title: [Anthropometric analysis of obstetrical pelvis from Neolithic area: obstetrical consequences. Preliminary study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study female pelves from Neolithic area (5000 years AD) in order to better understand the evolution of obstetrical mecanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The fossil material comprised 73 Homo sapiens pelves: we reconstructed all the 20 adult female bony pelves. We realised the shape and morphometric analysis of the pelvic cavity. Changes in pelvic neolithic morphology were compared with pelvic modern morphology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pelves of prehistoric female were similar in shape with modern female. However, they differ in relative dimensions (transversal diameter of the pelvis inlet: respectively 118 mm vs 125 mm, p=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reconstructions based on Neolithic hominin fossils suggest that obstetrical mechanisms were probably common to Neolithic and modern humans: childbirth would probably require social adaptations and risks of perinatal and obstetric complications were undoubtedly high. However, the differences in morphometric analysis could suggest a change of human pelvis and raise the question of the evolution in obstetrical mechanisms in the future.
authors.affiliation: Département de gynécologie, obstétrique et médecine de la reproduction, hôpital Nord, avenue Albert-Raimond, CHU de Saint-Étienne, 42270 Saint-Étienne, France.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Raia-Barjat
authors.forename: A-S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Tardieu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amouzougan
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trombert
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chauleur
authors.forename: M-N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Varlet
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Patural
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Seffert
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chêne
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010163:Paleontology; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010388:Pelvis / Q000033:anatomy & histology*