The Bone Tissue Anthropology Lab is a part of the Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague. The research and teaching is aimed on broad spectrum of anthropological topics related to bone tissue in both retrospective and experimental perspective. The topics are focused on researches related to cortical bone decomposition and skeletal taphonomy, and to analyses of cortical bone structural changes in relation to external (environmental and behavioral) factors. Part of the research in the Bone Tissue Anthropology Lab is also the experimental testing of some crucial anthropological questions of osteobiology using animal models. The lab makes use of broad spectrum of facilities especially in collaboration with external departments. Within the lab research, master projects and Ph.D. projects can address one of the four selected specializations (see below).
Research Areas:
Biomechanical analysis of long bones
Experimental study of behavioral effects on cortical bone tissue
Biomechanics of locomotion
Experimental taphonomy
Influence of morphology on thermoregulation
Members
Head of Lab:
doc. Mgr. Vladimír Sládek Ph.D., HDR (ResearchGate)
Researchers:
Mgr. Martin Hora, Ph.D.
Scientific workers:
Mgr. Andrea Žižková
Ph.D. Students:
Zuzana Mihalčinová, M.Sc.
Mgr. Michal Struška
Elena García Vargas, BA, M.Sc.
Pregradual Students:
Bc. Matěj Dundr
Bc. Johana Fedrová
Vítek Preiszler
Bc. Dan Smlsal
Bc. Jaroslava Suková
Marie Šimůnková
Bc. Martin Štětka
Barbora Toperczerová
Selected Publications
Hora, M., Struška, M., Matějovská, Z., Kubový, P., Sládek, V. (2023). Muscle activity during crouched walking. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, Early View. pdf
Hora, M., Pontzer, H., Struška, M., Entin, P., Sládek, V. (2022). Comparing walking and running in persistence hunting. Journal of Human Evolution, 172, 103247. pdf
Sládek, V., Hora, M., Véle, D., Rocek, T. (2022). Bow and muscles: Observed muscle activity in archers and potential implications for habitual activity reconstruction. Journal of Archaeological Science, 144, 105638. pdf
Struška, M., Hora, M., Rocek, T.R., Sládek, V. (2021). Influence of upper limb training and analyzed muscles on estimate of physical activity during cereal grinding using saddle quern and rotary quern. PLOS ONE, 16, e0243669. pdf
Hora, M., Pontzer, H., Wall-Scheffler, C. M., & Sládek, V. (2020). Dehydration and persistence hunting in Homo erectus. Journal of Human Evolution, 138, 102682. pdf
Sládek, V., Sabolová, V., Šebesta, O., Zikmund, T., Kaiser, J., & Čerevková, S. (2018). Effect of deriving periosteal and endosteal contours from microCT scans on computation of cross-sectional properties in non-adults: the femur. Journal of Anatomy, 233, 381–393. pdf
Hora M., Sládek, V. (2018). Population specificity of sex estimation from vertebrae. Forensic Science International, 291, 279.e1–279.e12. pdf
Niskanen, M., Junno, J.-A., Maijanen, H., Holt, B., Sladek, V., & Berner, M. (2018). Can we refine body mass estimations based on femoral head breadth? Journal of Human Evolution, 115, 112–121. pdf
Junno, J.-A., Niskanen, M., Maijanen, H., Holt, B., Sladek, V., Niinimäki, S., & Berner, M. (2018). The effect of age and body composition on body mass estimation of males using the stature/bi-iliac method. Journal of Human Evolution, 115, 122–129. pdf
Hora, M., Soumar, L., Pontzer, H., & Sládek, V. (2017). Body size and lower limb posture during walking in humans. PLoS ONE, 12, e0172112. pdf
Macháček, J., Dresler, P., Přichystalová, R., Sládek, V. (2016). Břeclav - Pohansko VII. Kostelní pohřebiště na Severovýchodním předhradí. Brno: Masarykova univerzita. pdf
Kaupová, S., Velemínský, P., Herrscher, E., Sládek, V., Macháček, J., Poláček, L., & Brůžek, J. (2016). Diet in transitory society: isotopic analysis of medieval population of Central Europe (ninth–eleventh century AD, Czech Republic). Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 10(4), 923–942. pdf
Sládek, V., Macháček, J., Makajevová, E., Přichystalová, R., & Hora, M. (2016). Body mass estimation in skeletal samples using the hybrid approach: the effect of population-specific variations and sexual dimorphism. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 10, 833–847. pdf
Sládek, V., Hora, M., Farkašová, K., & Rocek, T.R. (2016). Impact of grinding technology on bilateral asymmetry in muscle activity of the upper limb. Journal of Archaeological Science, 72,142–156. pdf
Jindrová, A., Tuma, J., & Sládek, V. (2016). Impact of Non-Invasively Induced Motor Deficits on Tibial Cortical Properties in Mutant Lurcher Mice. PLoS One, 11, e0158877. pdf
Sládek, V., Ruff, C.B., Berner, M., Holt, B., Niskanen, M., Schuplerová, E., & Hora, M. (2016). The impact of subsistence changes on humeral bilateral asymmetry in Terminal Pleistocene and Holocene Europe. Journal of Human Evolution, 92, 37–49. pdf
Sládek, V. (2016). Portrét muže z hrobu 153: osteobiografický profil elity druhého kostela na Pohansku u Břeclavi. In: Macháček, J., & Wihoda, M. (Eds.), Pád Velké Moravy aneb kdo byl pohřben v hrobu 153 na Pohansku u Břeclavi. Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, Praha. pdf
Sládek, V., Macháček, J., Ruff, C.B., Schuplerová, E., Přichystalová, R., & Hora, M. (2015). Population-specific stature estimation from long bones in the Early Medieval Pohansko (Czech Republic). American Journal of Physical Anthropology,158(2), 312–324. pdf
Ruff, C.B., Holt, B., Niskanen, M., Sladek, V., Berner, M., Garofalo, E., Garvin, H.M., Hora, M., Junno, J.-A., Schuplerova, E., Vilkama, R., & Whittey, E. (2015). Gradual decline in mobility with the adoption of food production in Europe. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(23), 7147–7152. pdf
Macháček, J., Balcárková, A., Čáp, P., Dresler, P., Přichystal, A., Přichystalová, R., Schuplerová, E., & Sládek, V. (2014). Velkomoravská rotunda z Pohanska u Břeclavi. Památky archeologické, 105, 87–153. pdf
Hora, M., & Sládek, V. (2014). The influence of lower limb configuration on walking cost in Late Pleistocene humans. Journal of Human Evolution, 67, 19–32. pdf
Bigoni, L., Krajíček, V., Sládek, V., Velemínský P., & Velemínská, J. (2013). Skull shape asymmetry and the socioeconomic structure of an early medieval central european society. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 150 (3), 349–364. pdf
Sosna, D., Galeta, P., Šmejda, V., Sládek, V., & Bruzek, J. (2013). Burials and Graphs: Relational Approach to Mortuary Analysis. Social Science Computer Review, 31(1), 56–70. pdf
Hora, M., Soumar, L., Stráníková, K., Michálek T., & Sládek, V. (2012). Influence of body mass and lower limb length on knee flexion angle during walking in humans. Folia Zoologica, 61(3–4), 330–339. pdf
Jindrová, A., Tůma, J., & Sládek, V. (2012). Intra-observer error of mouse long bone cross section digitalization. Folia Zoologica, 61(3–4): 340–349. pdf
Sládek, V., Galeta, P., & Sosna, D. (2012). Measuring human remains in the field: grid technique, total station, or microscribe? Forensic Science International, 221, 16–22. pdf
Ruff, C.B., Holt, B., Niskanen, M., Sládek, V., Berner, M., Garofalo, E., Garvin, H.M., Hora, M., Maijanen, H. Niinimäki, S., Salo, K., Schuplerova, E., & Tompkins, D. (2012). Stature and body mass estimation from skeletal remains in the European Holocene. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 148, 601–617. pdf
Galeta, P., Sládek, V., Sosna, D., & Brůžek, J. (2011). Modeling Neolithic dispersal in Central Europe: demographic implications. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 146, 104–115. pdf
Sládek, V., Berner, M., Galeta, P., Friedl, L., & Kudrnová, Š. (2010). Technical Note: The effect of midshaft location on the error ranges of femoral and tibial cross-sectional parameters. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 141, 325–332. pdf
Sosna, D., Galeta, P., & Sládek, V. (2008) A resampling approach to gender relations: the Rebešovice cemetery. Journal of Archaeological Science, 35, 342–354. pdf
Sládek, V., Berner, M., Sosna, D., & Sailer, R. (2007). Human manipulative behavior in the Central European Late Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age: Humeral bilateral asymmetry. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 133(1), 669–681. pdf
Sládek, V., Berner, M., & Sailer, R. (2006a). Mobility in Central European Late Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age: Femoral cross-sectional geometry. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 130(3), 320–332. pdf
Sládek, V., Berner, M., & Sailer, R. (2006b). Mobility in Central European Late Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age: Tibial cross-sectional geometry. Journal of Archaeological Science, 33, 470–482. pdf
Ruff, C.B., Holt, B., Sládek, V., Berner, M., Murphy, W.A., Nedden, D., Seidler, H., & Recheis, W. (2006c). Body size, Body proportions, and mobility in the Tyrolean “Iceman”. Journal of Human Evolution, 51, 91–101. pdf
Sládek, V., Trinkaus, E., Šefčáková, A., & Halouzka, R. (2002). Morphological affinities of the Šal'a 1 frontal bone. Journal of Human Evolution, 43, 787–815. pdf
Trinkaus, E., Svoboda, J., West, D., Sládek, V., Hillson, S., Drozdová, E., & Fišáková, M. (2000). Human remains from the Moravian Gravettian: Morphology and taphonomy of isolated elements from the Dolní Věstonice II site. Journal of Archaeological Science, 27, 1115–1132. pdf
Sládek, V., Trinkaus, E., Holiday, T., & Hillson, S. (2000). The People of the Pavlovian: Skeletal Catalogue and Osteometrics of the Gravettian fossil hominids from Dolní Věstonice and Pavlov. Brno: Archeologicky ústav AV ČR.
Abstrakty:
Hora, M., & Sládek, V. (2018). Water loss during persistence hunting in recent Kalahari hunters and Homo ergaster. Proceedings of the European Society for the study of Human Evolution, 7, 93. (Abstract).
Otárola-Castillo, E., Castillo, E.R., Hora, M., Torquato, M.G., Warrener, A., Pontzer, H. (2017). walkR: A Software Package to Analyze the Biomechanics of Human Locomotion. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 162, 306. (Abstract).
Galeta, P., Sládek, V., & Macháček, J. (2015). Three-dimensional documentation of human skeletal remains using 123DCatch software: a reliability of distance measurements. American Journal of Physical Anthropology ,156(S60), 139. (Abstract). link
Hora, M., & Sládek, V. (2015). Tibial loading during walking and running in Late Pleistocene humans. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 156(S60), 170. (Abstract). link
Jindrová, A., Tůma, J., & Sládek, V. (2015). The spatial distribution of lacuno-canalicular system within the tibial cross section shows its sensitivity to the mechanical loading. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 156 (S60), 179. (Abstract). link
Junno, J., Niskanen, M., Ruff, C., Holt, B., Sladek, V., Berner, M., & Maijanen, H. (2015). The effect of age on body mass estimation using the stature/bi-iliac method. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 156(S60), 181. (Abstract). link
Niskanen, M., Ruff, C.B., Holt, B., Sladek, V. Berner, M., Junno, J., & Maijanen, H. (2015). Can we refine body mass estimations based on femoral head breadth? American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 156(S60), 237. (Abstract). link
Přichystalová, R., Sládek, V., Schuplerová, E., Farkašová, K., Hora, M., & Flammer, P.G. (2014). Early medieval cemetery around the church at north-eastern bailey of stronghold Břeclav-Pohansko. In: Yilmaz, Ö., (Eds.), 20th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists: Abstracts. İstanbul: Archaeology & Art Publications, p 544. (Abstract). link
Sládek, V., Hora, M., & Farkašová, K. (2014). Experiment v antropologii: svalová aktivita a rekonstrukce manipulativní činnosti. Počítačová podpora v antropologii, XIII, 18. (Abstract). link
Hora, M., Farkašová, K., & Sládek, V. (2014). Reconstruction of Neolithic and Iron Age human manipulative behavior using electromygraphy. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 153(S58), 144. (Abstract). link
Sladek, V., Machacek, J., Ruff, Ch., Schuplerova, E., Prichystalova, R., & Hora, M. (2014). Stature estimation from long bones in the Early Medieval population at Pohansko (Czech Republic): Applicability of regression equations. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 153(S58), 242. (Abstract). link
Hora, M., & Sládek, V. (2013). Neandertal adaptation to close-range hunting: metabolic cost of bent-hip bent-knee gait. Proceedings of the European Society for the study of Human Evolution, 2, 115. (Abstract). link
Ruff, C.B., Holt, B., Niskanen, M., & Sládek, V. (2012). New techniques for estimating stature and body mass in European skeletal samples. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, S54, 254. (Abstract). link
Sládek, V., Berner, M., Ruff, C.B., Sosna, D., Galeta, P., Veleminský, P., Schuplerová, E., Hora, M., Roman, J., & Pankowská, A. (2012). Human postcranial morphology: Trends in the Central European Holocene record. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, S54, 271. (Abstract). link
Holt, B., Ruff, C., Niskanen, M., Sládek, V., Garvin, H., Garofalo, E., Tompkins, D., Berner, M., Junno J. & Vilkama, R. (2012). Postcranial robusticity trends in Europe across the last 30,000 years. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , S54, 167. (Abstract). link
Niskanen, M., Ruff, C.B., Holt, B., Sládek, V., Berner, M., Garvin, H., Garofalo, E., Tompkins D., Junno, J., Maijanen, H., Salmi, A., Niinimäki, S., Heikkilä, T., Vilkama R., & Salo, K. (2012). Temporal trends and regional difference in body size and shape of Europeans form the Late Pleistocene to recent times. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, S54, 224. (Abstract). link
Berner, M., Sládek, V., Ruff, C.B., Holt, B., Niskanen, M., Galeta, P., Schuplerová, E., Hora, M., Roman, J., Garvin, H., Garofalo, E. & Tompkins, D. (2012). Variation in sexual dimorphism of postcranial robusticity and body proportions in European Holocene populations. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, S54, 98. (Abstract). link
Farkašová, K., Sládek, V., Berner, M., Ruff, C., Holt, B., Niskanen, M., Sosna, D., Galeta, P., Schuplerová, E., Hora, M., Roman, J., Garvin, H., Garofalo, E., & Tompkins, D. (2012). Past human manipulative behavior in the European Holocene as assessed through humeral asymmetry. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, S54, 142. (Abstract). link
Agostini, G., Reedy, S., Holt, B., Ruff, C.B., Tompkins, D., Niskanen, M., Sládek, V., Berner, M., Garvin, H., Garofalo, E., Schuplerova, E., Hora, M. ,& Roman, J. (2012). Age-related patterns in postcranial robusticity. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, S54, 80-81. (Abstract). link
Tompkins, D., Holt, B., Ruff, C., Niskanen, M., Sládek, V., & Berner, M. (2012). Mortality and stature in European antiquity. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, S54, 287. (Abstract). link
Hora, M., Soumar, L., Stráníková, K., Michálek, T., & Sládek, V. (2012). The influence of lower limb length and body mass on walking kinematics at the knee and ankle. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, S54, 168. (Abstract). link
Hora, M., & Sládek, V. (2011). The metabolic cost of walking in Neandertals and Upper Paleolithic Europeans. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, S52, 167. (Abstract). link
Friedl, L., Holliday, T.W., & Sládek, V. (2010). Femoral shaft waist distribution and its relationship to mobility levels and other size/shape measures in three temporally distinct populations. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, S50, 108. (Abstract). link
Sládek, V., Galeta, P., & Sosna, D. (2009). Measuring human remains in the field: grid technique, total station, or MicroScribe? American Journal of Physical Anthropology , S48, 242. (Abstract). link
Sládek, V., Berner, M. ,& Friedl, L. (2008). The error of midshaft cross-sectional location on human femora. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, S46, 195–196. (Abstract). link