25 research outputs found
Mycobacterium leprae diversity and population dynamics in medieval Europe from novel ancient genomes.
Funder: Max-Planck SocietyFunder: St John’s College, CambridgeFunder: Fondation Raoul FollereauFunder: University of Zurich’s University Research Priority Program “Evolution in Action: From Genomes to Ecosystems”Funder: the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (S-HEP) at the University of TübingenBackgroundHansen's disease (leprosy), widespread in medieval Europe, is today mainly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions with around 200,000 new cases reported annually. Despite its long history and appearance in historical records, its origins and past dissemination patterns are still widely unknown. Applying ancient DNA approaches to its major causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae, can significantly improve our understanding of the disease's complex history. Previous studies have identified a high genetic continuity of the pathogen over the last 1500 years and the existence of at least four M. leprae lineages in some parts of Europe since the Early Medieval period.ResultsHere, we reconstructed 19 ancient M. leprae genomes to further investigate M. leprae's genetic variation in Europe, with a dedicated focus on bacterial genomes from previously unstudied regions (Belarus, Iberia, Russia, Scotland), from multiple sites in a single region (Cambridgeshire, England), and from two Iberian leprosaria. Overall, our data confirm the existence of similar phylogeographic patterns across Europe, including high diversity in leprosaria. Further, we identified a new genotype in Belarus. By doubling the number of complete ancient M. leprae genomes, our results improve our knowledge of the past phylogeography of M. leprae and reveal a particularly high M. leprae diversity in European medieval leprosaria.ConclusionsOur findings allow us to detect similar patterns of strain diversity across Europe with branch 3 as the most common branch and the leprosaria as centers for high diversity. The higher resolution of our phylogeny tree also refined our understanding of the interspecies transfer between red squirrels and humans pointing to a late antique/early medieval transmission. Furthermore, with our new estimates on the past population diversity of M. leprae, we gained first insights into the disease's global history in relation to major historic events such as the Roman expansion or the beginning of the regular transatlantic long distance trade. In summary, our findings highlight how studying ancient M. leprae genomes worldwide improves our understanding of leprosy's global history and can contribute to current models of M. leprae's worldwide dissemination, including interspecies transmissions
Mycobacterium leprae diversity and population dynamics in medieval Europe from novel ancient genomes
Background: Hansen’s disease (leprosy), widespread in medieval Europe, is today mainly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions with around 200,000 new cases reported annually. Despite its long history and appearance in historical records, its origins and past dissemination patterns are still widely unknown. Applying ancient DNA approaches to its major causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae, can significantly improve our understanding of the disease’s complex history. Previous studies have identified a high genetic continuity of the pathogen over the last 1500 years and the existence of at least four M. leprae lineages in some parts of Europe since the Early Medieval period. Results: Here, we reconstructed 19 ancient M. leprae genomes to further investigate M. leprae’s genetic variation in Europe, with a dedicated focus on bacterial genomes from previously unstudied regions (Belarus, Iberia, Russia, Scotland), from multiple sites in a single region (Cambridgeshire, England), and from two Iberian leprosaria. Overall, our data confirm the existence of similar phylogeographic patterns across Europe, including high diversity in leprosaria. Further, we identified a new genotype in Belarus. By doubling the number of complete ancient M. leprae genomes, our results improve our knowledge of the past phylogeography of M. leprae and reveal a particularly high M. leprae diversity in European medieval leprosaria. Conclusions: Our findings allow us to detect similar patterns of strain diversity across Europe with branch 3 as the most common branch and the leprosaria as centers for high diversity. The higher resolution of our phylogeny tree also refined our understanding of the interspecies transfer between red squirrels and humans pointing to a late antique/early medieval transmission. Furthermore, with our new estimates on the past population diversity of M. leprae, we gained first insights into the disease’s global history in relation to major historic events such as the Roman expansion or the beginning of the regular transatlantic long distance trade. In summary, our findings highlight how studying ancient M. leprae genomes worldwide improves our understanding of leprosy’s global history and can contribute to current models of M. leprae’s worldwide dissemination, including interspecies transmissions
Morphé : análise das proporções entre os membros, dimorfismo sexual e estatura de uma amostra da colecção de esqueletos identificados do Museu Antropológico da Universidade de Coimbra
Dissertação de mestrado em Evolução Humana apresentada à Fac. Ciências e Tecnologia da Univ. Coimbr
Study of stafne's defects in Late Neolithic, Late Roman, Medieval and Modern skeletal samples from Portugal
Lingual mandibular cortical defects (Stafne’s defects) are relatively uncommon in recent as well as past populations, but while this condition is often discussed in clinical reports, they are rarely the subject of anthropological research. In this paper, the prevalence of Stafne’s bone defects in skeletal samples from Late Neolithic, Late Roman, Medieval and Modern Portugal is investigated (N = 704 complete mandibles and 111 incomplete mandibles). The aims of this paper are threefold: (1) to present and analyse for the first time in Portuguese osteological record prevalence data on Stafne’s bone defect, (2) to analyse variations in defect prevalence between skeletal samples from a wide temporal array, and (3) to verify if more tenuous lesions in which resorption of the lingual cortex was not yet extensive had the classic radiographic appearance described by Stafne in order to validate the hypothesis that lesions are present clinically in many more cases than published figures indicate. In all cases, differential diagnosis against other conditions that mimic Stafne’s defects, namely odontogenic lesions, cysts and neoplasms, was done. In all samples, the evidence of Stafne’s defect occurred in 12 individuals (1.7%), and males (2.84%) were more frequently affected than females (0.61%). When incomplete mandibles were considered, only one left fragment (0.90%) exhibited Stafne’s defect. Accurate identification of all examples of Stafne’s bone defects in antiquity is thought to represent an important contribution to elucidate which factors may be responsible for this trait’s cultural, ecological, temporal, and geographical patterning
Periodontal disease in a Portuguese identified skeletal sample from the late nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries
Periodontal status was investigated in 600 adult dentitions belonging to the identified osteological collections curated at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. These collections date to a point temporally intermediate between the large epidemiological studies of the 20th century and archaeological collections that antedate the 19th century. The aim of this study is to compare periodontal data derived from contemporary samples with statistics compiled from epidemiological studies to determine if factors such as age-at-death, sex, and tooth type are essential or not to account for in future archaeological studies of periodontitis. Periodontal disease status was assessed based on the textural and architectural variations of the interdental septum and the extent of bone loss. Overall, the frequency of periodontitis within the Coimbra collections is 73.8%. Men were more susceptible to periodontal disease than women. Gingivitis was widespread in the younger age groups. Destructive periodontitis was observed early in adulthood, rising steadily with age. The most susceptible sites to periodontal breakdown were located in the posterior region of the upper jaw. Some variation in reported frequencies of periodontitis was found in epidemiological reports, which might result from variation in methods for identifying the pathology, differences in the age composition of the samples examined, variation in oral hygiene and/or diet, or some other factors. Regarding the pattern of distribution of periodontal disease, Coimbra results were similar to comparable modern epidemiological surveys, making clear the importance of considering sex, age, and oral distribution of periodontitis in future archaeological studies
Dental caries in a Portuguese identified skeletal sample from the late 19th and early 20th centuries
Dental caries was investigated in 600 adult dentitions belonging to the identified osteological collections of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Coimbra, Portugal (late 19th/early 20th centuries). The main advantage of this sample compared to an archaeological source is the presence of known demographic parameters such as age, sex, and occupation. The aim of this study is to investigate the issues involved in comparing caries data derived from archaeological death assemblages with statistics compiled from clinical studies of the living. When only the upper dentition was considered, higher rates were observed in females than in males. No differences were found between sexes for lower teeth. In both sexes, both the percentage of carious teeth and the severity of lesions were found to increase with age, demonstrating that caries activity continued throughout life. The slight decrease observed for the age group 70-79 years is probably due to the increased antemortem tooth loss in the elderly. Caries was most common at contact areas (32.9%) and rarest at smooth crown surfaces (6.5%). Root surface caries was graphed in relation to the exposure of roots, and it was confirmed that the degree of root exposure was not strongly related to the frequency of carious lesions on the exposed root surface, although both increased with age. Molars were attacked more frequently by caries as a whole than premolars, canines or incisors. The results are similar to studies of recent living populations with a limited access to professional dental care
Anatomical variation: analysis of non-metric traits of the postcranial skeleton in African slaves from the 15th–17th centuries (Lagos, Portugal)
Em 2009, foram descobertos,
em Lagos (Portugal), os esqueletos de
158 indivíduos inumados numa lixeira dos
séculos XV–XVII. As condições de descarte
dos indivíduos, o seu perfil biológico, as
modificações intencionais dos seus dentes
e o contexto histórico de Lagos suportam
a hipótese de se ter tratado de escravos
africanos. No presente estudo, pretendeuse
avaliar a frequência de caracteres nãométricos
nos esqueletos destes indivíduos,
bem como diferenças entre sexos e
lateralidades, de modo a identificar eventuais
caracteres específicos desta amostra. Foram
incluídos no estudo os 101 indivíduos adultos
da coleção. Foram investigadas 29 variações
anatómicas de oito pares de ossos do
esqueleto pós-craniano (clavícula, escápula,
úmero, rádio, ulna, fémur, patela e tíbia),
das quais nove não foram encontradas. As restantes 20 foram registadas com frequências
compreendidas entre 1,8% e 96,1%.
Apenas um carácter (sulco costoclavicular)
demonstrou diferenças significativas entre
os dois sexos. As lateralidades revelaram-se
diferentes em seis caracteres (chanfradura
supraescapular, abertura septal, chanfradura
troclear medial, fossa hipotrocanteriana,
chanfradura do vasto external e faceta de
agachamento lateral). Quando comparados
com a literatura, os resultados obtidos não
permitiram identificar qualquer carácter
específico desta amostra populacional.In 2009, the skeletons of 158
individuals were recovered from an urban
dump (15th–17th centuries) in Lagos (Portugal).
The biological profile of the individuals, the
intentional modifications of their teeth, as
well as the funerary and historical context
support the hypothesis of them being African
slaves. The present study aims to evaluate
the frequency of non-metric characters in
the skeletons of these individuals by sex and
side in order to identify specific characters
of this sample. All of the adult individuals in
the collection (N=101) were included in the
study. A total of 29 anatomical variations were
sought-after in eight bones of the postcranial
skeleton (clavicle, scapulae, humerus,
radius, ulna, femur, patellae and tibiae).
Nine of these characters were not found
whereas the remaining 20 were recorded
with frequencies between 1.8% and 96.1%. Only one character (costoclavicular sulcus)
showed statistically significant differences
between sexes. Six characters (suprascapular
bevel, septal aperture, medial trochlear bevel,
hypotrocanterial fossa, vast external bevel
and lateral squat facet) presented differences
between the two sides of the skeleton.
No specific character was found for this
population sample
Dental wear in the medieval necropolis of São João de Almedina (12th-16th centuries) and its relationship with eating habits
O estudo do desgaste dentário em populações arqueológicas é importante para perceber como se vivia no passado já que uma vez erupcionados os dentes não sofrem remodelação. A localização, severidade e tipos de desgaste podem revelar hábitos culturais e dietéticos. O objetivo deste estudo é analisar o padrão de desgaste dentário, por sexo e classe etária, nos indivíduos de uma amostra medieval de São João de Almedina (Coimbra, Portugal) de modo a melhor conhecer os seus hábitos. A amostra em estudo é composta por 58 adultos (28 homens, 20 mulheres e 10 indivíduos do sexo desconhecido). Os níveis de desgaste oclusal e aproximal foram registados com os métodos de Smith (1984) e Hillson (2001), respetivamente. Registou-se um desgaste oclusal médio de 3,86±1,59, caraterizado por grande exposição da dentina. Os níveis de desgaste interproximais são baixos (1,38±0,72 e 1,36±0,75). Os resultados foram comparados com outras populações, nomeadamente com os dados de Wasterlain (2006), recolhidos com a mesma metodologia, numa amostra da mesma região geográfica, mas dos finais do século XIX/inícios do século XX. Notou-se uma clara atenuação do desgaste na época pós-industrial o que pode ser resultado de um menos eficiente processamento da comida em época medieval
Como os chimpanzés (Pan troglodytes) em cativeiro direcionam a comunicação gestual de acordo com a faixa etária
Gestural communication among
nonhuman primates evolved as a response
to their complex social environment. In this
scope, males and females, adults and nonadults
employ different gestures, probably
due to their distinct social roles. In this study,
a within and between age group analysis
of the gestures produced in different contexts
was carried out. For this purpose, a
community of 16 captive chimpanzees (Pan
troglodytes) was observed during a 3-month
period. Initially, data were collected through
ad libitum sampling in order to identify their
gestural repertoire. Subsequently, focal sampling
was used to identify who gesticulated
with whom and in what context. Overall,
the results showed that juvenile chimpanzees
tend to direct their gestures to different
age groups according to the context; more specifically, juvenile chimpanzees frequently
gesticulate within their age group in play
contexts, and with older individuals in locomotion
and affiliation contexts. Based on this,
a certain degree of flexibility in juvenile chimpanzees
gestural signalling is suggested, to
the extent that they rather direct their gestural
signs to chimpanzees of the same age
group with the aim of involving themselves
in the activities’ context in which the gestural
sign is produced.A comunicação gestual nos primatas
não-humanos evoluiu como uma resposta à
complexidade social. Neste âmbito, machos
e fêmeas tendem a usar diferentes tipos de
gestos, provavelmente consequências das diferentes
pressões sociais a que estão sujeitos.
Neste estudo, realizou-se uma análise intra e
interclasses etárias dos gestos produzidos em
contextos distintos. Para tal, durante um período
de 3 meses, observou-se uma colónia
de chimpanzés (Pan troglodytes) em cativeiro.
Inicialmente, os dados foram recolhidos
através de uma amostragem ad libitum, para
a elaboração do catálogo gestual. Posteriormente,
a amostragem focal determinou quem
gesticula com quem, e em que contexto. De
um modo geral, os resultados mostraram que,
em alguns casos, os chimpanzés juvenis tendem
a gesticular para outros chimpanzés de reperclasses
etárias semelhantes, tendo em conta o
contexto; mais especificamente, estes direcionam
gestos em contexto de brincadeira para
outros chimpanzés juvenis, e comunicam com
chimpanzés adultos em contexto de locomoção
e afiliação. Com base nestas evidências,
sugerimos a existência de um certo grau de
flexibilidade na capacidade de comunicar por
gestos dos chimpanzés juvenis, uma vez que
estes tendem a direcionar os seus gestos para
recetores de classes etárias aparentemente
mais adequados, tendo em conta o contexto
do sinal gestual