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'Nowak O, Piontek J, 2011: Does the presence of Harris lines affect the final stature in a medieval population?. Anthropologie (Brno) 49, 2: 117-123'. |
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| Abstract | | Previous studies on Harris lines (HL) have investigated the relationship between their occurrence and the length of bones and, in consequence, stature. They have often produced discrepant results. By using a new method of categorisation of individuals - in terms of HL presence - we wanted to determine, which period in the ontogenesis is the most susceptible one and when the burden of stress has the most significant effect in terms of either retarding or arresting the longitudinal growth of the bones, which can affect an individual's final stature. We measured four long bones (the femur, tibia, humerus, and radius) of 109 female and 111 male skeletons from the medieval burial ground in Cedynia, Poland. Roentgenograms of the tibiae were also taken and examined. The stature of the individuals under study was reconstructed using regression equations for the four long bones. We demonstrated that there were no differences between the length of the tibiae in individuals with and without Harris lines. The examination of the remaining types of long bones corroborated the result obtained for the tibiae. No differences in length were noted between these bones in individuals with Harris lines and individuals in whom Harris lines were not identified. Both for the incidence of disturbances expressed by the number of HLs, and for the age at which the presence of HLs was noted, no relationship with final adult stature was found for either sex. The results seem to indicate that Harris lines are merely a discreet record of an adverse impact from the external environment, having no relationship with the final realisation of phenotypic traits expressed as the length of the bones and stature. | | | | Keywords | | Harris lines - Adult stature - Medieval time | | |
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