RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Pelvic morphology and body size in relation to the preauricular sulcus: Evidence from medieval to modern Iberia
A1 García González, Rebeca
A1 Muñoz Guarinos, Julia
A1 Cirotto, Nico
A1 Díaz Navarro, Sonia
A1 Rodríguez, Laura
A1 Carretero Díaz, José Miguel
K1 Childbirth
K1 Ligament remodeling
K1 Pelvic biomechanics
K1 Preauricular sulcus
K1 Homínidos fósiles
K1 Fossil hominids
K1 Paleontología-Burgos
K1 Paleontology-Burgos
AB The preauricular sulcus has long been debated as a pelvic feature variablyattributed to obstetric stress, ligamentous traction, and broader biomechanical processes. To clarify its determinants, we analyzed 409 adult individuals from three archeological and one early modern skeletal collection fromthe Iberian Peninsula, integrating graded sulcus expression with pelvicmorphology, body size, and demographic context. Sulcus expression showsmarked sexual dimorphism: females exhibit the full morphological spectrum, whereas males display limited variation and are overwhelmingly concentrated in the lowest grades. Hierarchical log-linear models and ordinallogistic regression analyses indicate that preauricular sulcus presence is notassociated with stature, body mass, or overall pelvic canal dimensions.Instead, inferior pelvic dimensions, particularly pubic length and outletmeasures, emerge as the only consistent morphological predictors, with significant sex-specific interactions restricted to the outlet. Neither populationaffiliation nor age at death modifies the association between sex and sulcusexpression. Taken together, these results support a model in which the preauricular sulcus reflects sex-specific biomechanical environments of theinferior pelvis rather than overall body size or population-level variation.Within this framework, sulcus development is best interpreted as ligamentmediated remodeling shaped by localized mechanical loading and hormonally mediated changes associated with pregnancy, while remaining.
PB Wiley
SN 1932-8486
YR 2026
FD 2026-02
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10259/11592
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10259/11592
LA eng
NO Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Grant/Award Number:PID2021-122355NB-C31 PID-2024-156477NB-C33; Junta de Castilla y León and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, Grant/Award Number: JCYLBU010P24
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos
RD 08-may-2026