Bone loss markers in the earliest Pacific Islanders.

Area of Science:

• Paleopathology
• Bioarchaeology
• Human Osteology

Background:

• The Kingdom of Tonga faces high obesity and metabolic disease rates, potentially impacting musculoskeletal health.
• The presence of metabolic bone diseases like osteoporosis in ancient Pacific populations remains largely unexamined.

Observation:

• Microscopic investigation of eight ancient Tongan femur samples (Talasiu culture, ~2650 BP) was conducted.
• Techniques included histology, laser confocal microscopy, and synchrotron Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy.
• Analysis focused on bone vascular canals, porosity, and mineral composition (carbonate and phosphate).

Findings:

• Female bone samples exhibited fewer vascular canals, lower carbonate and phosphate content, and increased porosity compared to males.
• Trabecularization of cortical bone was more prevalent in females (35.5%) than males (15.8%).
• These microscopic differences suggest advanced bone resorption, indicative of osteoporosis in this archaeological sample.

Implications:

• This research provides the first microscopic evidence of bone loss in an ancient Pacific population.
• Findings suggest osteoporosis may have affected humans in Tonga thousands of years ago.
• The study links ancient bone health to modern metabolic conditions prevalent in Polynesian populations.