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A neolithic case of mesomelic dysplasia from northern Switzerland

Milella, M; Zollikofer, C P E; Ponce de León, M S (2015). A neolithic case of mesomelic dysplasia from northern Switzerland. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 25(6):981-987.

Abstract

Paleopathological cases of skeletal dysplasias (SD) are particularly interesting from a biological as well as biocultural perspective. Evidence of SD is relevant when discussing the antiquity of specific mutations, as well as the social perception of disease in the past. Here we propose a differential diagnosis for a Neolithic case of SD and discuss the possible social correlates of the observed condition. The subject of this study, a child with an age at death of about 12 years from the Late Neolithic site of Schweizersbild (Northern Switzerland), presents a bilateral shortening of the forearm and lower leg, with no further modifications affecting the cranial and postcranial skeleton. Morphological, metric, as well as radiographic analyses point to a diagnosis of Léri Weill dyschondrosteosis (LWD), making the present case the earliest known paleopathological example of this condition. From a biocultural perspective, the skeletal changes affecting the child, together with her/his relatively advanced age, suggest active support from the community, providing new data to inform the debate on the cultural dimensions of disease in prehistory.

Additional indexing

Item Type:Journal Article, refereed, original work
Communities & Collections:07 Faculty of Science > Department of Evolutionary Anthropology
Dewey Decimal Classification:300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology
Scopus Subject Areas:Social Sciences & Humanities > Archeology (arts and humanities)
Social Sciences & Humanities > Anthropology
Social Sciences & Humanities > Archeology
Uncontrolled Keywords:Archaeology, Archaeology, Anthropology
Language:English
Date:2015
Deposited On:10 Feb 2014 13:19
Last Modified:31 Oct 2024 04:32
Publisher:Wiley-Blackwell
ISSN:1047-482X
OA Status:Closed
Publisher DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.2390

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