Evidence for genetic and behavioral adaptations in the ontogeny of prehistoric hunter-gatherer limb robusticity

摘要

Biomechanical analyses of past populations have primarily focused on adults and interpreted variation in limb bone robusticity as indicative of differences in behavior. However, prior to skeletal maturity large changes occur in limb bone robusticity and shape. During ontogeny, the accrual of bone is regulated by differences in genetics and nutrition as well as mechanical loading. We consider how long bone robusticity changes from birth to young adulthood in order to understand when population differences appear during development and why this occurs.