L. Ottini, S. Minozzi, W.B. Pantano, et al.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
which would be compatible with a skeletal age
within 18 yr (1, 3). The epiphyseal and articular
surfaces of the other long bones are lost. The
skull and most vertebrae are in fragmentary con-
ditions and the base of the skull is entirely miss-
ing. The fronto-parietal, sagittal, and lambdoid
sutures appear fused. All the permanent teeth,
including the third molars, are present and fully
developed. The teeth show lines of enamel hy-
poplasia reconducible to at least two episodes of
stress. The weak degree of dental wear is consis-
tent with an age at death within the third decade,
which agrees with the degree of fusion of the ec-
tocranic sutures (3).
Individual data of the ancient skeletal sample used for compar-
isons with T.38 are included in a CD ROM produced by the
Archeologic Superintendence of Rome, available upon request to
the Authors. We thank Mr. Roberto Palazzini for expert technical as-
sistance with dental reconstruction, and Prof. Marco Centanni for
helpful comments. Excavations at the necropolis of Viale della
Serenissima/Via Basiliano were made possible by a generous grant
from T.A.V. (Treno ad Alta Velocità). We acknowledge the support
of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Finalized Project Beni
Culturali - Archivio Biologico, contract #96.01152.PF36, and of
“40%” funds from Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca
Scientifica e Tecnologica (M.U.R.S.T.) to L.R.A. and to R.M.C.
REFERENCES
1.
Becker K.L.
Principles and practice of endocrinology and meta-
bolism, ed. 2.
J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, 1995.
DISCUSSION
In the present case, the proportionate short
stature rules out short-limbed dwarfism due to
defects of endochondral bone growth, such as
achondroplasia, the only skeletal growth distur-
bance well documented in antiquity (1, 2), as well
as most skeletal dysplasias associated with innate
disorders of the cartilage and bone (1, 3). The de-
gree of dental enamel hypoplasia indicates that
T.38 was not subjected to disease- or nutrition-
related stresses more severe than those that af-
fected the other skeletal individuals from the
necropolis.
2
.
.
Dasen V.
Dwarfs in ancient Egypt and Greece.
Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1993.
3
Aufderheide A.C., Rodriguez-Martin C.
The Cambridge encyclopedia of human paleopa-
thology.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998.
Roberts C.
Possible pituitary dwarfism from the Roman period.
BMJ 1987, 295: 1659-1660.
Ottini L., Ricci R., Angeletti L.R., Mariani-Costantini
R., Catalano P.
4
.
.
5
Proportionate short stature can be associated
with precocious puberty, but this characteristical-
ly results in anticipated epiphyseal closure and
robust skeletal features. Short stature and de-
layed epiphysio-diaphysial fusion could rather
suggest hypopituitarism, as in a previously re-
ported British skeleton from the Roman period
Indicatori paleopatologici e ricostruzione delle con-
dizioni di vita nella popolazione di età imperiale da
necropoli nel territorio di Roma.
Römische-Mitteilungen, Deutsches Archaeologi-
sches Institut Rom, 2001.
6. Manouvrier L.
Determination de la taille d’apres le grand os des
membres.
(
4), or hypothyroidism (1). In T.38, it is not possi-
Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris
Series 2, 1893, vol. 4, p. 347.
Olivier G., Aaron C., Fully G., Tissier G.
New estimation of stature and cranial capacity in
modern man (sic).
Hum. Evol. 1978, 7: 513-518.
Pearson K.
ble to inspect the sella turcica. However, hypopi-
tuitarism and hypothyroidism are associated with
delayed shedding of the deciduous teeth, and
with severe enamel and dentin hypoplasia (1),
while the permanent teeth of T.38 are fully erupt-
ed and normally developed.
7
.
.
8
Turner’s syndrome and associated variants of go-
nadal dysgenesis may be compatible with normal
eruption of the permanent dentition and may re-
sult in proportionate short stature (1). In spite of
the impossibility to assess cranial and joint fea-
tures that could have further supported this hy-
pothesis, it can be speculated that T.38, charac-
terized by proportionate short stature, gracile
skeletal features, delayed epiphysial closure and
full maturation of the permanent dentition, might
represent a case of Turner’s syndrome dating to
the II century AD.
Mathematical contributions to the theory of evolution.
On the reconstruction of the stature of prehistoric races.
Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B. Biol. Sci. 1899, 192:
169-244.
9
.
Sjøvold T.
Estimation of stature from long bones utilizing the
line of organic correlation.
Hum. Evol. 1990, 5: 431-447.
1
0. Trotter M., Gleser G.C.
Estimation of stature from long bones of American
Whites and Negroes.
Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 1952, 10: 463-514.
548
Hauser
