Záznam semináře

Heidi Shaw 

Archaeology Department, Durham University. Lower Mount Joy, South Rd, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom 

Sex Determination in Juvenile and Infant Remains Using Dimorphic Enamel Peptide Analysis 

Abstract: The determination of biological sex is fundamental to the study of past human populations. It represents the platform by which bioarchaeologists base many subsequent analyses, such as age-at death and stature, and interpretations about demography, epidemiology, human identity, and social organisation. Traditional sex determination methods in bioarchaeology are reliant on the presence of sexually dimorphic skeletal elements, which are not always preserved in archaeological contexts, and are not reliable for assessing sex of infants or juveniles. Using an innovative method for sex determination, it is now possible to accurately identify the sex of infants and children. The method identifies sex chromosomelinked isoforms of the peptide amelogenin from human tooth enamel using a minimally destructive acid etching procedure and subsequent nanoflow liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS). The implications of this method for our understanding of palaeodemographics and childhood mortality and morbidity in the past are also explored. 

Bio: Heidi is a 2nd year PhD student at Durham University. After completing a B.A. in Archaeology at the Australian National University, she completed a MSc in Palaeopathology at Durham University in 2013 and a MPH at George Washington University in 2019. Her research focuses on biochemical analyses of human teeth for information related to sex, migration, and health. She is also interested in exploring the integration of interdisciplinary research between the fields of public health and palaeopathology.