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Revealing Developmental Transitions in Perinatal and Infant Individuals Through Microanatomical Analysis
María Molina Moreno1,2, Danielle M Doe2, Nieves Candelas González2
1Grup de Recerca en Antropología Biològica (GREAB), Departament de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal i D'ecología, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Insights
Identifying birth events in ancient infant bones is difficult. Microscopic bone analysis reveals distinct developmental changes, allowing accurate identification of the full-term birth period and improving understanding of infant mortality in past populations.
Area of Science:
- Paleopathology
- Bioarchaeology
- Forensic Anthropology
Background:
- Identifying birth events in perinatal human remains is challenging due to the absence of direct skeletal markers.
- Existing age-at-death estimation methods show high variability for prenatal to early postnatal stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify distinct microanatomical events in humeral cross-sections related to perinatal development.
- To integrate these findings into the analysis of infant mortality trends in past populations.
Main Methods:
- Microanatomical analysis of humeral cross-sections from 106 infants (prenatal to 1.5 years).
- Age-at-death estimation and quantitative microanatomical characterization of nine selected individuals.
Main Results:
- Microanatomical analysis revealed a higher percentage of mineralized areas (60%-80%) in the youngest infants up to the first neonatal month.
- Biological age-at-death estimation showed significant overlap across prenatal and postnatal stages.
Conclusions:
- Microanatomical analysis provides evidence of developmental transitions from prenatal to neonatal stages.
- The full-term birth period can be identified microanatomically in bone, offering a reliable method for fragmented remains.
- This approach enhances understanding of gestational development and postnatal survival in ancient populations.
Objectives:
Identifying signs of birth in perinatal human remains of past populations is challenging due to the lack of direct markers of this event on bones. This research aims to identify distinct events in humeral cross-sections microanatomy related to perinatal development and to integrate the findings into infant mortality trends.
Material And Methods:
The sample consists of infants (N = 106) ranging from prenatal to 1.5 years, with microanatomical analysis of nine selected individuals. Age-at-death estimation and microanatomical characterization were conducted, combined with quantitative analysis of microanatomical features.
Results:
Biological age-at-death presents high variability and overlap across prenatal to postnatal stages. Microanatomical analysis reveals a higher percentage of mineralized areas (60%-80%) within the total cross-sectional area in the youngest individuals up to the first neonatal month.
Conclusions:
Based on the integration of microanatomical analysis in an extensive infant sample, this study highlights the evidence of developmental transitions from prenatal to neonatal stages. These findings suggest that, unlike biological age estimation methods, the full-term period can be identified microanatomically in bone. This provides a valuable approach for analyzing fragmented skeletal remains, secondary deposits, and other funerary or osteological contexts, opening new pathways to understand gestational development and postnatal survival in past populations.
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