Bone Histology. an Anthropological Perspective

Description

A broad understanding of bone and tooth microstructure is necessary for constructing the biological profile of an individual or individuals within a population. Bone Histology: An Anthropological Perspective brings together authors with extensive experience and expertise in various aspects of hard tissue histology to provide a comprehensive discussion of the application of methods, current theories, and future directions in hard tissue research related to anthropological questions.

Topics discussed include:

• The biology underlying skeletal growth and development leading to adult skeletal morphology
• Current research in understanding in bone modeling
• Histological features of dental hard tissues and their utility in biological anthropology
• Histological analysis as a means to differentiate human from nonhuman bone and for the purpose of age estimation
• The biomechanics of cortical bone
• Histotaphonomy and how postmortem microstructural change can be used for taphonomic inquiry
• The application of light microscopy in paleopathology to classify pathological conditions
• The histological study of bone tissue of archaeological origin
• Researchers’ access to collections of bone samples with known demographic information
• Technological aspects of hard tissue histology, including laboratory requirements and high-resolution imaging

In most cases, the physical remains of humans available to bioarchaeologists, paleopathologists, and paleontologists are limited to skeletal material. Fortunately, these hard tissues are a storehouse of information about biological processes experienced during the life of an individual. This volume provides an overview of the current state of research and potential applications in anthropology and other fields that employ a histological approach to the study of hard tissues.

Features

• Includes methods for differentiating human from nonhuman bone
• Covers the latest advances in technology and histological collections for researchers
• Discusses related areas such as bone mechanics, histotaphonomy, and histopaleopathology
• Provides direction for juvenile and adult bone histological age estimation
• Contains more than 150 photographs, including 36 in color

Table of Contents

• Bone Remodeling, Histomorphology, and Histomorphometry; Sam D. Stout and Christian Crowder
• Growth and Development: Morphology, Mechanisms, and Abnormalities; James H. Gosman
• Making the Mold: A Microstructural Perspective on Bone Modeling during Growth and Mechanical Adaptation; Corey M. Maggiano
• Histological Features of Dental Hard Tissues and Their Utility in Forensic Anthropology; Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg and Michaela Huffman
• Differentiating Human from Nonhuman Bone Microstructure; Dawn M. Mulhern and Douglas H. Ubelaker
• Histological Age-at-Death Estimation; Margaret Streeter
• Interpreting Load History in Limb-Bone Diaphyses: Important Considerations and Their Biomechanical Foundations; John G. Skedros
• Bone Fracture: Biomechanics and Risk; Amanda M. Agnew and John H. Bolte IV
• Histotaphonomy; Lynne S. Bell
• Light Microscopic Analysis of Macerated Pathologically Changed Bones; Michael Schultz
• Histological Analyses of Human Bone from Archaeological Contexts; Susan Pfeiffer and Deborrah Pinto
• Bone Histology Collections of the National Museum of Health and Medicine; Brian F. Spatola, Franklin E. Damann, and Bruce D. Ragsdale
• The Melbourne Femur Collection: How a Forensic and Anthropological Collection Came to Have Broader Applications; C. David L. Thomas John G. Clement
• The Histology Laboratory and Principles of Microscope Instrumentation; Helen Cho
• Technological Developments in the Analysis of Cortical Bone Histology: The Third Dimension and Its Potential in Anthropology; David M. L. Cooper, C. David L. Thomas, and John G. Clement

Author

Christian M. Crowder is currently the Deputy Director of Forensic Anthropology for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in New York City and a board certified forensic anthropologist. He is also an adjunct lecturer at Pace University, holds a faculty position at the New York University Medical Center and an affiliation with the NYU Anthropology Department. In his present position with the OCME, Dr. Crowder assists with anthropology casework in the five boroughs of New York City.

Sam D. Stout is currently professor of Anthropology in the Department of Anthropology at the Ohio State University, and professor emeritus of the University of Missouri Department of Anthropology. His research and teaching interests are in skeletal biology, particularly from a microscopic (histomorphological) perspective, and its applications in bioarachaeology and forensic anthropology. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.