Doctoral Disseration: Who's Related to Whom? Skeletal Kinship Analysis in Ancient Cemeteries

将测试两种方法，用于使用骨骼的遗传变异来识别古代墓地中的家庭成员。 第一种方法涉及分析手骨长度遗传变异的数据，以识别具有非常密切遗传关系的个体（例如兄弟姐妹、父母和祖父母）。 这种方法是一种被称为掌指模式轮廓分析的放射照相技术的适应，该技术使用手部指骨长度的数据。 由于人类的模式图谱显示出近亲之间的高度相关性，因此显示高度相关模式图谱的骨骼可以被认为是近亲。识别家庭成员的第二种方法涉及收集个体骨骼遗传结构异常的数据，以识别通常跨越多代的遗传谱系。 这些异常的例子包括异常短的拇指，先天融合的颈部椎骨，以及足部的额外骨骼。 对这些结构变异的分析将遵循已经开发的用于分析遗传亲缘关系的方法，除了将使用整个骨骼的遗传异常，而不仅仅是头骨和牙齿的异常。 对于每个感兴趣的墓地，将确定48个骨骼异常的频率，并与来自相同时间段和地理区域的参考样本中这些相同异常的频率进行比较。 如果有一个异常的频率在一个墓地和参考样本之间的统计学显着差异，那么在共同的墓地内共享异常的个人有很高的概率是遗传relatives.The主题的这项研究将是大约1800骨架从中世纪教堂墓地在丹麦。 家族关系将在欧登塞的黑修士和灰修士墓地的800具骨架中进行调查，这些骨架的年代约为公元1250年至16世纪中期。 这些骨架在欧登塞大学展出。 来自丹麦其他几个中世纪墓地的另外1000具骨架将构成参考样本。遗传亲属的鉴定将使人类学家能够更好地估计属于这两个教区教堂的血统数量。 此外，这些信息将使人类学家能够解决生活质量问题的程度，如社会地位，埋葬治疗，儿童死亡率，一般健康和对疾病的易感性受到特定家庭或血统的影响，以及这种影响如何随着时间的推移而变化。

Two methods will be tested for identifying family members within ancient cemeteries using inherited variation of the skeleton. The first method involves analysis of data on inherited variation in hand bone lengths to identify individuals who are very close genetic relatives (e.g. siblings, their parents, and grandparents). This method is an adaptation of a radiographic technique called metacarpophalangeal pattern profile analysis, which uses data on the lengths of the digital bones of the hand. Since human pattern profiles have been shown to exhibit high correlations between close genetic relatives, skeletons that show highly correlated pattern profiles can be assumed to have been close genetic relatives.The second method for identifying family members involves collection of data on inherited structural anomalies of individual bones to identify genetic lineages that often span many generations. Examples of such anomalies include unusually short thumbs, congenitally fused vertebrae in the neck, and extra bones in the feet. Analysis of these structural variants will follow a method already developed for analysis of genetic kinship, except that inherited anomalies from throughout the skeleton will be used, rather than just anomalies of the skull and teeth. For each cemetery of interest, the frequency of 48 skeletal anomalies will be determined and compared to the frequencies of these same anomalies in a reference sample from the same time period and geographic region. If there is a statistically significant difference between the frequency of an anomaly in one of the cemeteries and in the reference sample, then the individuals sharing the anomaly in common within the cemetery have a high probability of being genetic relatives.The subjects of this study will be approximately 1800 skeletons from medieval church cemeteries in Denmark. Familial relationships will be investigated among 800 skeletons from the Black Friar and Gray Friar cemeteries in Odense, which date from around AD 1250 to the mid- 1500s. These skeletons are curated at Odense University. Another 1000 skeletons from several other medieval cemeteries in Denmark will comprise the reference sample.Identification of genetic relatives will allow anthropologists to better estimate the number of lineages belonging to the two parish churches. In addition, this information will permit anthropologists to address questions about the extent to which quality of life issues suchas social status, burial treatment, childhood mortality rates, general health, and susceptibility to diseases were affected by membership in a particular family or lineage, and how this effect may have changed over time.