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Biological rhythms and behavior--then and now.

Otto Appenzeller1, Germaine Cornélissen, Franz Halberg

  • 1New Mexico Health Enhancement and Marathon Clinics Research Foundation, Albuquerque, NM 87122-1424, USA. ottoarun12@aol.com

Medical Science Monitor : International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research
|September 10, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Ancient human enamel reveals distinct biological rhythms. Analysis of fossilized teeth shows unique chronomes, offering insights into prehistoric behaviors and daily cycles.

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Area of Science:

  • Paleochronobiology
  • Paleogenetics
  • Bioarchaeology

Background:

  • Living organisms exhibit biological time, characterized by rhythmic oscillations paced by gene expression cycles, forming chronomes.
  • Human chronomes are preserved in tooth enamel, providing a fossil record of ancient biological rhythms.
  • Studying ancient enamel offers insights into prehistoric civilizations' behavior and daily life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare the chronomes of ancient human enamel with contemporaneous teeth.
  • To analyze the biological rhythms preserved in fossilized tooth enamel from the San Pedro culture.

Main Methods:

  • Eight adult 3rd molar teeth from AD 400-900 Chilean burials were compared with 20 contemporaneous teeth from New Mexico.
  • Sections of enamel were examined using microscopy and polarized light to measure intervals between brown striae of Retzius (TBS) and enamel width.

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  • Statistical analysis included ANOVA and cosinor methodology for chronomics and chronome mapping.

    • Main Results:

    • The biological week in ancient enamel, measured by TBS, showed a faster multiseptan component (1/2.7 biological weeks) compared to contemporaneous teeth (1/4.6 biological weeks).
    • This indicates a distinct biological time structure in ancient human populations.

    Conclusions:

    • This study successfully isolated and analyzed human chronomes from fossilized structures for the first time.
    • The findings suggest that ancient population behaviors, such as work and rest patterns, can be inferred from fossilized enamel over millennia.