par Boucherie, Alexandra 
Référence Stressed Out conference (19-20 Mai 2017: UCL, Londres)
Publication Non publié, 2017-05-20
Référence Stressed Out conference (19-20 Mai 2017: UCL, Londres)
Publication Non publié, 2017-05-20
Communication à un colloque
| Résumé : | Harris lines (HLs) are defined as transverse, mineralized lines associated with temporary growth arrest. In paleopathology, HLs are used to reconstruct health status of past populations. However, their etiology is still obscure. The aim of this paper is to test the reliability of HLs as an arrested growth marker by investigating their incidence on human metrical parameters. The study was performed on 69 individuals (28 adults, 41 subadults) from the Dendermonde plague cemetery (Belgium, 16th century). HLs were rated on distal femora and both ends of tibiae. Overall prevalence and age-at-formation of each detected lines were calculated. ANOVA analyses were conducted within subadult and adult samples to test if the presence of HLs did impact size and shape parameters of the individuals. At Dendermonde, 52% of the individuals had at least one HL. The age-at-formation was estimated between 5 and 9 years old for the subadults and between 10 and 14 years old for the adults. ANOVA analyses showed that HLs presence did not affect the size of the individuals but did impact shape parameters. Subadults with HLs displayed slighter shape parameters than the subadults without, whereas the adults with HLs had larger measurements than the adults without. The results suggest that HLs can have an certain impact, either negative or positive, on shape parameters, depending on the the period of life during which they were formed. HLs should not be systematically considered as pathological disruptive events, especially for HLs deposited around puberty which may reflect hormonal secretions. |
