Laurie Reitsema | The University of Georgia (original) (raw)

Journal Articles by Laurie Reitsema

We report preliminary carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope evidence for diet and migration during... more We report preliminary carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope evidence for diet and migration during multiple periods in Albanian history, and compare isotopic evidence for diet to complementary evidence from oral pathology. The sites include two cities founded as Greek colonies: Epidamnus/Dyrrachion (modern-day Durrës) and Apollonia in Illyria. Skeletons date to the Archaic-Hellenistic periods (seventh-first centuries BC), Roman periods (first century BC to fourth century AD), Late Antiquity (fifth-seventh centuries AD), and the Medieval period (eighth-fourteenth centuries AD), a large time span which encompasses dramatic social and political changes and partial population replacements associated with colonization and warfare. Results from all periods show a diet based on C 3 , terrestrial foods. Despite no temporal trends, diet is most varied during Late Antiquity. Oral health of individuals interred within cities is worse than among individuals interred outside city walls, suggesting diet differences specifically linked to city life. Oral pathology variations are not mirrored in isotopic data, reflecting the fact that oral health is influenced not only by ingredients in the diet, but also by food processing techniques, hormones, oral hygiene, oral bacteria, and genetics. While two-thirds of the individuals from Epidamnus/Dyrrachion are estimated to have been born and raised elsewhere, none of the individuals from cemeteries outside Apollonia's walls are, suggesting greater population movement associated with cities. This study joins other research showing stability in people's diets across broad time scales, whether due to constraint, resilience, or resistance to change, and demonstrates a high level of migration to ancient Mediterranean cities.

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PNAS, 2022

Trade and colonization caused an unprecedented increase in Mediterranean human mobility in the fi... more Trade and colonization caused an unprecedented increase in Mediterranean human mobility in the first millennium BCE. Often seen as a dividing force, warfare is in fact another catalyst of culture contact. We provide insight into the demographic dynamics of ancient warfare by reporting genome-wide data from fifth-century soldiers who fought for the army of the Greek Sicilian colony of Himera, along with representatives of the civilian population, nearby indigenous settlements, and 96 present-day individuals from Italy and Greece. Unlike the rest of the sample, many soldiers had ancestral origins in northern Europe, the Steppe, and the Caucasus. Integrating genetic, archaeological, isotopic, and historical data, these results illustrate the significant role mercenaries played in ancient Greek armies and highlight how participation in war contributed to continental-scale human mobility in the Classical world.

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The International Encyclopedia of Biological Anthropology , 2018

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Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2020

During the 8-7th centuries BCE, Greeks began establishing colonies throughout the Mediterranean r... more During the 8-7th centuries BCE, Greeks began establishing colonies throughout the Mediterranean region. Founded in 648 BCE, the Greek colony Himera was the meeting place for Greeks of multiple cultural backgrounds , indigenous Sicilians, and Phoenicians, and was closely connected to the broader Mediterranean world through trade. We explore evidence for diversity and cultural hybridity at Himera from the perspective of its food traditions using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of 90 humans, and fauna associated with the burials. Results indicate diets based on C 3 plants, supporting historical evidence that cereals provided most daily calories, with other plants eaten as supplemental "relishes." Terrestrial animal protein was consumed in variable, but mostly low amounts, and there is no clear isotopic evidence for fish consumption. There are no differences in diet based on burial style, body position, burial "richness," or age group, but some evidence for differences in diets of males and females, particularly during young adulthood. The fact that diets vary independently of several potentially prominent markers of status or ethnicity supports models of cultural hybridity in Greek colonization, wherein elements of different cultures mingled and recombined in new ways specific to the colony, rather than simple admixture or assimilation.

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Current Anthropology, 2017

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Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2017

In Europe during the medieval period, new constraints were introduced to the balance of people's ... more In Europe during the medieval period, new constraints were introduced to the balance of people's food production, distribution and consumption. As a proxy indicator of diet, stable isotope ratios from osseous remains offer a window into past human lifeways and the adoption of new dietary regimes. We report stable carbon and nitrogen isotope results of a large diachronic study of skeletons from Poland's Pomeranian region in the Vistula River valley, using concepts of resilience, agency, and transition in bioarchaeological research frameworks to explain pace of diet change and intra-population variations in diet. Two skeletal samples are from 10 to 13th century Kałdus, an economic center of the early Piast dynasty, and two are from 12 to 14th century Gruczno, a neighboring agricultural village. Humans exhibit a mean d 15 N value of 9.8 ± 0.9‰, a mean d 13 C coll value of À19.4 ± 0.9‰, and a mean d 13 C ap value of À12.74 ± 1.30‰. Despite similar time periods and shared geographic region, Kałdus and Gruczno differ markedly in terms of fish and millet consumption. Diet does not change according to expectations based on the Christianization, urbanization, and marketization of Poland at this time. Rather than broad national trends affecting what people ate, more significant influences on diet appear to have been local sociodemographic conditions, to which people adjusted in ways that enabled them to retain fundamental aspects of their daily lives spanning the medieval period.

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Objectives: Early-life nutrition is a predisposing factor for later-life outcomes. This study tes... more Objectives: Early-life nutrition is a predisposing factor for later-life outcomes. This study tests the hypothesis that subadults from medieval Trino Vercellese, Italy, who lived to adulthood consumed isotopically different diets compared with subadults who died before reaching adulthood. We have previously used a life history approach, comparing dentine and bone of the same adult individuals (" subadults who lived "), to elucidate dietary variation across the life span. Here, we examine diets of " subadults who died " from the same population, estimated from subadult rib collagen, to explore whether dietary behaviors of subadults who lived differed from those of subadults who died. Methods: Forty-one subadults aged six months to 14.5 years were studied through stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of collagen. Results: Individuals were weaned by age 4 years, with considerable variation in weaning ages overall. Post-weaning, diets of subadults who died comprised significantly less animal protein than diets of subadults who lived. Isotopic values of the two oldest individuals, 13.5 and 14.5 years, show the same status-based variation in diet as do adults from the population. Conclusions: Our results suggest that incorporating animal protein in diet during growth and development supported medieval subadults' ability to survive to adulthood. Isotopic similarities between adults and older subadults suggest " adult " dietary behaviors were adopted in adolescence. Stable isotope evidence from subadults bridges a disparity between ontogenetic age categories and socioculturally meaningful age categories in the past, and sheds light on the underpinnings of health, mortality, growth, and disease in the bioarchaeological record. Am J Phys Anthropol 000:000–000, 2016.

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Isotopic evidence from animal bones deposited in urban contexts offers a landscape perspective in... more Isotopic evidence from animal bones deposited in urban contexts offers a landscape perspective into urban life, hinting at where animals lived before reaching their final resting place in the city. Here, we use stable carbon and nitrogen isotope evidence from cattle (Bos taurus) bones excavated from commercial and residential sites within historic Charleston, South Carolina, to evaluate whether markets pooled or segregated access to beef cattle drawn into the urban economy from the broader landscape. Results indicate that stable isotope values of cattle are varied, suggesting a broad catchment area, and differ significantly among site contexts, offering preliminary evidence regarding the roles markets played in integrating the surrounding landscape through market exchange.
KEYWORDS: Zooarchaeology, stable isotope analysis, historical archaeology, urban provisioning

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American Journal of Primatology

Weaning is a transition in early development with major implications for infant survival and well... more Weaning is a transition in early development with major implications for infant survival and well-being,
and for maternal lifetime reproductive success. The particular strategy a primate mother adopts in rearing
her offspring represents a negotiation between her ability to invest and her need to invest, and can be
considered adaptive and influenced by biological and social factors. Any investigation into how and why
maternal weaning strategies differ among non-human primates is limited by the precision of the
measurement tool used to assess infants’ weaning ages. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of soft
tissues (e.g., hair, nails, feces, urine, blood) offers an objective means of monitoring the weaning status of
infants. In this study, we assess stable isotope ratios in blood serum from 14 captive rhesus macaque dyads
(Macaca mulatta) at infant ages 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 months to estimate the timing of weaning events. Male
infants wean earlier than female infants. Infants with the lowest birth weights wean latest. Most infants
wean upon reaching 2.5 times their birth weights, sooner than when weaning elsewhere has been predicted
for captive cercopithecine primates. The longest weaning periods (ca. 10 months) are observed among
infants of small mothers. The shortest weaning period, between 2 and 5 months, was among the lowest
ranking dyad. Parity andmothers’ ages had no discernible effect on the timing of weaning events. The stable
carbon and nitrogen isotope values of dams during lactation are significantly different than those of a nonlactating
adult female outgroup, raising questions about the suitability and selection of adult comparative
baselines in studies where lactating mothers cannot be sampled longitudinally (e.g., bioarchaeology;
paleontology). Am. J. Primatol.

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American Journal of Human Biology, 2015

Stable isotope analysis (SIA; carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen) of human tissues of... more Stable isotope analysis (SIA; carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen) of human tissues offers a means for assessing diet among living humans. Stable isotope ratios of broad categories of food and drink food vary systematically, and stable isotope ratios in consumer tissues represent a composite of the isotopic ratios of food and drink consumed during an individual's life. Isotopic evidence for diet is independent of errors in informant recall, and accrues during time periods when researchers are absent. Beyond diet reconstruction, tissue stable isotope ratios are sensitive to excursions from homeostasis, such as starvation and rapid growth. Because of their relationship to diet, geographic location, hydration, and nutritional status, stable isotope signatures in human tissues offer a window into human biocultural adaptations, past and present. This article describes methods for SIA that may be usefully applied in studies of living humans, with emphasis placed on carbon and nitrogen. Some of the ecological, physiological, and evolutionary applications of stable isotope data among living humans are discussed. By incorporating SIA in research, human biologists facilitate a productive dialog with bioarchaeologists, who routinely use stable isotope evidence, mingling different perspectives on human biology and behavior. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Oct 2014

ABSTRACT The concepts of “stress” and “health” are foundational in physical anthropology as guid... more ABSTRACT The concepts of “stress” and “health” are
foundational in physical anthropology as guidelines for
interpreting human behavior and biocultural adaptation
in the past and present. Though related, stress and
health are not coterminous, and while the term “health”
encompasses some aspects of “stress,” health refers to a
more holistic condition beyond just physiological disruption,
and is of considerable significance in contributing
to anthropologists’ understanding of humanity’s lived
experiences. Bioarchaeological interpretations of human
health generally are made from datasets consisting of
skeletal markers of stress, markers that result from
(chronic) physiological disruption (e.g., porotic hyperostosis;
linear enamel hypoplasia). Non-specific indicators of
stress may measure episodes of stress and indicate that
infection, disease, or nutritional deficiencies were present
in a population, but in assessing these markers, bioarchaeologists
are not measuring “health” in the same
way as are human biologists, medical anthropologists, or
primatologists. Rather than continue to diverge on separate
(albeit parallel) trajectories, bioarchaeologists are
advised to pursue interlinkages with other subfields
within physical anthropology toward bridging “stress”
and “health.” The papers in this special symposium set
include bioarchaeologists, human biologists, molecular
anthropologists, and primatologists whose research
develops this link between the concepts of “stress”
and “health,” encouraging new avenues for bioarchaeologists
to consider and reconsider health in past human
populations. Am J Phys Anthropol 155:181–185,
2014.

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American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Abstract Objectives: A “dip” in the stable nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N) of subadults in the la... more Abstract
Objectives: A “dip” in the stable nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N) of subadults in the late weaning/early post-weaning phase of growth and development has been observed. Speculatively, this is the mechanism of positive nitrogen balance operating among rapidly growing subadults. An alternate hypothesis for δ15N dips is that during weaning, subadults eat lower-15N foods than adults.
Methods: This study explores the role of positive nitrogen balance in affecting δ15N variation of growing subadults by comparing growth velocity with stable carbon isotope (δ13C) and δ15N ratios of blood serum from captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) (n=14) with controlled diets during the first 10 months of life.
Results: During the first six months, δ15N values are inversely correlated with growth in some of the anthropometrics (weight and sagittal circumference). Dips in some infants’ δ15N values below their mothers’ values are observed at the end of the weaning period. However, during this time frame, δ15N values of the infants are not correlated with anthropometric indices. Serum stable isotope ratios of lactating and non-lactating adult females differ significantly.
Conclusions: Growth in body mass and size explains some of the variation in infant δ15N values, but are not responsible for dips in the late weaning/early post-weaning phase. It is advised that future research evaluate the extent to which growth in other body systems affects nitrogen balance and δ15N dips during ontogeny, and expand on isotopic differences between lactating and non-lactating females.

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Purpose: To examine the perspectives of adolescent survivors of childhood cancer during the trans... more Purpose: To examine the perspectives of adolescent survivors of childhood cancer during the transition to early survivorship.
Methods: An exploratory, retrospective qualitative study using a multiple case study research design was conducted with eight adolescent survivors of childhood cancer between the ages of 14 and 17 years old. Adolescents who participated in the study were off treatment for a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 5 years. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, a semi-structured individual interview, and a follow-up meeting. Data were analyzed using a template organizing style, immersion/crystallization approach, and cross-case analysis strategies within the context of a pediatric oncology transition conceptual framework.
Results: Adolescent survivors perceived that their lives changed after treatment completion, but they did not define this time as a " transition." They identified re-engagement in activities and improvement in or absence of negative residual effects of treatment as indicators of returning to normalcy. Presence of residual effects restricted adolescents' participation in desired activities and reminded them that the impact of cancer and treatment extended beyond treatment completion. Adolescents varied in their perceived need for transition care.
Conclusion: Adolescents have a unique perspective regarding the transition to early survivorship, providing support for distinguishing them as a distinct subgroup of cancer survivors.

Keywords: transition, transition care, early survivorship, qualitative methods

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Anthropologie, 2014

ABSTRACT: In 2007 a ceremonial complex representing the Globular Amphora Culture was discovered i... more ABSTRACT: In 2007 a ceremonial complex representing the Globular Amphora Culture was discovered in Kowal (the
Kuyavia region, Poland). Radiocarbon dating demonstrated that the human remains associated with the complex are of similar antiquity, i.e. 4.105 ± 0.035 conv. and 3.990 ± 0.050 conv. Kyrs. After calibration, this suggests a period between 2850 and 2570 BC (68.2% likelihood), or more specifically, 2870 to 2500 BC (95.4% likelihood).
Morphological data indicate that the skeleton belonged to a male who died at 27–35 years of age. The unusual morphology of his hard palate suggests this individual may have had a speech disorder. Stable oxygen isotope values of the individual's teeth are above the locally established oxygen isotope range of precipitation, but due to sample limitations we cannot conclusively say whether the individual is of non-local origin. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were analyzed to reconstruct the diet of the studied individual, and show a terrestrial-based diet. Through ancient
DNA (aDNA) analysis, the mtDNA haplogroup K2a* and lactose intolerance as evidenced by homozygous C-13910 allele were identified. These aDNA results are the first sequences reported for an individual representing the Globular Amphora Culture, enriching the still modest pool of human genetic data from the Neolithic.

KEY WORDS: Globular Amphora Culture – Neolithic – Human burial – Skeleton – Stable isotopes – aDNA

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Anthropological Review

Abstract: The 1st–4th c. AD Wielbark culture of Eastern Europe is relatively understudied bioarch... more Abstract: The 1st–4th c. AD Wielbark culture of Eastern Europe is relatively understudied bioarchaeologically due to the fragmentary nature of its cemeteries. Here, we report the first stable isotope analysis of Wielbark diet using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope signatures from both collagen and carbonate of 30 individuals from Rogowo, a 2nd c. Wielbark cemetery in North-Central Poland. Diet at Rogowo was primarily based on terrestrial foods and included millet, a C4 plant cultivated by many Slavic populations in Europe. Anadromous fish likely supplemented the diet, which is clarified when considering collagen and carbonate data in tandem. Stable isotope differences between the sexes indicate that men and women may have consumed different foods, although there is a possibility that women immigrated to Rogowo from an isotopically different region of Europe. No significant differences are noted in δ13C or δ15N of women with and without grave goods, suggesting little social differentiation within the Wielbark culture, at least in terms of daily food access. Reconstructing human diet in Europe through stable isotope analysis is problematic because of the relative isotopic homogeneity in this region of the world. This study further demonstrates the utility of using both carbonate and collagen stable isotope data in tandem to reconstruct past European diet.

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Journal of Archaeological Science, 2013

Abstract Stable isotope analyses of faunal remains provide valuable information about human–envi... more Abstract
Stable isotope analyses of faunal remains provide valuable information about human–environment interactions in the past, including insights into past animal husbandry and land management strategies. Here, we report stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values of collagen and carbonate from archaeological fauna from Kałdus, a medieval settlement in North-Central Poland, to better understand human–environment interactions during a period of increasing urbanism and marketization. Wild and domestic animals can be separated on the basis of their isotopic values. The mean δ15N value for 12 domesticated animals is 7.6 ± 1.2‰ and for 5 wild animals is 4.3 ± 0.5‰ (p = 0.002). The mean collagen δ13C value for domesticated animals is −20.6 ± 1.1‰ and for wild animals is −22.0 ± 0.5‰ (p = 0.004). The mean carbonate δ13C value for domesticated animals is −13.14 ± 1.3‰ and for wild animals is −14.14 ± 0.9‰ (p = 0.034). The “canopy effect” and anthropogenic effects that alter stable isotope ratios of plants (manuring, swidden agriculture and ploughing) are discussed in relation to these differences. Fish are isotopically variable, which suggests broad-spectrum fishing strategies and/or trade, and increases our awareness of the difficulties in interpreting human paleodiet when freshwater fish were on the menu.

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American Journal of Human Biology, 2013

ABSTRACT: Analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes from soft or mineralized tissues is a d... more ABSTRACT: Analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes from soft or mineralized tissues is a direct and widely used
technique for modeling diets. In addition to its continued role in paleodiet analysis, stable isotope analysis is now
contributing to studies of physiology, disease, and nutrition in archaeological and living human populations. In humans
and other animals, dietary uptake and distribution of carbon and nitrogen among mineralized and soft tissue is carried
out with varying efficiency due to factors of internal biology. Human pathophysiologies may lead to pathology-influenced
isotopic fractionation that can be exploited to understand not just skeletal health and diet, but physiological
health and nutrition. This study reviews examples from human biology, non-human animal ecology, biomedicine, and
bioarchaeology demonstrating how stable isotope analyses are usefully applied to the study of physiological adaptation
and adaptability. Suggestions are made for future directions in applying stable isotope analysis to the study of nutritional
stress, disease, and growth and development in living and past human populations.

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American Journal of Primatology, 2012

This research investigates the potential of a new, noninvasive method for determining age of wean... more This research investigates the potential of a new, noninvasive method for determining age of weaning among primates using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in feces. Analysis of stable isotope ratios in body tissues is a well-established method in archeology and ecology for reconstructing diet. This is the first study to investigate weaning in primates using fecal stable isotope ratios. Diets of a single Franc¸ois’ langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) mother–infant pair at the Toledo Zoo are reconstructed using this technique to track changes in infant suckling behavior over the weaning period. Stable isotope ratios in feces are sampled instead of more traditional samples such as bone or hair to enable daily, noninvasive snapshots of weaning status. Isotopic assessments of weaning status are compared to visual assessments to identify any discordance between the two. Three measurements documented the transition from breast milk to solid foods: stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C), stable nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N), and nitrogen content of feces (%N). It appears that solid foods were introduced at approximately 2 months of infant age, but that nursing continued into the 12th month, when sample collection ceased. Stable isotope data exposed a much longer weaning period than what was expected based on previously published data for captive langurs, and clarified visual estimates of weaning status. This reflects the method’s sensitivity to suckling at night and ability to distinguish actual nursing from comfort nursing. After testing this method with zoo animals, it can readily be applied among wild populations. An isotopic approach to weaning provides a new, accurate, and biologically meaningful assessment of interbirth intervals, and facilitates a better understanding of mother–infant interactions. Both of these outcomes are critical for developing successful conservation strategies for captive and wild primates.

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American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2016

The medieval period in Europe was a time of unprecedented social complexity that affected human d... more The medieval period in Europe was a time of unprecedented social complexity that affected human diet. The diets of certain subgroups—for example, children, women, and the poor—are chronically underrepresented in historical sources from the medieval period. To better understand diet and the distribution of foods during the medieval period, we investigated stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of 30 individuals from Trino Vercellese, Northern Italy (8th– 13th c.). Specifically, we examined diet differences between subgroups (males and females, and high- and low-status individuals), and diet change throughout the life course among these groups by comparing dentine and bone collagen. Our results show a diet based on terrestrial resources with input from C4 plants, which could include proso and/or foxtail millet. Diets of low-status males differ from those of females (both status groups) and of high-status males. These differences develop in adulthood. Childhood diets are similar among the subgroups, but sex- and status-based differences appear in adulthood. We discuss the possibility of cultural buffering and dietary selectivity of females and high-status individuals.

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PNAS, 2022

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The International Encyclopedia of Biological Anthropology , 2018

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Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2020

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Current Anthropology, 2017

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Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2017

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American Journal of Primatology

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American Journal of Human Biology, 2015

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American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Oct 2014

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American Journal of Physical Anthropology

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Keywords: transition, transition care, early survivorship, qualitative methods

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Anthropologie, 2014

KEY WORDS: Globular Amphora Culture – Neolithic – Human burial – Skeleton – Stable isotopes – aDNA

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Anthropological Review

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Journal of Archaeological Science, 2013

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American Journal of Human Biology, 2013

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American Journal of Primatology, 2012

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American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2016

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Early-life nutrition is a predisposing factor for mortality and later-life outcomes. This study t... more Early-life nutrition is a predisposing factor for mortality and later-life outcomes. This study tests the hypothesis that diets of children from medieval Trino Vercellese (Italy) who lived to adulthood differed from diets of children who died before reaching adulthood. In a previous study, we used a life history approach, comparing dentine and bone of the same individuals (“subadults who lived”), to demonstrate that diets of most children changed little into adulthood (i.e., “buffering”). Here, we examine “children who died” from the same population, estimated from subadult rib collagen, to explore whether diet behaviors of subadults who lived truly differed.
Forty-two subadults (age 6 months to 14.5 years) were studied through rib collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. Individuals were weaned by age 5.5 years. Considerable variation in weaning ages overall may underlie infant mortality. Diets of children who died, as estimated by post-weaning subadult bone, are significantly different than diets of “children who lived,” as estimated from adult dentine. Diets of children who died comprised less animal protein, pointing to the role played by early-life diet in health. Isotopic values of the two oldest individuals, a 13.5-year-old high-status individual, and a 14.5-year-old low-status individual, plot near the high- and low-status adults from the population, suggesting adoption of “adult” dietary behaviors already in adolescence. Stable isotope evidence from subadults helps reconcile the disparity between ontogenetic age categories and socioculturally meaningful age categories in the past, and sheds light on the underpinnings of health, mortality, growth and disease.

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Unlike in many other animal species, the spinal column in humans is a weight-bearing structure du... more Unlike in many other animal species, the spinal column in humans is a weight-bearing structure due to obligate bipedal locomotive behavior, and thus the spinal column exhibits distinctive remodeling patterns with aging. Since the spinal column is a weight-bearing structure, sexual dimorphism in human body mass and morphology should influence the degenerative process of the vertebrae. Consequently, vertebral centrum dimensions may be useful for estimation of skeletal sex. The purpose of this study is to investigate sexual dimorphism of the lumbar vertebrae by analyzing vertebral dimensions of 60 individuals of known age and sex. Aging-related morphological changes in centrum shape are also analyzed to assess sex-based differences in vertebral aging. Five dimensions of each lumbar vertebra are gathered from the William M. Bass Skeletal Collection at the University of Tennessee. ANOVA, T-tests, PCA, and linear regression tests using SPSS statistical software were used to assess shape differences between sexes and age groups. Results from this study indicate that females exhibit a significant relationship between age and vertebral centrum height (p = 0.000), particularly with regards to the L3 vertebra (p = 0.031), which may be related to lumbar lordosis during pregnancy. Males do not exhibit a relationship between vertebral metrics compared to females. Sex- and age-based variation in vertebral morphology is an example of human plasticity and our unique evolutionary trajectory.

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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

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Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences

We report preliminary carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope evidence for diet and migration during... more We report preliminary carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope evidence for diet and migration during multiple periods in Albanian history, and compare isotopic evidence for diet to complementary evidence from oral pathology. The sites include two cities founded as Greek colonies: Epidamnus/Dyrrachion (modern-day Durrës) and Apollonia in Illyria. Skeletons date to the Archaic-Hellenistic periods (seventh–first centuries BC), Roman periods (first century BC to fourth century AD), Late Antiquity (fifth–seventh centuries AD), and the Medieval period (eighth–fourteenth centuries AD), a large time span which encompasses dramatic social and political changes and partial population replacements associated with colonization and warfare. Results from all periods show a diet based on C3, terrestrial foods. Despite no temporal trends, diet is most varied during Late Antiquity. Oral health of individuals interred within cities is worse than among individuals interred outside city walls, suggesting diet differences specifically linked to city life. Oral pathology variations are not mirrored in isotopic data, reflecting the fact that oral health is influenced not only by ingredients in the diet, but also by food processing techniques, hormones, oral hygiene, oral bacteria, and genetics. While two-thirds of the individuals from Epidamnus/Dyrrachion are estimated to have been born and raised elsewhere, none of the individuals from cemeteries outside Apollonia’s walls are, suggesting greater population movement associated with cities. This study joins other research showing stability in people’s diets across broad time scales, whether due to constraint, resilience, or resistance to change, and demonstrates a high level of migration to ancient Mediterranean cities.

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Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2020

RationaleThis study analyzes variability in the diets of wild bearded capuchin monkeys, Sapajus l... more RationaleThis study analyzes variability in the diets of wild bearded capuchin monkeys, Sapajus libidinosus, by analyzing stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope ratios and elemental concentrations (%C and %N) of fecal samples and food items. Developing isotopic and elemental correlates for diets of habituated subjects is a necessary step towards applying similar methods to interpret diets of unhabituated or cryptic subjects.MethodsFecal samples from wild capuchins and their foods were collected at Fazenda Boa Vista, Brazil. Fecal samples from laboratory‐housed Sapajus spp. and their foods were analyzed to establish diet‐feces offsets for δ13C, δ15N, %C, and %N. Samples were dried, powdered, and measured for isotopic and elemental values. A Bayesian mixing model commutes isotopic and elemental data from wild capuchins into likely proportions of different food categories.ResultsThe captive study shows small diet‐feces spaces for Sapajus spp. of −0.8 ± 0.7‰ for δ13C, −0.2 ± 0...

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The International Encyclopedia of Biological Anthropology

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Current Biology

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Additional file 2: Supplemental Figure 1. Taxonomic composition of the gelada gut microbiome at t... more Additional file 2: Supplemental Figure 1. Taxonomic composition of the gelada gut microbiome at the phylum and family levels. Relative abundance (A) of all bacterial phyla and (B) of the 24 most abundant families (mean relative abundance>0.02%) in the gelada feces. The y-axis is on a log10 scale to better represent the variation across samples. The median and median absolute deviation (error limit) are represented in orange. Supplemental Figure 2. Genus composition of the gelada gut. Relative abundance of the 38 most abundant genera (mean relative abundance>0.01%) in the gelada feces. The tick marks on the y-axis are spaced on a log10 scale. The median and median absolute deviation (error limit) are represented in orange. Supplemental Figure 3. Rainfall is not associated with Observed richness and Faith's phylogenetic diversity. Partial residual plot of (A) Observed richness and (B) Faith's phylogenetic diversity (PD) according to cumulative rainfall (in mm). Black dot...

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Microbiome, 2021

Background Adaptive shifts in gut microbiome composition are one route by which animals adapt to ... more Background Adaptive shifts in gut microbiome composition are one route by which animals adapt to seasonal changes in food availability and diet. However, outside of dietary shifts, other potential environmental drivers of gut microbial composition have rarely been investigated, particularly in organisms living in their natural environments. Results Here, we generated the largest wild nonhuman primate gut microbiome dataset to date to identify the environmental drivers of gut microbial diversity and function in 758 samples collected from wild Ethiopian geladas (Theropithecus gelada). Because geladas live in a cold, high-altitude environment and have a low-quality grass-based diet, they face extreme thermoregulatory and energetic constraints. We tested how proxies of food availability (rainfall) and thermoregulatory stress (temperature) predicted gut microbiome composition of geladas. The gelada gut microbiome composition covaried with rainfall and temperature in a pattern that sugges...

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Bioarchaeology International, 2018

This issue explores recent advances and future prospects in the application of stable isotope rat... more This issue explores recent advances and future prospects in the application of stable isotope ratio data to human paleopathology. Stable isotope analysis of human remains is widely used in anthropology to reconstruct past diet and migration, based on the adage "You are what you eat," and is valued as direct and individualized evidence of the lives of past people. In addition to diet, pathological conditions and physiological stress affecting fractionation, uptake, and distribution of isotopes throughout the body also create isotopic variation in tissues. Although these additional sources of isotope variation complicate dietary reconstruction, they provide novel opportunities for studying past stress and health in archaeological human remains. Articles in this special issue present a variety of methods and approaches in stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope analysis of health and stress. A new "health" frontier in isotopic research has the potential to break through a ceiling of applications to diet and migration, and although it is a methodological advance, an isotopic approach to health and stress will permit and drive new research questions and new norms in how bioarchaeologists can and do think about past individuals and their experiences. Este artículo aborda los avances recientes y posibilidades en la aplicación de datos de valores de isótopos estables en la paleopatología humana.

Basándose en el principio "eres lo que comes," el análisis de isótopos estables a partir de restos humanos se usa ampliamente en la antropología con la finalidad de reconstruir las dietas y mi-graciones como evidencia directa del tipo de vida de las poblaciones pretéritas. Además de la dieta, las condi-ciones patológicas y el estrés fisiológico que afectan el fraccionamiento de isótopos, su absorción y distribución a lo largo del cuerpo también crean variación isotópica en los tejidos. Aunque estas fuentes de variación isotópica complican la reconstrucción dietética, también presentan oportunidades novedosas para el estudio de la salud y el estrés sistémico a partir de los restos humanos arqueológicos. Los artículos en este número especial presen-tan una variedad de métodos y marcos conceptuales hacia los análisis de salud y estrés sistémico con base en el análisis de isótopos estables de oxígeno, carbono y nitrógeno. Una perspectiva isotópica hacia la salud podría superar las aplicaciones que abordan la dieta y migración. Aunque es un avance metodológico, una perspectiva isotópica hacia la salud y el estrés permitirán y facilitarán nuevas preguntas de investigación al igual que nuevas normativas en cuanto al modo en el cual los bioarqueólogos abordan y conceptualizan los individuos del pas-ado y sus experiencias. Palabras clave Salud; biogeoquímica; plasticidad fenotípica

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text: Of the more than 1550 Homo naledi fossil fragments discovered in the Dinaledi chamber of th... more text: Of the more than 1550 Homo naledi fossil fragments discovered in the Dinaledi chamber of the Rising Star cave system, South Africa, seven fragments yield unusually well preserved endocranial morphology that permits identification of likely gyral and sulcal details. Here we describe and interpret the positive relief posterior endocranial features of these fragments as they relate to both the functional and taxonomic aspects of H. naledi. Endocranial descriptions are based on physical models as well as digital models and their curvature maps. These models were compared to early hominid endocranial casts, as well as human and chimpanzee endocranial casts, brain casts, and formalin fixed brains. Measurements and morphological features of these endocrania suggest that Homo naledi retained a lunate sulcus that was considerably smaller in extent than in chimpanzees, and that the dorsal remnant of the lunate was significantly reduced comparatively. The degree of occipital lobe asymmetry was pronounced on the left side of the preserved fragments, which in modern Homo sapiens is suggestive of right-handedness. Thus, while H. naledi had a small brain and some primitive retention of the pongid pattern of a lateral and anteriorly placed lunate sulcus, it nevertheless shows suggestions of the derived pattern of occipital lobe neural organization seen in modern Homo. Funding statement: Funding for excavation and analysis was provided by the National Geographic Society, National Research Foundation of South Africa, and the Lyda Hill Foundation. Disentangling Fecundability and Fetal

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Additional file 1: Table S1. Taxonomic composition of the gelada gut at the phylum, class, order,... more Additional file 1: Table S1. Taxonomic composition of the gelada gut at the phylum, class, order, family and genus levels. The mean relative abundance and prevalence (% of the samples with each taxon) of bacterial taxa are indicated. Table S2. Taxonomic composition of the core ASVs (i.e. present in at least 90% of samples) in the gelada gut at the order level. Table S3. Summary of the most similar bacterial sequences to the 78 ASVs belonging to the RFP12 family found in geladas feces. For each gelada RFP12 ASV, we searched the most similar nucleotide sequences found previously on NCBI BLAST, extracted its top five hits (i.e. most similar sequences based on Evalue) and summarized the distribution of those top hits across the 78 ASVs (identifying those animals in which similar sequences were found). Table S4. Predictors of observed richness and Faith's phylogenetic diversity (PD). Estimates with p-values <0.05 are highlighted in bold. Table S5. Loading scores of ASVs on the fir...

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PLOS ONE, 2021

Increased mobility and human interactions in the Mediterranean region during the eighth through f... more Increased mobility and human interactions in the Mediterranean region during the eighth through fifth centuries BCE resulted in heterogeneous communities held together by political and cultural affiliations, periodically engaged in military conflict. Ancient historians write of alliances that aided the Greek Sicilian colony Himera in victory against a Carthaginian army of hired foreign mercenaries in 480 BCE, and the demise of Himera when it fought Carthage again in 409 BCE, this time unaided. Archaeological human remains from the Battles of Himera provide unique opportunities to test early written history by geochemically assessing the geographic origins of ancient Greek fighting forces. We report strontium and oxygen isotope ratios of tooth enamel from 62 Greek soldiers to evaluate the historically-based hypothesis that a coalition of Greek allies saved Himera in 480 BCE, but not in 409 BCE. Among the burials of 480 BCE, approximately two-thirds of the individuals are non-local, w...

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Women have participated actively in war for thousands of years, traveling with armies and serving... more Women have participated actively in war for thousands of years, traveling with armies and serving a number of roles including soldier, prostitute, wife, sutler, nurse, and laundress. The campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century offer abundant examples of women journeying with Napoleon’s Grand Army. During the Russian Campaign of 1812, women traveled, died, and were buried with soldiers on their retreat from Moscow. A mass grave excavated in 2001 containing the remains of Napoleonic male soldiers in Vilnius, Lithuania also held the remains of female individuals. A focused analysis of three females from the mass grave provides insight into the experience of this underrepresented group in war convoys. Stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope ratio analyses were performed on femoral collagen and apatite of these individuals to investigate variability in diet and migration of female war participants, and were compared to those of their male counterparts from the mass grave. Among females, stable nitrogen isotope ratios exhibit low variation (range of 0.5‰), whereas stable carbon isotope ratios from collagen and apatite and oxygen stable isotope ratios exhibit wider ranges (range=3.9‰ for collagen carbon, 1.29‰ for apatite carbon, and 2.06‰ for oxygen). The oxygen isotope data in particular point to different geographic origins for females accompanying the army. Such isotopic variation among females in this sample reflects the diversity of experiences of these individuals, as detected from differences in diet and movement across the European landscape.

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OBJECTIVES: A “dip” in the stable nitrogen isotope ratios (dN) of subadults in the late weaning/e... more OBJECTIVES: A “dip” in the stable nitrogen isotope ratios (dN) of subadults in the late weaning/early post-weaning phase of growth and development has been observed. Speculatively, this is the mechanism of positive nitrogen balance operating among rapidly growing subadults. An alternate hypothesis for dN dips is that during weaning, subadults eat lower-N foods than adults. METHODS: This study explores the role of positive nitrogen balance in affecting dN variation of growing subadults by comparing growth velocity with stable carbon isotope (dC) and dN ratios of blood serum from captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) (n 5 14) with controlled diets during the first 10 months of life. RESULTS: During the first six months, dN values are inversely correlated with growth in some of the anthropometrics (weight and sagittal circumference). Dips in some infants’ dN values below their mothers’ values are observed at the end of the weaning period. However, during this time frame, dN values o...

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ABSTRACTEarly-life gut microbial colonization is an important process shaping host physiology, im... more ABSTRACTEarly-life gut microbial colonization is an important process shaping host physiology, immunity and long-term health outcomes in humans and other animals. However, our understanding of this dynamic process remains poorly investigated in wild animals, where developmental mechanisms can be better understood within ecological and evolutionary relevant contexts. Using 16s rRNA amplicon sequencing on 525 fecal samples from a large cohort of infant and juvenile geladas (Theropithecus gelada), we characterized gut microbiome maturation during the first three years of life and assessed the role of maternal effects in shaping offspring microbiome assembly. Microbial diversity increased rapidly in the first months of life, followed by more gradual changes until weaning. As expected, changes in gut microbiome composition and function with increasing age reflected progressive dietary transitions: in early infancy when infants rely heavily on their mother’s milk, microbes that facilitate...

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Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, 2021

The resolution of bioarchaeological analyses has improved dramatically in recent years, and bioar... more The resolution of bioarchaeological analyses has improved dramatically in recent years, and bioarchaeology is increasingly employed in areas of the world where preservation issues and disciplinary traditions had previously hindered its application. One such area is the Mediterranean region. Bioarchaeological analyses arguably are the most direct indicator of human behavior in the past, and as a result the full integration of bioarchaeology and archaeology into Mediterranean research shows much promise. However, several methodological, theoretical and practical challenges have emerged: (1) discrepancies between cultural and biological variability; (2) discrepancies in the dating of skeletal samples and of migration events in the two subdisciplines; (3) diverging interpretations of (collective) identities; and (4) the fostering of effective cross-disciplinary communication and collaboration. While the first two points are especially salient for Mediterranean research, the third and fo...

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We are seeking contributors for a symposium session on stable isotope advances in studies of dise... more We are seeking contributors for a symposium session on stable isotope advances in studies of disease and stress, relevant to archaeological contexts. The session will take place as part of the 2017 American Association of Physical Anthropologists Annual Meeting. Below you will find our abstract for the session. If you are interested in contributing a paper to this session, please contact Sammantha Holder at the e-mail address listed above. This session explores recent advances and future prospects in the application of stable isotope data to human paleopathology. Stable isotope analysis of human remains is widely used in anthropology to reconstruct past diet and migration, based on the adage " You are what you eat. " In addition to diet, pathological conditions and physiological stress affecting fractionation, uptake, and distribution of isotopes throughout the body also create isotopic variation in tissues. Although this additional source of isotope variation complicates dietary reconstructions, it provides novel opportunities for studying past stress and health in archaeological remains. The last 10 years have seen a surge in research exploring the utility of stable isotope ratios as indicators of malnutrition, stress, and disease. This symposium assembles some of this research into in vivo fractionation and distribution of isotopes, and addresses a persistent question: How may stress-induced fractionation and stable isotope variation shed light on questions of past health, when the tissues sampled are relatively inert? Subjects of particular interest include sampling strategies, tissue turnover, theoretical issues of health and disease, and individuals or groups with known histories of ill-health.

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