A case of dwarfism in 6th century Italy: Bioarchaeological assessment of a 
hereditary disorder

Traversari, Mirko; Da Via, Silvia; Petrella, Enrico; Feeney, Robin N.M.; Benazzi, Stefano

doi:10.1016/j.ijpp.2020.03.003

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A case of dwarfism in 6th century Italy: Bioarchaeological assessment of a hereditary disorder

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Benazzi, Stefano
Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society;

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Citation

Traversari, M., Da Via, S., Petrella, E., Feeney, R. N., & Benazzi, S. (2020). A case of dwarfism in 6th century Italy: Bioarchaeological assessment of a hereditary disorder. International Journal of Paleopathology, 30, 110-117. doi:10.1016/j.ijpp.2020.03.003.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-0006-FAC7-0

Abstract

Objective
The skeletal remains of a short-statured individual (T17) are described and a differential diagnosis performed to determine the etiology of the condition.
Materials
An individual considered pathologically short in stature was discovered in the burial site of Piazza XX Settembre, Modena (northern Italy).
Methods
Morphological and morphometric analyses were performed, and T17 was compared to dwarfs from other localities and periods and to the adult female population from the same site. A paleopathological survey was undertaken to assess the degree of the skeletal elements of T17 were affected.
Results
T17 was a female, 20–30 years of age at death, with a stature of 128 cm and disproportionate dwarfism associated with congenital skeletal dysplasia.
Conclusions
T17 likely affected by a form of hypochondroplasia.
Significance
Anatomical consequences of hypochondroplasia are presented, and the timeframe and associated burial goods suggest a 6th-century Lombard short stature belonging to one of the earliest Lombard settlements in Italy.
Suggestions for further research
Future genetic analysis would resolve if the mutation in the type 3 fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR3) is present in the remains of T17; however, it is not exclusivly linked to hypochondroplasia.