A Dwarf Child Skeleton from Youda Minamippara Site

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  • Shirahase Ayumi
    Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo Department of Anthropology, National Science Museum, Tokyo
  • Suzuki Takao
    Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology
  • Baba Hisao
    Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo Department of Anthropology, National Science Museum, Tokyo

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  • 用田南原遺跡出土の小人症幼児人骨
  • ヨウダ ミナミッパラ イセキ シュツド ノ コビトショウ ヨウジ ジンコツ

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Abstract

A dwarf skeleton of a four-year-old child was excavated from an early modern burial pit at Youda Minamippara site in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Although the overall skeleton is not completely preserved, the detailed observation of the skeleton enables us to diagnose possible diseases the individual may have carried. The extremely short limbed bones suggest that the child suffered from a disorder of longitudinal growth caused by certain disturbance in cartilage formation. The vertebrae are small overall with lowness of the dens of the axis and anterior wedging of the L1, 2. No malmorphology was found in the preserved facial cranium. Based on these morphologies and the age at death, we concluded that the growth abnormalities in this child were a result not of achondroplasia, but of Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDC). SEDC is a relatively uncommon disease, and only one other ancient skeletal remain has been diagnosed with SEDC. Furthermore, this is the first case of an ancient dwarf skeletal remain reported in Japan. Additionally, the case provides valuable paleopathological information on the differences between SEDC and achondroplasia.<br>

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