Dental microstructure records life history events: A histological study of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) from Gabon

Lemmers, Simone A.M.; Dirks, Wendy; Street, Sally E.; Ngoubangoye, Barthélémy; Herbert, Anaïs; Setchell, Joanna M.

doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103046

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 107 publications

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“…Additionally, it is possible that events subjectively deemed insignificant and not directly related to health and reproduction (which is what our questionnaire assessed) actually have significant effects on cementum deposition. Indeed, recent research [59] has shown that in mandrills ( Mandrillus sphinx ) events such as changes of alpha male within a group correlate with an accentuated line in enamel.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dental cementum virtual histology of Neanderthal teeth from Krapina (Croatia, 130–120 kyr): an informed estimate of age, sex and adult stressors

Cerrito

Nava

Radovčić

et al. 2022

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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The evolution of modern human reproductive scheduling is an aspect of our life history that remains vastly uncomprehended. The present work aims to address this gap by validating a non-destructive cutting-edge methodology to infer adult life-history events on modern teeth with known life history and then applying it to fossil specimens. We use phase-contrast synchrotron X-ray microtomography to visualize the dental cementum of 21 specimens: nine contemporary humans; 10 Neanderthals from Krapina (Croatia, 130–120 kyr); one Neolithic Homo sapiens from Ajmana (Serbia); and one Mesolithic H. sapiens from Vlasac (Serbia). We were able to correctly detect and time (root mean square error = 2.1 years; R 2 = 0.98) all reproductive (menarche, parturition, menopause) and other physiologically impactful events in the modern sample. Nonetheless, we could not distinguish between the causes of the events detected. For the fossil specimens, we estimated age at death and age at occurrence of biologically significant events. Finally, we performed an exploratory analysis regarding possible sexual dimorphism in dental cementum microstructure, which allowed us to correctly infer the sex of the Neolithic specimen, for which the true value was known via DNA analysis.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dental cementum virtual histology of Neanderthal teeth from Krapina (Croatia, 130–120 kyr): an informed estimate of age, sex and adult stressors

Cerrito

Nava

Radovčić

et al. 2022

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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“…Aside from regeneration efforts, recent studies have also shown that understanding the tooth status can inform various other health conditions, like stress [ 85 ], cognitive impairment, and dementia [ 86 ]. Single-cell analysis of pulp and periodontal tissues to better understand these conditions may lead to breakthroughs that could advance cell-based regenerative treatments and help identify predictive biomarkers.…”

Section: Advances From Teeth Atlasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in tooth agenesis and tooth regeneration

Ravi¹,

Murashima-Suginami

Kiso

et al. 2023

Regenerative Therapy

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“…Long‐period incremental lines, commonly referred to as “Retzius lines,” are observable in the imbricational (lateral) enamel using light microscopy (Figure 2c) (Retzius, 1837) and emerge on the surface as perikymata (Cares Henriquez & Oxenham, 2017; Goodman & Rose, 1990). Short‐period incremental lines, prism cross‐striations, are also visible in thin sections (Antoine et al, 2009; Hillson, 2005; Lemmers et al, 2021), appearing as alternating dark and light bands in histological cross‐sections and represent approximately 24 h of enamel secretion, denoting the circadian repeat interval of secretory ameloblasts (Antoine et al, 2009; Goodman & Rose, 1990; Hillson, 2005; Smith et al, 2007). Although widely used and accepted in enamel odontochronological investigations, the mechanism through which they form is not fully understood, and it has been proposed that they reflect structural variation within enamel in relation to diurnal rhythmicity or crystallite organization (Hillson, 2005; Nanci & TenCate, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nostalgia for the old country—A histological exploration of early childhood physiological stress experiences in colonial Otago, New Zealand

Kavale‐Henderson,

Buckley,

King

et al. 2024

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Many mid‐19th‐century immigrants to New Zealand are presumed to have been in pursuit of a “better life” than was achievable in their origin countries. Here, we utilize histological analyses of internal indicators of enamel growth disruption (accentuated lines [ALs]) in 19 European and Chinese immigrants and five colony‐born children from three 19th‐century Otago sites. Observations of regular enamel microstructure were used to estimate a chronology of periods of enamel growth disruption. Clear or potential ALs were present in 18/19 (95%) adults and 4/5 (80%) subadults. Mean occurrence of ALs was higher in Chinese individuals than in European individuals between birth and 1 year of age (Chinese mean = 11; European mean = 3.8) and between 3 and 5 years of age (Chinese mean = 12.7; European mean = 1.3). Potential prenatal ALs were observed in three colony‐born children. Although similar stressors such as malnutrition and infectious disease would have been present in both Europe and China, their expression in these individuals may reflect the embodiment of different push factors that stimulated emigration to New World colonies such as New Zealand. The presence of ALs in colony‐born children indicates some continuation of developmental stressors in New Zealand. The results presented here highlight the value of utilizing microscopic analyses on poorly preserved archeological samples that are frequently excluded from histological examination. This preliminary glimpse into enamel formation disruption challenges the ubiquitous 19th‐century narrative of New Zealand as free from the hardships of industrial revolution era Europe and sheds light on the stresses of childhoods spent in rural China and the potential attractions of the Pacific goldfields in comparison. Future work with larger sample sizes will contribute to a critical exploration of experiences of childhood physiological stress in those who lived and died in colonial New Zealand.

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Dental microstructure records life history events: A histological study of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) from Gabon

Cited by 7 publications

References 107 publications

Dental cementum virtual histology of Neanderthal teeth from Krapina (Croatia, 130–120 kyr): an informed estimate of age, sex and adult stressors

Dental cementum virtual histology of Neanderthal teeth from Krapina (Croatia, 130–120 kyr): an informed estimate of age, sex and adult stressors

Advances in tooth agenesis and tooth regeneration

Nostalgia for the old country—A histological exploration of early childhood physiological stress experiences in colonial Otago, New Zealand

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