Tuberculosis www.elsevierhealth.com/journals/tube
SUPPLEMENT ISSUE: Tuberculosis in Evolution
GUE... more Tuberculosis www.elsevierhealth.com/journals/tube SUPPLEMENT ISSUE: Tuberculosis in Evolution GUEST EDITORS: György Pálfi, Olivier Dutour, Pascale Perrin, Christophe Sola & Albert Zink Proceedings of the ‘ICEPT2 - TB Evolution Meeting’, organized in the Albert Szent-Györgyi’s Nobel Prize Award anniversary Conference Series (23-25th March 2012, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary) Volume 95 Supplement 1 2015 Pages S1–S216
The Hungarian Conquest period archery and activity-induced stress markers-a case study from the S... more The Hungarian Conquest period archery and activity-induced stress markers-a case study from the Sárrétudvari-Hízóföld 10th century AD cemetery.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, Mar 29, 2022
The aim of this study is to describe four new cases of trepanation from the Great Hungarian Plain... more The aim of this study is to describe four new cases of trepanation from the Great Hungarian Plain and complement two other previously published cases with new results from the 9 th to 16 th c. CE. Sex determination and age-at-death estimation were performed using classical macromorphological methods. In certain cases, radiographic imaging, 3D scanning, and radiocarbon dating were also performed. Our cases fit the formerly established understanding of trepanations, with a male majority and signs of trauma as accompanying symptoms. The cause of intervention was mostly therapeutic, i.e., trauma, in most cases. In order to simplify the currently confusing nomenclature in trepanation categories (complete-incomplete vs. surgical-symbolic), we propose the use of "trepanation" exclusively to all forms of intentional, non-violent removals of all three layers of the cranial vault. On the other hand, the phenomena widely known in Eastern Europe as symbolic trepanations should be designated as "cranioglyphs," referring to all forms of superficial interventions administered to the cranial vault that do not penetrate all three layers of the bone. In case the data are insufficient to properly categorize the phenomenon at hand, one should refrain from it, and simply describe the lesion as intentional cranial intervention. In order to bring spotlight to the wide range of cranial interventions in the early medieval Carpathian Basin, our team is conducting several research projects, in order to contribute to a better understanding of these traditions in the future.
Nucleic acid extraction from complex environmental and ancient tissue material is prone to co‐ext... more Nucleic acid extraction from complex environmental and ancient tissue material is prone to co‐extract inhibitory substances that make further molecular analysis difficult or impossible. This co‐extraction occurs in both solid‐phase and liquid‐phase/organic nucleic acid extraction protocols. Currently, the widely used method to overcome inhibition includes the addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) to the downstream enzymatic reactions or the dilution of the nucleic acid extracts. BSA, however, seems to reduce the inhibitory effect of certain compounds only, and excessive dilution may change the original DNA composition. In this study, we introduce an innovative new method using linear polyacrylamide (LPA) to efficiently precipitate and purify nucleic acids extracted from complex environmental and ancient tissue samples in one working step. The LPA method replaces the precipitation step in classic liquid‐phase/organic extraction protocols or can be easily applied as an additional post‐extraction step on impure DNA extracts. As a proof of concept, we experimented with this method on different ancient human mummy samples (bones, soft tissues and gut contents) from different time periods (5000 BC–1800 AD), as well as on complex environmental samples (e.g. soil, activated sludge and animal faeces) known to contain inhibitory compounds. We demonstrated that LPA precipitates nucleic acids, even in an aqueous ethanol solution without the addition of chaotropic salts, resulting in the recovery of highly pure DNA from all tested samples that displayed inhibition with previously published extraction protocols. Compared to the current, most widely used silica‐based extraction method for ancient and sedimentary DNA, our LPA method resulted in comparable DNA qualities and overall DNA compositions (human endogenous content and microbial diversity). In conclusion, our LPA method with its high purifying capacity provides an important alternative to the commonly used DNA extraction protocols in the environmental and ancient DNA (aDNA) fields.
Ancient human remains exhibiting bony changes consistent with osteoarticular tuberculosis (OATB) ... more Ancient human remains exhibiting bony changes consistent with osteoarticular tuberculosis (OATB) indicate that the disease has afflicted mankind for millennia. Nonetheless, not many pediatric OATB cases have been published in the paleopathological literature–from Hungary, only three cases have been described up to now. In our paper, we demonstrate a child (S0603) from the Árpádian Age cemetery of Győrszentiván-Révhegyi tag (northwestern Hungary), who represents a unique case of OATB regarding both the pattern and severity of the observed bony changes. During the macromorphological and radiological investigations, the most serious alterations were discovered in the upper thoracic spine–the development of osteolytic lesions led to severe bone loss and consequent collapse and fusion of several adjacent vertebrae. The pathological process terminated in a sharp, rigid angular kyphosis. Disruption of the normal spine curvature resulted in consequent deformation of the whole thoracic wall–...
Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) or Forestier's disease appears in different s... more Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) or Forestier's disease appears in different skeletal elements, and usually characterized by the calcification of the right side an- terior longitudinal ligament of the spine and by the ossification of entheses and ligaments at extra-spinal sites. Although the etiology of DISH is still unknown, but the presence of it seems to be connected with some metabolic diseases, like type II diabetes or obesity. On the basis of Resnick's criteria, the recognition of DISH is not difficult, but in paleopathology, the osteoar- cheological series' different state of preservation may result in diagnostical uncertanity. This paper summarizes the results of the physical anthropological examinations carried out seven osteoacheological series from the Great Hungarian Plain, and points to those osseous alterations, which may be helpful in the diagnosis of DISH.
A fertőző megbetegedesek paleopatologiai rekonstrukcioja az utobbi evtizedek kiemelt jelentősegű ... more A fertőző megbetegedesek paleopatologiai rekonstrukcioja az utobbi evtizedek kiemelt jelentősegű kutatasi iranyvonala volt mind a magyarorszagi, mind a nemzetkozi paleopatologiai kutatasban. A kutatasokat a vaci Feherek templomanak kriptajabol feltart termeszetesen mumifikalodott emberi maradvanyon vegeztuk. A kutatas anyaga egyedulallo lehetőseget biztositott abban a tekintetben, hogy egy viszonylag rovid időszak nepesseget reprezentalja, meglehetősen nagy egyedszammal (n=265). Fontos kiemelni, hogy a modern orvosi ellatas miatti szelekcio nem ervenyesult a vizsgalt nepessegcsoportnal. A kutatas soran egy ősi, a gyogyszerek es a modern orvosi műkodes hatasatol mentes populacio eseteben vegeztunk vizsgalatokat tobb, betegsegre hajlamosito polimorfizmus, ill. nehany kronikus betegsegben szenvedőkben halmozottan előfordulo patogen tekinteteben. Ugyancsak celunk volt a nepessegcsoport multidiszciplinaris, mikro-torteneti, biologiai-patologiai rekonstrukcioja, egeszsegugyi helyzetenek f...
Paleopathological diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) essentially relies on the identification of macr... more Paleopathological diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) essentially relies on the identification of macroscopic lesions in the skeleton that can be related to different manifestations of TB. Among these alterations, granular impressions (GIs) on the inner skull surface have been considered as pathognomonic features of tuberculous meningitis (TBM). GIs may be established by pressure atrophy of the tubercles formed on the outermost meningeal layer during later stages of TBM. Although GIs were used as diagnostic criteria for TBM in the paleopathological practice since the late 20 th century, their diagnostic value has been questioned. To contribute to strengthening the diagnostic value of GIs, a macroscopic investigation-focusing on the macromorphological characteristics and frequency of GIs-was performed on skeletons of known cause of death from the Terry Collection. The χ 2 analysis of our data revealed that GIs were significantly more common in individuals who died of TB than in individuals who died of non-TB causes. Furthermore, GIs were localized on the inner surface of the skull base and of the lower lateral skull vault. The localization pattern and distribution of GIs on the endocranial surface resemble that of the tubercles observed in the affected meninges during the pathogenesis of TBM. Our results strengthen the tuberculous origin of GIs and imply that they can be considered as specific signs of TBM. Therefore, GIs can be used as diagnostic criteria for TBM in the paleopathological practice, and the diagnosis of TBM can be established with a high certainty when GIs are present in ancient human bone remains.
Orosháza site no. 10 (Southeast Hungary) contains the partially excavated archaeological remains ... more Orosháza site no. 10 (Southeast Hungary) contains the partially excavated archaeological remains of an 11-13th century CE Muslim merchant village and its cemetery located in close proximity to Christian villages of the same era. The skeleton of a young woman (grave no. 16) from the last phase of the cemetery use was identified with rhinomaxillary lesions associated with lepromatous leprosy. The right parietal bone also exhibited signs of cranial trauma, possibly caused by symbolic trepanation, a well-known ritual practice in the 9-11th century CE Carpathian Basin. The retrospective diagnosis of the disease was supported by ancient DNA analysis, as the samples were positive for Mycobacterium leprae aDNA, shown to be of genotype 3. Contrary to the general practice of the era, the body of the young female with severe signs of leprosy was interred among the regular graves of the Muslim cemetery in Orosháza, which may reflect the unique cultural background of the community.
Radiocarbon dating is paramount for chronologically defining the rise of polities in the Middle B... more Radiocarbon dating is paramount for chronologically defining the rise of polities in the Middle Bronze Age Carpathian Basin. This article presents a suite of new radiocarbon dates obtained from sites associated with the Early and Middle Bronze Age Maros Group, and its Late Bronze Age successors in the Tisza-Maros region of southeast Hungary, western Romania and northern Serbia. The results indicate tight chronological synchronisation of Middle Bronze Age settlements and cemeteries in the Maros region, while confirming the accuracy of ceramic-based relative chronology for the Szőreg cemetery.
It has been widely accepted that the Finno-Ugric Hungarian language, originated from proto Uralic... more It has been widely accepted that the Finno-Ugric Hungarian language, originated from proto Uralic people, was brought into the Carpathian Basin by the conquering Hungarians. From the middle of the 19 century this view prevailed against the deep-rooted Hungarian Hun tradition, maintained in folk memory as well as in Hungarian and foreign written medieval sources, which claimed that Hungarians were kinsfolk of the Huns. In order to shed light on the genetic origin of the Conquerors we sequenced 102 mitogenomes from early Conqueror cemeteries and compared them to sequences of all available databases. We applied novel population genetic algorithms, named Shared Haplogroup Distance and MITOMIX, to reveal past admixture of maternal lineages. Our results show that the Conquerors assembled from various nomadic groups of the Eurasian steppe. Population genetic results indicate that they had closest Authors Metrics Comments Media Coverage Download PDF Related PLOS Articles
Studying ancient DNA allows us to retrace the evolutionary history of human pathogens, such as My... more Studying ancient DNA allows us to retrace the evolutionary history of human pathogens, such as Mycobacterium leprae, the main causative agent of leprosy. Leprosy is one of the oldest recorded and most stigmatizing diseases in human history. The disease was prevalent in Europe until the 16th century and is still endemic in many countries with over 200,000 new cases reported annually. Previous worldwide studies on modern and European medieval M. leprae genomes revealed that they cluster into several distinct branches of which two were present in medieval Northwestern Europe. In this study, we analyzed 10 new medieval M. leprae genomes including the so far oldest M. leprae genome from one of the earliest known cases of leprosy in the United Kingdom-a skeleton from the Great Chesterford cemetery with a calibrated age of 415-545 C.E. This dataset provides a genetic time transect of M. leprae diversity in Europe over the past 1500 years. We find M. leprae strains from four distinct branch...
Ancient DNA studies have established that European Neolithic populations were descended from Anat... more Ancient DNA studies have established that European Neolithic populations were descended from Anatolian migrants who received a limited amount of admixture from resident hunter-gatherers. Many open questions remain, however, about the spatial and temporal dynamics of population interactions and admixture during the Neolithic period. Using the highest-resolution genome-wide ancient DNA data set assembled to date—a total of 177 samples, 127 newly reported here, from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of Hungary (6000–2900 BCE,n= 98), Germany (5500–3000 BCE,n= 42), and Spain (5500–2200 BCE,n= 37)—we investigate the population dynamics of Neolithization across Europe. We find that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ances try among the three regions and through time. Admixture between groups with different ancestry profiles was pervasive and resulted in observable population transformation across almost all cul...
We applied ancient DNA methods to shed light on the origin of ancient Hungarians and their relati... more We applied ancient DNA methods to shed light on the origin of ancient Hungarians and their relation to modern populations. Hungarians moved into the Carpathian Basin from the Eurasian Pontic steppes in the year 895 AD as a confederation of seven tribes, but their further origin remains obscure. Here, we present 17 mtDNA haplotypes and four Y-chromosome haplogroups, which portray the genetic composition of an entire small cemetery of the first generation Hungarians. Using novel algorithms to compare these mitochondrial DNA haplogroups with other ancient and modern Eurasian data, we revealed that a significant portion of the Hungarians probably originated from a long ago consolidated gene pool in Central Asia-South Siberia, which still persists in modern Hungarians. Another genetic layer of the early Hungarians was obtained during their westward migrations by admixing with various populations of European origin, and an important component of these was derived from the Caucasus region....
Tuberculosis www.elsevierhealth.com/journals/tube
SUPPLEMENT ISSUE: Tuberculosis in Evolution
GUE... more Tuberculosis www.elsevierhealth.com/journals/tube SUPPLEMENT ISSUE: Tuberculosis in Evolution GUEST EDITORS: György Pálfi, Olivier Dutour, Pascale Perrin, Christophe Sola & Albert Zink Proceedings of the ‘ICEPT2 - TB Evolution Meeting’, organized in the Albert Szent-Györgyi’s Nobel Prize Award anniversary Conference Series (23-25th March 2012, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary) Volume 95 Supplement 1 2015 Pages S1–S216
The Hungarian Conquest period archery and activity-induced stress markers-a case study from the S... more The Hungarian Conquest period archery and activity-induced stress markers-a case study from the Sárrétudvari-Hízóföld 10th century AD cemetery.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, Mar 29, 2022
The aim of this study is to describe four new cases of trepanation from the Great Hungarian Plain... more The aim of this study is to describe four new cases of trepanation from the Great Hungarian Plain and complement two other previously published cases with new results from the 9 th to 16 th c. CE. Sex determination and age-at-death estimation were performed using classical macromorphological methods. In certain cases, radiographic imaging, 3D scanning, and radiocarbon dating were also performed. Our cases fit the formerly established understanding of trepanations, with a male majority and signs of trauma as accompanying symptoms. The cause of intervention was mostly therapeutic, i.e., trauma, in most cases. In order to simplify the currently confusing nomenclature in trepanation categories (complete-incomplete vs. surgical-symbolic), we propose the use of "trepanation" exclusively to all forms of intentional, non-violent removals of all three layers of the cranial vault. On the other hand, the phenomena widely known in Eastern Europe as symbolic trepanations should be designated as "cranioglyphs," referring to all forms of superficial interventions administered to the cranial vault that do not penetrate all three layers of the bone. In case the data are insufficient to properly categorize the phenomenon at hand, one should refrain from it, and simply describe the lesion as intentional cranial intervention. In order to bring spotlight to the wide range of cranial interventions in the early medieval Carpathian Basin, our team is conducting several research projects, in order to contribute to a better understanding of these traditions in the future.
Nucleic acid extraction from complex environmental and ancient tissue material is prone to co‐ext... more Nucleic acid extraction from complex environmental and ancient tissue material is prone to co‐extract inhibitory substances that make further molecular analysis difficult or impossible. This co‐extraction occurs in both solid‐phase and liquid‐phase/organic nucleic acid extraction protocols. Currently, the widely used method to overcome inhibition includes the addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) to the downstream enzymatic reactions or the dilution of the nucleic acid extracts. BSA, however, seems to reduce the inhibitory effect of certain compounds only, and excessive dilution may change the original DNA composition. In this study, we introduce an innovative new method using linear polyacrylamide (LPA) to efficiently precipitate and purify nucleic acids extracted from complex environmental and ancient tissue samples in one working step. The LPA method replaces the precipitation step in classic liquid‐phase/organic extraction protocols or can be easily applied as an additional post‐extraction step on impure DNA extracts. As a proof of concept, we experimented with this method on different ancient human mummy samples (bones, soft tissues and gut contents) from different time periods (5000 BC–1800 AD), as well as on complex environmental samples (e.g. soil, activated sludge and animal faeces) known to contain inhibitory compounds. We demonstrated that LPA precipitates nucleic acids, even in an aqueous ethanol solution without the addition of chaotropic salts, resulting in the recovery of highly pure DNA from all tested samples that displayed inhibition with previously published extraction protocols. Compared to the current, most widely used silica‐based extraction method for ancient and sedimentary DNA, our LPA method resulted in comparable DNA qualities and overall DNA compositions (human endogenous content and microbial diversity). In conclusion, our LPA method with its high purifying capacity provides an important alternative to the commonly used DNA extraction protocols in the environmental and ancient DNA (aDNA) fields.
Ancient human remains exhibiting bony changes consistent with osteoarticular tuberculosis (OATB) ... more Ancient human remains exhibiting bony changes consistent with osteoarticular tuberculosis (OATB) indicate that the disease has afflicted mankind for millennia. Nonetheless, not many pediatric OATB cases have been published in the paleopathological literature–from Hungary, only three cases have been described up to now. In our paper, we demonstrate a child (S0603) from the Árpádian Age cemetery of Győrszentiván-Révhegyi tag (northwestern Hungary), who represents a unique case of OATB regarding both the pattern and severity of the observed bony changes. During the macromorphological and radiological investigations, the most serious alterations were discovered in the upper thoracic spine–the development of osteolytic lesions led to severe bone loss and consequent collapse and fusion of several adjacent vertebrae. The pathological process terminated in a sharp, rigid angular kyphosis. Disruption of the normal spine curvature resulted in consequent deformation of the whole thoracic wall–...
Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) or Forestier's disease appears in different s... more Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) or Forestier's disease appears in different skeletal elements, and usually characterized by the calcification of the right side an- terior longitudinal ligament of the spine and by the ossification of entheses and ligaments at extra-spinal sites. Although the etiology of DISH is still unknown, but the presence of it seems to be connected with some metabolic diseases, like type II diabetes or obesity. On the basis of Resnick's criteria, the recognition of DISH is not difficult, but in paleopathology, the osteoar- cheological series' different state of preservation may result in diagnostical uncertanity. This paper summarizes the results of the physical anthropological examinations carried out seven osteoacheological series from the Great Hungarian Plain, and points to those osseous alterations, which may be helpful in the diagnosis of DISH.
A fertőző megbetegedesek paleopatologiai rekonstrukcioja az utobbi evtizedek kiemelt jelentősegű ... more A fertőző megbetegedesek paleopatologiai rekonstrukcioja az utobbi evtizedek kiemelt jelentősegű kutatasi iranyvonala volt mind a magyarorszagi, mind a nemzetkozi paleopatologiai kutatasban. A kutatasokat a vaci Feherek templomanak kriptajabol feltart termeszetesen mumifikalodott emberi maradvanyon vegeztuk. A kutatas anyaga egyedulallo lehetőseget biztositott abban a tekintetben, hogy egy viszonylag rovid időszak nepesseget reprezentalja, meglehetősen nagy egyedszammal (n=265). Fontos kiemelni, hogy a modern orvosi ellatas miatti szelekcio nem ervenyesult a vizsgalt nepessegcsoportnal. A kutatas soran egy ősi, a gyogyszerek es a modern orvosi műkodes hatasatol mentes populacio eseteben vegeztunk vizsgalatokat tobb, betegsegre hajlamosito polimorfizmus, ill. nehany kronikus betegsegben szenvedőkben halmozottan előfordulo patogen tekinteteben. Ugyancsak celunk volt a nepessegcsoport multidiszciplinaris, mikro-torteneti, biologiai-patologiai rekonstrukcioja, egeszsegugyi helyzetenek f...
Paleopathological diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) essentially relies on the identification of macr... more Paleopathological diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) essentially relies on the identification of macroscopic lesions in the skeleton that can be related to different manifestations of TB. Among these alterations, granular impressions (GIs) on the inner skull surface have been considered as pathognomonic features of tuberculous meningitis (TBM). GIs may be established by pressure atrophy of the tubercles formed on the outermost meningeal layer during later stages of TBM. Although GIs were used as diagnostic criteria for TBM in the paleopathological practice since the late 20 th century, their diagnostic value has been questioned. To contribute to strengthening the diagnostic value of GIs, a macroscopic investigation-focusing on the macromorphological characteristics and frequency of GIs-was performed on skeletons of known cause of death from the Terry Collection. The χ 2 analysis of our data revealed that GIs were significantly more common in individuals who died of TB than in individuals who died of non-TB causes. Furthermore, GIs were localized on the inner surface of the skull base and of the lower lateral skull vault. The localization pattern and distribution of GIs on the endocranial surface resemble that of the tubercles observed in the affected meninges during the pathogenesis of TBM. Our results strengthen the tuberculous origin of GIs and imply that they can be considered as specific signs of TBM. Therefore, GIs can be used as diagnostic criteria for TBM in the paleopathological practice, and the diagnosis of TBM can be established with a high certainty when GIs are present in ancient human bone remains.
Orosháza site no. 10 (Southeast Hungary) contains the partially excavated archaeological remains ... more Orosháza site no. 10 (Southeast Hungary) contains the partially excavated archaeological remains of an 11-13th century CE Muslim merchant village and its cemetery located in close proximity to Christian villages of the same era. The skeleton of a young woman (grave no. 16) from the last phase of the cemetery use was identified with rhinomaxillary lesions associated with lepromatous leprosy. The right parietal bone also exhibited signs of cranial trauma, possibly caused by symbolic trepanation, a well-known ritual practice in the 9-11th century CE Carpathian Basin. The retrospective diagnosis of the disease was supported by ancient DNA analysis, as the samples were positive for Mycobacterium leprae aDNA, shown to be of genotype 3. Contrary to the general practice of the era, the body of the young female with severe signs of leprosy was interred among the regular graves of the Muslim cemetery in Orosháza, which may reflect the unique cultural background of the community.
Radiocarbon dating is paramount for chronologically defining the rise of polities in the Middle B... more Radiocarbon dating is paramount for chronologically defining the rise of polities in the Middle Bronze Age Carpathian Basin. This article presents a suite of new radiocarbon dates obtained from sites associated with the Early and Middle Bronze Age Maros Group, and its Late Bronze Age successors in the Tisza-Maros region of southeast Hungary, western Romania and northern Serbia. The results indicate tight chronological synchronisation of Middle Bronze Age settlements and cemeteries in the Maros region, while confirming the accuracy of ceramic-based relative chronology for the Szőreg cemetery.
It has been widely accepted that the Finno-Ugric Hungarian language, originated from proto Uralic... more It has been widely accepted that the Finno-Ugric Hungarian language, originated from proto Uralic people, was brought into the Carpathian Basin by the conquering Hungarians. From the middle of the 19 century this view prevailed against the deep-rooted Hungarian Hun tradition, maintained in folk memory as well as in Hungarian and foreign written medieval sources, which claimed that Hungarians were kinsfolk of the Huns. In order to shed light on the genetic origin of the Conquerors we sequenced 102 mitogenomes from early Conqueror cemeteries and compared them to sequences of all available databases. We applied novel population genetic algorithms, named Shared Haplogroup Distance and MITOMIX, to reveal past admixture of maternal lineages. Our results show that the Conquerors assembled from various nomadic groups of the Eurasian steppe. Population genetic results indicate that they had closest Authors Metrics Comments Media Coverage Download PDF Related PLOS Articles
Studying ancient DNA allows us to retrace the evolutionary history of human pathogens, such as My... more Studying ancient DNA allows us to retrace the evolutionary history of human pathogens, such as Mycobacterium leprae, the main causative agent of leprosy. Leprosy is one of the oldest recorded and most stigmatizing diseases in human history. The disease was prevalent in Europe until the 16th century and is still endemic in many countries with over 200,000 new cases reported annually. Previous worldwide studies on modern and European medieval M. leprae genomes revealed that they cluster into several distinct branches of which two were present in medieval Northwestern Europe. In this study, we analyzed 10 new medieval M. leprae genomes including the so far oldest M. leprae genome from one of the earliest known cases of leprosy in the United Kingdom-a skeleton from the Great Chesterford cemetery with a calibrated age of 415-545 C.E. This dataset provides a genetic time transect of M. leprae diversity in Europe over the past 1500 years. We find M. leprae strains from four distinct branch...
Ancient DNA studies have established that European Neolithic populations were descended from Anat... more Ancient DNA studies have established that European Neolithic populations were descended from Anatolian migrants who received a limited amount of admixture from resident hunter-gatherers. Many open questions remain, however, about the spatial and temporal dynamics of population interactions and admixture during the Neolithic period. Using the highest-resolution genome-wide ancient DNA data set assembled to date—a total of 177 samples, 127 newly reported here, from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of Hungary (6000–2900 BCE,n= 98), Germany (5500–3000 BCE,n= 42), and Spain (5500–2200 BCE,n= 37)—we investigate the population dynamics of Neolithization across Europe. We find that genetic diversity was shaped predominantly by local processes, with varied sources and proportions of hunter-gatherer ances try among the three regions and through time. Admixture between groups with different ancestry profiles was pervasive and resulted in observable population transformation across almost all cul...
We applied ancient DNA methods to shed light on the origin of ancient Hungarians and their relati... more We applied ancient DNA methods to shed light on the origin of ancient Hungarians and their relation to modern populations. Hungarians moved into the Carpathian Basin from the Eurasian Pontic steppes in the year 895 AD as a confederation of seven tribes, but their further origin remains obscure. Here, we present 17 mtDNA haplotypes and four Y-chromosome haplogroups, which portray the genetic composition of an entire small cemetery of the first generation Hungarians. Using novel algorithms to compare these mitochondrial DNA haplogroups with other ancient and modern Eurasian data, we revealed that a significant portion of the Hungarians probably originated from a long ago consolidated gene pool in Central Asia-South Siberia, which still persists in modern Hungarians. Another genetic layer of the early Hungarians was obtained during their westward migrations by admixing with various populations of European origin, and an important component of these was derived from the Caucasus region....
Introduction:
Entheseal changes (EC) can result from various causes, mechanical stress and Forest... more Introduction: Entheseal changes (EC) can result from various causes, mechanical stress and Forestier’s disease (or DISH) being only two of them. The aim of this preliminary study is to explore the microarchitecture of the radial tuberosity, insertion site of m. biceps brachii, in order to explore if specific features resulting either from muscle overuse during the life of the individuals, or from metabolic disorders, can be identified.
Materials and Methods: For this exploratory investigation, we relied on three pairs of radii, belonging to three male adults: (i) one buried in the Hungarian cemetery of Sárrétudvari-Hízóföld with archery equipment, who was presumably a mounted-archer from the Conquest period (Xth century), and exhibiting EC; (ii) one from the Hungarian cemetery of Bácsalmás-Homokbánya (XVI-XVIIth centuries), without any evidence of archery context, showing entheseal changes associated to a DISH condition; (iii) one from the medieval cemetery of Val-de-Reuil, in Normandy, France, belonging to an apparent “normal” individual with non-changed entheses. Bicipital tuberosities were micro-CT scanned at a resolution of 17μm and several portions were analysed at different height levels of the zone of interest (25, 50 and 75%), in order to virtually differentiate the main microarchitectural bone components and then to reconstruct in 3D the canals and cavities of both medullary and compact bone.
Results: At this preliminary step of the study, we observed differences in the microarchitectural organisation of the underlying bone of the enthesis, that are revealed by the 3D reconstructions of canals and cavities. In particular, microstructural analysis revealed a change in the normal pattern characterised by an irregular widening of the canal network for the metabolic-related EC, and an orientated organisation for the mechanical-related EC, associated with an increased density of canals.
Discussion and Conclusions: After a possible confirmation from further analyses, this method might allow to distinguish mechanical from metabolic entheseal changes. These preliminary observations are bringing new arguments to discuss the nature of EC and, consequently, to clarify some aspects of lifestyles among past human populations.
Les enthésopathies, modifications pathologiques des zones d’insertions sur l’os, peuvent être lié... more Les enthésopathies, modifications pathologiques des zones d’insertions sur l’os, peuvent être liées, entre autres causes, à des contraintes mécaniques. Elles sont ainsi utilisées pour reconstituer les activités physiques des populations anciennes. Elles se caractérisent notamment par un remodelage osseux, et les remaniements qui en résultent, tels que des productions ostéophytiques ou des érosions, sont observables visuellement sur os sec.
L’objectif de ce travail préliminaire est d’analyser les caractéristiques microstructurales de l’os sous-jacent afin de préciser la nature des modifications de la microarchitecture osseuse qui traduisent les changements macroscopiques identifiables à la surface de l’enthèse atteinte.
Cette étude repose sur les radius droits de deux sujets adultes datant du Néolithique ancien au Sahara (Hassi-el-Abiod, Mali, 7 000 ans BP). Le premier radius présente une enthésopathie au niveau de la tubérosité bicipitale tandis que l’enthèse du second est saine.
Des acquisitions microtomodensitométriques ont été effectuées sur ces radius à l’aide d’un microscanner (GE v|tome|x s) et des reconstructions 3D ont été réalisées sur le logiciel TIVMI® afin de définir quels paramètres qualitatifs et quantitatifs peuvent caractériser la microarchitecture de l’os cortical et de l’os trabéculaire de l'enthèse saine et pathologique.
Ces premiers résultats montrent l’intérêt de l'imagerie tridimensionnelle de la microarchitecture osseuse pour l’étude des marqueurs osseux d’activité dans les populations anciennes. Ce travail est préliminaire à une étude plus large portant sur une population archéologiquement documentée de cavaliers-archers hongrois du Xème siècle.
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Papers by György Pálfi
SUPPLEMENT ISSUE: Tuberculosis in Evolution
GUEST EDITORS: György Pálfi, Olivier Dutour, Pascale Perrin, Christophe Sola & Albert Zink
Proceedings of the ‘ICEPT2 - TB Evolution Meeting’, organized in the Albert Szent-Györgyi’s Nobel Prize Award anniversary Conference Series (23-25th March 2012, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary)
Volume 95 Supplement 1 2015
Pages S1–S216
SUPPLEMENT ISSUE: Tuberculosis in Evolution
GUEST EDITORS: György Pálfi, Olivier Dutour, Pascale Perrin, Christophe Sola & Albert Zink
Proceedings of the ‘ICEPT2 - TB Evolution Meeting’, organized in the Albert Szent-Györgyi’s Nobel Prize Award anniversary Conference Series (23-25th March 2012, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary)
Volume 95 Supplement 1 2015
Pages S1–S216
Entheseal changes (EC) can result from various causes, mechanical stress and Forestier’s disease (or DISH) being only two of them. The aim of this preliminary study is to explore the microarchitecture of the radial tuberosity, insertion site of m. biceps brachii, in order to explore if specific features resulting either from muscle overuse during the life of the individuals, or from metabolic disorders, can be identified.
Materials and Methods:
For this exploratory investigation, we relied on three pairs of radii, belonging to three male adults: (i) one
buried in the Hungarian cemetery of Sárrétudvari-Hízóföld with archery equipment, who was presumably a
mounted-archer from the Conquest period (Xth century), and exhibiting EC; (ii) one from the Hungarian
cemetery of Bácsalmás-Homokbánya (XVI-XVIIth centuries), without any evidence of archery context, showing entheseal changes associated to a DISH condition; (iii) one from the medieval cemetery of Val-de-Reuil, in Normandy, France, belonging to an apparent “normal” individual with non-changed entheses. Bicipital tuberosities were micro-CT scanned at a resolution of 17μm and several portions were analysed at different height levels of the zone of interest (25, 50 and 75%), in order to virtually differentiate the main
microarchitectural bone components and then to reconstruct in 3D the canals and cavities of both medullary and compact bone.
Results:
At this preliminary step of the study, we observed differences in the microarchitectural organisation of the
underlying bone of the enthesis, that are revealed by the 3D reconstructions of canals and cavities. In
particular, microstructural analysis revealed a change in the normal pattern characterised by an irregular
widening of the canal network for the metabolic-related EC, and an orientated organisation for the
mechanical-related EC, associated with an increased density of canals.
Discussion and Conclusions:
After a possible confirmation from further analyses, this method might allow to distinguish mechanical from metabolic entheseal changes. These preliminary observations are bringing new arguments to discuss the nature of EC and, consequently, to clarify some aspects of lifestyles among past human populations.
L’objectif de ce travail préliminaire est d’analyser les caractéristiques microstructurales de l’os sous-jacent afin de préciser la nature des modifications de la microarchitecture osseuse qui traduisent les changements macroscopiques identifiables à la surface de l’enthèse atteinte.
Cette étude repose sur les radius droits de deux sujets adultes datant du Néolithique ancien au Sahara (Hassi-el-Abiod, Mali, 7 000 ans BP). Le premier radius présente une enthésopathie au niveau de la tubérosité bicipitale tandis que l’enthèse du second est saine.
Des acquisitions microtomodensitométriques ont été effectuées sur ces radius à l’aide d’un microscanner (GE v|tome|x s) et des reconstructions 3D ont été réalisées sur le logiciel TIVMI® afin de définir quels paramètres qualitatifs et quantitatifs peuvent caractériser la microarchitecture de l’os cortical et de l’os trabéculaire de l'enthèse saine et pathologique.
Ces premiers résultats montrent l’intérêt de l'imagerie tridimensionnelle de la microarchitecture osseuse pour l’étude des marqueurs osseux d’activité dans les populations anciennes. Ce travail est préliminaire à une étude plus large portant sur une population archéologiquement documentée de cavaliers-archers hongrois du Xème siècle.