Chiara Villa
Biographic Data
| ID | 83288 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Chiara Villa |
| GIVEN NAMES | Chiara |
| FAMILY NAME | Villa |
| SIGNATURE | VILLA C |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Copenhagen |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9967-8131 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 15 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 38 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 15 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Human midfacial growth pattern differs from that of Neanderthals and chimpanzees
Present-day humans have small and retracted midfaces, while Neanderthals possess large and forwardly projected midfaces. To understand the ontogenetic patterns underlying these characteristic morphologies, we compared maxillary growth and development from birth to adulthood in present-day humans (Homo sapiens; n = 128), Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis; n = 13), and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus; n = 33) using macroscopic (i.e., geometric…
Cranial fluctuating asymmetry in Danish populations from the Neolithic to the Early Modern Age
Fluctuating asymmetry are random deviations of an otherwise symmetrical body plan and arises from instability in development. Earlier studies suggest that levels of cranial fluctuating asymmetry may be influenced by lifestyle and quality of life in a population. It may, therefore, be useful as a stress indicator. We investigated whether cranial fluctuating asymmetry has changed in archaeological Danish populations over time, and between grave sit…
New Early Neolithic and Late Bronze Age amber finds from Thy
Amber was widely exchanged across prehistoric Europe and was transported long distances from primary sources on the Baltic and North Sea coasts. How did collection and working of amber develop and what were the effects of international exchange on local communities in Northern Europe? The authors present two recent, contrasting amber finds from Thy, northern Jutland: a cache of beads associated with the Early Neolithic Funnelbeaker Culture (4000-…
Exome Sequencing in an ADSHE Family: VUS Identification and Limits
Autosomal dominant sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy (ADSHE) is the familial form of a focal epilepsy characterized by hyperkinetic focal seizures, mainly arising during non-rapid eye movements (NREM) sleep. Mutations associated with ADSHE account for a small proportion of the genetically determined cases, suggesting the existence of other disease-causing genes. Here, we reported the results obtained by performing trio-based whole-exome sequencin…
How 3D printing and physical reconstruction of a skull helped in a complex pathological case
Taphonomic changes can mimic pathological bone lesions and make it difficult to distinguish between ante- and postmortem abnormalities and to perform differential diagnostics. 3D methods, such as CT scanning and 3D printing, can be used as complementary tools to overcome the taphonomic changes. Here, we reconstructed a skull of an interesting archeological case showing severe pathological changes using 3D printing and physical reconstruction. The…
Analysis of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) 16 Variants Associated with Cervical Infection in Italian Women
This study aims to evaluate HPV16 variants distribution in a population of Italian women living in two different regions (Lombardy and Sardinia) by sequence analyses of HPV16-positive cervical samples, in order to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationship among variants to identify the currently circulating lineages. Analyses were conducted starting from DNA isolated from 67 HPV16-positive cervical samples collected from two different Italian cen…
Intraspecific variability in human maxillary bone modeling patterns during ontogeny
OBJECTIVES: This study compares the ontogenetic bone modeling patterns of the maxilla to the related morphological changes in three human populations to better understand how morphological variability within a species is established during ontogeny at both micro- and macroscopic levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The maxillary bones of an ontogenetic sample of 145 subadult and adult individuals from Greenland (Inuit), Western Europe (France, Germany,…
Architecture of the femoral and tibial diaphyses in relation to body mass and composition: Research from whole‐body CT scans of adult humans
OBJECTIVES: Recent investigations have evaluated the influence of body composition on long bones in order to overcome the limits of body mass (BM) estimation methods and eventually lead to studying nutrition in past populations. Knowing how fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) impact the skeleton would also enhance the understanding of mobility, activity, and locomotion derived from bone architecture. We investigated the relationship between BM …
Projectile, blunt, or sharp force trauma? A facial lesion on a Bronze Age skull from Uglemose, Denmark
This study presents and discusses the differential diagnosis of a unique case of facial trauma. The adult male skull was excavated in 1948 from Uglemose (Owl Bog) outside of Birket, on the island of Lolland (Denmark). Carbon-14 samples from an adult tibia excavated with the skull dates to the end of the Danish Bronze Age and transition period into the pre-Roman Iron Age. The skull shows a traumatic ante-mortem lesion to the left maxilla, directly…
The advantage of CT scans and 3D visualizations in the analysis of three child mummies from the Graeco-Roman Period
Three child mummies from the Graeco-Roman Period (332 BCE - c. 395 CE) were examined using CT scans and 3D visualizations generated with Vitrea 2 and MIMICS graphic workstations with the aim of comparing the results with previous X-ray examinations performed by Dawson and Gray in 1968. Although the previous analyses reported that the children had been excerebrated and eviscerated, no evidence of incisions or breaches of the cranial cavity were fo…
Technical Note: Reliability of suchey‐brooks and buckberry‐chamberlain methods on 3D visualizations from CT and laser scans
Previous studies have reported that the ageing method of Suchey‐Brooks (pubic bone) and some of the features applied by Lovejoy et al. and Buckberry‐Chamberlain (auricular surface) can be confidently performed on 3D visualizations from CT‐scans. In this study, seven observers applied the Suchey‐Brooks and the Buckberry‐Chamberlain methods on 3D visualizations based on CT‐scans and, for the first time, on 3D visualizations from laser scans. We exa…
Variation of the anterior aspect of the femoral head‐neck junction in a modern human identified skeletal collection
The effectiveness of the so‐called skeletal markers of activity as functional indicators is widely debated. Among them, certain morphological features of the anterior aspect of the femoral head‐neck junction (Poirier's facet, cervical fossa of Allen, etc.) have been considered in relation to some behaviors and specific activities (e.g., squatting, horseback riding, etc.). However, disagreement on terminology and descriptions, the absence of stand…
A small skull from Flores dated to the 20th century
Hounsfield Units ranges in CT-scans of bog bodies and mummies
Mummification processes, either artificial or natural, preserve the tissues from postmortem decay, but change them from their original state. In this study we provided the first comprehensive set of Hounsfield Unit (HU) ranges specific for tissues mummified under different environmental conditions (peat bog, cold-dry and hot-dry environment). We also analyzed the impact of different museal preservation techniques on the HU ranges, as e.g. in the …
Technical note: A stereological analysis of the cross‐sectional variability of the femoral osteon population
Unbiased selection of regions of interest (ROIs) and unbiased definition of histological structures are needed to improve the repeatability of microscopic methods for age at death determination and to reduce operator subjectivity. We present results obtained by selecting ROIs according to stereological principles on a sample of 28 femoral cross sections of Caucasoid males aged 20–89 years. A regular grid was overlaid on the cross section, and the…
Variation of the anterior aspect of the femoral head‐neck junction in a modern human identified skeletal collection
The effectiveness of the so‐called skeletal markers of activity as functional indicators is widely debated. Among them, certain morphological features of the anterior aspect of the femoral head‐neck junction (Poirier's facet, cervical fossa of Allen, etc.) have been considered in relation to some behaviors and specific activities (e.g., squatting, horseback riding, etc.). However, disagreement on terminology and descriptions, the absence of stand…
Hounsfield Units ranges in CT-scans of bog bodies and mummies
Mummification processes, either artificial or natural, preserve the tissues from postmortem decay, but change them from their original state. In this study we provided the first comprehensive set of Hounsfield Unit (HU) ranges specific for tissues mummified under different environmental conditions (peat bog, cold-dry and hot-dry environment). We also analyzed the impact of different museal preservation techniques on the HU ranges, as e.g. in the …
Architecture of the femoral and tibial diaphyses in relation to body mass and composition: Research from whole‐body CT scans of adult humans
OBJECTIVES: Recent investigations have evaluated the influence of body composition on long bones in order to overcome the limits of body mass (BM) estimation methods and eventually lead to studying nutrition in past populations. Knowing how fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) impact the skeleton would also enhance the understanding of mobility, activity, and locomotion derived from bone architecture. We investigated the relationship between BM …
New Early Neolithic and Late Bronze Age amber finds from Thy
Amber was widely exchanged across prehistoric Europe and was transported long distances from primary sources on the Baltic and North Sea coasts. How did collection and working of amber develop and what were the effects of international exchange on local communities in Northern Europe? The authors present two recent, contrasting amber finds from Thy, northern Jutland: a cache of beads associated with the Early Neolithic Funnelbeaker Culture (4000-…
Intraspecific variability in human maxillary bone modeling patterns during ontogeny
OBJECTIVES: This study compares the ontogenetic bone modeling patterns of the maxilla to the related morphological changes in three human populations to better understand how morphological variability within a species is established during ontogeny at both micro- and macroscopic levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The maxillary bones of an ontogenetic sample of 145 subadult and adult individuals from Greenland (Inuit), Western Europe (France, Germany,…
Technical Note: Reliability of suchey‐brooks and buckberry‐chamberlain methods on 3D visualizations from CT and laser scans
Previous studies have reported that the ageing method of Suchey‐Brooks (pubic bone) and some of the features applied by Lovejoy et al. and Buckberry‐Chamberlain (auricular surface) can be confidently performed on 3D visualizations from CT‐scans. In this study, seven observers applied the Suchey‐Brooks and the Buckberry‐Chamberlain methods on 3D visualizations based on CT‐scans and, for the first time, on 3D visualizations from laser scans. We exa…
Human midfacial growth pattern differs from that of Neanderthals and chimpanzees
Present-day humans have small and retracted midfaces, while Neanderthals possess large and forwardly projected midfaces. To understand the ontogenetic patterns underlying these characteristic morphologies, we compared maxillary growth and development from birth to adulthood in present-day humans (Homo sapiens; n = 128), Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis; n = 13), and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus; n = 33) using macroscopic (i.e., geometric…
The advantage of CT scans and 3D visualizations in the analysis of three child mummies from the Graeco-Roman Period
Three child mummies from the Graeco-Roman Period (332 BCE - c. 395 CE) were examined using CT scans and 3D visualizations generated with Vitrea 2 and MIMICS graphic workstations with the aim of comparing the results with previous X-ray examinations performed by Dawson and Gray in 1968. Although the previous analyses reported that the children had been excerebrated and eviscerated, no evidence of incisions or breaches of the cranial cavity were fo…
Technical note: A stereological analysis of the cross‐sectional variability of the femoral osteon population
Unbiased selection of regions of interest (ROIs) and unbiased definition of histological structures are needed to improve the repeatability of microscopic methods for age at death determination and to reduce operator subjectivity. We present results obtained by selecting ROIs according to stereological principles on a sample of 28 femoral cross sections of Caucasoid males aged 20–89 years. A regular grid was overlaid on the cross section, and the…
Technical note: A stereological analysis of the cross‐sectional variability of the femoral osteon population
Unbiased selection of regions of interest (ROIs) and unbiased definition of histological structures are needed to improve the repeatability of microscopic methods for age at death determination and to reduce operator subjectivity. We present results obtained by selecting ROIs according to stereological principles on a sample of 28 femoral cross sections of Caucasoid males aged 20–89 years. A regular grid was overlaid on the cross section, and the…
A small skull from Flores dated to the 20th century
Hounsfield Units ranges in CT-scans of bog bodies and mummies
Mummification processes, either artificial or natural, preserve the tissues from postmortem decay, but change them from their original state. In this study we provided the first comprehensive set of Hounsfield Unit (HU) ranges specific for tissues mummified under different environmental conditions (peat bog, cold-dry and hot-dry environment). We also analyzed the impact of different museal preservation techniques on the HU ranges, as e.g. in the …
Technical Note: Reliability of suchey‐brooks and buckberry‐chamberlain methods on 3D visualizations from CT and laser scans
Previous studies have reported that the ageing method of Suchey‐Brooks (pubic bone) and some of the features applied by Lovejoy et al. and Buckberry‐Chamberlain (auricular surface) can be confidently performed on 3D visualizations from CT‐scans. In this study, seven observers applied the Suchey‐Brooks and the Buckberry‐Chamberlain methods on 3D visualizations based on CT‐scans and, for the first time, on 3D visualizations from laser scans. We exa…
Variation of the anterior aspect of the femoral head‐neck junction in a modern human identified skeletal collection
The effectiveness of the so‐called skeletal markers of activity as functional indicators is widely debated. Among them, certain morphological features of the anterior aspect of the femoral head‐neck junction (Poirier's facet, cervical fossa of Allen, etc.) have been considered in relation to some behaviors and specific activities (e.g., squatting, horseback riding, etc.). However, disagreement on terminology and descriptions, the absence of stand…
The advantage of CT scans and 3D visualizations in the analysis of three child mummies from the Graeco-Roman Period
Three child mummies from the Graeco-Roman Period (332 BCE - c. 395 CE) were examined using CT scans and 3D visualizations generated with Vitrea 2 and MIMICS graphic workstations with the aim of comparing the results with previous X-ray examinations performed by Dawson and Gray in 1968. Although the previous analyses reported that the children had been excerebrated and eviscerated, no evidence of incisions or breaches of the cranial cavity were fo…
Architecture of the femoral and tibial diaphyses in relation to body mass and composition: Research from whole‐body CT scans of adult humans
OBJECTIVES: Recent investigations have evaluated the influence of body composition on long bones in order to overcome the limits of body mass (BM) estimation methods and eventually lead to studying nutrition in past populations. Knowing how fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) impact the skeleton would also enhance the understanding of mobility, activity, and locomotion derived from bone architecture. We investigated the relationship between BM …
Projectile, blunt, or sharp force trauma? A facial lesion on a Bronze Age skull from Uglemose, Denmark
This study presents and discusses the differential diagnosis of a unique case of facial trauma. The adult male skull was excavated in 1948 from Uglemose (Owl Bog) outside of Birket, on the island of Lolland (Denmark). Carbon-14 samples from an adult tibia excavated with the skull dates to the end of the Danish Bronze Age and transition period into the pre-Roman Iron Age. The skull shows a traumatic ante-mortem lesion to the left maxilla, directly…
Analysis of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) 16 Variants Associated with Cervical Infection in Italian Women
This study aims to evaluate HPV16 variants distribution in a population of Italian women living in two different regions (Lombardy and Sardinia) by sequence analyses of HPV16-positive cervical samples, in order to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationship among variants to identify the currently circulating lineages. Analyses were conducted starting from DNA isolated from 67 HPV16-positive cervical samples collected from two different Italian cen…
Intraspecific variability in human maxillary bone modeling patterns during ontogeny
OBJECTIVES: This study compares the ontogenetic bone modeling patterns of the maxilla to the related morphological changes in three human populations to better understand how morphological variability within a species is established during ontogeny at both micro- and macroscopic levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The maxillary bones of an ontogenetic sample of 145 subadult and adult individuals from Greenland (Inuit), Western Europe (France, Germany,…
Exome Sequencing in an ADSHE Family: VUS Identification and Limits
Autosomal dominant sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy (ADSHE) is the familial form of a focal epilepsy characterized by hyperkinetic focal seizures, mainly arising during non-rapid eye movements (NREM) sleep. Mutations associated with ADSHE account for a small proportion of the genetically determined cases, suggesting the existence of other disease-causing genes. Here, we reported the results obtained by performing trio-based whole-exome sequencin…
How 3D printing and physical reconstruction of a skull helped in a complex pathological case
Taphonomic changes can mimic pathological bone lesions and make it difficult to distinguish between ante- and postmortem abnormalities and to perform differential diagnostics. 3D methods, such as CT scanning and 3D printing, can be used as complementary tools to overcome the taphonomic changes. Here, we reconstructed a skull of an interesting archeological case showing severe pathological changes using 3D printing and physical reconstruction. The…
Cranial fluctuating asymmetry in Danish populations from the Neolithic to the Early Modern Age
Fluctuating asymmetry are random deviations of an otherwise symmetrical body plan and arises from instability in development. Earlier studies suggest that levels of cranial fluctuating asymmetry may be influenced by lifestyle and quality of life in a population. It may, therefore, be useful as a stress indicator. We investigated whether cranial fluctuating asymmetry has changed in archaeological Danish populations over time, and between grave sit…
New Early Neolithic and Late Bronze Age amber finds from Thy
Amber was widely exchanged across prehistoric Europe and was transported long distances from primary sources on the Baltic and North Sea coasts. How did collection and working of amber develop and what were the effects of international exchange on local communities in Northern Europe? The authors present two recent, contrasting amber finds from Thy, northern Jutland: a cache of beads associated with the Early Neolithic Funnelbeaker Culture (4000-…
Human midfacial growth pattern differs from that of Neanderthals and chimpanzees
Present-day humans have small and retracted midfaces, while Neanderthals possess large and forwardly projected midfaces. To understand the ontogenetic patterns underlying these characteristic morphologies, we compared maxillary growth and development from birth to adulthood in present-day humans (Homo sapiens; n = 128), Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis; n = 13), and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus; n = 33) using macroscopic (i.e., geometric…
Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies (11 works) · Biology (9 works) · Anatomy (8 works) · Medicine (8 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (6 works) · Anatomy (5 works) · Morphological variations and asymmetry (4 works) · Paleopathology and ancient diseases (4 works) · Surgery (4 works) · Zoology (4 works)