Paleopathology

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Mohammadmain Rezazadehsaatlou[2].

Overview

Paleopathology or "palaeopathology", is the study of ancient diseases includinhg: Studying pathologies, abnormalities in biologic individuals and systems, or even might be intrinsic to the system only (for examples: autoimmune disorders or traumatic arthritis) or caused by an extrinsic affecing factor (for examples: viruses or lead poisoning from pipes). Any living organism have pathology. Paleopathology investigations have historically focused on humans, but there is no evidence that humans are more prone to pathologies than any other animal.[1,2]

References

1: Buikstra, Jane; Roberts, Charlotte, eds. (2012). The Global History of Paleopathology: Pioneers and Prospects. Oxford University Press. p. 212. ISBN 9780195389807.

2: Aufderheide, A.C and Rodríguez-Martín, C. 1998. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Paleopathology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.