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Auricular exostoses in the prehistoric population of Gran Canaria
Author(s) -
VelascoVazquez J.,
BetancorRodriguez A.,
ArnayDeLa Rosa M.,
GonzalezReimers E.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-8644(200005)112:1<49::aid-ajpa6>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - crania , prehistory , geography , population , central highlands , archaeology , demography , ecology , biology , sociology
Auditory exostoses are bone anomalies located in the external auditory canal. The bulk of clinical observations and some experimental data support the idea that their development depends on prolonged exposure to cold water. This study was performed in order to analyze the prevalence of auditory exostoses among the prehispanic population of Gran Canaria, comparing it between men and women and between individuals buried in coastal regions and central highlands. We analyzed 323 crania, 41 of which showed auditory exostoses. Marked differences in prevalence were observed between the individuals buried in the central highlands (0.88%) and those buried in coastal regions (40.21%). Among the latter, the prevalence was similar in men (41.67%) and in women (38.89%). These data support the hypothesis that individuals buried in coastal regions performed economic activities related to exploitation of marine resources, whereas those living in the central highlands did not; however, diachronic variation cannot be excluded. Am J Phys Anthropol 112:49–55, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.