Possible environment influence in spine segmentation anomalies

Abstract

Segmentation anomalies of the spine transformations are relatively common in humans, mainly in adjacent regions. Its aetiology is multifactorial, a combination of genetic, environmental, and epigenetic interaction. A sample of 50 adult individuals of both sexes from two different sites and chronologies of the current Argentine territory was examined. This work proposes a new approach to analyse segmentation anomalies, considering the taphonomic characteristics of the spine, together with the most common occasional contour shifts of such anomalies. Likewise, a bibliographic review was conducted to compile the knowledge achieved to date on this topic. The results showed different patterns of expression of segmentation anomalies among the analysed samples, with the lumbosacral transformations being the most prevalent. The similarities and disparities observed between Southern Patagonian samples and Inuit populations suggest that cold, as an environmental factor, could play an important role in the phenotypic plasticity of human populations. Similarly, hypoxia could influence the sample from Pukará de Tilcara. Due to the scarce existing methodological standardization for addressing segmentation anomalies, a systematization of the methods used to analyse segmentation anomalies is recommended; our approach is a proposal for this purpose.