Researchers have uncovered a unique method to research ancient and modern human populations through a new study of immune proteins preserved in tooth enamel. In so doing, it contextualizes the buried tales of our ancestors, as revealed by our teeth — and the elements that determine how we might thrive today.
Find out more about this invisible identification of health
Historically, researchers primarily examined the physical analysis afforded them through bones and teeth in order to piece together an ancient society’s lifestyle or health. But instead of looking at the saliva that wets your gums, this new work aimed to tap another proportional artifact by probing the immune proteins buried within human tooth enamel.
The research, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, focused on two types of proteins: immunoglobulin G (IgG), an antibody that fights infection and C-reactive protein (CRP), a molecule used to demonstrate inflammation throughout the body. The proteins, sequestered within the enamel, have the potential to open a unique window into the biological and emotional health of former human populations in ways that were previously impossible.
Figuring the paths of Wellbeing Over Generations
To do this, they measured levels of these protective immune proteins in tooth enamel from three different groups: Native peoples during the time of the California mission system, European settlers from the 1800s and more modern day military cadets. After correlating the protein levels with the life experiences of these populations, a surprising connection was observed.
This might suggest that the infected immune proteins in their teeth correlate with and confirm high deaths, more severe stress and a phenomena of introduced infectious diseases experienced by the local population. On the other hand, protein concentrations in the bodies of European settlers and modern military cadets were not so heavy as they likely experienced much lower levels stress and disease.
Image caption Anthropology professor Jelmer Eerkens, a co-author of the study, said ‘We are seeing levels that you normally only see in people who had died from a viral hepatitis or massive trauma’ Body battlers High levels of immunoglobulins (to fight disease) and C-reactive protein (which is produced when people are under stress) were found in children and some adults YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN… “It breaks your heart to think of children who have lost parents and family due to disease, were dumped in a strange culture without any understanding but left ill from lack of care,” Gauthier wrote.
Conclusion
The discovery has the power to change what we know about health and well-being of human beings in prehistory itself. Those details, once unearthed from the enamel of our teeth by researchers, can provide a more precise and specific portrait of what life was — from their passage through pandemics to the troubles that troubled them.
In addition to providing insights into our ancestors, this strategy shows great potential for helping us learn more about human health today. While scientist can still uncover new insights by drawing parallels between ancient and modern day populations, the takeaway lends credence to many wellness efforts being derived from millenia old truths. With the increasing accessibility of these novel tools, bioanthropological research has the potential to yield groundbreaking results that change our understanding of human health through time.
