Paleonutritional analysis of the pre-Hispanic population from Fuerteventura (Canary Islands)

In this study, from histological and chemical perspectives, we analyse the human remains belonging to the pre-Hispanic inhabitants from Fuerteventura tone of the Canary islands) and compare the results with those obtained on a sample of pre-Hispanic inhabitants from Gran Canaria (Canary Islands). We observe that trabecular bone mass was normal in the samples from Fuerteven tura except for an elderly woman; this result is in sharp contrast with the decreased hone mass observed in the population from Gran Canaria. The pre- Hispanic population from Fuerteventura showed lower bone strontium, Sr/Ca r atio, and bone barium, but slightly higher bone copper, than that from Gran Canaria. All these data indicate a greater consumption of marine products by the population of Fuerteventura. The high prevalence of osteoporosis obs erved in the population from Gran Canaria may be interpreted as a consequen ce of protein-calorie malnutrition, a condition which seemed to be not so p revalent in the population of Fuerteventura. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V, All rights reserved.