Marked eburnation among prehispanic individuals from La Gomera (Canary Islands)

Marked eburnation among prehispanic individuals from La Gomera (Canary Islands) Eburnation of the articular surfaces is an advanced feature of osteoarthritis. We here report some striking cases of such a condition in the proximal epiphysis of tibiae of prehispanic inhabitants of La Gomera, in the Canary Archipelago

Sexual dimorphism: a comparative study between inhabitants from El Hierro and other populations of the Word.

Sex estimation based on tibial measurements can be achieved using discriminant functions combining several parameters. However, functions differ from one population to another, because sexual dimorphism may be more or less marked among different ancestry or ethnic groups. Calculation of one of these functions with the dimensions of populations other than that from which the function was obtained may misclassify a different proportion of males or females than when calculated with the dimensions of the original population. By dividing the proportions of correctly classified individuals when the function was applied to the population from which it derived and that of El Hierro (Canary Islands), we can calculate an index of male trait expression and an index of female trait expression, and, by addition of both indices, an index of sexual dimorphism. Therefore, it is possible to compare the degree of sexual dimorphism among several populations, at least regarding those measurements included in the function. Based on this fact we have calculated several functions (reported in the scientific literature), obtained from tibiae of modern black, white, and Japanese populations, and from medieval Croatians and prehispanic inhabitants of Gran Canaria (ap. 1000 BP), with the dimensions of the prehispanic population of El Hierro, genetically sexed, also with an antiquity of ap. 1000 BP. Despite the different antiquity, the population of El Hierro was more dimorphic that the modern Japanese one, but less dimorphic than most of the other groups with which it was compared, especially when functions including distal epiphyseal breadth and minimum shaft perimeter (near the distal end of the tibiae) were calculated: in these cases, dimorphism was lower for the population of El Hierro, due to the fact that, although male trait expression index was higher, many females of El Hierro were misclassified as males because of the abnormally thick distal diaphyseal and epiphyseal breadths of El Hierro inhabitants

Tracking Cats: Problems with Placing Feline Carnivores on δ18O, δD Isoscapes

Several felids are endangered and threatened by the illegal wildlife trade. Establishing geographic origin of tissues of endangered species is thus crucial for wildlife crime investigations and effective conservation strategies. As shown in other species, stable isotope analysis of hydrogen and oxygen in hair (δD(h), δ(18)O(h)) can be used as a tool for provenance determination. However, reliably predicting the spatial distribution of δD(h) and δ(18)O(h) requires confirmation from animal tissues of known origin and a detailed understanding of the isotopic routing of dietary nutrients into felid hair.We used coupled δD(h) and δ(18)O(h) measurements from the North American bobcat (Lynx rufus) and puma (Puma concolor) with precipitation-based assignment isoscapes to test the feasibility of isotopic geo-location of felidae. Hairs of felid and rabbit museum specimens from 75 sites across the United States and Canada were analyzed. Bobcat and puma lacked a significant correlation between H/O isotopes in hair and local waters, and also exhibited an isotopic decoupling of δ(18)O(h) and δD(h). Conversely, strong δD and δ(18)O coupling was found for key prey, eastern cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus; hair) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; collagen, bone phosphate).Puma and bobcat hairs do not adhere to expected pattern of H and O isotopic variation predicted by precipitation isoscapes for North America. Thus, using bulk hair, felids cannot be placed on δ(18)O and δD isoscapes for use in forensic investigations. The effective application of isotopes to trace the provenance of feline carnivores is likely compromised by major controls of their diet, physiology and metabolism on hair δ(18)O and δD related to body water budgets. Controlled feeding experiments, combined with single amino acid isotope analysis of diets and hair, are needed to reveal mechanisms and physiological traits explaining why felid hair does not follow isotopic patterns demonstrated in many other taxa

Paleoparasitologic, paleogenetic and paleobotanic analysis of XVIII century coprolites from the church La Concepción in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

We present the results of a paleoparasitologic, paleogenetic and paleobotanic analysis of coprolites recovered during the excavation of the church La Concepción in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Coprolites (n = 4) were rehydrated and a multidisciplinary analysis was conducted. The paleobotanic analysis showed numerous silicates, seeds and fruits of the family Moraceae. In the paleoparasitologic study, Ascaris sp. eggs (n = 344) were identified. The paleogenetic results confirmed the Ascaris sp. infection as well as the European origin of human remains. These findings contribute to our knowledge of ancient helminthes infections and are the first paleoparasitological record of Ascaris sp. infection in Spain