Secular Trends in the Size and Shape of the Scapula among the Portuguese between the 19th and the 21st Centuries

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The human body experiences long-term changes mostly associated with environmental conditions, and generational trends for stature or age at menarche are well-known and studied. That is not the case regarding potential anatomical modifications with time in the human scapula. Accordingly, this study intended to assess size and shape diachronic changes in two Portuguese-reference skeletal collections. Results show that scapular shape and size variation in females is minimal to nonexistent, while in males, an unambiguous decline was detected with time of scapular size. Higher standards of living, including better nutrition and universal healthcare, are associated with an increase in height but also with a slender body—this general trend is possibly related to the scapular size decline with time in Portuguese males. ABSTRACT: Potential secular changes in the human scapula are fundamentally unbeknownst, with most of the preceding anatomical studies focusing on long-term changes in the long bones and the skull. As such, the cardinal purpose of this study pertains to the evaluation of secular trends on the shape and size of the scapula in a time period spanning from the 19th to the early 21st centuries. The study sample included 211 individuals (100 males and 111 females) from the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection and the 21st Century Identified Skeletal Collection. The size and shape of the scapula were evaluated using geometric morphometrics. Results show secular changes over a relatively short period of time in both the shape and size of the scapula in Portuguese nationals. Shape changes were observed in both sexes but expressed minimally, while a significant negative trend in the size of the scapula was detected in males. Scapular size decrement in males conceivably echoes general trends of the overall anatomy towards a narrower body associated with higher standards of living that include enhanced nutrition and universal healthcare, among other factors.