Hummert J R, Van Gerven D P
Am J Phys Anthropol. 1985 Mar;66(3):297-306. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330660307.
The formation and persistence of radiopaque transverse lines have been assessed in the living in clinical studies of growth, nutrition, and disease. Lines have also been used by many researchers in the analysis of patterns of childhood stress in prehistoric skeletal materials, although most of this research has been undertaken on adult bones. However, how reliable and useful are transverse lines for interpretations of stress? The precise etiologies for their appearance are varied and controversial, and lines are also known to resorb during both childhood and the adult years. Sex differences in both their formation and persistence have also been reported. To assess better the viability of lines as indicators of stress, the present research analyzes rates of formation, distribution frequencies, and the persistence of transverse lines in individuals aged birth to 50+ years from a single archaeological population. The results suggest that while transverse lines may be analytically useful as subsidiary criteria for more fully understanding the biological well-being of prehistoric populations, caution should be exercised in the interpretations made concerning childhood stress, particularly when using adult bones.
在有关生长、营养和疾病的临床研究中，已经对不透射线横向线的形成和持续存在情况进行了活体评估。许多研究人员也利用这些线条来分析史前骨骼材料中的儿童压力模式，尽管大部分此类研究是针对成年骨骼进行的。然而，横向线对于压力解读的可靠性和实用性如何呢？它们出现的确切病因多种多样且存在争议，而且已知这些线条在儿童期和成年期都会被吸收。也有报道称它们在形成和持续存在方面存在性别差异。为了更好地评估这些线条作为压力指标的可行性，本研究分析了来自单一考古群体的出生至50多岁个体的横向线形成率、分布频率和持续存在情况。结果表明，虽然横向线作为辅助标准可能有助于更全面地了解史前群体的生物健康状况，但在解读儿童压力时应谨慎，尤其是在使用成年骨骼时。
