TY - JOUR
T1 - Heterogeneous frailty and the expression of linear enamel hypoplasia in a genealogical population
AU - Lawrence, Julie
AU - Stojanowski, Christopher M.
AU - Paul, Kathleen S.
AU - Seidel, Andrew C.
AU - Guatelli-Steinberg, Debbie
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the Editor‐in‐Chief, Associate Editor, and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on this manuscript. Thomas Morgan also provided valuable insight on some aspects of the analyses. This work was funded by National Science Foundation Research, Grant Award Number: BCS‐1750089.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - Objectives: Linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) is a common skeletal marker of physiological stress (e.g., malnutrition or illness) that is studied within and across populations, without reference to familial risk. We examine LEH prevalence in a population with known genealogical relationships to determine the potential influence of genetic heritability and shared environment. Methods: LEH data of 239 individuals from a single population were recorded from the Ohio State University Menegaz-Bock collection dental casts. All individuals were of known age, sex, and genealogy. Narrow-sense heritability estimates were obtained for LEH presence and count data from all unworn, fully erupted teeth (excluding third molars) using SOLAR (v.8.1.1). Age, sex, and age–sex interaction were included as covariates. Models were re-run with a household effect variable. Results: LEH persists across generations in this study population with moderate, significant heritability estimates for presence in four teeth, and count in four teeth (three teeth were significant for both). When a household effect variable was added, no residual heritability remained for LEH count on any tooth. There was no significant household effect for three of the four teeth that had significant heritability estimates for LEH presence. Age was a significant covariate. Further analyses with birth year data revealed a secular trend toward less LEH. Conclusions: This study provides evidence for familial risk of LEH (genetic and environmental) that has consequences for the broad use of this skeletal marker of stress. These results have repercussions for archaeological assemblages, or population health studies, where genetic relatives and household groups might be heavily represented.
AB - Objectives: Linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) is a common skeletal marker of physiological stress (e.g., malnutrition or illness) that is studied within and across populations, without reference to familial risk. We examine LEH prevalence in a population with known genealogical relationships to determine the potential influence of genetic heritability and shared environment. Methods: LEH data of 239 individuals from a single population were recorded from the Ohio State University Menegaz-Bock collection dental casts. All individuals were of known age, sex, and genealogy. Narrow-sense heritability estimates were obtained for LEH presence and count data from all unworn, fully erupted teeth (excluding third molars) using SOLAR (v.8.1.1). Age, sex, and age–sex interaction were included as covariates. Models were re-run with a household effect variable. Results: LEH persists across generations in this study population with moderate, significant heritability estimates for presence in four teeth, and count in four teeth (three teeth were significant for both). When a household effect variable was added, no residual heritability remained for LEH count on any tooth. There was no significant household effect for three of the four teeth that had significant heritability estimates for LEH presence. Age was a significant covariate. Further analyses with birth year data revealed a secular trend toward less LEH. Conclusions: This study provides evidence for familial risk of LEH (genetic and environmental) that has consequences for the broad use of this skeletal marker of stress. These results have repercussions for archaeological assemblages, or population health studies, where genetic relatives and household groups might be heavily represented.
KW - heritability
KW - heterogeneous frailty
KW - linear enamel hypoplasia
KW - quantitative genetics
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U2 - 10.1002/ajpa.24288
DO - 10.1002/ajpa.24288
M3 - Article
C2 - 33852741
AN - SCOPUS:85104227818
SN - 0002-9483
VL - 176
SP - 638
EP - 651
JO - American journal of physical anthropology
JF - American journal of physical anthropology
IS - 4
ER -