often been suggested (e.g. Asingh 2007, 293) that a substantial number of the individuals that have been found in peat were killed before being deposited in the bog. Zweeloo Woman’s bones show at least 21 cuts made by a short blade instrument. There is however no evidence of any trauma, except possibly in the posterior aspect of the left shoulder, on the outer skin surface. Whether Zweeloo Woman was intentionally killed or died a natural death still remains unclear

Revisiting the harem conspiracy and death of Ramesses III : Anthropological, forensic, radiological, and genetic study

Objective: To investigate the true character of the harem conspiracy described in the Judicial Papyrus of Turin and determine whether Ramesses III was indeed killed. Design: Anthropological, forensic, radiological, and genetic study of the mummies of Ramesses III and unknown man E, found together and taken from the 20th dynasty of ancient Egypt (circa 1190-1070 BC). Results: Computed tomography scans revealed a deep cut in Ramesses III's throat, probably made by a sharp knife. During the mummification process, a Horus eye amulet was inserted in the wound for healing purposes, and the neck was covered by a collar of thick linen layers. Forensic examination of unknown man E showed compressed skin folds around his neck and a thoracic inflation. Unknown man E also had an unusual mummification procedure. According to genetic analyses, both mummies had identical haplotypes of the Y chromosome and a common male lineage. Conclusions: This study suggests that Ramesses III was murdered during the harem conspiracy by the cutting of his throat. Unknown man E is a possible candidate as Ramesses III's son Pentawere.</p

Ancestry and pathology in King Tutankhamun's family

Context: The New Kingdom in ancient Egypt, comprising the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties, spanned the mid-16th to the early 11th centuries BC. The late 18th dynasty, which included the reigns of pharaohs Akhenaten and Tutankhamun, was an extraordinary time. The identification of a number of royal mummies from this era, the exact relationships between some members of the royal family, and possible illnesses and causes of death have been matters of debate. Objectives: To introduce a new approach to molecular and medical Egyptology, to determine familial relationships among 11 royal mummies of the New Kingdom, and to search for pathological features attributable to possible murder, consanguinity, inherited disorders, and infectious diseases. Design: From September 2007 to October 2009, royal mummies underwent detailed anthropological, radiological, and genetic studies as part of the King Tutankhamun Family Project. Mummies distinct from Tutankhamun's immediate lineage served as the genetic and morphological reference. To authenticate DNA results, analytical steps were repeated and independently replicated in a second ancient DNA laboratory staffed by a separate group of personnel. Eleven royal mummies dating from circa 1410-1324 BC and suspected of being kindred of Tutankhamun and 5 royal mummies dating to an earlier period, circa 1550-1479 BC, were examined. Main Outcome Measures: Microsatellite-based haplotypes in the mummies, generational segregation of alleles within possible pedigree variants, and correlation of identified diseases with individual age, archeological evidence, and the written historical record. Results: Genetic fingerprinting allowed the construction of a 5-generation pedigree of Tutankhamun's immediate lineage. The KV55 mummy and KV35YL were identified as the parents of Tutankhamun. No signs of gynecomastia and craniosynostoses (eg, Antley-Bixler syndrome) or Marfan syndrome were found, but an accumulation of malformations in Tutankhamun's family was evident. Several pathologies including Köhler disease II were diagnosed in Tutankhamun; none alone would have caused death. Genetic testing for STEVOR, AMA1, or MSP1 genes specific for Plasmodium falciparum revealed indications of malaria tropica in 4 mummies, including Tutankhamun's. These results suggest avascular bone necrosis in conjunction with the malarial infection as the most likely cause of death in Tutankhamun. Walking impairment and malarial disease sustained by Tutankhamun is supported by the discovery of canes and an afterlife pharmacy in his tomb. Conclusion: Using a multidisciplinary scientific approach, we showed the feasibility of gathering data on Pharaonic kinship and diseases and speculated about individual causes of death.</p