Hyperostosis frontalis interna is an overgrowth on the inner surface of the frontal bone [Hershkovitz et al., 1999]. HFI is accompanied by hormonal and metabolic disorders usually [Hershkovitz et al., 1999]. The rate of HFI in historical groups is low (1–4 %) compared to the modern population, where the incidence of HFI can reach 70 % [Kolyasnikova, Buzhilova, 2023; Barber et al., 1997]. In the modern population, HFI is more common for women, predominantly elderly, which, at first glance, is explained by the general increase in women's life expectancy and the accumulation of various chronic pathologies in old age, including those related to metabolism. To examine the distribution of the HFI trait by sex and age, craniological material from representatives of traditional societies of farmers, hunters, nomadic and seminomadic pastoralists living in different climatic zones was studied. Craniological series were divided into three main groups: inhabitants of the Arctic and subarctic, temperate and continental climatic zones. A total of 1912 skulls were studied from the funds of the Research Institute and the Museum of Anthropology of Moscow State University [Alexeeva et al., 1986]. As a result, using the example of 4 traditional groups from three climatic zones, it was shown that the sign of frontal internal hyperostosis is equally pronounced in both women and men, regardless of ethnic origin, place of residence and type of activity. The age-related increase in the frequency of hyperostosis, taking into account gender, does not give a clear trend in all groups obtained from the analysis of combined samples, which can be explained by the relatively small number of HFI observations in individual subgroups. The pattern of distribution of the trait of frontal internal hyperostosis in the modern population, where the trait is more common in older women, does not correlate with the distribution of HFI in the population adapted to environmental conditions. The results obtained suggest that in traditional societies that have been selected for factors of conditions and lifestyle, regardless of their origin, the distribution of the trait of frontal internal hyperostosis will demonstrate a natural profile that is most adequate to their lifestyle and diet.

Keywords: Hyperostosis frontalis interna, HFI, sex and age variability, adaptation, palaeopathology, metabolic diseases.

 

Funding. The study was carried out within the framework of the research program of the Research Institute and the Museum of Anthropology of Moscow State University “Anthropology of Eurasian populations (biological aspects)” (АААА-А19-119013090163-2).

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Accepted: 28.02.2024

Article is published: 15.06.2024

 

Kolyasnikova A.S., Lomonosov Moscow State University, Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Mokhovaya st., 11, Moscow, 125009, Russian Federation, E-mail: kas181994@yandex.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2278-5948