Article2011

Harris lines revisited: Prevalence, comorbidities, and possible etiologies

Christina Papageorgopoulou · Susanne K. Suter · Frank Jakobus Rühli · Frank Siegmund

104 citations0/0 files storedAmerican Journal of Human Biology

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Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies Archaeology and ancient environmental studies Paleopathology and ancient diseases

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The occurrence of transverse radiopaque lines in long bones-Harris lines (HLs)-is correlated with episodes of temporary arrest of longitudinal growth and has been used as an indicator of health and nutritional status of modern and historical populations. However, the interpretation of HLs as a stress indicator remains debatable. The aim of this article is to evaluate the perspectives and the limitations of HLs analyses and to examine their reliability as a stress indicator. METHODS: The study was conducted on 241 tibiae from a medieval Swiss skeletal material and was carried out using a standardized, semiautomated HL detection and analysis tool developed by the authors. We compared four different age-at-formation estimation methods and analyzed the correlation of HL occurrence to life expectancy, mean-age-at-death, stature, tibia length, and metabolic disorders as expressed by linear enamel hypoplasia and hypothyroidism. RESULTS: The evaluation of the age-at-formation estimation methods showed statistical significant differences. Therefore, a mathematical framework for the conversion between the methods has been developed. Remodeling had eliminated about half of the HLs formed during adolescence, and a further half of the remaining ones during early adulthood, whereas no association between the aforementioned conditions and HL prevalence could be determined. The peaks of high HL frequency among various populations were found to parallel normal growth spurts and growth hormone secretion. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest a reconsideration of HLs as more of a result of normal growth and growth spurts, rather than a pure outcome of nutritional or pathologic stress.

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References

1986STATISTICAL METHODS FOR ASSESSING AGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO METHODS OF CLINICAL MEASUREMENT 1957Lehrbuch der Anthropologie.1980Recommendations for age and sex diagnoses of skeletons 1990Assessment of systemic physiological perturbations from dental enamel hypoplasias and associated histological structures 1980Recommendation for Age and Sex Diagnoses of Skeletons 1899IV. Mathematical contributions to the theory of evolution.—V. On the reconstruction of the stature of prehistoric races 1980Enamel hypoplasias as indicators of stress in three prehistoric populations from Illinois.1982Nutritional Inference from Paleopathology

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