Slide 1Slide 2Slide 3Slide 4Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7Slide 8Slide 9Slide 10Slide 11Slide 12Slide 13Slide 14Review of SkeletonWhen you find a human skeleton, what are thefirst two things you want to know about it?Sex of the individualAge at death of the individualWhat parts of the skeleton are best fortelling the sex of the individual?#1 is the pelvis#2 is the skullGeneral aspect of the skeletonPelvis -- best for telling sexFemale: ilia are flared out,subpubic angle greater, sciatic notch widerOverall, males tend to be more rugged and muscularWhich of these is female, and which male?Ruggedness, brow ridge, chin,nuchal crest, mastoid processmuscle attachment at temporal areaWhat about the skull?What parts of the body (and how) are bestfor telling us the age at death of the individual?1. Tooth eruption: deciduous and permanent teeth erupt at known age ranges2. Epiphyseal closure: bones, especially long bones, stop growing and the epiphyses and diaphyses fuse together at known age ranges3. Pubic symphysis roughness: changes with age4. Cranial suture closure: separate bones in skull fuse together at known age rangesAge Estimation -- tooth eruption(Steele & Bramblett 1988:103)Cross-section of 6-year-old child’s mandible,showing developing but unerupted permanent teethHumans have deciduous and permanent teeththat tend to erupt at known agesAge estimation epiphyseal closureAdult femurNewbornOssification centers ina subadult femurepiphysisdiaphysis(bone shaft)epiphysisAge estimation: pubic symphysisThis is where the two hip bones join in the frontTen age phases of changes established,based on how rugged or smooth the surface isMale: younger olderAge estimation: skull suture closureJust as long bones grow, so does the skullThe plates eventually join together, and withage the sutures between the plates smooth outSUMMARYFirst two things you want to know about a skeleton:SEX:Pelvis (female wide, male narrow)Skull (male bigger brow ridge, muscle attachments, more square chin)Males generally more robust, females gracileAGE:Dental eruption (teeth erupt at known ages)Epiphyseal closure (diaphysis/epiphysis unite)Pubic symphysis (change in roughness)Cranial suture closure (least exact)What else can we learn from a skeleton?Stature (height: from length of long bones)Injuries, and whether you lived to heal or notActivities or cultural practicesCause of death if it affected bonesDiseases that affect bonesGeneral health and nutritionDietGenetic relationshipCould reconstruct face if know ethnicityWhat can we learn from a population(of skeletons)?Basic population statistics,to understand the structure of the populationMean life span (age at which half dead/half alive)Sex ratioLooking at population better than just one individualGives you idea of range of variation for that populationPaleodemography:DiseasesThe higher the population density, the moreinfectious diseasesPaleopathology:Health and Nutrition:What patterns do you see at the population level,and what can that tell you about human behavior?Comparison:Can compare your population to others:Similarities, differences, change through timeCan look for amount of sexual dimorphism inyour populationCan compare an individual skeleton to thepopulation to see whether normal or
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