Lynne A Schepartz
University of the Witwatersrand, Anatomical Sciences, Faculty Member
- Human Evolution, Paleoanthropology, Skeletal Biology, Dental Anthropology, Biological Life Course, Hominin Growth and Development, and 34 moreBiological Anthropology, Anthropology, Bioarchaeology, human & faunal osteology, Anatomical Sciences, Paleolithic Archaeology, Evolutionary theory, Hunter gatherer Ecology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Palaeolithic Archaeology, Cognitive archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Geoarchaeology, Stratigraphy, Paleoecology, Paleoenvironment, Paleoclimate, Language Evolution, Vertebrate taphonomy, Archaeology, Classics, Bioarchaeology, Dentistry, Human Osteology, Aegean Bronze Age (Bronze Age Archaeology), Aegean Archaeology, Mortuary archaeology, Paleopathology, Mycenaean era archaeology, Chinese archaeology, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Aegean Prehistory, Funerary Archaeology, Bone Biology, and Illyrian Archaeologyedit
Objectives To investigate three-dimensional morphological variation of the occipital bone between sexes and among populations, to determine how ancestry, sex and size account for occipital shape variation and to describe the exact forms... more
Objectives To investigate three-dimensional morphological variation of the occipital bone between sexes and among populations, to determine how ancestry, sex and size account for occipital shape variation and to describe the exact forms by which the differences are expressed. Methods CT data for 214 modern crania of Asian, African and European ancestry were compared using 3D geometric morphometrics and multivariate statistics, including principal component analysis, Hotelling's T 2 test, multivariate regression, ANOVA, and MANCOVA. Results Sex differences in average occipital morphology are only observed in Europeans, with males exhibiting a pronounced inion. Significant ancestral differences are observed among all samples and are shared by males and females. Asian and African crania have smaller biasterionic breadths and flatter clivus angles compared to Europeans. Asian and European crania are similar in their nuchal and occipital plane proportions, nuchal and occipital angles, and lower inion positions compared to Africans. Centroid size significantly differs between sexes and among populations. The overall allometry, while significant, explains little of the shape variation. Larger occipital bones were associated with a more curved occipital plane, a pronounced inion, a narrower biasterionic breadth, a more flexed clivus, and a lower and relatively smaller foramen magnum. Conclusions Although significant shape differences were observed among populations, it is not recommended to use occipital morphology in sex or population estimation as both factors explained little of the observed variance. Other factors, relating to function and the PLOS ONE PLOS ONE | https://doi.
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Background: Female reproduction is associated with physiological, metabolic and nutritional demands that can negatively affect health and are possibly cumulative when parity is high. While it is probable that maternal oral health is... more
Background: Female reproduction is associated with physiological, metabolic and nutritional demands that can negatively affect health and are possibly cumulative when parity is high. While it is probable that maternal oral health is similarly affected, available evidence is based on fairly low parity populations and likely confounders affecting oral health status were not considered.
Aim: To determine the relationship between parity and tooth loss in a population with many high parity women. Contributions of age, reproductive and socio-economic parameters, and oral health practices were considered.
Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 612 Hausa women of all parity levels aged 13-65 years. Women with ≥5 children were considered high parity. Socio-demographic status and oral health practices were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. All teeth present, (excluding third molars) and missing teeth were noted, with inquiries regarding tooth loss etiology. Associations with tooth loss were evaluated through correlations, ANOVA, post hoc analyses and Student’s t-tests. Effect sizes were used to interpret the magnitude of differences. Multiple regression (negative binomial model) was used to investigate predictors of tooth loss.
Results: Hausa women had a low prevalence of tooth loss, despite poor oral hygiene and limited dental care. Older, middle SES, and higher parity women experienced significantly more tooth loss. Additionally, increased duration of reproductively active years was significantly related to fewer remaining teeth.
Conclusion: Higher parity was related to greater tooth loss in Hausa women. Women with >5 children experienced more loss than lower parity age mates.
Key words: Parity, tooth loss, Maternal Depletion Syndrome, Africa
Aim: To determine the relationship between parity and tooth loss in a population with many high parity women. Contributions of age, reproductive and socio-economic parameters, and oral health practices were considered.
Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 612 Hausa women of all parity levels aged 13-65 years. Women with ≥5 children were considered high parity. Socio-demographic status and oral health practices were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. All teeth present, (excluding third molars) and missing teeth were noted, with inquiries regarding tooth loss etiology. Associations with tooth loss were evaluated through correlations, ANOVA, post hoc analyses and Student’s t-tests. Effect sizes were used to interpret the magnitude of differences. Multiple regression (negative binomial model) was used to investigate predictors of tooth loss.
Results: Hausa women had a low prevalence of tooth loss, despite poor oral hygiene and limited dental care. Older, middle SES, and higher parity women experienced significantly more tooth loss. Additionally, increased duration of reproductively active years was significantly related to fewer remaining teeth.
Conclusion: Higher parity was related to greater tooth loss in Hausa women. Women with >5 children experienced more loss than lower parity age mates.
Key words: Parity, tooth loss, Maternal Depletion Syndrome, Africa
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Background
Background: The effect of nutritional status on the timing of permanent tooth forma
Objectives: This study investigates mean age, sequence, and temporal trends of permanent tooth emergence in Black Southern African children and compares the findings with other population samples. Materials and methods: This... more
Objectives: This study investigates mean age, sequence, and temporal trends of permanent tooth emergence in Black Southern African children and compares the findings with other population samples. Materials and methods: This community-based cross-sectional study involved 639 Black Southern African children between 5 and 20 years of age. Probit analysis was used to derive the mean age at emergence of the permanent teeth. Sex and cross-population comparisons were under-taken to determine similarities and differences in emergence timing and sequence.
Several human dental traits typical of modern humans appear to be associated with the prolonged period of de- velopment that is a key human attribute. Understanding when, and in which early hominins, these dental traits first appeared is... more
Several human dental traits typical of modern humans appear to be associated with the prolonged period of de- velopment that is a key human attribute. Understanding when, and in which early hominins, these dental traits first appeared is thus of strong interest. Using x-ray multiresolution synchrotron phase-contrast microtomography, we quantify dental growth and development in an archaic Homo juvenile from the Xujiayao site in northern China dating to 161,000–224,000 years or 104,000–125,000 years before present. Despite the archaic morphology of Xujiayao hominins, most aspects of dental development of this juvenile fall within modern human ranges (e.g., prolonged crown formation time and delayed first molar eruption). For its estimated age-at-death (6.5 years), its state of dental development is comparable to that of equivalently aged modern children. These findings suggest that several facets of modern human dental growth and development evolved in East Asia before the appearance of fully modern human morphology.
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Cranial capacity is one of the most important features used in hominin taxonomic and morphological analyses. For complete or nearly complete modern human crania, the traditional methods of estimating cranial capacity include filling the... more
Cranial capacity is one of the most important features used in hominin taxonomic and morphological analyses. For complete or nearly complete modern human crania, the traditional methods of estimating cranial capacity include filling the vault with seeds, the water displacement method, and the use of regression formulae based on craniometrics. For incomplete human fossils, cranial capacities are estimated by reconstructing endocasts manually or virtually or by using existing modern human skull regression formulae; however, the accuracies of these methods are usually dubious. To find a more accurate way of estimating cranial capacity of partial skulls, seven different estimation methods are compared, including the manual reconstruction of the endocast, models built on skulls and models built on endocasts. We then estimated the cranial capacity of a fragmentary Late Pleistocene cranium, Jing-chuan 1. The models are tested on 30 modern human skulls, three Homo erectus fossils and one Late Pleistocene Homo sapiens fossil. In terms of estimating the cranial capacity of the fossil humans, our results indicate that the cranial capacity estimates based on endocasts are more precise than those from exterior skull dimensions, that multivariate models are better than univariate ones, and that the new models using PCR and PLSR have the smallest errors (<50 ml). From the seven methods, the cranial capacity of Jingchuan 1 is estimated to be 1630 ml, 1505 ml, 1533 ml, 1468 ml, 1512 ml, 1470 ml, and 1457 ml, respectively. The most reliable results for the Jingchuan 1 cranial capacity are between 1470 and 1457 ml, and the average is 1464 ml. This study has direct applications to future studies of cranial capacity variation and brain evolution in fossil and modern humans.
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Background: Femoral sulcus angle is particularly important in clinical evaluation of patellofemoral joint. Individuals show considerable differences in asymmetrical dimensions of the femur. Objectives: To determine the size of femoral... more
Background: Femoral sulcus angle is particularly important in clinical evaluation of patellofemoral joint. Individuals show considerable differences in asymmetrical dimensions of the femur. Objectives: To determine the size of femoral sulcus angles in adult black Malawians using the skeletal collection in the department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and assess their gender differences; to compare femoral sulcus angles of Malawians with other ethnic groups. Methods: A cross sectional study was done in which femoral sulcus angles of dry bones were measured using a goniometer. Results: There is no significant difference in the mean sulcus angles between right and left femora in males (p=0.8100) and females (p=0.0742); between all males combined and females combined (p=0.8845). There is a significant difference in the mean between all left femora combined and all right femora combined (p=0.0260). Conclusion: This study has provided the mean size of the femoral sulcus angle of adult Malawians. These findings suggest that the size of the sulcus angle cannot determine gender among adult black Malawians suggesting the interpretation that femora asymmetric dimensions are population specific, which should be considered in the patellofemoral joint evaluation.
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Bioarchaeology is a relatively new and dynamic area of anthropological research, having grown out of the New Archaeology’s emphasis on understanding formation processes within a broader anthropological/behavioral context. Current... more
Bioarchaeology is a relatively new and dynamic area of
anthropological research, having grown out of the New
Archaeology’s emphasis on understanding formation processes within a broader anthropological/behavioral context. Current bioarchaeological research is increasingly focused on questions of identity and social roles from the perspectives of agency and
embodiment and with an emphasis on contextual interpretation, as illustrated by the edited volumes discussed in this review. The relevance of this bioarchaeology research extends to other areas of anthropological enquiry, especially when considering the importance of the body in power and identity
construction in contemporary societies.
anthropological research, having grown out of the New
Archaeology’s emphasis on understanding formation processes within a broader anthropological/behavioral context. Current bioarchaeological research is increasingly focused on questions of identity and social roles from the perspectives of agency and
embodiment and with an emphasis on contextual interpretation, as illustrated by the edited volumes discussed in this review. The relevance of this bioarchaeology research extends to other areas of anthropological enquiry, especially when considering the importance of the body in power and identity
construction in contemporary societies.
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The supratrochlear aperture (STA) is a perforation of the septum found between the olecranon and coronoid fossae of the humerus. Its prevalence is population specific and varies by sex. There is no consensus on the etiology of this... more
The supratrochlear aperture (STA) is a perforation of the septum found between the olecranon and coronoid fossae of the humerus. Its prevalence is population specific and varies by sex. There is no consensus on the etiology of this feature despite decades of investigation. Two aspects of the mechanical theory, which states that the STA is formed when the ulnar olecranon and coronoid processes impinge upon the sep-tum separating the olecranon and coronoid fossae, were investigated. First, osteometric measures of bone size were used to test the proposition that larger humeri are less prone to STA formation. We compared the dimensions of STA bearing humeri with those lacking STAs and investigated which skeletal features discriminate among South African populations. To specifically evaluate the mechanical theory that articulation with the olecranon and coronoid fossae may result in STA formation, dimensions of the olecranon and coronoid processes were compared. Our results verified that smaller individuals are prone to STA formation and that a significantly longer olecranon process is associated with the aperture. The olecranon process length and olecranon-coronoid distance were the main contributors to STA presence. Variables that contributed the most towards discrimination among the South African populations were the olecranon fossa depth and right humeral head circumference. An inverse relationship between the olecranon process length and olecranon fossa depth was also associated with presence of the STA. Anat Rec, 299:220–233, 2016. V C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
This study uses bioarchaeological methods and interpretive frameworks, in conjunction with archaeological and textual evidence, to document and interpret the record of Greek colonial interactions between Corinth and local populations at... more
This study uses bioarchaeological methods and interpretive frameworks, in conjunction with archaeological and textual evidence, to document and interpret the record of Greek colonial interactions between Corinth and local populations at Apollonia, Albania, in the region known as Illyria (modern Albania). A series of Illyrian human remains (n = 304; Early Iron Age–Hellenistic periods) and Corinthian human remains (n = 72; Neolithic–Hellenistic periods) were examined for evidence of physiological stress in order to characterise the impact of colonisation. Statistical comparisons of pre-colonial and post-colonial skeletal remains indicate that stress increased at Apollonia following colonisation. This change may have resulted from impoverish-ment following Corinth's extraction of local Illyrian resources and changes in sanitation and disease transmission associated with urbanism. Conversely, the record suggests a decrease in stress, although not to a significant extent, in Corinth. We speculate that decline in physiological stress in the Corinthian setting may reflect improved dietary quality and increased food availability.
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Cranial capacity is one of the most important features used in hominin taxonomic and morphological analyses. For complete or nearly complete modern human crania, the traditional methods of estimating cranial capacity include filling the... more
Cranial capacity is one of the most important features used in hominin taxonomic and morphological analyses. For complete or nearly complete modern human crania, the traditional methods of estimating cranial capacity include filling the vault with seeds, the water displacement method, and the use of regression formulae based on craniometrics. For incomplete human fossils, cranial capacities are estimated by reconstructing endocasts manually or virtually or by using existing modern human skull regression formulae; however, the accuracies of these methods are usually dubious. To find a more accurate way of estimating cranial capacity of partial skulls, seven different estimation methods are compared, including the manual reconstruction of the endocast, models built on skulls and models built on endocasts. We then estimated the cranial capacity of a fragmentary Late Pleistocene cranium, Jing-chuan 1. The models are tested on 30 modern human skulls, three Homo erectus fossils and one Late Pleistocene Homo sapiens fossil. In terms of estimating the cranial capacity of the fossil humans, our results indicate that the cranial capacity estimates based on endocasts are more precise than those from exterior skull dimensions, that multivariate models are better than univariate ones, and that the new models using PCR and PLSR have the smallest errors (<50 ml). From the seven methods, the cranial capacity of Jingchuan 1 is estimated to be 1630 ml, 1505 ml, 1533 ml, 1468 ml, 1512 ml, 1470 ml, and 1457 ml, respectively. The most reliable results for the Jingchuan 1 cranial capacity are between 1470 and 1457 ml, and the average is 1464 ml. This study has direct applications to future studies of cranial capacity variation and brain evolution in fossil and modern humans.
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The supratrochlear aperture (STA) is a perforation of the septum found between the olecranon and coronoid fossae of the humerus. Its prevalence is population specific and varies by sex. There is no consensus on the etiology of this... more
The supratrochlear aperture (STA) is a perforation of the septum found between the olecranon and coronoid fossae of the humerus. Its prevalence is population specific and varies by sex. There is no consensus on the etiology of this feature despite decades of investigation. Two aspects of the mechanical theory, which states that the STA is formed when the ulnar olecranon and coronoid processes impinge upon the septum separating the olecranon and coronoid fossae, were investigated. First, osteometric measures of bone size were used to test the proposition that larger humeri are less prone to STA formation. We compared the dimensions of STA bearing humeri with those lacking STAs and investigated which skeletal features discriminate among South African populations. To specifically evaluate the mechanical theory that articulation with the olecranon and coronoid fossae may result in STA formation, dimensions of the olecranon and coronoid processes were compared. Our results verified that ...
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Review of Sacred Rocks and Buddhist Caves in Thailand, by Christophe Munier; Bugis Navigation, by Gene Ammarell; National Treasure, by Peter Bleed; Spirit Bird Journey, by Sarah Milledge Nelson; The Archaeometallurgy of the Asian Old World, by Vincent C. Piggott (ed.); God-Apes and Fossil Men. Pa...more
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This paper investigates temporal trends in femoral subtrochanteric shape in Albanian skeletal material to evaluate levels of platymeria in a set of populations with European ancestry. Although flattening of the diaphysis in the... more
This paper investigates temporal trends in femoral subtrochanteric shape in Albanian skeletal material to evaluate levels of platymeria in a set of populations with European ancestry. Although flattening of the diaphysis in the subtrochanteric region has been associated with individuals of Native American and Asian ancestry, high levels of platymeria may not be unique to those groups. The forensic utility of Gilbert and Gill's (Skeletal Attribution of Race: Methods for Forensic Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 1990) method for identifying ancestry from femoral subtrochanteric shape is examined using non-American skeletons of European ancestry. Femoral subtrochanteric anteroposterior and mediolateral diameters for Albanian skeletons from Apollonia (n=117) and Lofkënd (n=50) are assessed for temporal trends and then compared with published data using one-way ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey tests. High degrees of subtrochanteric flattening are identified in the Albania...
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... As the Khoisan are significantly different from other African groups for several genetic markers (Harpending and Jenkins 1973; Hiernaux 1975; Mourant 1983; Tobias 1985; Nurse et al. ... Holocene sites north-east of Lake Turkana.... more
... As the Khoisan are significantly different from other African groups for several genetic markers (Harpending and Jenkins 1973; Hiernaux 1975; Mourant 1983; Tobias 1985; Nurse et al. ... Holocene sites north-east of Lake Turkana. Azania 12:33M1. Barthelme, JW 1981. ...
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The burial tumulus of Lofkënd lies in one of the richest archaeological areas of Albania (ancient Illyria) home to a number of burial tumuli spanning the Bronze and Iron Ages of later European prehistory. Modern understanding of the pre-... more
The burial tumulus of Lofkënd lies in one of the richest archaeological areas of Albania (ancient Illyria) home to a number of burial tumuli spanning the Bronze and Iron Ages of later European prehistory. Modern understanding of the pre- and protohistory of Illyria has largely been shaped by the contents of such burial mounds, yet some were robbed long ago, others reused for modern burials, and few were excavated under scientific conditions. What inspired this systematic exploration by UCLA was more than the promise of an unplundered necropolis; it was also the chance to revisit the significance of this tumulus and its fellows for the emergence of urbanism and complexity in ancient Illyria. In addition to artifacts, the recovery of surviving plant remains, bones, and other organic material contributed to insights into the environmental and ecological history of the region. Full analysis of all the skeletal remains, inhumed and cremated, enhanced knowledge about the demography and human population in this region of Albania. Finally, an intensive survey of the environment around the burial mound revealed the long-term history of its human and natural landscape.
For more information and book orders, go to:
http://www.ioa.ucla.edu/publications/browse-books/monumenta-archaeologica/the-excavation-of-the-prehistoric-burial-tumulus-at-lofkend-albania
For more information and book orders, go to:
http://www.ioa.ucla.edu/publications/browse-books/monumenta-archaeologica/the-excavation-of-the-prehistoric-burial-tumulus-at-lofkend-albania
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This presentation is an professorial inauguarl lecture delivered on October 30, 2018. It presents my research on health inequalities, beginning from prehistory to the modern day.