| Using the life history model to set the stage(s) of growth and senescence in bioarchaeology and paleodemography. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 21469078 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
Paleodemography, the study of demographic parameters of past human populations, relies on assumptions including biological uniformitarianism, stationary populations, and the ability to determine point age estimates from skeletal material. These assumptions have been widely criticized in the literature and various solutions have been proposed. The majority of these solutions rely on statistical modeling, and have not seen widespread application. Most bioarchaeologists recognize that our ability to assess chronological age is inherently limited, and have instead resorted to large, qualitative, age categories. However, there has been little attempt in the literature to systematize and define the stages of development and ageing used in bioarchaeology. We propose that stages should be based in the human life history pattern, and their skeletal markers should have easily defined and clear endpoints. In addition to a standard five-stage developmental model based on the human life history pattern, current among human biologists, we suggest divisions within the adult stage that recognize the specific nature of skeletal samples. We therefore propose the following eight stages recognizable in human skeletal development and senescence: infancy, early childhood, late childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, full adulthood, mature adulthood, and senile adulthood. Striving toward a better prediction of chronological ages will remain important and could eventually help us understand to what extent past societies differed in the timing of these life stages. Furthermore, paleodemographers should try to develop methods that rely on the type of age information accessible from the skeletal material, which uses life stages, rather than point age estimates. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Mirjana Roksandic; Stephanie D Armstrong |
Related Documents
:
|
23337358 - Co-operative effects of thoracic x-ray irradiation and n-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl) am... 21444188 - Palliative care needs and symptom patterns of hospitalized elders referred for consulta... 21255748 - Reducing case ascertainment costs in u.s. population studies of alzheimer's disease, de... 3052338 - In defense of the concept of biological aging measurement--current status. 8326328 - Clinical and electrophysiological study of the peripheral nervous system in the elderly. 11472758 - Mating system evolution in sperm-heteromorphic drosophila. |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE Date: 2011-4-5 |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: American journal of physical anthropology Volume: - ISSN: 1096-8644 ISO Abbreviation: - Publication Date: 2011 Apr |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2011-4-6 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 0400654 Medline TA: Am J Phys Anthropol Country: - |
Other Details:
|
Languages: ENG Pagination: - Citation Subset: - |
Copyright Information:
|
Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
Affiliation:
|
Department of Anthropology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3B 2E9. m.roksandic@uwinnipeg.ca. |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
|
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Female "dispersal" in hamadryas baboons: Transfer among social units in a multilevel society.
Next Document: Infant and juvenile growth in ancestral Pueblo Indians.