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At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Additional approaches to DNA typing of skeletal remains: the search for "missing" persons killed during the last dictatorship in Argentina.

DNA typing techniques are among the most advanced tools for human identification and can contribute to the identification of poorly preserved skeletal remains. Ten thousand people are thought to have been killed during the last dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983) and there are few official records on the identity of the victims or the location of burials. A mass grave containing 340 skeletons was excavated using archeological methods. A small number of individuals was identified by traditional forensic methods and one family group by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis. Due to the lack of antemortem physical information on many of the victims, the application of molecular methods is imperative to speed up the identification process. We have tested two molecular screening methods, Y chromosome-specific short tandem repeats (DYS19, DYS385, DYS389 I, DYS389 II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393) and amplification of autosomal microsatellites using nested primers. These methods can complement solely matrilineal mtDNA sequence data in the identification of "missing" persons.

Argentina↗
PubMed2005

Ancient DNA as a multidisciplinary experience.

Investigation into DNA from archeological remains offers an inestimable tool for unraveling the history of humankind. However, a series of basic and technical difficulties renders the analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA) molecules troublesome, depending either on their own peculiar characteristics or on the complexity of processes affecting the bone matrix over time, all compromising the preservation of ancient DNA. This review underlines the contribution of many different disciplines, in particular molecular biology and genetics, to overcome these obstacles. The role of each expertise is illustrated to appropriately address the questions arising in aDNA investigations.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Applications of accelerator mass spectrometry for pharmacological and toxicological research.

The technique of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), known for radiocarbon dating of archeological specimens, has revolutionized high-sensitivity isotope detection in pharmacology and toxicology by allowing the direct determination of the amount of isotope in a sample rather than measuring its decay. It can quantify many isotopes, including 26Al, 14C, 41Ca, and 3H with detection down to attomole (10(-18)) amounts. Pharmacokinetic data in humans have been achieved with ultra-low levels of radiolabel. One of the most exciting biomedical applications of AMS with 14C-labeled potential carcinogens is the detection of modified proteins or DNA in tissues. The relationship between low-level exposure and covalent binding of genotoxic chemicals has been compared in rodents and humans. Such compounds include heterocyclic amines, benzene, and tamoxifen. Other applications range from measuring the absorption of 26Al to monitoring 41Ca turnover in bone. In epoxy-embedded tissue sections, high-resolution imaging of 14C label in cells is possible. The uses of AMS are becoming more widespread with the availability of instrumentation dedicated to the analysis of biomedical samples.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Holes and grooves: the contribution of microscopy and taphonomy to the problem of art origins.

Optical and scanning electron microscopy, comparative anatomy, data from modern and Pleistocene carnivore accumulations, and analysis of archeological materials show that some of the pieces interpreted by various scholars as engraved or perforated bones from European Lower and Middle Paleolithic sites (such as Pech de l'Azé II, Stránska Skála, Kulna, Bois Roche and Cueva Morin) are not early manifestations of non-utilitarian behavior. Putative engravings are in fact vascular grooves, while perforated pieces are partially-digested bones regurgitated by hyenas. The current debate on art origins has often been centered on the symbolic value and cognitive implications of these and similar pieces without a first-hand analysis of the objects to provide convincing demonstration of the human origins of the marks. Such demonstration is a necessary prerequisite to any discussion of their significance for the evolution of symbolic behavior.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Duinefontein 2: an Acheulean site in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

Excavations at Duinefontein (DFT) 2 near Cape Town, South Africa have recovered numerous stone artefacts and animal bones on an ancient surface sealed within iron-stained eolian sands. U-series analysis of an overlying calcrete places the sands before 150 ka ago, while the large mammal taxa imply an age between 400 and 200 ka ago. The artefacts include a classic Acheulean handaxe and probable biface shaping flakes that support this age estimate. The principal mammalian species are long-horned buffalo, black wildebeest, greater kudu, Cape zebra, and grysbok/steenbok, which imply a grass-and-bush mosaic instead of the historic small-leafed shrubland. Hippopotamus and reedbuck indicate that water stood nearby, probably in dune swales. The large mammal bones are mostly vertebrae and other axial elements, often in near-anatomical order. Both proximal and distal appendicular elements are rare. Bones with carnivore damage are common, but ones with stone tool marks are scarce. The sum suggests a water-edge attritional death site where people played a minimal role and carcasses were disarticulated mainly by carnivore feeding and by trampling. Stone tool marks tend to be equally rare at other Acheulean attritional death sites, and the implication may be that Acheulean people rarely obtained large mammals, whether by hunting or scavenging. Human scavengers at DFT2 would not have encountered a disproportionate number of distal (versus proximal) limb elements, and it follows that the tendency for distal elements to dominate many archeological assemblages need not reflect scavenging versus hunting. Even if DFT2 was not itself a locus of intense human activity, it provides a useful baseline for evaluating bone damage, skeletal part representation, and other variables at sites where people were deeply involved.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Paleoradiologic evaluation of the Egyptian royal mummies.

We examined radiographs of 12 Egyptian royal mummies obtained by two of the authors (W.R. and J.E.H.) and never before published. These radiographs demonstrate findings not previously described in Egyptian mummies, including congenital lunate-triquetral fusion and destructive skeletal lesions not explainable on the basis of vandalism by tomb robbers. Antemortem fractures, degenerative joint disease, and arterial vascular calcification were also seen. In 11 of the 12 cases, there was chondrocalcinosis of intervertebral discs or menisci, probably an artifact of embalming. Visceral packing and skeletal deformity due to wrapping were observed, as well. Radiology provides important paleopathologic and archeologic information for the accurate, comprehensive study of Egyptian mummies.

Bone Diseases↗
PubMed1995

Estimation of chronologic age using the aspartic acid racemization method. II. On human cortical bone.

Over the last 20 years a new chemical method, base on the racemization of aspartic acid, has been developed to be used for the estimation of chronologic age in adult individuals. The method has a good accuracy when used on dental enamel, dentine and cartilage. However, in forensic and archeological cases teeth and cartilage are not always available. Since preliminary studies have shown that there are some age-related changes of the D/L aspartic acid ratio also in bone, this study was carried out to further explore if the method could be used for age estimations of bone. Bone samples from 24 individuals, aged 0.2 to 95.6 years were analysed for the D/L ratios with HPLC-technique. Two different fractions of the bone were examined, an acid-soluble peptide fraction and an acid-insoluble collagen-rich fraction. The analyses showed age-related racemizations in both fractions, although of different rates. The correlation coefficients with age were 0.72 in the peptide fraction, and 0.84 in the collagen-rich fraction. It thus seems as if bone may be used for age estimations when more stable tissues like dentine and cartilage are not available.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Survey of the black howler monkey, alouatta pigra, population at the Mayan site of Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico.

A survey of the population of the black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra) present at the Mayan site of Palenque was conducted during 2000. A total of 911 man/hours, spread over 112 days were spent surveying the 600 ha area of pristine forest at the site for howler troops. We detected the presence of 136 individuals of which 131 were members of 20 troops, the rest were 3 solitary adult males and 2 adult males travelling as a pair. Ecological density was estimated at 23 individuals/km(2). Mean troop size was 7.0 individuals and it ranged from 2 - 12 individuals; 60% of the troops were multimale. All sighting of howler monkeys were in evergreen rain forest and 75% were in trees > or = 20 m in height. The reported densities and mean troop size are higher than those reported for the species in Guatemala and in central Quintana Roo, Mexico. The vegetation of the forest contains tree species reported to be used by species of Alouatta in the Moraceae, Sapotaceae, Leguminosae, and Lauraceae plant families. Protection of a large perimeter area (ca 1700 ha) around the archeological site by the Mexican government ensures the conservation of the forest and of the black howler monkey population present at the site.

Alouatta↗
PubMed1997

Paleodietary analysis on the prehistoric population of El Hierro (Canary Islands).

In order to deepen our knowledge of the dietary habits of the prehispanic inhabitants of El Hierro, we have determined bone strontium (Sr), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and calcium (Ca) in 52 human tibiae (23 belonging to male and 20 to female individuals) buried in a single burial cave; in 21 modern individuals who served as controls; and in 11 bones of herbivores found at archeological sites of the Canary Islands. Results suggest that females consumed a more vegetarian diet, although site-corrected Sr/Ca ratio of both males and females speaks for a mixed-diet consumption.

Atlantic Islands↗
PubMed1997

Paleodietary analysis on the prehistoric population of El Hierro (Canary Islands).

In order to deepen our knowledge of the dietary habits of the prehispanic inhabitants of El Hierro, we have determined bone strontium (Sr), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and calcium (Ca) in 52 human tibiae (23 belonging to males and 20 to females individuals) buried in a single burial cave; in 21 modern individuals who served as controls; and in 11 bones of herbivores found at archeological sites of the Canary Islands. Results suggest that females consumed a more vegetarian diet, although site-corrected Sr/Ca ratio of both males and females speaks for a mixed-diet consumption.

Atlantic Islands↗
PubMed2002

Molecular paleontology.

Molecular paleontology, i.e., the recovery of DNA from ancient human, animal, and plant remains is an innovative research field that has received progressively more attention from the scientific community since the 1980s. In the last decade, the field was punctuated by claims which aroused great interest but eventually turned out to be fakes--the most famous being the sequence of dinosaur DNA later shown to be of human origin. At present, the discipline is characterized by some certainties and many doubts. We know, for example, that we have reasonable chances to recover authentic DNA from a mammoth carcass, while our chances are negligible (or nonexistent) in the case of a dynastic mummy from Egypt. On the other hand, though we are developing convincing models of DNA decay in bone, we are not yet able to predict whether a certain paleontological or archeological site will yield material amenable to DNA analysis. This article reviews some of the most important and promising investigations using molecular paleontology approaches, such as studies on the conservation of DNA in human bone, the quest for ancient DNA in permafrost-frozen fauna, the Tyrolean iceman, and the Neandertals.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Genetic characterization of four Austronesian-speaking populations.

Ascertaining the genetic relationships between Austronesian populations is paramount to understanding their dispersal throughout the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The start of the Austronesian expansion has been dated to approximately 6,000 years ago, and from linguistic and archeological evidence, the origin of this dispersal may have been the island of Formosa. Consequently, the Taiwanese aboriginal populations and their phylogenetic relationship to the Austronesian-speaking groups from Madagascar at the occidental fringes of the expansion are of great interest. In this study, allelic frequencies from six polymorphic point mutation loci were assessed in the Austronesian-speaking populations of Madagascar, the Atayal aborigines of Formosa, and the general populations of Bali and Java. These allelic frequencies were compared and analyzed with the corresponding values from eight other worldwide populations from geographically targeted regions. The group from Madagascar is genetically distinct from their east-African neighbor from Zimbabwe. Our data also indicates that the Ami and the Atayal aborigines in the island of Taiwan, which occupy adjacent territories, differ sharply genetically. Genetic differences were also found between the populations of Bali and Java, belying their geographical proximity. Our results indicate that the east-African population from Madagascar phylogenetically segregates intermediate between mainland east-African and east-Asian groups, corroborating linguistic data indicating the Austronesian influence on this population.

Emigration and Immigration↗
PubMed1994

Fluoride concentration in ancient teeth measured by nuclear reaction.

Fluoride content in the enamel and dentine of ancient teeth has been measured using a nuclear analysis technique. Analysed teeth were found in a vast necropolis of Sicily (Italy) which is archeologically datable between the 13th and the 8th century B.C. Measurements gave high fluoride concentrations, of the order of 10 mg per gram of hydroxyapatite, comparable with the content of fluorotic teeth of patients living nowadays in regions rich in fluorinated drinking water. Results suggest that the dental caries process was probably unknown to the tribal population living in this geographical area.

Dental Caries↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A probable case of euthanasia amongst prehistoric aborigines at Roonka, South Australia.

Amongst skeletons recovered from an archeological survey at Roonka on the lower Murray River in South Australia was that of a pregnant woman. The position of the full term foetus and evidence of head trauma to the woman suggests that a mercy killing took place following failure of childbirth. The study of this burial provides an insight into Aboriginal society which would not be available from other sources.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Mechanically-induced generation of radicals in tooth enamel.

Mechanical instrumentation of enamel leads to the formation of long-lived free radicals that can be conveniently measured by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Powdered enamel tissue exhibited EPR signals remarkably similar to the radicals formed by ionizing radiation. The observations described below lead to the conclusion that physical stress will induce a free-radical formation in dental tissues. These observations have significance for other areas of study such as dosimetry and archeological dating.

Dental Enamel↗
PubMed2003

Optimization of headspace solid phase microextraction for gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of widely different volatility and polarity terpenoids in olibanum.

The aim of this study was the optimization of headspace SPME conditions for trapping diterpenes present in frankincense (olibanum). Diterpenes like cembrenes or incensole and its derivatives are characteristic of olibanum. So in order to detect by SPME the occurrence of olibanum in archeological objects, it appears essential to have the best extraction conditions for these diterpenes that will be in very small quantities. Both sampling time and extraction temperature were studied and five fiber coatings were tested: polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB), carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS), divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/CAR/PDMS) and carbowax/divinylbenzene (CW/DVB). The PDMS/DVB fiber was found to be the most efficient for trapping olibanum characteristic diterpenes, with a sampling time of 1 h and a sampling temperature of 80 degrees C.

Boswellia↗
PubMed2006

Multiple sclerosis in G: genes and geography.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) shows uneven geographic distribution globally as well as within countries. In epidemiological studies we have previously demonstrated that there is a high-risk focus for MS in the southern Ostrobothnian region of western Finland. In genetic studies we recently identified haplotypes that associate with MS specifically in patients originating from southern Ostrobothnia suggesting a founder effect. Such haplotypes can be used as molecular tools for tracing common ancestry between patients in different geographic locations. In addition to providing clues to the historical origin, such a genetic archeological approach should help narrow the size of the shared haplotype, thus facilitating the identification of etiological variants and possibly define a superfamily of MS patients with common pathogenetic mechanisms.

Finland↗
PubMed2006

The biology and evolution of music: a comparative perspective.

Studies of the biology of music (as of language) are highly interdisciplinary and demand the integration of diverse strands of evidence. In this paper, I present a comparative perspective on the biology and evolution of music, stressing the value of comparisons both with human language, and with those animal communication systems traditionally termed "song". A comparison of the "design features" of music with those of language reveals substantial overlap, along with some important differences. Most of these differences appear to stem from semantic, rather than structural, factors, suggesting a shared formal core of music and language. I next review various animal communication systems that appear related to human music, either by analogy (bird and whale "song") or potential homology (great ape bimanual drumming). A crucial comparative distinction is between learned, complex signals (like language, music and birdsong) and unlearned signals (like laughter, ape calls, or bird calls). While human vocalizations clearly build upon an acoustic and emotional foundation shared with other primates and mammals, vocal learning has evolved independently in our species since our divergence with chimpanzees. The convergent evolution of vocal learning in other species offers a powerful window into psychological and neural constraints influencing the evolution of complex signaling systems (including both song and speech), while ape drumming presents a fascinating potential homology with human instrumental music. I next discuss the archeological data relevant to music evolution, concluding on the basis of prehistoric bone flutes that instrumental music is at least 40,000 years old, and perhaps much older. I end with a brief review of adaptive functions proposed for music, concluding that no one selective force (e.g., sexual selection) is adequate to explaining all aspects of human music. I suggest that questions about the past function of music are unlikely to be answered definitively and are thus a poor choice as a research focus for biomusicology. In contrast, a comparative approach to music promises rich dividends for our future understanding of the biology and evolution of music.

Animal Communication↗