Age-Associated Osteoporosis

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Osteoporosis is characteristic of human aging with decreased bone mass, and particularly occurs in post-menopausal women or as a secondary manifestation of metabolic disease. The bone loss makes them vulnerable to fractures. Osteologic studies of skeletons from free-ranging chimpanzees have demonstrated similar findings with loss of cortical bone.  The human skeleton is unique in having low trabecular density representing a lightly built human body form. However, recent results show that trabecular density remained high throughout human evolution until it decreased significantly in recent modern humans, suggesting a possible link between changes in our skeleton and increased sedentism

  
 

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Skeletal Robusticity Likely

References

  1. Recent origin of low trabecular bone density in modern humans., Chirchir, Habiba, Kivell Tracy L., Ruff Christopher B., Hublin Jean-Jacques, Carlson Kristian J., Zipfel Bernhard, and Richmond Brian G. , Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2015 Jan 13, Volume 112, Issue 2, p.366-71, (2015)
  2. Apparent age-related bone loss among adult female Gombe chimpanzees., Sumner, D R., Morbeck M E., and Lobick J J. , Am J Phys Anthropol, 1989 Jun, Volume 79, Issue 2, p.225-34, (1989)