TY - JOUR
T1 - Trabecular bone functional adaptation and sexual dimorphism in the human foot
AU - Saers, Jaap P.P.
AU - Ryan, Timothy M.
AU - Stock, Jay T.
N1 - Funding Information:
Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, Grant/Award Number: 0617097; FP7 Ideas: European Research Council, Grant/Award Number: 617627; National Science Foundation, Grant/Award Number: BCS-0617097; Arts and Humanities Research Council, Grant/Award Number: 1503975; European Research Council, Grant/Award Number: 617627
Funding Information:
The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Frame-work Programme (FP/2007e2013)/ERC Grant Agreement n. 617627 (to JTS), the Arts and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Training Programme, 1503975 (to JPPS), and National Science Foundation Grant BCS-0617097 (to TMR). The associate editor and two anonymous reviewers provided comments that greatly improved the manuscript.
PY - 2018/1
Y1 - 2018/1
N2 - Objectives: Trabecular bone adapts to the strains placed upon the skeleton during life. Anthropological research has largely focused on linking variation in primate trabecular bone to locomotor mode, to provide a context for interpreting fossil morphology. However, intraspecific variation and its underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. Trabecular bone is influenced by a variety of factors including body mass, age, diet, temperature, genetics, sex, and behavior. Before trabecular structure can be used to infer habitual behavior in the past, the effects of these factors need to be understood. In this article, we examine variation in trabecular structure in the human foot in four archaeological groups in relation to inferred levels of terrestrial mobility and sex. Materials and methods: We use high-resolution μCT scanning to examine variation in trabecular structure in the human calcaneus, talus, and first metatarsal in two relatively mobile and two relatively sedentary archaeological groups. Results: The four population samples show similar patterns of trabecular variation throughout the foot, influenced by mechanical loading. Greater inferred terrestrial mobility is associated with greater bone volume fraction and thicker, more widely spaced, and less interconnected trabeculae. However, contrary to diaphyseal rigidity, only limited sexual dimorphism was found in trabecular structure. Discussion: This work demonstrates that trabecular bone may serve as a useful proxy of habitual behavior in the fossil and archaeological record when other factors are carefully considered. However, the mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism are not well understood. As such, inferring sex differences in habitual behavior is currently challenging.
AB - Objectives: Trabecular bone adapts to the strains placed upon the skeleton during life. Anthropological research has largely focused on linking variation in primate trabecular bone to locomotor mode, to provide a context for interpreting fossil morphology. However, intraspecific variation and its underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. Trabecular bone is influenced by a variety of factors including body mass, age, diet, temperature, genetics, sex, and behavior. Before trabecular structure can be used to infer habitual behavior in the past, the effects of these factors need to be understood. In this article, we examine variation in trabecular structure in the human foot in four archaeological groups in relation to inferred levels of terrestrial mobility and sex. Materials and methods: We use high-resolution μCT scanning to examine variation in trabecular structure in the human calcaneus, talus, and first metatarsal in two relatively mobile and two relatively sedentary archaeological groups. Results: The four population samples show similar patterns of trabecular variation throughout the foot, influenced by mechanical loading. Greater inferred terrestrial mobility is associated with greater bone volume fraction and thicker, more widely spaced, and less interconnected trabeculae. However, contrary to diaphyseal rigidity, only limited sexual dimorphism was found in trabecular structure. Discussion: This work demonstrates that trabecular bone may serve as a useful proxy of habitual behavior in the fossil and archaeological record when other factors are carefully considered. However, the mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism are not well understood. As such, inferring sex differences in habitual behavior is currently challenging.
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U2 - 10.1002/ajpa.23732
DO - 10.1002/ajpa.23732
M3 - Article
C2 - 30462351
AN - SCOPUS:85057024973
VL - 168
SP - 154
EP - 169
JO - American Journal of Physical Anthropology
JF - American Journal of Physical Anthropology
SN - 0002-9483
IS - 1
ER -