Focusing on craniofacial bones, this study investigates morphological variation related to sexual dimorphism in order to deepen our understanding of human biological diversity and to provide new data from a contemporary reference sample. Accordingly, the research was guided by three objectives (i) identify the facial regions exhibiting the greatest sexual dimorphism using landmark-based geometric morphometric method; (ii) evaluate the reliability of discriminant models based on these dimorphic regions; and (iii) conduct exploratory analyses to assign sex classification probabilities to ancient subjects using the discriminant models derived from a contemporary reference sample. The reference sample comprised 44 skulls from subjects of known sex who died in 2024. The ancient sample included 4 skulls recovered from the Grotte de La Medecine (France), attributed to the chalcolithic period. Fourteen facial landmarks were digitized using 3DSlicer. Generalized Procrustes Analysis was performed to extract shape variables and standardized coordinates for statistical analysis. Thin-Plate Spline transformations quantified and visualized deformation amplitudes between the female and male shapes. Landmarks in the orbital showed the highest deformation amplitudes. Goodall F-test comparing male and female shapes across three facial regions revealed significant sexual dimorphism only in the orbital region and the global facial shape. Discriminant analysis demonstrated that the orbital region provided the highest classification accuracy (88.6%) compared to the global facial region (72.7%). The discriminant models yielded high probabilities of male and female sex classification for the ancient subjects. Using a reproducible method, comparable levels of accuracy to those reported in the scientific literature were achieved despite a relatively modest sample size. These findings further confirm the significant role of the orbital region in human craniofacial sexual dimorphism.
Background: To analyze the inequality and change trends in height of children and adolescents aged 718 years in different regions of China from 1985 to 2019. Methods: Data were extracted for the height of Chinese children and adolescents aged 718 years from eight Chinese National Surveys on Students Constitution and Health (CNSSCH) from 1985 to 2019. We calculated the urbanrural difference in height of children and adolescents and the height coefficient of variation of urban and rural children and adolescents each year. Results: We found that there are large differences in the height of children and adolescents between urban and rural areas, the eastern regions and western regions, Shanghai and Guizhou. From 1985 to 2019, the urbanrural difference in height for boys decreased from 4.24 cm to 1.76 cm and for girls from 3.72 cm to 1.45 cm and the urbanrural difference in height for boys and girls in the western regions was larger. From 1985 to 2019, there were also large height differences between the eastern regions and western regions, Shanghai and Guizhou, which were comparisons of the height differences between developed and undeveloped areas of China. Meanwhile, height inequalities were more serious in rural areas. Whether in the eastern regions and western regions, Shanghai and Guizhou, the height differences between peers were larger in rural areas than in urban areas. Conclusions: There were obvious height inequalities in China. Although the urbanrural differences have decreased, the height differences among regions at different economic levels have gradually increased, especially in rural areas. These differences should be taken seriously and relevant policies should be formulated to reduce height inequalities for children and adolescents in different regions.
Background: To analyze the inequality and change trends in height of children and adolescents aged 718 years in different regions of China from 1985 to 2019. Methods: Data were extracted for the height of Chinese children and adolescents aged 718 years from eight Chinese National Surveys on Students Constitution and Health (CNSSCH) from 1985 to 2019. We calculated the urbanrural difference in height of children and adolescents and the height coefficient of variation of urban and rural children and adolescents each year. Results: We found that there are large differences in the height of children and adolescents between urban and rural areas, the eastern regions and western regions, Shanghai and Guizhou. From 1985 to 2019, the urbanrural difference in height for boys decreased from 4.24 cm to 1.76 cm and for girls from 3.72 cm to 1.45 cm and the urbanrural difference in height for boys and girls in the western regions was larger. From 1985 to 2019, there were also large height differences between the eastern regions and western regions, Shanghai and Guizhou, which were comparisons of the height differences between developed and undeveloped areas of China. Meanwhile, height inequalities were more serious in rural areas. Whether in the eastern regions and western regions, Shanghai and Guizhou, the height differences between peers were larger in rural areas than in urban areas. Conclusions: There were obvious height inequalities in China. Although the urbanrural differences have decreased, the height differences among regions at different economic levels have gradually increased, especially in rural areas. These differences should be taken seriously and relevant policies should be formulated to reduce height inequalities for children and adolescents in different regions.
In Kampehl, a village northwest of Berlin, a mummified body is preserved and exhibited in a church annexe. It is said to represent the remains of Christian Friedrich von Kahlbutz (1651-1702), a local nobleman. According to local legend, he swore before a court that his body would not decay if he were the culprit in an alleged case of murder. We offer the first comprehensive investigation of the mummy using anthropological and historical methods. A CT scan of the mummy revealed an intact skeleton without signs of injury or major disease, minimal remnants of inner organs, a pencil inside the thoracic cavity, likely introduced as a hoax, and a coin-shaped metallic object inside the oral cavity. Sex and age of the body match the historical individual, as does radiocarbon dating. Results of palaeogenetic investigations are limited due to poor endogenous DNA quality. Historical research could establish the place of birth of Christian Friedrich von Kahlbutz as likely being near Lüneburg, i.e., outside Brandenburg. He had military training before living the life of a feudal lord in Kampehl, where he married and had twelve children. Even without a name on the coffin, the identification of the mummy with this historical individual seems plausible. There is only indirect evidence for a historical trial for murder against him. All findings speak for natural mummification, which is not unheard of in the region, as is the placing of a coin into the mouth of a deceased individual as burial object.
Lead is one of the most toxic heavy metals and environmental pollutants on earth capable of adversely affecting every organ in the human body, with harmful short- and long-term effects. In the Laurion region of southeastern Attica, Greece, the extraction of silver-rich lead ores has been practiced since prehistoric times. This area was heavily mined during the late Archaic and Classical periods significantly contributing to Athens wealth and sovereignty. Mining and metallurgical activities declined towards late antiquity but resumed in the late 19th century, continuing until the end of the 20th century. Vestiges of these activities still dot the landscape posing potential environmental risks. Although the chemical effects of lead on the human skeleton are well-documented, the osteological imprint of lead contamination, especially in classical antiquity, remains unexplored. This paper examines lesions characteristic of lead poisoning found on the remains of a 2-year-old infant from Laurion dating to the Archaic/Early Classical period (6th5th century BCE). The study employs non-invasive techniques, including macroscopic analysis, digital microscopy, plain radiography, and micro-CT imaging, to assess the presentation, distribution, pathogenesis, and etiology of the lesions. Anatomical areas formed by endochondral ossification, including the metaphyses of the long bones, the sternal ends of mid-ribs, and the condyle(s) of the mandible, are affected by bone hypertrophy and the formation of lead lines or lead bands. Additionally, hyperplasia of the cranial vault is diagnostic of anemia, while lesions on the endocranial surface indicate encephalopathy, which is associated with high levels of lead exposure and is often fatal. The presence of lesions diagnostic of scurvy and those consistent with rickets further supports the co-occurrence of multiple metabolic diseases in the infant skeleton. The manifestation of these lesions can provide insights into the history of lead toxicity and its lasting effects.
