Dejana (Vlak) Nikitovic | University of Toronto (original) (raw)
Papers by Dejana (Vlak) Nikitovic
ObjectivesHuman growth data from Guatemalan school children were analyzed to test the hypothesis ... more ObjectivesHuman growth data from Guatemalan school children were analyzed to test the hypothesis that the degree of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in height is reduced for people living under more adverse environmental quality.Human growth data from Guatemalan school children were analyzed to test the hypothesis that the degree of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in height is reduced for people living under more adverse environmental quality.MethodsThe sample consists of 2,560 girls and 3,262 boys, 6–16.99 years of age, from the two major Guatemalan ethnic groups, Maya of very low socioeconomic status (SES) and Ladino of high, middle, and low SES. SES was estimated by questionnaire and ethnographic observation. All data are from the Longitudinal Study of Child Development of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. Significance of SSD was tested within each whole year age category (e.g., 6.0–6.9 years) by SES for Ladinos and Maya. Ethnic groups were then compared for each age category to determine whether the SSD values were significantly different between groups.The sample consists of 2,560 girls and 3,262 boys, 6–16.99 years of age, from the two major Guatemalan ethnic groups, Maya of very low socioeconomic status (SES) and Ladino of high, middle, and low SES. SES was estimated by questionnaire and ethnographic observation. All data are from the Longitudinal Study of Child Development of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. Significance of SSD was tested within each whole year age category (e.g., 6.0–6.9 years) by SES for Ladinos and Maya. Ethnic groups were then compared for each age category to determine whether the SSD values were significantly different between groups.ResultsStatistically significant height SSD was found for 10 of the 11 age categories for the high SES Ladinos, 8 of the 11 age categories for middle SES Ladinos, 3 of the 11 low SES Ladino age categories, and 0 of the 11 very low SES Maya age categories. For all SES and ethnic groups SSD tended to decrease between 6 and 11 years of age and then increase after age 12 years.Statistically significant height SSD was found for 10 of the 11 age categories for the high SES Ladinos, 8 of the 11 age categories for middle SES Ladinos, 3 of the 11 low SES Ladino age categories, and 0 of the 11 very low SES Maya age categories. For all SES and ethnic groups SSD tended to decrease between 6 and 11 years of age and then increase after age 12 years.ConclusionsA poor quality environment for growth and development, as estimated by SES, was found to reduce or eliminate statistically significant SSD. Patterns of biological maturation before and after puberty also seem to contribute to age changes in SSD. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 26:117–123, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.A poor quality environment for growth and development, as estimated by SES, was found to reduce or eliminate statistically significant SSD. Patterns of biological maturation before and after puberty also seem to contribute to age changes in SSD. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 26:117–123, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Using Schutkowski's method for juvenile sex determination (Schutkowski H. 1993. Am J Phys Anthrop... more Using Schutkowski's method for juvenile sex determination (Schutkowski H. 1993. Am J Phys Anthropol 90:199–205), we evaluated the morphology of the greater sciatic notch of 56 ilia (23 females and 33 males) from a documented skeletal collection housed at the Bocage Museum in Lisbon (Portugal). After applying Schutkowski's original methodology and comparing the results with previous studies, we used age-adjusted metrical variables to describe greater sciatic notch depth, breadth, and angle. Although results of both morphological and metrical analyses did not reveal a statistically significant level of sexual analyses dimorphism, we found a strong correlation between pelvic morphology and age at death. On the basis of the obtained results, we argue that Schutkowski's morphological method does not predict sex accurately in all populations and that recorded correlation of iliac features with age needs to be further explored in the context of the ontogeny of sexual dimorphism. Am J Phys Anthropol 137:309–315, 2008. V
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2008
Abstract Analysis of skeletons from Uzdolje-Grablje cemetery near Knin, Croatia, reveals three ca... more Abstract Analysis of skeletons from Uzdolje-Grablje cemetery near Knin, Croatia, reveals three cases of an elongated styloid process. Elongation is a condition of unknown aetiology characterised by a styloid process that exceeds 30 mm. Although the prevalence of this condition has been reported in modern populations, we document for the first time elongated styloid processes in human skeletal material from an archaeological population. Copyright© 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rheumatology International, 2010
Analysis of 25 skeletons from Late Medieval cemetery Uzdolje-Grablje near Knin, Croatia, revealed... more Analysis of 25 skeletons from Late Medieval cemetery Uzdolje-Grablje near Knin, Croatia, revealed three cases of systematic pathological changes to joints. Observed pathological lesions were examined macroscopically and radiologically and compared to the available paleopathological standards in order to formulate a differential diagnosis. In all three cases observed changes were most consistent with autoimmune joint diseases including ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. Based on published clinical studies, we suggest that the high prevalence of autoimmune diseases in our skeletal sample stems from the genetic basis of the autoimmunity, and that three individuals describe here are possibly closely related.
izlazi u samo elektroničkom izdanju: NE
Pregled bibliografske jedinice broj: 445416. Časopis. Autori: Forenbaher, Stašo; Vlak, Dejana. Na... more Pregled bibliografske jedinice broj: 445416. Časopis. Autori: Forenbaher, Stašo; Vlak, Dejana. Naslov: Grad, Nakovana: intenzivni terenski pregled. ( Grad, Nakovana: Intensive Surface Survey. ). Izvornik: Hrvatski arheološki godišnjak (1845-8408) 4 (2010); 563-564. Vrsta rada: članak. Ključne riječi: terenski pregled, pretpovijest, gradina ( surface survey, prehistory, hillfort ). Sažetak: Rad ukratko izlaže rezultate 3. sezone istraživanja na pretpovijesnom ...
Priroda
Statistika bibliografskih podataka o projektima, znanstvenicima i znantsvenim institucijama.
73rd Annual SAA Meeting, 2003
Abstract: The goal of our presentation is to examine the problems associated with determining the... more Abstract: The goal of our presentation is to examine the problems associated with determining the upper age limit of childhood in archaeologically-derived skeletal populations. Although the definition of childhood is a culturally determined and varies greatly among groups, anthropologists working in archaeological contexts often assume that childhood is biologically defined—which may reflect a western cultural perspective. Consequently, osteologists, and bioarchaeologists typically define “childhood” using ...
XVIII. International Symposium on Morphological Sciences, Jun 8, 2005
Sažetak: Morphological determination of sex in ancient human skeletal remains is generally accept... more Sažetak: Morphological determination of sex in ancient human skeletal remains is generally accepted as an efficient and precise diagnostic method for adult individuals. However, whether subadult skeletal remains exhibit sexual dimorphism has been the subject of considerable debate. Since 1876, when Fehling reported on sexually distinctive features of the fetal and neonatal pelvis, many investigators have writen about sexual dimorphism in children. Like in the adults, pelvis is considered one of the most highly sex diagnostic ...
Novija arheološka istraživanja u Slavoniji i Baranji, 2008
Sažetak: Tijekom zaštitnih arheoloških istraživanja na trasi koridora Vc, na nalazištu Josipovac-... more Sažetak: Tijekom zaštitnih arheoloških istraživanja na trasi koridora Vc, na nalazištu Josipovac-Gravinjak pronađen je grob djeteta unutar pretpovijesnog naselja Badenske kulture, u jugoistočnom dijelu jedne zemunice. Kostiur je ležao u zgrčenom položaju na lijevome boku, na relativnoj dubini od 50 cm od površine ukopa jame, a prekriven pokrovom koji se najvećim dijelom sastoji od lijepa i zemlje, uz nekoliko fragmenata keramike. U prilogu se predstavljaju okolnosti istraživanja i nalaza, kao i rezultati antropološke analize ...
Coll. Antropol, 2008
Among several books devoted to human juvenile osteology (Scheuer and Black 2000, 2005, Baker et a... more Among several books devoted to human juvenile osteology (Scheuer and Black 2000, 2005, Baker et al. 2005), it is welcome to see a first comprehensive volume devoted to the study of non-adult skeletal remains from archaeological and forensic contexts. Summarizing the literature from various fields, The Bioarchaeology of Children emphasizes the necessity of interdisciplinary approach, focusing on the specifics of the juvenile anatomy and physiology.
Seventy-Eight Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Apr 5, 2009
Sažetak: During the rescue excavation in 2007 at the site of Josipovac–Gravinjak in Slavonia, eas... more Sažetak: During the rescue excavation in 2007 at the site of Josipovac–Gravinjak in Slavonia, eastern Croatia, a prehistoric settlement of the Baden culture was discovered. On the floor of one of the pit houses there was a burial of a small child. A series of fifteen C14 dates from the site place the settlement in the period approximately from 3500 to 2780 BC, while direct dating of a skeleton yielded a date of 3490-3110 cal BC (Beta 241675). Skeleton was buried in left lateral flexed position, oriented north/south. Cranium, mandible ...
Four late medieval burials were excavated at the site of Lepenski Vir in the Iron Gates Gorge, Se... more Four late medieval burials were excavated at the site of Lepenski Vir in the Iron Gates Gorge, Serbia. One of the individuals, Lepenski Vir 62, exhibits evidence of a sharp-force trauma on the left parietal, consistent with a combat wound. None of the other contemporaneous individuals show any evidence of trauma or other pathology on the few preserved bones. We argue that the skeletons belong to soldiers involved in the border warfare on the Danube which was quite common at the end of the 14 th and the first half of the 15 th century between Serbian, Hungarian and Turkish forces.
American journal of …, Jan 1, 2009
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2007
Four late medieval burials were excavated at the site of Lepenski Vir in the Iron Gates Gorge, Se... more Four late medieval burials were excavated at the site of Lepenski Vir in the Iron Gates Gorge, Serbia. One of the individuals, Lepenski Vir 62, exhibits evidence of a sharp-force trauma on the left parietal, consistent with a combat wound. None of the other contemporaneous individuals show any evidence of trauma or other pathology on the few preserved bones. We argue that the skeletons belong to soldiers involved in the border warfare on the Danube which was quite common at the end of the 14 th and the first half of the 15 th century between Serbian, Hungarian and Turkish forces.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2009
The use of tooth cementum annulations for age determination has been deemed promising, exhibiting... more The use of tooth cementum annulations for age determination has been deemed promising, exhibiting high correlations with chronological age. Despite its apparent potential, to date, the tooth cementum annulations method has been used rarely for estimating ages in archaeological populations. Here we examine the readability of cementum annulations and the consistency of age estimates using a sample of 116 adults from the Iron Gates
American journal of …, Jan 1, 2008
ObjectivesHuman growth data from Guatemalan school children were analyzed to test the hypothesis ... more ObjectivesHuman growth data from Guatemalan school children were analyzed to test the hypothesis that the degree of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in height is reduced for people living under more adverse environmental quality.Human growth data from Guatemalan school children were analyzed to test the hypothesis that the degree of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in height is reduced for people living under more adverse environmental quality.MethodsThe sample consists of 2,560 girls and 3,262 boys, 6–16.99 years of age, from the two major Guatemalan ethnic groups, Maya of very low socioeconomic status (SES) and Ladino of high, middle, and low SES. SES was estimated by questionnaire and ethnographic observation. All data are from the Longitudinal Study of Child Development of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. Significance of SSD was tested within each whole year age category (e.g., 6.0–6.9 years) by SES for Ladinos and Maya. Ethnic groups were then compared for each age category to determine whether the SSD values were significantly different between groups.The sample consists of 2,560 girls and 3,262 boys, 6–16.99 years of age, from the two major Guatemalan ethnic groups, Maya of very low socioeconomic status (SES) and Ladino of high, middle, and low SES. SES was estimated by questionnaire and ethnographic observation. All data are from the Longitudinal Study of Child Development of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. Significance of SSD was tested within each whole year age category (e.g., 6.0–6.9 years) by SES for Ladinos and Maya. Ethnic groups were then compared for each age category to determine whether the SSD values were significantly different between groups.ResultsStatistically significant height SSD was found for 10 of the 11 age categories for the high SES Ladinos, 8 of the 11 age categories for middle SES Ladinos, 3 of the 11 low SES Ladino age categories, and 0 of the 11 very low SES Maya age categories. For all SES and ethnic groups SSD tended to decrease between 6 and 11 years of age and then increase after age 12 years.Statistically significant height SSD was found for 10 of the 11 age categories for the high SES Ladinos, 8 of the 11 age categories for middle SES Ladinos, 3 of the 11 low SES Ladino age categories, and 0 of the 11 very low SES Maya age categories. For all SES and ethnic groups SSD tended to decrease between 6 and 11 years of age and then increase after age 12 years.ConclusionsA poor quality environment for growth and development, as estimated by SES, was found to reduce or eliminate statistically significant SSD. Patterns of biological maturation before and after puberty also seem to contribute to age changes in SSD. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 26:117–123, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.A poor quality environment for growth and development, as estimated by SES, was found to reduce or eliminate statistically significant SSD. Patterns of biological maturation before and after puberty also seem to contribute to age changes in SSD. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 26:117–123, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Using Schutkowski's method for juvenile sex determination (Schutkowski H. 1993. Am J Phys Anthrop... more Using Schutkowski's method for juvenile sex determination (Schutkowski H. 1993. Am J Phys Anthropol 90:199–205), we evaluated the morphology of the greater sciatic notch of 56 ilia (23 females and 33 males) from a documented skeletal collection housed at the Bocage Museum in Lisbon (Portugal). After applying Schutkowski's original methodology and comparing the results with previous studies, we used age-adjusted metrical variables to describe greater sciatic notch depth, breadth, and angle. Although results of both morphological and metrical analyses did not reveal a statistically significant level of sexual analyses dimorphism, we found a strong correlation between pelvic morphology and age at death. On the basis of the obtained results, we argue that Schutkowski's morphological method does not predict sex accurately in all populations and that recorded correlation of iliac features with age needs to be further explored in the context of the ontogeny of sexual dimorphism. Am J Phys Anthropol 137:309–315, 2008. V
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2008
Abstract Analysis of skeletons from Uzdolje-Grablje cemetery near Knin, Croatia, reveals three ca... more Abstract Analysis of skeletons from Uzdolje-Grablje cemetery near Knin, Croatia, reveals three cases of an elongated styloid process. Elongation is a condition of unknown aetiology characterised by a styloid process that exceeds 30 mm. Although the prevalence of this condition has been reported in modern populations, we document for the first time elongated styloid processes in human skeletal material from an archaeological population. Copyright© 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rheumatology International, 2010
Analysis of 25 skeletons from Late Medieval cemetery Uzdolje-Grablje near Knin, Croatia, revealed... more Analysis of 25 skeletons from Late Medieval cemetery Uzdolje-Grablje near Knin, Croatia, revealed three cases of systematic pathological changes to joints. Observed pathological lesions were examined macroscopically and radiologically and compared to the available paleopathological standards in order to formulate a differential diagnosis. In all three cases observed changes were most consistent with autoimmune joint diseases including ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. Based on published clinical studies, we suggest that the high prevalence of autoimmune diseases in our skeletal sample stems from the genetic basis of the autoimmunity, and that three individuals describe here are possibly closely related.
izlazi u samo elektroničkom izdanju: NE
Pregled bibliografske jedinice broj: 445416. Časopis. Autori: Forenbaher, Stašo; Vlak, Dejana. Na... more Pregled bibliografske jedinice broj: 445416. Časopis. Autori: Forenbaher, Stašo; Vlak, Dejana. Naslov: Grad, Nakovana: intenzivni terenski pregled. ( Grad, Nakovana: Intensive Surface Survey. ). Izvornik: Hrvatski arheološki godišnjak (1845-8408) 4 (2010); 563-564. Vrsta rada: članak. Ključne riječi: terenski pregled, pretpovijest, gradina ( surface survey, prehistory, hillfort ). Sažetak: Rad ukratko izlaže rezultate 3. sezone istraživanja na pretpovijesnom ...
Priroda
Statistika bibliografskih podataka o projektima, znanstvenicima i znantsvenim institucijama.
73rd Annual SAA Meeting, 2003
Abstract: The goal of our presentation is to examine the problems associated with determining the... more Abstract: The goal of our presentation is to examine the problems associated with determining the upper age limit of childhood in archaeologically-derived skeletal populations. Although the definition of childhood is a culturally determined and varies greatly among groups, anthropologists working in archaeological contexts often assume that childhood is biologically defined—which may reflect a western cultural perspective. Consequently, osteologists, and bioarchaeologists typically define “childhood” using ...
XVIII. International Symposium on Morphological Sciences, Jun 8, 2005
Sažetak: Morphological determination of sex in ancient human skeletal remains is generally accept... more Sažetak: Morphological determination of sex in ancient human skeletal remains is generally accepted as an efficient and precise diagnostic method for adult individuals. However, whether subadult skeletal remains exhibit sexual dimorphism has been the subject of considerable debate. Since 1876, when Fehling reported on sexually distinctive features of the fetal and neonatal pelvis, many investigators have writen about sexual dimorphism in children. Like in the adults, pelvis is considered one of the most highly sex diagnostic ...
Novija arheološka istraživanja u Slavoniji i Baranji, 2008
Sažetak: Tijekom zaštitnih arheoloških istraživanja na trasi koridora Vc, na nalazištu Josipovac-... more Sažetak: Tijekom zaštitnih arheoloških istraživanja na trasi koridora Vc, na nalazištu Josipovac-Gravinjak pronađen je grob djeteta unutar pretpovijesnog naselja Badenske kulture, u jugoistočnom dijelu jedne zemunice. Kostiur je ležao u zgrčenom položaju na lijevome boku, na relativnoj dubini od 50 cm od površine ukopa jame, a prekriven pokrovom koji se najvećim dijelom sastoji od lijepa i zemlje, uz nekoliko fragmenata keramike. U prilogu se predstavljaju okolnosti istraživanja i nalaza, kao i rezultati antropološke analize ...
Coll. Antropol, 2008
Among several books devoted to human juvenile osteology (Scheuer and Black 2000, 2005, Baker et a... more Among several books devoted to human juvenile osteology (Scheuer and Black 2000, 2005, Baker et al. 2005), it is welcome to see a first comprehensive volume devoted to the study of non-adult skeletal remains from archaeological and forensic contexts. Summarizing the literature from various fields, The Bioarchaeology of Children emphasizes the necessity of interdisciplinary approach, focusing on the specifics of the juvenile anatomy and physiology.
Seventy-Eight Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Apr 5, 2009
Sažetak: During the rescue excavation in 2007 at the site of Josipovac–Gravinjak in Slavonia, eas... more Sažetak: During the rescue excavation in 2007 at the site of Josipovac–Gravinjak in Slavonia, eastern Croatia, a prehistoric settlement of the Baden culture was discovered. On the floor of one of the pit houses there was a burial of a small child. A series of fifteen C14 dates from the site place the settlement in the period approximately from 3500 to 2780 BC, while direct dating of a skeleton yielded a date of 3490-3110 cal BC (Beta 241675). Skeleton was buried in left lateral flexed position, oriented north/south. Cranium, mandible ...
Four late medieval burials were excavated at the site of Lepenski Vir in the Iron Gates Gorge, Se... more Four late medieval burials were excavated at the site of Lepenski Vir in the Iron Gates Gorge, Serbia. One of the individuals, Lepenski Vir 62, exhibits evidence of a sharp-force trauma on the left parietal, consistent with a combat wound. None of the other contemporaneous individuals show any evidence of trauma or other pathology on the few preserved bones. We argue that the skeletons belong to soldiers involved in the border warfare on the Danube which was quite common at the end of the 14 th and the first half of the 15 th century between Serbian, Hungarian and Turkish forces.
American journal of …, Jan 1, 2009
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2007
Four late medieval burials were excavated at the site of Lepenski Vir in the Iron Gates Gorge, Se... more Four late medieval burials were excavated at the site of Lepenski Vir in the Iron Gates Gorge, Serbia. One of the individuals, Lepenski Vir 62, exhibits evidence of a sharp-force trauma on the left parietal, consistent with a combat wound. None of the other contemporaneous individuals show any evidence of trauma or other pathology on the few preserved bones. We argue that the skeletons belong to soldiers involved in the border warfare on the Danube which was quite common at the end of the 14 th and the first half of the 15 th century between Serbian, Hungarian and Turkish forces.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2009
The use of tooth cementum annulations for age determination has been deemed promising, exhibiting... more The use of tooth cementum annulations for age determination has been deemed promising, exhibiting high correlations with chronological age. Despite its apparent potential, to date, the tooth cementum annulations method has been used rarely for estimating ages in archaeological populations. Here we examine the readability of cementum annulations and the consistency of age estimates using a sample of 116 adults from the Iron Gates
American journal of …, Jan 1, 2008