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Humidity as a source of measurement error in osteometrics.

G H Albrecht

    American Journal of Physical Anthropology
    |April 1, 1983
    PubMed
    Summary

    Increased humidity causes bone expansion, affecting skull measurements in osteometrics. These changes are minor and reversible, but represent a potential source of error in scientific studies.

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    Area of Science:

    • Osteology
    • Biological Anthropology
    • Forensic Science

    Background:

    • Dried, preserved bone specimens are susceptible to environmental changes.
    • Humidity variations can potentially influence the physical dimensions of skeletal material.
    • Accurate osteometric measurements are crucial for various scientific disciplines.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the effect of humidity on the dimensions of dried, preserved macaque skulls.
    • To determine if humidity variation causes measurable bone expansion.
    • To assess the impact of such changes on osteometric data.

    Main Methods:

    • Ten macaque skulls were subjected to a controlled high-humidity environment for 24 hours.
    • Nine standard skull dimensions were measured before and immediately after humidification.
    • Statistical analysis was performed to identify significant changes in dimensions.

    Main Results:

    • A statistically significant increase in skull dimensions was observed with increased humidity.
    • The molar tooth row length increased by approximately 0.50% (0.1 mm).
    • The greatest skull length increased by approximately 0.57% (0.9 mm).
    • Specimens reverted to original dimensions within 1-2 days post-exposure.

    Conclusions:

    • Humidity variation demonstrably causes minor, reversible expansion in preserved bone.
    • These bony changes represent a real, albeit small, source of measurement error in osteometrics.
    • Findings support practical observations of dimensional variability in museum specimens across different environments.

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