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Bone remodeling rates and skeletal maturation in three archaeoloqical skeletal populations
Author(s) -
Stout Sam D.,
Lueck Rhonda
Publication year - 1995
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/ajpa.1330980206
Subject(s) - bone remodeling , biology , population , osteon , skeleton (computer programming) , cortical bone , anatomy , demography , endocrinology , sociology
Cortical bone remodeling rates for rib samples from three archaeological populations and a modern autopsy sample were determined using an algorithm developed by Frost. (Frost [1987a] Calcif. Tissue Res. 3: 211–237). When plotted against the relative antiquities for population samples, histomorphometric variables; i.e., activation frequency ( μ rc , net bone formation ( net V f,r,t ), and mean annual bone formation rate (V f,r,t ), exhibit a concordant trend of increased cortical bone remodeling activity levels over time. Two intensive foraging populations, Windover and Gibson, are similar for all bone remodeling parameters and have the lowest remodeling activity levels among the samples. The more recent Ledders sample, which is reported to practice agricultural subsistence, is consistently intermediate between these and a modern autopsy sample. Although there appear to be differences in bone formation rates among the populations, it is concluded that these differences cannot be attributed to differences in bone remodeling rates among the populations, but rather are reflecting different effective ages of adult compacta for their ribs. These findings suggest that the earlier populations, particularly Windsor and Gibson, appear to have reached skeletal maturity at an older age than observed for modern. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.