title: Diachronic changes in size and shape of human proximal tibia in Central Europe during the latest 1200 years.
abstract: During the past twelve centuries, the stature of Central European inhabitants has increased significantly with corresponding changes in the size of lower limb bones. The aim of our study was to determine whether these changes have occurred strictly in relation to size or if the shape of skeletal structures has been altered simultaneously. Diachronic size and shape changes in the proximal part of tibia in a Central European population (Czech Republic) were studied using geometric morphometrics (principal components analysis, Hotelling's test, linear discriminant analysis). The study sample consisted of 183 three-dimensional (3D) models of adult tibiae dating to the early Middle Ages (N=65), early 20th century (N=60), and from a modern Czech population (N=57). A positive secular trend in size manifested only between the two modern Czech populations (the 20th century vs. the 21st century), a time range shorter than one century. By contrast, landmark-based shape analyses revealed significant differences in tibial morphology over the three periods covered in the study. In particular, progressive changes were observed in the position of tibial tuberosity (shifted medially), the inclination of the line connecting tuberosity with anterior edge of the tibial plateau (sloped down), the reshaping of the lower back condyle boundary (shifted posteriorly), and reshaping of the medial contour of the medial condyle (shifted anteriorly). Changes in the shape of the proximal tibial extremity across the chronologically distinct groups indicated the existence of discreet but convincing microevolutionary trends involving this anatomical structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prehistorical Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences, Letenská 4, 118 01 Prague, Czechia. Electronic address: brzobohata@arup.cas.cz.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brzobohatá
authors.affiliation: Department of Software and Computer Science Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Malostranské náměstí 25, 118 01 Prague, Czechia.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krajíček
authors.affiliation: Department of Technical Studies, College of Polytechnics, Tolstého 16, 586 01 Jihlava, Czechia.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Horák
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czechia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sedlak
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czechia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Velemínská
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000885:Anthropology, Physical; D005075:Biological Evolution; D018153:Czech Republic; D005260:Female; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D010163:Paleontology; D013977:Tibia / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult