Bone Histology

Book excerpt: A broad understanding of bone and tooth microstructure is necessary for constructing the biological profile of an individual or individuals within a population. Bone Histology: An Anthropological Perspective brings together authors with extensive experience and expertise in various aspects of hard tissue histology to provide a comprehensive discussion of the application of methods, current theories, and future directions in hard tissue research related to anthropological questions. Topics discussed include: The biology underlying skeletal growth and development leading to adult skeletal morphology Current research in understanding in bone modeling Histological features of dental hard tissues and their utility in biological anthropology Histological analysis as a means to differentiate human from nonhuman bone and for the purpose of age estimation The biomechanics of cortical bone Histotaphonomy and how postmortem microstructural change can be used for taphonomic inquiry The application of light microscopy in paleopathology to classify pathological conditions The histological study of bone tissue of archaeological origin Researchers’ access to collections of bone samples with known demographic information Technological aspects of hard tissue histology, including laboratory requirements and high-resolution imaging In most cases, the physical remains of humans available to bioarchaeologists, paleopathologists, and paleontologists are limited to skeletal material. Fortunately, these hard tissues are a storehouse of information about biological processes experienced during the life of an individual. This volume provides an overview of the current state of research and potential applications in anthropology and other fields that employ a histological approach to the study of hard tissues.