Joan Viciano

Odontometric sex estimation on three populations of the Iron Age from Abruzzo region (central–southern Italy)

BACKGROUND In archaeological contexts, sex identification is a necessary step for a complete reconstruction of the biological profile of the individuals and to know demographic patterns of the population, nutritional stress, diseases, growth and development, and distribution of pathological conditions. METHODS This study is based on the skeletal remains of 149 individuals from three protohistoric populations in close temporal and geographic proximity in Abruzzo region (central-southern Italy): Opi, Alfedena and Bazzano. It has been possible to develop logistic regression equations based on dental measurements of permanent teeth of adult individuals whose sex had previously been estimated based on pelvic and cranial features. These equations were subsequently applied to the permanent dentition of immature individuals and adult individuals whose sex was estimated as uncertain or unknown in order to estimate their sex. RESULTS The mandibular canine is the tooth with the greatest sexual dimorphism in adults, followed by both maxillary and mandibular first and second molars, providing a correct assignment of sex ranging from 83.7% and 95.9% of cases, depending on the dimensions used for the construction of these equations. Of the 29 individuals in the target sample (14 adultus, 10 juvenilis and 5 infans), sex estimation was possible for 23 (10 adultus, 8 juvenilis and 5 infans), representing an applicability rate of 79.31% of the individuals. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that odontometrics is a useful tool for sex estimation and allows to increase the data to perform more complete paleodemographic studies on archaeological populations.

Chronology of the development of the deciduous dentition in Mediterranean population

The objective of this study of the maturation of deciduous dentition was to offer a novel age-estimation method for Mediterranean populations, using the osteological collection of fetuses, infants, and young children in the Anthropology Laboratory of Granada University (Spain) as study material. After excluding premature newborns and infants with disease, the final study sample comprised 1303 deciduous teeth suitable for analysis from 138 individuals (80 male, 58 female) aged between 24 weeks in utero and 6 years. Eleven mineralization stages were defined for the dental maturation analysis, and the alveolar emergence was also studied. The criteria published by Demirjian et al. (Hum. Biol. 45 (1973) 211), Moorrees et al. (J. Dent. Res. 42 (1963a) 490), and Liversidge et al. (Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 123 (2004) 172) were combined and modified for this purpose. The reproducibility of the proposed method is supported by the low intra- and inter-observer error in the identification of these development stages. The results provide information on the mean age of attainment of each of 11 mineralization stages and on the average age for each stage in each deciduous tooth type, considering each sex separately and both sexes combined.

Alterations of skull bones found in anencephalic skeletons from an identified osteological collection. Two case reports

One of the most common conditions during fetal development is anencephaly, which often involves many identification difficulties in the context of physical anthropology, as it causes severe skull challenges. In this paper, we describe the alterations found in the skulls of two perinatal individuals with anencephaly from the osteological collection of identified infants in the Anthropology Laboratory of the University of Granada, Spain. Both subjects of study are in perfect state of preservation. Despite the severe malformations, all skull bones have been targeted and identified, as the possibility of studying a subject with a complete, articulated, and partially mummified skull; the other was disjointed and well preserved. The skull bones of these two individuals affected with anencephaly have been described in detail, allowing this pathological condition to be identified in skeletonized individuals in archaeological or forensic contexts, in cases where these bones did not have anatomical connection or when these were taphonomically altered.

Age Estimation of Infants Through Metric Analysis of Developing Anterior Deciduous Teeth

This study provides regression equations for estimation of age of infants from the dimensions of their developing deciduous teeth. The sample comprises 97 individuals of known sex and age (62 boys, 35 girls), aged between 2 days and 1,081 days. The age‐estimation equations were obtained for the sexes combined, as well as for each sex separately, thus including “sex” as an independent variable. The values of the correlations and determination coefficients obtained for each regression equation indicate good fits for most of the equations obtained. The “sex” factor was statistically significant when included as an independent variable in seven of the regression equations. However, the “sex” factor provided an advantage for age estimation in only three of the equations, compared to those that did not include “sex” as a factor. These data suggest that the ages of infants can be accurately estimated from measurements of their developing deciduous teeth.

Scheuermann’s disease in a juvenile male from the late Roman necropolis of Torrenueva (3rd–4th century CE, Granada, Spain) ☆

This study details a severe case of Scheuermanns disease (SD) in a well-preserved skeleton of a juvenile male (designated TOR302), dated to 3rd-4th century CE, from the late Roman necropolis of Torrenueva (Granada, Spain). Individual TOR302 shows an evident kyphotic curve in the thoraco-lumbar spine, which is characterised by: (i) vertebral bodies of thoracic vertebra T2, thoracic segment T4-T9, and thoraco-lumbar segment T12-L2 wedged at >5°; (ii) slight anterior extensions of the epiphyseal ring; (iii) Schmorls nodes on the superior and/or inferior plates; and (iv) a Cobb angle of 75°, derived from thoracic segments T4-T9. In addition, TOR302 shows other skeletal malformations as the secondary results of abnormal growth, due to altered biomechanical forces imposed by the spinal deformity, including: (i) lateral distortion of the spine that causes a slight secondary scoliotic curve; (ii) pelvic obliquity; and (iii) discrepancy in the length of the limbs. We argue that the secondary skeletal abnormalities allowed the individual to adapt to his spinal deformity meaning he was able to walk without the aid of a stick. Despite SD being a common modern clinical finding, few cases have been reported in ancient skeletal remains. This case therefore represents an important contribution to the palaeopathological literature.

Congenital anatomical variant of the clavicle

The aim of this study is to present a rare abnormality of the clavicle (Code: SGS01) that was discovered in an ossuary in the Church of San Gaetano (Sulmona, central Italy; XVII–XIX centuries CE). In the middle third, the clavicle had three areas with losses of substance in the form of oval‐shaped foramina with maximum diameters of 1–2 cm that were located in the anterior and superior surfaces of the diaphysis. The margins of these foramina were well defined and rounded, and the surfaces of the canal walls were smooth. Additionally, there were no zones of bony activity or reactive changes around the foramina. This new congenital anomaly of the clavicle and blood vessels is consistent with a variant that might have originated during fetal growth in which the subclavian vein or artery remained included during the process of ossification of the clavicle. Anat Rec, 300:1401–1408, 2017.

Sexual dimorphism of the first deciduous molar: A geometric morphometric approach

Estimating the sex of immature skeletal remains is important when reconstructing the biological profile of unknown individuals in anthropological practice. Teeth have a distinct importance as they are the most frequently recovered physical elements of an individual. They persist after death due to their hardness and resistance to postmortem insults. The aim of this study was to analyse the sexual dimorphism of the occlusal surface of the first deciduous molar using geometric morphometric techniques. This study evaluated 38 first maxillary deciduous molars (21 males, 17 females) and 30 first mandibular deciduous molars (15 males, 15 females) from the Granada osteological collection of identified subadults (Granada, Spain). The landmark and semilandmark coordinates were analysed by principal components analysis, canonical variate analysis and discriminant analysis. Only the first maxillary deciduous molar showed a significant sexual dimorphism, with cross-validation values for shape variables of 93.23% for males and 83.17% for females, and 100% for males and 87.50% for females when both shape and size variables were considered. Despite there being acceptable cross-validation classification for the first mandibular deciduous molar (82.35% for males and 92.31% for females for shape variables and 82.35% for males and 92.31% for females for shape and size variables), no significant differences indicating sexual dimorphism were identified. The results show that the first upper deciduous molar can assist in sex estimation, and that geometric morphometric analysis is a suitable technique to answer questions related to shape that cannot be observed with the naked eye.

Bone natural autofluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy: Preliminary results of a novel useful tool to distinguish between forensic and ancient human skeletal remains

The fast, high-throughput distinction between palaeoanthropological/archaeological remains and recent forensic/clinical bone samples is of vital importance in the field of medico-legal science. In this paper, a novel dating method was developed using the autofluorescence of human bones and the confocal laser scanning microscope as the means to distinguish between archaeological and forensic anthropological skeletal findings. Human bones exhibit fluorescence, typically induced by natural antibiotics that are absorbed by collagen, and provide secondary, exogenous fluorophores. However, primary natural fluorescence (or autofluorescence) caused by enigmatic endogenous fluorophores is also present as a micro-phenomenon, whose nature is still obscure. Here, we show that the endogenous fluorophores are mucopolysaccharides of the Rouget-Neumann sheath and, more relevant, that the intensity of the natural fluorescence in human bone decreases in a relationship to the antiquity of the samples. These results suggest that the autofluorescence of bone is a promising technique for the assessment of skeletal remains that may be potentially of medico-legal interest. A larger study is proposed to confirm these findings and to create a predictive model between the autofluorescence intensity and the time since death.

Estimation of date of death through wound healing of an extraction socket: a case report

Surgical extraction of teeth due to dental pathologies is a relatively common procedure in modern man. The healing of the wound that results occurs in gradual and sequential stages, such that the analysis of this repair process can be very useful in forensic investigations on human remains. The following study reports on a particular case where the remodeling of a tooth socket allowed an estimation of the time that had elapsed from the day of the surgical extraction of the tooth to the time of death. The corpse was that of a woman of 34 years. It was in an advanced state of decomposition, as it was largely skeletonized. Macroscopic, radiographic, and histological examinations of the oral cavity showed the initial stages of alveolar bone remodeling of the first left mandibular molar, which was characterized by: (i) a small reduction in the vertical height of the vestibular surface with respect to the theoretical original position of the tooth; (ii) resorption of the intra-alveolar septum and lamina dura; and (iii) formation of new immature bone, which covered the entire inner surface of the socket. This study established that the subject died 13-42days after the tooth extraction. Knowing the date of the dental extraction provided by the police investigation, it was possible to provide an estimate of the date of death.