Rare Skeleton Points to Compassion, Care, and Tragedy in Prehistoric China – Gizmodo
Posted: December 21, 2019 at 5:44 am
The 5,000-year-old skeleton, designated M53, with physical dysplasia. Image: S. E. Halcrow et al., 2019
The discovery of a 5,000-year-old skeleton of a young adult who had serious physical limitations suggests a form of social support existed in Neolithic China, but only to a point, as this individual may have met an untimely death.
The skeleton was found at the Guanjia site in Chinas Henan Province, and it dates back to the late Neolithic Yangshao cultural period (33002900 BCE). A recent analysis of this skeleton has revealed an array of physical and possibly cognitive health issues that would have required others to take care of this individual, according to new research published in the International Journal of Paleopathology.
Designated M53, this person had normal body proportions but was far shorter than typical, with a slender build. The researchers, a collaborative team from Queens College in New York, the University of Otago in New Zealand, and other institutions, were unable to determine the individuals sex, but the person died after reaching adulthood. M53 was buried according to normal Yangshao customs, but their hands were positioned behind their back, for reasons that arent clear. Analysis of the skeleton also revealed neck fractures, which likely contributed to M53's deathinjuries that were possibly inflicted intentionally.
Importantly, M53 had bones that were very thin and hollow, similar to severe osteoporosis, and they likely had very weak muscles, as evidenced by specific skeletal muscle markings. Taken together, this suggests M53 had physical dysplasia, leading to a kind of dwarfism, an underdeveloped body, and a feebleness. This individual wouldve been very physically limited and possibly even paralyzed. Whats more, if M53 was affected by severe hormonal problemswhich appears to be the casethey may have also experienced cognitive delays and mood disorders, according to the new research.
Ekaterina Pechenkina, a co-author of the study and an anthropologist at Queens College, said these anomalous traits may have been caused by a reduced function of the pituitary gland, a critical gland that regulates our growth and general well-being, she explained in an email to Gizmodo. Among other things, it produces the growth hormone. Indeed, her teams analysis of the skull revealed depressions in a bony structure that hosts the pituitary glanda sign that a tumor had caused the gland to stop working properly.
Pechenkina said all these skeletal manifestations suggest hypopituitarism as a diagnosis, a rare condition in which the pituitary gland cant produce sufficient hormones, leading to a host of problems, including muscle weakness. Consequently, this rare find is offering new insights into the cultural norms of the period and how individuals with noticeable physical differences or disabilities were treated.
We know that M53 was a tiny individual with very slender, fragile bones and underdeveloped muscles, who despite their limited physical abilities survived into adulthood, said Pechenkina.
Survival in this 5,000-year-old northern Chinese farming community wouldve required considerable physical strength, Pechenkina explained. Chopping wood to build fires during the cold winters wouldve been an essential skill, she said. To acquire food, people needed to turn soil, plant seeds, water crops, and so on.
I think that a slender and a fragile individual, such as M53, needed lots of support and help from their family members, said Pechenkina. It is unlikely that they were ostracized by their community, she said, as there was no evidence of abuse or signs of old fractures. And because M53 was buried in a (reasonably) typical way, they were regarded as one of their own, she said.
The exact model of care, in the words of the researchers, is unknown, but Sian Halcrow, a co-author of the study and a researcher at the University of Otago, said it very likely existed in some form.
Thats because the dysplasia likely had some associated health effects from an early age, and that would have meant M53 would have had extra care needs, said Halcrow in a press release. But they lived into adulthood so its likely they were the recipient of care from other members in their family or wider society.
That said, Pechenkina and her colleagues believe M53 likely died from the aforementioned neck fracture.
Their neck vertebrae appear to be fractured around the time of death, which makes it likely that eventually they were killed by their group members, either because they became to be seen as a burden or because their health deteriorated or, perhaps, because their caretakers became too old or died, said Pechenkina. For me, an interesting question is whether our M53 individual was recognized as different from an early childhood or only after a certain age when their short stature and fragility became apparent, she said, adding that, I suspect that up until a certain age they were likely cared for as a child.
The troublesome circumstances of M53s death notwithstanding, their survival into adulthood would have required lots of time, patience, and resourcesand also a certain degree of compassion and acceptance. Yes, the Neolithic was tough, but it was clearly far from barbaric.
No doubt, this discovery shows one way in which Neolithic culture was socially advanced, but we shouldnt be too surprised (evidence from earlier this year revealed that Neolithic European babies drank animal milk from sippy cups, as just one example). Evidence of social support goes back even further in timeas far back as the Neanderthals and other archaic humans, who cared for severely physically disabled members of their communities. Prosocial behaviors such as these, it might be argued, contributed greatly to the success of our species.
Originally posted here:
Rare Skeleton Points to Compassion, Care, and Tragedy in Prehistoric China - Gizmodo
- Sheehan's syndrome - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic - February 19th, 2021
- atrophy | Definition, Types, & Effects | Britannica - February 19th, 2021
- Hormone Replacement in Hypopituitarism Guideline Resources ... - February 14th, 2021
- World Alopecia Market Segmentation & Impact Analysis, by Gender, Application and Region - Featuring Profiles of Key Players Cipla Inc, Johnson AG,... - December 30th, 2020
- Global Alopecia Market is Forecast to Deliver a CAGR of 5.1% Between 2019 and 2027 - GlobeNewswire - December 14th, 2020
- Merck Announces KEYNOTE-598 Trial Evaluating KEYTRUDA in Combination With Ipilimumab Versus KEYTRUDA Monotherapy in Certain Patients With Metastatic... - November 13th, 2020
- Alopecia Market Analysis, COVID-19 Impact,Outlook, Opportunities, Size, Share Forecast and Supply Demand 2021-2027|Trusted Business Insights -... - November 10th, 2020
- Male Hypogonadism Market Projected to be Resilient During 2025 - The Market Feed - November 10th, 2020
- Alopecia Market Analysis, COVID-19 Impact,Outlook, Opportunities, Size, Share Forecast and Supply Demand 2021-2027|Trusted Business Insights - KYT24 - November 8th, 2020
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration Accepts for Priority Review Applications for OPDIVO (nivolumab) in Combination with CABOMETYX (cabozantinib) in... - October 23rd, 2020
- Man scared to return home after being stabbed and beaten by intruders in the middle of the night - Yorkshire Live - September 26th, 2020
- Disabled Sheffield man reveals horrific injuries after being stabbed in his own home - The Star - September 22nd, 2020
- BAVENCIO Pivotal Phase III JAVELIN Bladder 100 Results Published in The New England Journal of Medicine - PRNewswire - September 22nd, 2020
- Kristine Barnett: Indiana mum who abandoned 'adult' daughter who tried to kill her cleared of neglect charges - MEAWW - August 19th, 2020
- Global Alopecia Market was valued at approximately USD 2.40 billion in 2019, and is expected to generate revenue of around USD 4.45 billion by end of... - August 11th, 2020
- 20 Of The Most Shocking Plot Twists In Movies That We Never Predicted - ScoopWhoop - August 11th, 2020
- Global Alopecia Market 2020 | Analyzing The COVID-19 Impact Followed By Restraints, Opportunities And Projected Developments - Bulletin Line - August 2nd, 2020
- Diagnosis and Management of Pituitary Incidentaloma - Endocrinology Advisor - June 18th, 2020
- Male Hypogonadism Market Future Aspect Analysis and Current Trends by 2017 to 2025 - 3rd Watch News - May 21st, 2020
- Breakthrough Innovation in Cancer Care From EMD Serono Pipeline to Be Presented at ASCO 2020 - PRNewswire - May 18th, 2020
- Breakthrough Innovation in Cancer Care From EMD Serono Pipeline to Be Presented at ASCO 2020 - WFMZ Allentown - May 16th, 2020
- Hypopituitarism | Endocrine Society - April 13th, 2020
- Certain Types of Steroids Could Increase the Risk of Coronavirus - Myhealthyclick - April 13th, 2020
- EMD Serono and Pfizer Receive US FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation and Submit Application for BAVENCIO for First-Line Maintenance Treatment of... - April 10th, 2020
- Corticosteroids With COVID-19 in Asthma, Allergies, and Arthritis Patients - MedicineNet - April 9th, 2020
- How the Sunflowers Children's Action Group has brought joy to poorly youngsters in lockdown - Grimsby Live - April 9th, 2020
- Patients on Steroids With COVID-19 Might Need Rescue Steroids - Medscape - April 6th, 2020
- Patients taking steroids with COVID-19 may need rescue steroids. - NewsDio - April 6th, 2020
- EMD Serono and Pfizer Provide Update on Phase III JAVELIN Head and Neck 100 Study - P&T Community - March 18th, 2020
- Is dwarf boy Quaden Bayles 18-year-old or just 9? Internet is divided and debate continues - International Business Times, Singapore Edition - February 28th, 2020
- 'Orphan' Prequel to Tell the Origins of 'Esther' - Bloody Disgusting - February 20th, 2020
- Acromegaly Treatment Industry 2020 Global Market Size, Demand, Growth Prospects, Key Insights, Top Companies and Forecast till 2025 - Instant Tech... - February 18th, 2020
- The motive within the serve of this man's suffering became once hiding in undeniable look - Invest Records - January 28th, 2020
- Male Hypogonadism Market Analytical Overview and Growth Opportunities by 2025 - Fusion Science Academy - January 17th, 2020
- Acromegaly Treatment Industry 2019 Global Market Size, Demand, Growth Prospects, Key Insights, Top Companies and Forecast till 2025 - Market Research... - December 20th, 2019
- 5,000-Year-Old Human Found with 'Extremely Rare' Form of Dwarfism - Livescience.com - December 17th, 2019
- How Hypopituitarism is Treated | Learn More About ... - December 11th, 2019
- Acromegaly Treatment Industry 2019 Global Market Size, Demand, Growth Prospects, Key Insights, Top Companies and Forecast till 2025 - VaporBlash - December 5th, 2019
- Alopecia Market Outlook and Opportunities in Grooming Regions with Forecast to 2027 | CAPILLUS, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Cipla, Merck and Co,... - November 24th, 2019
- Look inside the old Natwest in Prescot after its total transformation - Liverpool Echo - November 2nd, 2019
- PRACTICALLY ACTIVE: Love your liver and it will love you back - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - October 9th, 2019
- Male Hypogonadism Market Growth Opportunities and Dynamic Business by 2025 - NewsStoner - September 27th, 2019
- What causes prolonged menstrual bleeding? - The New Times - September 24th, 2019
- CHMP Adopts Positive Opinion for BAVENCIO (avelumab) Plus Axitinib for First-Line Treatment of Patients with Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma -... - September 24th, 2019
- Pfizer Presents Scientific Advancements in Cancer Care at the ESMO Congress 2019 Highlighting Expanded Portfolio - Yahoo Finance - September 24th, 2019
- Acute Hypopituitarism: Overview, Diagnostic Considerations ... - May 29th, 2019
- Hypopituitarism | Endocrinology | Dartmouth-Hitchcock - May 2nd, 2019
- Hypopituitarism | Johns Hopkins Medicine - April 11th, 2019
- Hypopituitarism Symptoms & Causes | Boston Children's Hospital - March 6th, 2019
- Endocrine Diseases in Pregnancy | GLOWM - February 18th, 2019
- Non-Functioning Tumors (Endocrine-Inactive Tumors ... - January 29th, 2019
- Steroid Replacement Doses for Hypopituitary Patients ... - January 24th, 2019
- Hypopituitarism | UCLA Health - October 7th, 2018
- Hypopituitarism Disease Reference Guide - Drugs.com - October 3rd, 2018
- Hypopituitarism Treatment & Causes | Lurie Children's - October 3rd, 2018
- Hypopituitarism | You and Your Hormones from the Society for ... - August 23rd, 2018
- Panhypopituitarism: Practice Essentials, Pathophysiology ... - August 23rd, 2018
- Hypopituitarism | Lifespan - August 23rd, 2018
- OMIM Entry - # 146510 - PALLISTER-HALL SYNDROME; PHS - July 26th, 2018
- Hypopituitarism in Children | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia - July 12th, 2018
- What is hypopituitarism? | The Pituitary Foundation - July 12th, 2018
- Hypopituitarism - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic - June 4th, 2018
- Hypopituitarism in Kids: Definition, Symptoms, Treatment - May 11th, 2018
- Hypopituitarism | Hormone Health Network - April 24th, 2018
- Hypopituitarism - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment - Prime Health Channel - April 8th, 2018
- Hypopituitary: Hypopituitarism Causes, Symptoms & Treatment - March 26th, 2018
- Generalized Hypopituitarism - Endocrine and Metabolic ... - March 5th, 2018
- Hypopituitarism - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic - February 28th, 2018
- Hypopituitarism: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment - February 28th, 2018
- LABOKLIN (UK)| Genetic Diseases | Dogs| Dwarfism ... - February 8th, 2018
- Prevalence of Hypopituitarism in Veterans 42% A NEW ... - February 7th, 2018
- Pituitary Disorders - labtestsonline.org - January 7th, 2018
- Severe hyponatremia due to hypopituitarism with adrenal ... - September 20th, 2017
- Hypopituitarism | You and Your Hormones from the Society ... - August 21st, 2017
- The Pituitary Society | Glossary of Terms Related to ... - August 14th, 2017
- What Is Hypopituitarism (Dwarfism)? - Verywell - August 4th, 2017
- Hormone Replacement Therapy Market: Industry Players to Show High Growth Rate by 2024 - Monotone Critic - July 31st, 2017
- Hormone Replacement Therapy Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 2016 ... - Digital Journal - July 31st, 2017
- Male Hypogonadism Market Deep Research Study with Forecast by 2025 - Digital Journal - July 12th, 2017
- Treatment of hypopituitarism - uptodate.com - May 22nd, 2017