Linked Life Data

16323185

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/16323185

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2006-1-17
pubmed:abstractText
Matjes River Rock Shelter is a large shell midden on the southern coast of South Africa. Stable nitrogen (delta(15)N) and carbon (delta(13)C) isotope ratios were measured in bone collagen and dentine from human skeletons excavated from this site in order to establish a weaning curve in mid-Holocene hunter-gatherers. delta(15)N results show a progressive increase in individuals from birth to 1.5 years old. delta(13)C results are more tightly clustered and mirror the steady progressive change seen for delta(15)N. We deduce that children at Matjes River Rock Shelter were breastfed for at least the first 1.5 years after birth, and were weaned sometime between 2-4 years of age. A similar pattern was documented for historic-era Kalahari foraging people, where the interbirth spacing was approximately 3 years. This study provides the first direct evidence for an extended period of breastfeeding, and thus long interbirth intervals, among prehistoric foragers, even when those foragers lived in an environment with abundant food resources.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Feb
pubmed:issn
0002-9483
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
129
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
311-7
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2006
pubmed:articleTitle
Weaning age among foragers at Matjes river rock shelter, South Africa, from stable nitrogen and carbon isotope analyses.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Comparative Study, Historical Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't