Journal
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Volume 175, Issue 1, Pages 156-171Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24202
Keywords
bioarchaeology; dental fluctuating asymmetry; frailty; odontometrics; osteological paradox; Southwest United States; stress
Categories
Funding
- Center for Regional Studies, University of New Mexico
- Friends of Coronado Historic Site
- Office of Graduate Studies at the University of New Mexico
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The study found that individuals with active CO and PH lesions have higher DFA, while those with healed lesions have lower DFA. There was no relationship between EH and DFA. DFA alone does not predict individual mortality but CO does.
Objective This study examines whether individuals with higher dental fluctuating asymmetry (DFA) are frailer than those with lower DFA, by examining whether increased DFA is associated with skeletal lesion formation. Subjects and methods 150 individuals with permanent teeth and 64 individuals with deciduous teeth. All individuals are Ancestral Puebloans from archaeological sites in modern-day New Mexico. We estimate DFA in three ways: (a) deciduous DFA only, (b) permanent DFA only, and (c) a composite of permanent and deciduous DFA. We analyzed DFA alongside lesion status for cribra orbitalia (CO) and porotic hyperostosis (PH), as well as the presence/absence of enamel hypoplasia (EH). All stress indicators were further analyzed for their impact on mortality hazards. Results We find that individuals with active CO and PH lesions have increased DFA, while those with healed lesions have lower DFA. We found no relationship between EH and DFA. Further, DFA alone does not predict individual mortality but CO does. Conclusions Individuals with increased DFA are frailer and therefore, less capable of buffering themselves against perturbations to their health than those with lower DFA. All results indicate that individuals in this study with lower DFA were more successful in buffering themselves against random environmental impacts during childhood. While DFA alone does not predict mortality hazard, its relationship to lesion status (lower DFA in individuals with healed lesions) indicates that it would be a valuable addition to studies of health and stress.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available