Louise Humphrey
Biographic Data
| ID | 129502 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Louise Humphrey |
| GIVEN NAMES | Louise |
| FAMILY NAME | Humphrey |
| SIGNATURE | HUMPHREY L |
| AFFILIATIONS | Natural History Museum |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3595-0543 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 46 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 452 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 46 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1997 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 11 |
A reappraisal of the Middle to Later Stone Age prehistory of Morocco
Over the last 25 years, perceptions of the early prehistory of Northwest Africa have undergone radical changes due to new fieldwork projects and a corresponding growth in scientific interest in the region. Much of this work has been focused in Morocco, known for its extremely rich fossil and archaeological records in caves and rock shelters. Here we outline some of the critical findings concerning the Middle (MSA) to Later (LSA) Stone Age periods…
Investigating the “scapula sign” as an indicator of rickets
OBJECTIVE: In 1971, Weiss identified a "scapula sign" comprising a defect at the inferior angle of the scapula in juveniles with vitamin D deficiency rickets, but this has been little studied since. This study aimed to explore pathological variation of this defect in juveniles with other skeletal manifestations of vitamin D deficiency rickets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 527 juveniles, aged from birth to 12 years, from two post-medieval British assemb…
Herbivore dental wear analysis since the end of the middle Pleistocene to the beginning of the Holocene in different archaeological contexts of Morocco (Bizmoune, El Khenzira and Taforalt)
Currently, environments in Morocco can be divided into three broad zones. The North is characterized by a Mediterranean biome and the very strong influence of the Mediterranean Sea. The West coast is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the Sahara Desert has profound effects on the Southwest. To better document herbivore food habits and the plant cover in these biogeographical areas since the end of the Middle Pleistocene, we undertook dental wea…
Exploring Femoral Neck-Shaft Angle Alterations in Post-Medieval Children with Vitamin D Deficiency Rickets
The femoral neck-shaft angle (NSA) can adapt to the early onset of habitual but changeable loading behaviors, such as sitting, crawling, standing, and cruising behaviors, and the adoption of immature through to mature walking patterns. However, normal patterns of skeletal growth can be modified by underlying pathological conditions. Femoral head depression and neck angulation can occur during vitamin D deficiency rickets, but the pattern of NSA d…
The morphology of the Late Pleistocene hominin remains from the site of La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey (Channel Islands)
Stringer, Chris
Femoral angle development and locomotor progression in children from 18th and 19th century London
The external geometry of the human femur changes markedly during early ontogeny as children learn to sit, crawl, stand, and eventually walk. Here we examine the pattern of femoral angle development in a sample of children from 18th and 19th century London and evaluate how angular changes correspond to key stages of childhood locomotor development. Metaphyseal bicondylar angle (BCA) and neck‐shaft angle (NSA) measurements were collected from radio…
Sex differences in the patterning of age‐related bone loss in the human hallucal metatarsal in rural and urban populations
OBJECTIVES: Age-degenerative features of the metatarsals are poorly known despite the importance of metatarsal bone properties for investigating mobility patterns. We assessed the role of habitual activity in shaping the patterning and magnitude of sexual dimorphism in age-related bone loss in the hallucal metatarsal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sections were extracted at midshaft from micro-computed tomography scan models of individuals from me…
Effects of maternal, gestational, and perinatal variables on neonatal line width observed in a modern UK birth cohort
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to explore potential relationships between neonatal line (NNL) width and early life history variables such as maternal health, gestation, the birth process, and perinatal health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Histological thin sections of deciduous canines were studied from 71 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). The width of the NNL was measured in three locations on the…
Ontogenetic changes in femoral cross‐sectional geometry during childhood locomotor development
OBJECTIVES: The femur is a major weight-bearing bone that is variably loaded throughout growth as children transition through locomotory states prior to the attainment of a mature bipedal gait. Here, we document ontogenetic trends in femoral cross-sectional geometry (CSG) and explore how changes in loading regime may impact the structural arrangement of cortical bone along the length of the developing diaphysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Micro-CT sc…
Infant funerary behavior and kinship in Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from Morocco
Oral health in Late Pleistocene and Holocene North West Africa
ZooMS identification of bone tools from the North African Later Stone Age
Endochondral growth disruption during vitamin D deficiency rickets in a mid‐19th century series from Bethnal Green, London, UK
OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D affects many aspects of cartilage and skeletal development. Inconsistent findings currently exist regarding the impact of vitamin D deficiency on childhood growth. This study aims to evaluate the impact of vitamin D deficiency on childhood skeletal development by exploring long bone growth in children with healed and active rickets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four known-age children (2 months to 12 years) with rickets and …
P atterns of long bone growth in a mid‐19th century documented sample of the urban poor from B ethnal G reen, L ondon, UK
OBJECTIVES: century documented burials associated with the urban poor from Bethnal Green, London, UK. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Maximum diaphyseal lengths from 74 males and 70 females (2 months to 12 years) were compared to modern reference data from North America. Diaphyseal lengths were expressed as a percentage of expected length and an average percentage value was calculated across all available long bones. An index of growth progression was int…
Quantification of 3D curvature in the iliac crest
OBJECTIVES: Sex-specific differences in the shape of the iliac crest have been reported based on quantification of simplified curvature using two-dimensional variables or qualitative identification of faint/marked S-shaped curvature. An objective and quantitative approach for the evaluation of iliac crest curvature in juveniles was developed. Using three-dimensional data, ontogenetic variation in iliac curvature was investigated in relation to si…
A ge estimation of immature human skeletal remains from the metaphyseal and epiphyseal widths of the long bones in the post‐natal period
OBJECTIVES: This study provides regression and classical calibration models for the estimation of age from the dimensions of the metaphyses and epiphyses of the six long bones. METHODS: A sample of 148 known sex and age individuals (56 females and 92 males), aged between birth and 12 years of age, selected from Portuguese and English skeletal collections. Age estimation models were obtained separately for each sex and for the sexes combined, for …
Age estimation of immature human skeletal remains from the dimensions of the girdle bones in the postnatal period
OBJECTIVES: This study provides classical calibration regression formulae for age estimation from the dimensions of unfused shoulder and pelvic girdle bones. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Age estimation models were derived from a sample of 160 known age and sex individuals (63 females and 97 males) aged birth to 12 years, selected from Portuguese and English skeletal collections. The sample was divided into two age groups at the age of 2 years, and form…
Characterizing evulsion in the Later Stone Age Maghreb
Lateral enamel growth in human incisors from Çatalhöyük in Turkey
OBJECTIVES: Whereas the differences in lateral enamel growth between fossil and modern populations have been well documented in recent years, few studies report on the variability in perikymata counts and distribution between modern human populations. There is a need for information on modern human populations from a wide range of geographical regions and archaeological populations to determine whether existing patterns are representative. The ai…
A Virtual geometric morphometric approach to the quantification of long bone bilateral asymmetry and cross‐sectional shape
OBJECTIVE: The widespread use of three-dimensional digitization means that models of whole bone geometry are routinely captured for many applications in virtual anthropology. In this article, we test whether a geometric morphometric (GMM) approach can be used to accurately quantify directional bilateral asymmetry in cross-sectional shape using virtual bone models. METHODS: We introduce a method to (1) orient virtual long bone models and extract c…
Shape, size, and maturity trajectories of the human ilium
Morphological traits of the ilium have consistently been more successful for juvenile sex determination than have techniques applied to other skeletal elements, however relatively little is known about the ontogeny and maturation of size and shape dimorphism in the ilium. We use a geometric morphometric approach to quantitatively separate the ontogeny of size and shape of the ilium, and analyze interpopulation differences in the onset, rate and p…
Earliest evidence for caries and exploitation of starchy plant foods in Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from Morocco
Significance We present early evidence linking a high prevalence of caries to a reliance on highly cariogenic wild plant foods in Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from North Africa. This evidence predates other high caries populations and the first signs of food production by several thousand years. We infer that increased reliance on wild plants rich in fermentable carbohydrates caused an early shift toward a disease-associated oral microbiota. Syst…
A qualitative study to develop a patient-reported outcome for dysmenorrhea
Isotopic and trace element evidence of dietary transitions in early life
CONTEXT: Nursing behaviour has significant implications for individual health and population dynamics. Reconstruction of infant and early childhood diet has become a key focus in studies of past populations. OBJECTIVE: This paper reviews knowledge about how trace element and stable isotope composition of bone and dental tissues changes during development and how this may influence interpretation of biology and behaviour in past populations. METHO…
Linear enamel hypoplasias as indicators of systemic physiological stress
Enamel hypoplasias are useful indicators of systemic growth disturbances during childhood, and are routinely used to investigate patterns of morbidity and mortality in past populations. This study examined the pattern of linear enamel hypoplasias in two different burial populations from 18th and 19th Century church crypts in London. Linear enamel hypoplasias on the permanent dentitions of individuals from the crypt of Christ Church, Spitalfields,…
Using stable isotope analysis to examine the effect of economic change on breastfeeding practices in Spitalfields, London, UK
Breastfeeding patterns were subject to a number of fads in 18th and 19th century Britain. Feeding infants by hand, rather than maternal breastfeeding or wet-nursing, became more prevalent among both the wealthy and poor. Substitute foods may have been a convenient alternative for mothers employed away from the household. This study used stable isotope ratio analysis to examine the weaning schedule in the 18th and 19th century skeletal assemblage …
Reevaluating the Age of the Iberomaurusian in Morocco
The effect of parity status on δ15N
Taphonomy and palaeoecology of Olduvai Bed-I (Pleistocene, Tanzania)
ZooMS identification of bone tools from the North African Later Stone Age
Cladistic analysis of dental traits in recent humans using a fossil outgroup
Human Burial Evidence from Hattab II Cave and the Question of Continuity in Late Pleistocene–Holocene Mortuary Practices in Northwest Africa
Archaeological excavations in 2002–3 at Hattab II Cave in northwestern Morocco revealed an undisturbed Late Palaeolithic Iberomaurusian human burial. This is the first Iberomaurusian inhumation discovered in the region. The skeleton is probably that of a male aged between 25 and 30 years. The individual shows a characteristic absence of the central upper incisors reported in other Iberomaurusian burials. Accompanying the burial are a stone core a…
Shape, size, and maturity trajectories of the human ilium
Morphological traits of the ilium have consistently been more successful for juvenile sex determination than have techniques applied to other skeletal elements, however relatively little is known about the ontogeny and maturation of size and shape dimorphism in the ilium. We use a geometric morphometric approach to quantitatively separate the ontogeny of size and shape of the ilium, and analyze interpopulation differences in the onset, rate and p…
P atterns of long bone growth in a mid‐19th century documented sample of the urban poor from B ethnal G reen, L ondon, UK
OBJECTIVES: century documented burials associated with the urban poor from Bethnal Green, London, UK. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Maximum diaphyseal lengths from 74 males and 70 females (2 months to 12 years) were compared to modern reference data from North America. Diaphyseal lengths were expressed as a percentage of expected length and an average percentage value was calculated across all available long bones. An index of growth progression was int…
First discovery of Pleistocene orangutan (Pongo sp.) fossils in Peninsular Malaysia
One Thing After Another
Forty-four radiocarbon results are now available from the Ascott-under-Wychwood long barrow, and are presented within an interpretive Bayesian statistical framework. Three alternative archaeological interpretations of the sequence are given, each with a separate Bayesian model. In our preferred model, pre-barrow occupation including small timber structures and a midden was followed by a gap long enough to allow a turfline to form. Cists and the p…
The morphology of the Late Pleistocene hominin remains from the site of La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey (Channel Islands)
Iberomaurusian funerary behaviour
The Late Upper Palaeolithic Occupation of the Moroccan Northwest Maghreb During the Last Glacial Maximum
Tooth Evulsion in the Maghreb
Metric variation in the postcanine teeth from Paşalar, Turkey
Body mass and stature estimation based on the first metatarsal in humans
Archaeological assemblages often lack the complete long bones needed to estimate stature and body mass. The most accurate estimates of body mass and stature are produced using femoral head diameter and femur length. Foot bones including the first metatarsal preserve relatively well in a range of archaeological contexts. In this article we present regression equations using the first metatarsal to estimate femoral head diameter, femoral length, an…
Ontogenetic changes in femoral cross‐sectional geometry during childhood locomotor development
OBJECTIVES: The femur is a major weight-bearing bone that is variably loaded throughout growth as children transition through locomotory states prior to the attainment of a mature bipedal gait. Here, we document ontogenetic trends in femoral cross-sectional geometry (CSG) and explore how changes in loading regime may impact the structural arrangement of cortical bone along the length of the developing diaphysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Micro-CT sc…
A Virtual geometric morphometric approach to the quantification of long bone bilateral asymmetry and cross‐sectional shape
OBJECTIVE: The widespread use of three-dimensional digitization means that models of whole bone geometry are routinely captured for many applications in virtual anthropology. In this article, we test whether a geometric morphometric (GMM) approach can be used to accurately quantify directional bilateral asymmetry in cross-sectional shape using virtual bone models. METHODS: We introduce a method to (1) orient virtual long bone models and extract c…
Technical note
The number and spacing of incremental markings at the enamel surface, known as perikymata, are considered important indicators of dental growth patterns, as they provide information on crown formation times and the underlying developmental processes. This study explores the potential of a new three‐dimensional technique for the reconstruction of dental growth profiles, using teeth from a medieval child from Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The crowns of th…
Effects of maternal, gestational, and perinatal variables on neonatal line width observed in a modern UK birth cohort
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to explore potential relationships between neonatal line (NNL) width and early life history variables such as maternal health, gestation, the birth process, and perinatal health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Histological thin sections of deciduous canines were studied from 71 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). The width of the NNL was measured in three locations on the…
Further developments in molecular sex assignment
Age of closure of the foramen of Huschke
The foramen of Huschke is a dehiscence in the antero-inferior surface of the tympanic plate, which forms during the normal post-natal development of the temporal bone. Closure of the foramen is generally reported to take place by 5 years of age, although a persistent foramen has been observed in 0–67% of adult crania depending on the population. A persistent foramen of Huschke in adult life may be involved in abnormalities of the external auditor…
Sex differences in the patterning of age‐related bone loss in the human hallucal metatarsal in rural and urban populations
OBJECTIVES: Age-degenerative features of the metatarsals are poorly known despite the importance of metatarsal bone properties for investigating mobility patterns. We assessed the role of habitual activity in shaping the patterning and magnitude of sexual dimorphism in age-related bone loss in the hallucal metatarsal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sections were extracted at midshaft from micro-computed tomography scan models of individuals from me…
Cladistic analysis of dental traits in recent humans using a fossil outgroup
Taphonomy and palaeoecology of Olduvai Bed-I (Pleistocene, Tanzania)
Growth patterns in the modern human skeleton
This study investigates cross sectional growth patterns in the human skeleton using a recent skeletal sample of known age and sex. Measurements were selected to reflect different functional regions of the cranium, mandible and post cranial skeleton, and growth is evaluated using a single phase Gompertz curve. Different parts of the skeleton vary in the proportion of adult size attained at birth and in their subsequent rate of attainment of adult …
The Late Upper Palaeolithic Occupation of the Moroccan Northwest Maghreb During the Last Glacial Maximum
Linear enamel hypoplasias as indicators of systemic physiological stress
Enamel hypoplasias are useful indicators of systemic growth disturbances during childhood, and are routinely used to investigate patterns of morbidity and mortality in past populations. This study examined the pattern of linear enamel hypoplasias in two different burial populations from 18th and 19th Century church crypts in London. Linear enamel hypoplasias on the permanent dentitions of individuals from the crypt of Christ Church, Spitalfields,…
Teeth by Simon Hillson
Age of closure of the foramen of Huschke
The foramen of Huschke is a dehiscence in the antero-inferior surface of the tympanic plate, which forms during the normal post-natal development of the temporal bone. Closure of the foramen is generally reported to take place by 5 years of age, although a persistent foramen has been observed in 0–67% of adult crania depending on the population. A persistent foramen of Huschke in adult life may be involved in abnormalities of the external auditor…
One Thing After Another
Forty-four radiocarbon results are now available from the Ascott-under-Wychwood long barrow, and are presented within an interpretive Bayesian statistical framework. Three alternative archaeological interpretations of the sequence are given, each with a separate Bayesian model. In our preferred model, pre-barrow occupation including small timber structures and a midden was followed by a gap long enough to allow a turfline to form. Cists and the p…
Tooth Evulsion in the Maghreb
Reevaluating the Age of the Iberomaurusian in Morocco
Metric variation in the postcanine teeth from Paşalar, Turkey
Human Burial Evidence from Hattab II Cave and the Question of Continuity in Late Pleistocene–Holocene Mortuary Practices in Northwest Africa
Archaeological excavations in 2002–3 at Hattab II Cave in northwestern Morocco revealed an undisturbed Late Palaeolithic Iberomaurusian human burial. This is the first Iberomaurusian inhumation discovered in the region. The skeleton is probably that of a male aged between 25 and 30 years. The individual shows a characteristic absence of the central upper incisors reported in other Iberomaurusian burials. Accompanying the burial are a stone core a…
Weaning behaviour in human evolution
The effect of parity status on δ15N
Technical note
The number and spacing of incremental markings at the enamel surface, known as perikymata, are considered important indicators of dental growth patterns, as they provide information on crown formation times and the underlying developmental processes. This study explores the potential of a new three‐dimensional technique for the reconstruction of dental growth profiles, using teeth from a medieval child from Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The crowns of th…
Further developments in molecular sex assignment
Using stable isotope analysis to examine the effect of economic change on breastfeeding practices in Spitalfields, London, UK
Breastfeeding patterns were subject to a number of fads in 18th and 19th century Britain. Feeding infants by hand, rather than maternal breastfeeding or wet-nursing, became more prevalent among both the wealthy and poor. Substitute foods may have been a convenient alternative for mothers employed away from the household. This study used stable isotope ratio analysis to examine the weaning schedule in the 18th and 19th century skeletal assemblage …
Body mass and stature estimation based on the first metatarsal in humans
Archaeological assemblages often lack the complete long bones needed to estimate stature and body mass. The most accurate estimates of body mass and stature are produced using femoral head diameter and femur length. Foot bones including the first metatarsal preserve relatively well in a range of archaeological contexts. In this article we present regression equations using the first metatarsal to estimate femoral head diameter, femoral length, an…
Sex Differences in Infant Mortality in Spitalfields, London, 1750–1839
This study examines sex differences in infant mortality in Spitalfields, London, and the estimated contribution of endogenous and exogenous factors to neonatal and infant mortality using the biometric model from 1750 to 1839. There was a marked decline in the risk of death during infancy and the neonatal period for both sexes during the study period. There was significant excess male infant mortality compared with that of females in the 1750–59 c…
Iberomaurusian funerary behaviour
First discovery of Pleistocene orangutan (Pongo sp.) fossils in Peninsular Malaysia
Earliest evidence for caries and exploitation of starchy plant foods in Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from Morocco
Significance We present early evidence linking a high prevalence of caries to a reliance on highly cariogenic wild plant foods in Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from North Africa. This evidence predates other high caries populations and the first signs of food production by several thousand years. We infer that increased reliance on wild plants rich in fermentable carbohydrates caused an early shift toward a disease-associated oral microbiota. Syst…
A qualitative study to develop a patient-reported outcome for dysmenorrhea
Isotopic and trace element evidence of dietary transitions in early life
CONTEXT: Nursing behaviour has significant implications for individual health and population dynamics. Reconstruction of infant and early childhood diet has become a key focus in studies of past populations. OBJECTIVE: This paper reviews knowledge about how trace element and stable isotope composition of bone and dental tissues changes during development and how this may influence interpretation of biology and behaviour in past populations. METHO…
A Virtual geometric morphometric approach to the quantification of long bone bilateral asymmetry and cross‐sectional shape
OBJECTIVE: The widespread use of three-dimensional digitization means that models of whole bone geometry are routinely captured for many applications in virtual anthropology. In this article, we test whether a geometric morphometric (GMM) approach can be used to accurately quantify directional bilateral asymmetry in cross-sectional shape using virtual bone models. METHODS: We introduce a method to (1) orient virtual long bone models and extract c…
Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies (33 works) · Biology (24 works) · Medicine (23 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (19 works) · Geography (18 works) · Archaeology (16 works) · Anatomy (11 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (11 works) · Demography (11 works) · Anatomy (9 works)