Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rodrigo Leandro Tomassini, Maria Dolores Pesquero, Mariana Carolina Garrone, Maria Dolores Marin-Monfort, Ignacio Alejandro Cerda, Jose Luis Prado, Claudia Ines Montalvo, Yolanda Fernandez-Jalvo, Maria Teresa Alberdi
Summary: Rancho La Brea in California, USA is the most emblematic Quaternary fossil site in the world, featuring high numbers and diversity of well-preserved specimens. A study on Equus occidentalis provides insights into the bone microstructure and taphonomic history of the fossils, highlighting the importance of osteohistological and histotaphonomic perspectives in paleobiological research.
Article
Biology
Pia J. Schucht, Nicole Klein, Markus Lambertz
Summary: A study on the reliability of histology-based skeletochronology in a variety of extant tetrapods revealed significant issues with conflicting age estimates between different approaches. The study highlights the need for further research on the methodological side of skeletochronology.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Janna M. Andronowski, Mary E. Cole, Tobin L. Hieronymous, Reed A. Davis, Logan R. Usher, Lisa Noelle Cooper
Summary: Through studying the vascular networks of bat bones, it was found that despite similar canal number per unit volume across bats of different body sizes, differences in canal morphometry were primarily related to an increase in cortical volume. Heavier bats displayed a relatively rich vascular network, with mostly longitudinally-oriented canals localized mainly to the mid-cortical and endosteal bone envelopes.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Christian T. Heck, Holly N. Woodward
Summary: Osteohistology, the study of bone microstructure, is crucial for evaluating the growth and life history of extinct and extant vertebrates. Different skeletal elements have distinct ontogenetic trajectories, and the microstructure of certain bones may not accurately represent overall body growth. Extensive comparative studies of modern taxa are needed to understand the intraskeletal differences in age, vascularity, and tissue organization in extinct vertebrates.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Amanda J. C. Brum, Tiago G. dos Santos, Sonia Z. Cechin
Summary: The study examines the reproductive biology of three frog species in southern Brazil and evaluates the impact of environmental factors on reproductive parameters. The results indicate that the species differ in terms of reproductive cycle and sensitivity to environmental variables. Furthermore, there are intersexual and interspecific variations, reflecting intrinsic differences in reproductive strategies and modes.
ZOOLOGISCHER ANZEIGER
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Zhenzi Li, Pan Liu, Yanan Yuan, Xiaoxiao Liang, Jun Lei, Xiaobin Zhu, Zuoqi Zhang, Lin Cai
Summary: This study decoupled the specific roles of microarchitecture, bone mass, and tissue property in the failure properties of cancellous bones, identifying a hazardous feature of OP caused by microarchitecture deterioration-induced directional mismatch between material and loading. The results provide useful insights and guidelines for OP diagnosis and treatment assessment.
BIOMECHANICS AND MODELING IN MECHANOBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Edina Prondvai, Adam T. Kocsis, Anick Abourachid, Dominique Adriaens, Pascal Godefroit, Dong-Yu Hu, Richard J. Butler
Summary: Limb bone histology is a reliable tool for inferring skeletal maturity and evaluating growth dynamics in fossil tetrapods. A new quantitative osteohistological parameter, radial porosity profile (RPP), captures changes in cortical porosity in limb bones. RPPs reflect developmental features and potential osteohistological correlates of growth and functional development in limb bones, opening up new research directions in locomotor ontogeny evolution.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Shoji Hayashi, Mugino O. O. Kubo, Marcelo R. R. Sanchez-Villagra, Hiroyuki Taruno, Masako Izawa, Tsunehiro Shiroma, Takayoshi Nakano, Masaki Fujita
Summary: The deer populations in the Japanese archipelago have undergone evolutionary changes in body size and life history traits, with more isolated islands showing slower growth rates and delayed somatic maturity. Demographic analysis reveals that insular deer populations have shifted towards a slower life history strategy.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Carmen Nacarino-Meneses, Anusuya Chinsamy, Serdar Mayda, Tanju Kaya, Ugur Cengiz Erismis
Summary: Bone histology studies of extinct horses from various localities in Turkey provide new insights into their paleobiology and early diagenetic history. Variations in moisture, oxygen, and temperature at different sites impact the quality of bone preservation, with evidence of bacterial bioerosion and potential damage caused by freshwater algae identified in the samples.
QUATERNARY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Mohd Shafi Bhat, Anusuya Chinsamy, John Parkington
Summary: In this study, burnt and unburnt tibiae of angulate tortoises from the Howiesons Poort levels at Diepkloof Rock Shelter were examined to determine heat-induced osteohistological changes. The bones showed different types of damage caused by fire, suggesting exposure to high temperatures. Histological features remained intact, allowing deductions to be made about the life history of these angulate tortoises.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Barbara Bertoglio, Carmelo Messina, Annalisa Cappella, Emanuela Maderna, Debora Mazzarelli, Stanilla Lucheschi, Francesco Sardanelli, Luca Maria Sconfienza, Chiarella Sforza, Cristina Cattaneo
Summary: Bone taphonomy in marine environments, especially at great depths with short post-mortem intervals, has been poorly studied. This pilot study compared human bone samples from different environments and found similar bone preservation in seawater compared to other depositional contexts, with no significant differences observed in early post-mortem bone tissue preservation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Gordon Turner-Walker, Aida Gutierrez Galiacho, Nuria Armentano, Ching-Quey Hsu
Summary: The changes that occur during the decomposition of corpses and the post-skeletonisation changes of bones are of great interest to forensic scientists and archaeological scientists. Research has been conducted to understand the factors influencing decay and how post-burial diagenesis affects ancient and fossil bones. The origin and impact of bacteria on buried bones have received considerable attention, with contrasting results found in different burial conditions.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Michelle Winter-Buchwalder, Nathalie Schwab, Ignasi Galtes, Marisa Ortega-Sanchez, Sarah Scheirs, Xavier Jordana
Summary: Timing bone fractures is an important task for forensic anthropologists, but it remains uncertain. This study investigated the microcracking pattern of fractures in fresh and dry bones to optimize fracture timing. Histological analysis of human humerus fractures revealed different microcracking patterns, with dry fractures showing higher density and length of microcracks compared to fresh fractures. The results suggest that changes in intrinsic bone factors can be used as markers for determining the timing of fractures.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Stephan N. F. Spiekman
Summary: Crocodylomorpha is the stem-lineage of modern crocodylians that survived the Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction event. Saltoposuchus connectens is one of the first described crocodylomorph species but its taxonomy has been contentious. In this study, additional specimens of Saltoposuchus are described in detail, its taxonomy is revised, and its relationship with other crocodylomorphs is investigated.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Orthopedics
Takahiro Niikura, Naoe Jimbo, Masato Komatsu, Keisuke Oe, Tomoaki Fukui, Tomoyuki Matsumoto, Shinya Hayashi, Takehiko Matsushita, Yoshitada Sakai, Tomoo Itoh, Ryosuke Kuroda
Summary: Factors such as sex, patient age, smoking, diabetes mellitus, femur or tibia, duration of cement spacer placement, and antibiotic impregnation to the cement were found to have no significant impact on the vascularization of the induced membrane (IM). However, the vascularization of IM was reduced in patients who underwent free flap surgery compared to those who did not.
JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY AND RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biology
Carmen Nacarino-Meneses, Guillem Orlandi-Oliveras
Summary: This study analyzed the metapodial bone histology of two large Middle Pleistocene equids and found similarities in key life history traits with extant Equus species. Despite similarities in neonatal size and age of epiphyseal fusion, extinct equids showed higher growth rates compared to extant Equus, in line with life history theory predictions on resource availability. This study provides a new framework for studying body size shifts in European Pleistocene equids.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Andres Castillo, Ignasi Galtes, Santiago Crespo, Xavier Jordana
Summary: Age-at-death estimation methods are important in forensic anthropology, but subjectivity of visual scoring systems can impact accuracy. A new method based on a simple scoring system from the pubic symphysis shows promising results, with binary traits and machine learning algorithms providing objectivity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Carmen Nacarino-Meneses, Anusuya Chinsamy
Summary: The study found that the life-history events of the African hipparionine Eurygnathohippus hooijeri were delayed, likely as an adaptation to a low adult extrinsic mortality and low juvenile survival rates, with fast bone growth possibly due to a high-quality diet and abundant water sources. Combining bone and dental histology in research is crucial for obtaining refined paleobiological information about extinct vertebrates.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Teresa Calderon, Walter Arnold, Gabrielle Stalder, Johanna Painer, Meike Kohler
Summary: The study investigated the relationship between bone tissue growth rates and daily weight gain curve in red deer, revealing distinct disruptions in bone growth rates during birth and weaning periods. This correlation suggests a general pattern for juvenile bone growth rates and validates the bone growth model for ruminants in general.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Eduardo Saldias, Assumpcio Malgosa, Xavier Jordana, Cristina Martinez-Labarga, Alfredo Coppa, Mauro Rubini, Bernardo Vila, Albert Isidro
Summary: Flat feet, a postural defect caused by the collapse of the longitudinal arch, were studied in archaeological contexts in Spain, Italy, and Oman. The study found correlations between flat foot and certain morphological and metric features, as well as a significant increase in the prevalence of flat foot in contemporary collections, possibly due to modern footwear styles and increased life expectancy.
HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Meike Kohler, Victoria Herridge, Carmen Nacarino-Meneses, Josep Fortuny, Blanca Moncunill-Sole, Antonietta Rosso, Rossana Sanfilippo, Maria Rita Palombo, Salvador Moya-Sola
Summary: The 1-m-tall dwarf elephant Palaeoloxodon falconeri from Sicily exemplifies insular dwarfism, with slow growth rates and longevity, reaching maturity at 15 years and living for at least 68 years. This contradicts the 'r-selection' theory and surpasses both its giant sister taxon and its large mainland cousin.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Karin Korgesaar, Xavier Jordana, Geli Gallego, Javier Defez, Ignasi Galtes
Summary: This study analyzes the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the decomposition pattern and rate of bodies in the province of Barcelona. The results show that temperature and post-mortem interval are the most significant factors. Additionally, machine learning algorithms were developed to estimate the post-mortem interval.
Article
Medicine, Legal
Michelle Winter-Buchwalder, Nathalie Schwab, Ignasi Galtes, Marisa Ortega-Sanchez, Sarah Scheirs, Xavier Jordana
Summary: Timing bone fractures is an important task for forensic anthropologists, but it remains uncertain. This study investigated the microcracking pattern of fractures in fresh and dry bones to optimize fracture timing. Histological analysis of human humerus fractures revealed different microcracking patterns, with dry fractures showing higher density and length of microcracks compared to fresh fractures. The results suggest that changes in intrinsic bone factors can be used as markers for determining the timing of fractures.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Domingo C. Salazar-Garcia, Lidia Colominas, Xabier Jordana
Summary: Ancient Roman funerary rituals were important for protecting deities and commemorating the deceased. The study of faunal remains in the necropolis of Vila de Madrid suggests that funerary meals did not involve different food compared to everyday dietary habits. However, differences were observed in terms of age, sex, offerings, and diet, indicating that inequalities in life may have also been present in funerary rituals.
Article
Anthropology
T. Sotiriadou, C. Tornero, A. Malgosa, P. Sureda, X. Jordana
Summary: This study explores the nutritional patterns of individuals buried in the Cova des Pas site in Minorca Island, Spain, during the Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age. The results indicate that the human diet at that time mainly consisted of C-3 plants with a significant consumption of animal protein. The isotopic data also suggest that weaning occurred around the age of 4.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Nathalie Schwab, Xavier Jordana, Joan Soler, Xavier Garrido, Pedro Brillas, Andres Savio, Santiago Lavin, Marisa Ortega-Sanchez, Ignasi Galtes
Summary: While there is ample research on gunshot injuries in human craniums, there is a lack of reliable data on fracture patterns in ballistic long bone trauma. Experimental research using human specimens is not ideal, thus finding alternative models to reproduce ballistic fracture patterns of human long bones is of great interest. In this study, human femurs and humeri, polyurethane cylinders, and deer femurs were shot to compare their fracture patterns with those of human long bones. Neither of the alternative models fully replicated the fracture patterns of human long bones, with the surrogate model showing more significant differences than the animal model. This highlights the challenge in finding an accurate analog due to the different failure mechanisms of polyurethane material compared to real bone.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Nathalie Schwab, Ignasi Galtes, Michelle Winter-Buchwalder, Marisa Ortega-Sanchez, Xavier Jordana
Summary: Determining the timing of trauma is a major challenge in forensic anthropology, especially when fractures are related to death. While macroscopic criteria can determine fractures in fresh or dry bone, it is not always easy to determine whether fresh bone fractures are vital fractures. This study aims to use histological assessment of microcracking patterns to determine the vitality of fresh fractures, and the results support the hypothesis that vital fractures exhibit a different microcracking pattern than non-vital fractures. This finding has the potential to improve the probative value of forensic investigations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Meike Kohler, Carmen Nacarino-Meneses, Josep Quintana Cardona, Walter Arnold, Gabrielle Stalder, Franz Suchentrunk, Salvador Moya-Sola
Summary: The island syndrome refers to the evolution of morphological, behavioral, and life history traits in endemic insular organisms. Regardless of whether they evolve into dwarfs or giants, insular mammals in general slow down their pace of life. A study on the fossil insular giant leporid Nuralagus rex found that it grew extremely slowly and delayed maturity beyond the predictions of continental mammals. This supports the generalization of the life history axiom of the island syndrome.
Article
Geography, Physical
Carmen Nacarino-Meneses, Anusuya Chinsamy, Serdar Mayda, Tanju Kaya, Ugur Cengiz Erismis
Summary: Bone histology studies of extinct horses from various localities in Turkey provide new insights into their paleobiology and early diagenetic history. Variations in moisture, oxygen, and temperature at different sites impact the quality of bone preservation, with evidence of bacterial bioerosion and potential damage caused by freshwater algae identified in the samples.
QUATERNARY RESEARCH
(2021)