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Buzi C, Profico A, Liang C, Khonsari RH, O'Higgins P, Moazen M, Harvati K. Icex: Advances in the automatic extraction and volume calculation of cranial cavities. J Anat 2023; 242:1172-1183. [PMID: 36774197 PMCID: PMC10184549 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of non-destructive approaches for digital acquisition (e.g. computerised tomography-CT) allows detailed qualitative and quantitative study of internal structures of skeletal material. Here, we present a new R-based software tool, Icex, applicable to the study of the sizes and shapes of skeletal cavities and fossae in 3D digital images. Traditional methods of volume extraction involve the manual labelling (i.e. segmentation) of the areas of interest on each section of the image stack. This is time-consuming, error-prone and challenging to apply to complex cavities. Icex facilitates rapid quantification of such structures. We describe and detail its application to the isolation and calculation of volumes of various cranial cavities. The R tool is used here to automatically extract the orbital volumes, the paranasal sinuses, the nasal cavity and the upper oral volumes, based on the coordinates of 18 cranial anatomical points used to define their limits, from 3D cranial surface meshes obtained by segmenting CT scans. Icex includes an algorithm (Icv) for the calculation of volumes by defining a 3D convex hull of the extracted cavity. We demonstrate the use of Icex on an ontogenetic sample (0-19 years) of modern humans and on the fossil hominin crania Kabwe (Broken Hill) 1, Gibraltar (Forbes' Quarry) and Guattari 1. We also test the tool on three species of non-human primates. In the modern human subsample, Icex allowed us to perform a preliminary analysis on the absolute and relative expansion of cranial sinuses and pneumatisations during growth. The performance of Icex, applied to diverse crania, shows the potential for an extensive evaluation of the developmental and/or evolutionary significance of hollow cranial structures. Furthermore, being open source, Icex is a fully customisable tool, easily applicable to other taxa and skeletal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costantino Buzi
- DFG Centre of Advanced Studies 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools', Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Tarragona, Spain.,Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | | | - Ce Liang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Roman H Khonsari
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery and Plastic Surgery, Necker - Enfants Malades University Hospital, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Paul O'Higgins
- Department of Archaeology and Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK
| | - Mehran Moazen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Katerina Harvati
- DFG Centre of Advanced Studies 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools', Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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2
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Anatomical Description of Loggerhead Turtle ( Caretta caretta) and Green Iguana ( Iguana iguana) Skull by Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography Reconstruction and Maximum Intensity Projection Images. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040621. [PMID: 36830407 PMCID: PMC9951731 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The growing interest in reptiles has posed a challenge to veterinary clinicians due to the lack of a standardized system to perform anatomical studies similar to those used for dogs and cats. In this paper, we have attempted to describe, employing computed tomography and subsequent three-dimensional reconstructions, the normal anatomical features that comprise the skulls of two species of reptiles: the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and the green iguana (Iguana iguana). Computed tomography (CT) and subsequent image processing allowed the identification of the bony structures that comprise the head of these species. As a result, and based on previous articles, we propose the most significant anatomical differences and similarities between these species.
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3
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Giovannetti G, Guerrini A, Minozzi S, Panetta D, Salvadori PA. Computer tomography and magnetic resonance for multimodal imaging of fossils and mummies. Magn Reson Imaging 2022; 94:7-17. [PMID: 36084902 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2022.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The study of fossils and mummies has largely benefited from the use of modern noninvasive and nondestructive imaging technologies and represents a fast developing area. In this review, we describe the emerging role of imaging based on Magnetic Resonance (MR) and Computer Tomography (CT) employed for the study of ancient remains and mummies. For each methodology, the state of the art in paleoradiology applications is described, by emphasizing new technologies developed in the field of both CT, such as micro- and nano-CT, dual-energy and multi-energy CT, and MR, with the description of novel dedicated sequences, radiofrequency coils and gradients. The complementarity of CT and MR in paleoradiology is also discussed, by pointing out what MR provides in addition to CT, with an overview on the state of the art of emerging strategies in the use of CT/MR combination for the study of a sample following a multimodal integrated approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Giovannetti
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Andrea Guerrini
- Gruppo Archeologico e Paleontologico Livornese, Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo, via Roma, 234, 57127 Leghorn, Italy
| | - Simona Minozzi
- Division of Paleopathology, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma 57, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniele Panetta
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Piero A Salvadori
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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4
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Measuring of Mandible Bone Density in Dogs Using /Digital Radiography/ Radiovisigraphy. ACTA VET-BEOGRAD 2020. [DOI: 10.2478/acve-2020-0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Radiological diagnostics serves as one of the basic monitoring techniques in veterinary dental practice. The recent up-to-date literature data based on the findings of digital radiology/radiovisiography (RVG) in general dentistry inspired the authors to present its possible use in clinical veterinary dentistry. The digital radiography used in this study was RVG Trophy Radiologie SA 2001 device equipped with software for linear measurements (readings), densitometry, setting of contrast of radiography image, 3D image manipulation, zooming of detail and orientation handling. The aim of the study was to evaluate the bone mineral density of the alveolar part of the lower jaw in seven Scottish terriers. Bone mineral density measurement was performed around the central lower incisors by converting gray scale values into equivalent aluminum thickness (mm Al). The mean bone mineral density was in the range of 4.31-6.20 mm Al with no significant statistical difference between left and right incisors (p>0.01). Our results showed that the combination of RVG and aluminum step wedge etalon is a reliable tool to measure bone mineral density around the lower central incisors in dogs. This method can be considered as comfortable for manipulation in everyday use in clinical veterinary practice.
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5
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de Jager EJ, van Schoor AN, Hoffman JW, Oettlé AC, Fonta C, Mescam M, Risser L, Beaudet A. Sulcal pattern variation in extant human endocasts. J Anat 2019; 235:803-810. [PMID: 31206664 PMCID: PMC6742888 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Our knowledge of human brain evolution primarily relies on the interpretation of palaeoneurological evidence. In this context, an endocast or replica of the inside of the bony braincase can be used to reconstruct a timeline of cerebral changes that occurred during human evolution, including changes in topographic extension and structural organisation of cortical areas. These changes can be tracked by identifying cerebral imprints, particularly cortical sulci. The description of these crucial landmarks in fossil endocasts is, however, challenging. High-resolution imaging techniques in palaeoneurology offer new opportunities for tracking detailed endocranial neural characteristics. In this study, we use high-resolution imaging techniques to document the variation in extant human endocranial sulcal patterns for subsequent use as a platform for comparison with the fossil record. We selected 20 extant human crania from the Pretoria Bone Collection (University of Pretoria, South Africa), which were detailed using X-ray microtomography at a spatial resolution ranging from 94 to 123 μm (isometric). We used Endex to extract, and Matlab to analyse the cortical imprints on the endocasts. We consistently identified superior, middle and inferior sulci on the frontal lobe; and superior and inferior sulci on the temporal lobe. We were able to label sulci bordering critical functional areas such as Broca's cap. Mapping the sulcal patterns on extant endocasts is a prerequisite for constructing an atlas which can be used for automatic sulci recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin J. de Jager
- Department of AnatomyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
| | - Albert N. van Schoor
- Department of AnatomyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
| | | | - Anna C. Oettlé
- Department of AnatomyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
- Department of Anatomy and HistologySefako Makgatho Health Sciences UniversityPretoriaSouth Africa
| | - Caroline Fonta
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et CognitionUniversité de ToulouseUPSToulouseFrance
| | - Muriel Mescam
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et CognitionUniversité de ToulouseUPSToulouseFrance
| | - Laurent Risser
- Institute de mathématiques de ToulouseUniversité de ToulouseUPSToulouseFrance
| | - Amélie Beaudet
- Department of AnatomyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
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6
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Beaudet A, Dumoncel J, de Beer F, Durrleman S, Gilissen E, Oettlé A, Subsol G, Thackeray JF, Braga J. The endocranial shape of Australopithecus africanus: surface analysis of the endocasts of Sts 5 and Sts 60. J Anat 2017; 232:296-303. [PMID: 29148040 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessment of global endocranial morphology and regional neuroanatomical changes in early hominins is critical for the reconstruction of evolutionary trajectories of cerebral regions in the human lineage. Early evidence of cortical reorganization in specific local areas (e.g. visual cortex, inferior frontal gyrus) is perceptible in the non-human South African hominin fossil record. However, to date, little information is available regarding potential global changes in the early hominin brain. The introduction of non-invasive imaging techniques opens up new perspectives for the study of hominin brain evolution. In this context, our primary aim in this study is to explore the organization of the Australopithecus africanus endocasts, and highlight the nature and extent of the differences distinguishing A. africanus from the extant hominids at both local and global scales. By means of X-ray-based imaging techniques, we investigate two A. africanus specimens from Sterkfontein Member 4, catalogued as Sts 5 and Sts 60, respectively a complete cranium and a partial cranial endocast. Endocrania were virtually reconstructed and compared by using a landmark-free registration method based on smooth and invertible surface deformation. Both local and global information provided by our deformation-based approach are used to perform statistical analyses and topological mapping of inter-specific variation. Statistical analyses indicate that the endocranial shape of Sts 5 and Sts 60 approximates the Pan condition. Furthermore, our study reveals substantial differences with respect to the extant human condition, particularly in the parietal regions. Compared with Pan, the endocranial shape of the fossil specimens differs in the anterior part of the frontal gyri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Beaudet
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Anatomy, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jean Dumoncel
- Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de Synthèse, UMR 5288 CNRS-Université de Toulouse (Paul Sabatier), Toulouse Cedex, France.,Institut de Recherche en Informatique de Toulouse, UMR 5505 CNRS-Université de Toulouse (Paul Sabatier), Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Frikkie de Beer
- Radiation Science Department, South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), Pelindaba, South Africa
| | - Stanley Durrleman
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Aramis Team, INRIA Paris, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Gilissen
- Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium.,Laboratory of Histology and Neuropathology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anna Oettlé
- Department of Anatomy, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Anatomy and Histology, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Gérard Subsol
- Montpellier Laboratory of Informatics, Robotics and Microelectronics, UMR 5506 CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - John Francis Thackeray
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - José Braga
- Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de Synthèse, UMR 5288 CNRS-Université de Toulouse (Paul Sabatier), Toulouse Cedex, France.,Evolutionary Studies Institute and School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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7
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The brain of René Descartes (1650): A neuro-anatomical analysis. J Neurol Sci 2017; 378:12-18. [PMID: 28566145 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2017.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The skull of René Descartes is held in the National Museum of Natural History since the 19th c. Up to date, only anthropological examinations were carried out, focusing on the cranial capacity and phrenological interpretation of the skull morphology. Using CT-scan based 3D technology, a reconstruction of the endocast was performed, allowing for its first complete description and inter-disciplinary analysis: assessment of metrical and non-metrical features, retrospective diagnosis of anatomical anomalies, and confrontation with neuro-psychological abilities of this well-identified individual.
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8
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Giovannetti G, Guerrini A, Carnieri E, Salvadori PA. Magnetic resonance imaging for the study of mummies. Magn Reson Imaging 2016; 34:785-794. [PMID: 26979539 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2016.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Nondestructive diagnostic imaging for mummies study has a long tradition and high-resolution images of the samples morphology have been extensively acquired by using computed tomography (CT). However, although in early reports no signal or image was obtained because of the low water content, mummy magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was demonstrated able to generate images of such ancient specimens by using fast imaging techniques. Literature demonstrated the general feasibility of nonclinical MRI for visualizing historic human tissues, which is particularly interesting for archeology. More recently, multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was demonstrated able to detect numerous organic biochemicals from such remains. Although the quality of these images is not yet comparable to that of clinical magnetic resonance (MR) images, and further research will be needed for determining the full capacity of MR in this topic, the information obtained with MR can be viewed as complementary to the one provided by CT and useful for paleoradiological studies of mummies. This work contains an overview of the state of art of the emerging uses of MRI in paleoradiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Giovannetti
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Andrea Guerrini
- Sezione Paleontologica GAPL (Gruppo Archeologico e Paleontologico Livornese), Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo, Via Roma, 234, 57127 Leghorn, Italy
| | - Emiliano Carnieri
- Sezione Paleontologica GAPL (Gruppo Archeologico e Paleontologico Livornese), Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo, Via Roma, 234, 57127 Leghorn, Italy
| | - Piero A Salvadori
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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9
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Giovannetti G, Guerrini A, Salvadori PA. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging for the study of fossils. Magn Reson Imaging 2016; 34:730-742. [PMID: 26979538 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2016.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Computed tomography (CT) has long been used for investigating palaeontological specimens, as it is a nondestructive technique which avoids the need to dissolve or ionize the fossil sample. However, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have recently gained ground as analytical tools for examination of palaeontological samples, by nondestructively providing information about the structure and composition of fossils. While MRI techniques are able to reveal the three-dimensional geometry of the trace fossil, MRS can provide information on the chemical composition of the samples. The multidimensional nature of MR (magnetic resonance) signals has potential to provide rich three-dimensional data on the palaeontological specimens and also to help in elucidating paleopathological and paleoecological questions. In this work the verified applications and the emerging uses of MRI and MRS in paleontology are reviewed, with particular attention to fossil spores, fossil plants, ambers, fossil invertebrates, and fossil vertebrate studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Giovannetti
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Andrea Guerrini
- Sezione Paleontologica GAPL (Gruppo Archeologico e Paleontologico Livornese), Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo, via Roma, 234, 57127 Leghorn, Italy
| | - Piero A Salvadori
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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10
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Adams JW, Olah A, McCurry MR, Potze S. Surface Model and Tomographic Archive of Fossil Primate and Other Mammal Holotype and Paratype Specimens of the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, Pretoria, South Africa. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139800. [PMID: 26441324 PMCID: PMC4595468 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Nearly a century of paleontological excavation and analysis from the cave deposits of the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site in northeastern South Africa underlies much of our understanding of the evolutionary history of hominins, other primates and other mammal lineages in the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene of Africa. As one of few designated fossil repositories, the Plio-Pleistocene Palaeontology Section of the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History (DNMNH; the former Transvaal Museum) curates much of the mammalian faunas recovered from the fossil-rich deposits of major South African hominin-bearing localities, including the holotype and paratype specimens of many primate, carnivore, and other mammal species (Orders Primates, Carnivora, Artiodactyla, Eulipotyphla, Hyracoidea, Lagomorpha, Perissodactyla, and Proboscidea). Here we describe an open-access digital archive of high-resolution, full-color three-dimensional (3D) surface meshes of all 89 non-hominin holotype, paratype and significant mammalian specimens curated in the Plio-Pleistocene Section vault. Surface meshes were generated using a commercial surface scanner (Artec Spider, Artec Group, Luxembourg), are provided in formats that can be opened in both open-source and commercial software, and can be readily downloaded either via an online data repository (MorphoSource) or via direct request from the DNMNH. In addition to providing surface meshes for each specimen, we also provide tomographic data (both computerized tomography [CT] and microfocus [microCT]) for a subset of these fossil specimens. This archive of the DNMNH Plio-Pleistocene collections represents the first research-quality 3D datasets of African mammal fossils to be made openly available. This simultaneously provides the paleontological community with essential baseline information (e.g., updated listing and 3D record of specimens in their current state of preservation) and serves as a single resource of high-resolution digital data that improves collections accessibility, reduces unnecessary duplication of efforts by researchers, and encourages ongoing imaging-based paleobiological research across a range of South African non-hominin fossil faunas. Because the types, paratypes, and key specimens include globally-distributed mammal taxa, this digital archive not only provides 3D morphological data on taxa fundamental to Neogene and Quaternary South African palaeontology, but also lineages critical to research on African, other Old World, and New World paleocommunities. With such a broader impact of the DNMNH 3D data, we hope that establishing open access to this digital archive will encourage other researchers and institutions to provide similar resources that increase accessibility to paleontological collections and support advanced paleobiological analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin W. Adams
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Angela Olah
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Geosciences, Museum Victoria, Carlton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Matthew R. McCurry
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Geosciences, Museum Victoria, Carlton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephany Potze
- Plio-Pleistocene Palaeontology Section, Department of Vertebrates, Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, Pretoria, South Africa
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11
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A geometric morphometric validation study of computed tomography-extracted craniofacial landmarks. J Craniofac Surg 2015; 25:231-7. [PMID: 24406584 DOI: 10.1097/scs.0000000000000460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the variation between craniofacial landmarks extracted from computed tomographic (CT) scans and those collected from direct digitization of dry skulls. Thirteen traditional craniofacial landmarks were obtained from each CT scan using the coordinate option in the software Aviso. These coordinates were then compared with the coordinates digitized directly from the dry skulls as 2 separate samples and individually. Similarities were found between the 2 coordinate samples, with the first principal component representing only 23.97% of the total variation associated with the data acquisition methods, and were found to be statistically significant (P = 0.0223). Differences were more prevalent along the midline landmarks. In contrast, the individual specimen comparisons exhibited the largest amount of variation within the symmetric landmarks with the bilateral landmarks that were more medially located in the CT sample, but no individual specimens were significantly different (eg, P = 0.9883) when comparing both data acquisition modalities. The bilateral coordinates were not found to be significantly different for either analysis (P = 0.4165). The significant differences found for the entire data set suggest that the combination of CT-extracted and digitized individuals needs to be further explored with respect to the reference frames and sample composition. However, the individual specimen comparison results of this study validate the utility of CT-extracted landmarks when used for putative identifications in a forensic setting and when clinically applied.
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12
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Reproducibility and accuracy of linear measurements on dental models derived from cone-beam computed tomography compared with digital dental casts. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2014; 146:328-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2014.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2012] [Revised: 05/01/2014] [Accepted: 05/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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13
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The Bony Labyrinth in Diprotodontian Marsupial Mammals: Diversity in Extant and Extinct Forms and Relationships with Size and Phylogeny. J MAMM EVOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-013-9228-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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14
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Schmidt C, Harbort J, Knecht R, Grzyska U, Muenscher A, Dalchow CV. Measurement and comparison of labyrinthine structures with the digital volume tomography: ancient Egyptian mummies' versus today's temporal bones. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2012; 270:831-40. [PMID: 22580576 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-012-2047-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2011] [Accepted: 04/26/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate whether the labyrinthine structures of ancient Egyptian mummies differ significantly from modern labyrinths. The new technique of digital volume tomography (DVT) was used to visualize the temporal bones. To obtain standardized images and measurements, precise instructions regarding volume rotation, slicing and measurements' positioning were determined. Twenty-five dimensions were obtained. The groups were compared statistically. No significant differences could be found except one cochlear diameter which proved to be significantly larger in the control group. DVT is applicable for imaging of temporal bones. Measurements might help to increase understanding of the temporal bone's structure, to aid the diagnostics of pathologies as well as to supplement the planning of surgical procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Schmidt
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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15
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Lee AW, Farnquist B, Islam O, Mackenzie J, Taylor SAM, Pang SC, Reifel CW. Noninvasive investigation of asymmetrically conjoined tripus twins with features of rachipagus, parapagus dicephalus, and cephalopagus. Clin Anat 2011; 25:1023-9. [PMID: 21433086 DOI: 10.1002/ca.21149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2010] [Revised: 01/17/2011] [Accepted: 01/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A hypothetical mechanism for conjoined twinning postulated by Spencer ([2003] Developmental Malformations and Clinical Implications, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, p 1-476) suggests that, after separation, monovular twins fuse in one of eight predictable homologous sites. The tripus fetal specimen under study embodies characteristics of three types therefore preventing it from classification into a simple variant of any one of the eight twin types described by Spencer. The aim of this study was to reveal internal structural anomalies of the fetal specimen by using magnetic resonance imaging and computerized tomography. Dorsally appended to the primary twin is a secondary head mass (brain tissue and ocular globe) and two spinal columns converging at T4/T5, suggesting rachipagus twinning. The ventral orientation of the secondary twin's (right lateral) lower limb suggests parapagus twinning. The caudal divergence of the spinal columns and the presence of a secondary hemipelvis, separate from the primary pelvis, suggest cephalopagus twinning. Measurements of the long bones indicate a gestational age of ∼20-23 weeks. Secondary malformations of the primary fetal body include anencephaly, cleft palate, renal agenesis, decreased left ventricular outflow, and a prematurely terminating descending aorta. This study demonstrates the possibility of using current imaging techniques to study very old, formalin-preserved human material for documentation and scientific discussion without destroying the specimen, thus keeping it intact for posterity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A W Lee
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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Colloquium paper: reconstructing human evolution: achievements, challenges, and opportunities. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107 Suppl 2:8902-9. [PMID: 20445105 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1001649107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This contribution reviews the evidence that has resolved the branching structure of the higher primate part of the tree of life and the substantial body of fossil evidence for human evolution. It considers some of the problems faced by those who try to interpret the taxonomy and systematics of the human fossil record. How do you to tell an early human taxon from one in a closely related clade? How do you determine the number of taxa represented in the human clade? How can homoplasy be recognized and factored into attempts to recover phylogeny?
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Richard C, Laroche N, Malaval L, Dumollard J, Martin C, Peoch M, Vico L, Prades J. New insight into the bony labyrinth: A microcomputed tomography study. Auris Nasus Larynx 2010; 37:155-61. [PMID: 19577870 DOI: 10.1016/j.anl.2009.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2009] [Revised: 03/31/2009] [Accepted: 04/13/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Panagiotopoulou O. Finite element analysis (FEA): Applying an engineering method to functional morphology in anthropology and human biology. Ann Hum Biol 2009; 36:609-23. [DOI: 10.1080/03014460903019879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Abstract
The base of the cranium (i.e. the basioccipital, the sphenoid and the temporal bones) is of particular interest because it undergoes significant morphological change within the hominin clade, and because basicranial morphology features in several hominin species diagnoses. We use a parsimony analysis of published cranial and dental data to predict the cranial base morphology expected in the hypothetical last common ancestor of the Pan-Homo clade. We also predict the primitive condition of the cranial base for the hominin clade, and document the evolution of the cranial base within the major subclades within the hominin clade. This analysis suggests that cranial base morphology has continued to evolve in the hominin clade, both before and after the emergence of the genus Homo.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Nevell
- The George Washington University, Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, Washington, DC 20052, USA.
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Bruner E, Manzi G. Paleoneurology of an “early” Neandertal: endocranial size, shape, and features of Saccopastore 1. J Hum Evol 2008; 54:729-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2005] [Revised: 07/25/2007] [Accepted: 08/10/2007] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Bruner E. Cranial shape and size variation in human evolution: structural and functional perspectives. Childs Nerv Syst 2007; 23:1357-65. [PMID: 17680251 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-007-0434-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
A GLIMPSE INTO MODERN PALEOANTHROPOLOGY: In the last decades, paleoanthropology has been deeply modified, changing from a descriptive and historical science to a more quantitative and analytical discipline. The covariation of multiple traits is investigated to study the evolutionary changes of the underlying anatomical models, mostly through the introduction of digital biomedical imaging procedures and of computed geometrical analyses supported by multivariate statistics. FUNCTIONAL CRANIOLOGY: The evolution of the human cranium is consequently considered in terms of functional and structural relationships between its components, largely influenced by the allometric variations associated with the increase in the relative cranial capacity. In the human genus, the changes in the face, base, and neurocranium are characterised by a mosaic variation, in which adaptations, secondary consequences, and stochastic factors concur to generate a set of anatomical possibilities and constraints. SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVES TO THE EVOLUTION OF THE HUMAN CRANIAL MORPHOLOGY: Concepts like morphological modularity, anatomical integration, and heterochrony represent key issues in the development of the current human evolutionary studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Bruner
- Laboratorio di Anatomia Funzionale, Istituto Univesitario di Scienze Motorie, Roma, Italy.
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Volpato V, Viola TB, Nakatsukasa M, Bondioli L, Macchiarelli R. Textural characteristics of the iliac-femoral trabecular pattern in a bipedally trained Japanese macaque. Primates 2007; 49:16-25. [PMID: 17632686 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-007-0053-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2006] [Accepted: 05/31/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has revealed that Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) trained in bipedal performance (Saru-mawashi) display a number of functionally related external skeletal changes, as well as some site-specific endostructural cortical and cancellous adaptations. Through radiography assisted by digital image processing, we investigated the trabecular pattern of the ilium and femoral neck of Sansuke, a macaque habitually bipedally trained for 8 years. A set of eight regions of interest on Sansuke were recorded for subtle structural characterization of the cancellous network and compared to a sample of 5 ilia and 23 femurs from 26 adult wild Japanese macaques. The measured variables include trabecular thickness, trabecular bone volume, and degree of anisotropy. As a whole, the site-specific textural characteristics of the cancellous network detected on the ilium and proximal femur of the bipedally trained macaque can be interpreted as functional adaptive responses to more compressive loads dissipated along the axis from the sacro-iliac to the coxo-femoral joint, and back.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Volpato
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique, UMR CNRS 6112, Université de Nantes, 2 rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France.
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Schoenemann PT, Gee J, Avants B, Holloway RL, Monge J, Lewis J. Validation of plaster endocast morphology through 3D CT image analysis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2007; 132:183-92. [PMID: 17103425 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
A crucial component of research on brain evolution has been the comparison of fossil endocranial surfaces with modern human and primate endocrania. The latter have generally been obtained by creating endocasts out of rubber latex shells filled with plaster. The extent to which the method of production introduces errors in endocast replicas is unknown. We demonstrate a powerful method of comparing complex shapes in 3-dimensions (3D) that is broadly applicable to a wide range of paleoanthropological questions. Pairs of virtual endocasts (VEs) created from high-resolution CT scans of corresponding latex/plaster endocasts and their associated crania were rigidly registered (aligned) in 3D space for two Homo sapiens and two Pan troglodytes specimens. Distances between each cranial VE and its corresponding latex/plaster VE were then mapped on a voxel-by-voxel basis. The results show that between 79.7% and 91.0% of the voxels in the four latex/plaster VEs are within 2 mm of their corresponding cranial VEs surfaces. The average error is relatively small, and variation in the pattern of error across the surfaces appears to be generally random overall. However, inferior areas around the cranial base and the temporal poles were somewhat overestimated in both human and chimpanzee specimens, and the area overlaying Broca's area in humans was somewhat underestimated. This study gives an idea of the size of possible error inherent in latex/plaster endocasts, indicating the level of confidence we can have with studies relying on comparisons between them and, e.g., hominid fossil endocasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Thomas Schoenemann
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI 48128, USA.
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Rae TC, Vidarsdóttir US, Jeffery N, Steegmann AT. Developmental response to cold stress in cranial morphology of Rattus: implications for the interpretation of climatic adaptation in fossil hominins. Proc Biol Sci 2006; 273:2605-10. [PMID: 17002945 PMCID: PMC1635465 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2006.3629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptation to climate occupies a central position in biological anthropology. The demonstrable relationship between temperature and morphology in extant primates (including humans) forms the basis of the interpretation of the Pleistocene hominin Homo neanderthalensis as a cold-adapted species. There are contradictory signals, however, in the pattern of primate craniofacial changes associated with climatic conditions. To determine the direction and extent of craniofacial change associated with temperature, and to understand the proximate mechanisms underlying cold adaptations in vertebrates in general, dry crania from previous experiments on cold- and warm-reared rats were investigated using computed tomography scanning and three-dimensional digitization of cranial landmarks. Aspects of internal and external cranial morphology were compared using standard statistical and geometric morphometric techniques. The results suggest that the developmental response to cold stress produces subtle but significant changes in facial shape, and a relative decrease in the volume of the maxillary sinuses (and nasal cavity), both of which are independent of the size of the skull or postcranium. These changes are consistent with comparative studies of temperate climate primates, but contradict previous interpretations of cranial morphology of Pleistocene Hominini.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd C Rae
- Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Durham, 43 Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HN, UK.
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Digital Tools for the Preservation of the Human Fossil Heritage: Ceprano, Saccopastore, and Other Case Studies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1007/s11598-006-9002-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Gantt DG, Kappleman J, Ketcham RA, Alder ME, Deahl TH. Three-dimensional reconstruction of enamel thickness and volume in humans and hominoids. Eur J Oral Sci 2006; 114 Suppl 1:360-4; discussion 375-6, 382-3. [PMID: 16674713 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0722.2006.00337.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Enamel thickness is an important diagnostic characteristic in Hominoidea. However, the sample size is extremely small, relying upon mostly fractured specimens and a few sectioned specimens, providing an estimate of enamel thickness only. What is needed to fully understand the significance of enamel thickness is a non-destructive technique that is able to obtain the thickness, density, and volume of the dental hard tissues of large samples, thereby providing an accurate means of relating thickness, area, volume, and the pattern of distribution of both enamel and dentin. Investigators have attempted to circumvent this problem by developing a variety of indexes. However, we are still left with subjective descriptions, such as 'thin', 'thick', 'intermediate thick', and 'hyperthick'. The purpose of this investigation was therefore to demonstrate the ability of high-resolution X-ray computed microtomography (HRXCT), as a non-destructive method, to produce, accurately and reliably, contiguous slices revealing the thickness and area of enamel, dentin, and pulp chamber. Using imaging software, three-dimensional reconstructions were produced, which provided volume data for enamel and dentin. Three-dimensional reconstruction of HRXCT images provide, for the first time, the capability of accurately quantifying enamel and dentin thickness, distribution and volume, thereby eliminating the necessity of destructive thin-sectional analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Gantt
- Department of Anatomy, Georgia Campus, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Suwanee, GA 30024, USA.
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Tengowski MW, Kotyk JJ. Risk identification and management: MRI as a research tool in toxicology studies of new chemical entities. PROGRESS IN DRUG RESEARCH. FORTSCHRITTE DER ARZNEIMITTELFORSCHUNG. PROGRES DES RECHERCHES PHARMACEUTIQUES 2006; 62:257-78. [PMID: 16329259 DOI: 10.1007/3-7643-7426-8_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark W Tengowski
- Pfizer Global Research and Development, Pfizer, Inc., 12800 Plymouth Road 16-1A/6, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.
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Ogihara N, Nakatsukasa M, Nakano Y, Ishida H. Computerized restoration of nonhomogeneous deformation of a fossil cranium based on bilateral symmetry. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2006; 130:1-9. [PMID: 16353222 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
We developed a computerized method of correcting plastic deformation of a fossil skull, based on bilateral symmetry with respect to the midsagittal plane, and applied this method to reconstruction of a fossilized Proconsul heseloni cranium (KNM-RU-7290A). A three-dimensional (3D) model of the fossil was generated using consecutive cross-sectional images retrieved from computed tomography. 3D coordinates of anatomical landmarks that should be located on the midsagittal plane and pairs of landmarks that should be symmetrical with respect to this plane were acquired. These landmarks were then repositioned so that geometrical constraints were satisfied, while translated distances of landmarks were minimized. We adopted a thin-plate spline function to mathematically describe the 3D nonlinear volumetric transformation between acquired and repositioned landmarks. Using this function, the entire fossil shape was transformed, and the effect of reversing the deformation could be visualized. The results indicated that the proposed method was effective in eliminating nonhomogeneous deformation of the fossil skull. The antemortem appearance of the skull cannot be completely restored by this method alone, due to methodological limitations. However, the presented method has a role as an adjunct in complementing conventional restoration techniques on account of its objective nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomichi Ogihara
- Laboratory of Physical Anthropology, Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwakecho, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
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Bruner E, Manzi G. CT-based description and phyletic evaluation of the archaic human calvarium from Ceprano, Italy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 285:643-58. [PMID: 15957189 DOI: 10.1002/ar.a.20205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The discovery in 1994, of a fossilized human calvarium near Ceprano, Italy, dated about 800-900 thousand years before present, opened a new page for the study of human evolution in Europe. It extended the continental fossil record over the boundary between Early and Middle Pleistocene for the first time and revealed the cranial morphology of humans that where probably ancestral to both Neanderthals and modern Homo sapiens. A tomographic analysis of the Italian specimen is reported here in order to describe size and shape, vascular traces, and other features of the endocranium, as well as some relevant ectocranial traits (particularly of the frontal region). Our results show that the Ceprano calvarium displays plesiomorphies shared by early Homo taxa, involving a general archaic phenotype. At the same time, the presence of some derived features suggests a phylogenetic relationship with the populations referred to the subsequent polymorphic species H. heidelbergensis. The morphology of the supraorbital structures is different from the double-arched browridge of the African H. ergaster, while its superior shape shows similarities with African Middle Pleistocene specimens (Bodo, Kabwe). In contrast, the relationship between supraorbital torus and frontal squama points to an archaic pattern of the relationship between face and vault, associated to moderately narrow frontal lobes and limited development of the upper parietal areas. Despite a nonderived endocranial shape, the increase of cranial capacity (related to a general endocranial widening) and the probable absence of a clear occipital projection also suggest an evolutionary independence from the Asian H. erectus lineage. This analysis therefore supports the conclusion that the Ceprano calvarium represents the best available candidate for the ancestral phenotype of the cranial variation observed among Middle Pleistocene fossil samples in Africa and Europe. Nevertheless, a proper taxonomic interpretation of this crucial specimen remains puzzling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Bruner
- Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell'Uomo, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
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32
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Koppe T, Röhrer-Ertl O, Breier S, Wallner CP. Maxillary sinus atelectasis in a wild born gibbon (Hylobates moloch). Primates 2005; 47:140-4. [PMID: 16091979 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-005-0153-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2005] [Accepted: 06/06/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In a mixed sex sample of ten adult gibbon (Hylobates moloch) skulls, one cranium of a male with maxillary sinus atelectasis of the left side was identified. While external inspection revealed a slight drop of the left orbital floor, serial coronal computer tomography (CT) scans show characteristic changes of the left maxillary sinus and its surrounding structures. In addition to the sunken orbital floor, radiological features of the specimen include an inward bowing of the medial sinus wall, sinus opacification, and a reduction in maxillary sinus size to a slit-like cavity, which suggest a diagnosis of silent sinus syndrome. This report is the first, to our knowledge, of maxillary sinus atelectasis in a non-human primate. This finding is valuable for the understanding of the pathogenesis and etiology of maxillary sinus atelectasis. At the same time, however, paleoanthropologists and primatologists may refer to this information when dealing with the interpretation of maxillary sinus pneumatization of partially broken archaeological and fossil skulls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Koppe
- Institut für Anatomie, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald, Friedrich-Loeffler-Strasse 23, 17489 Greifswald, Germany.
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Falk D, Hildebolt C, Smith K, Morwood MJ, Sutikna T, Brown P, Saptomo EW, Brunsden B, Prior F. The Brain of LB1, Homo floresiensis. Science 2005; 308:242-5. [PMID: 15749690 DOI: 10.1126/science.1109727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The brain of Homo floresiensis was assessed by comparing a virtual endocast from the type specimen (LB1) with endocasts from great apes, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens, a human pygmy, a human microcephalic, specimen number Sts 5 (Australopithecus africanus), and specimen number WT 17000 (Paranthropus aethiopicus). Morphometric, allometric, and shape data indicate that LB1 is not a microcephalic or pygmy. LB1's brain/body size ratio scales like that of an australopithecine, but its endocast shape resembles that of Homo erectus. LB1 has derived frontal and temporal lobes and a lunate sulcus in a derived position, which are consistent with capabilities for higher cognitive processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean Falk
- Department of Anthropology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
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Carlson KJ. Investigating the form-function interface in African apes: Relationships between principal moments of area and positional behaviors in femoral and humeral diaphyses. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2005; 127:312-34. [PMID: 15584067 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Investigations of cross-sectional geometry in nonhuman primate limb bones typically attribute shape ratios to qualitative behavioral characterizations, e.g., leaper, slow climber, brachiator, or terrestrial vs. arboreal quadruped. Quantitative positional behavioral data, however, have yet to be used in a rigorous evaluation of such shape-behavior connections. African apes represent an ideal population for such an investigation because their relatedness minimizes phylogenetic inertia, they exhibit diverse behavioral repertoires, and their locomotor behaviors are known from multiple studies. Cross-sectional data from femoral and humeral diaphyses were collected for 222 wild-shot specimens, encompassing Pan paniscus and all commonly recognized African ape subspecies. Digital representations of diaphyseal cross sections were acquired via computed tomography at three locations per diaphysis. Locomotor behaviors were pooled broadly into arboreal and terrestrial categories, then partitioned into quadrupedal walking, quadrumanous climbing, scrambling, and suspensory categories. Sex-specific taxonomic differences in ratios of principal moments of area (PMA) were statistically significant more often in the femoral diaphysis than the humeral diaphysis. While it appears difficult to relate a measure of shape (e.g., PMA ratio) to individual locomotor modes, general locomotor differences (e.g., percentage arboreal vs. terrestrial locomotion) are discerned more easily. As percentage of arboreal locomotion for a group increases, average cross sections appear more circular. Associations between PMA ratio and specific locomotor behaviors are less straightforward. Individual behaviors that integrate eccentric limb positions (e.g., arboreal scrambling) may not engender more circular cross sections than behaviors that incorporate repetitive sagittal movements (e.g., quadrupedal walking) in a straightforward manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian J Carlson
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-8081, USA.
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Clark NDL, Adams C, Lawton T, Cruickshank ARI, Woods K. The Elgin marvel: using magnetic resonance imaging to look at a moldic fossil from the Permian of Elgin, Scotland, UK. Magn Reson Imaging 2004; 22:269-73. [PMID: 15010120 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2003.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2003] [Revised: 09/16/2003] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The successful use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of a moldic fossil dicynodont from the Permian aeolian Hopeman Sandstone Formation of Elgin, Scotland, UK, provides paleontologists with a nondestructive technique for examining fossils preserved in this fashion. For large moldic fossils, medical scanners such as the Phillips Gyroscan MRI, provide adequate resolution for gross morphologic determination. The 3-D rendered images using software such as Philips Easivision allows the fossil to be examined and dissected without causing any physical damage to the original material. From the scans it is also possible to produce 3-D stereolithographs for a more tactile manipulation of the renderings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil D L Clark
- Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland.
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Jeffery N, Spoor F. Brain size and the human cranial base: a prenatal perspective. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2002; 118:324-40. [PMID: 12124913 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.10040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Pivotally positioned as the interface between the neurocranium and the face, the cranial base has long been recognized as a key area to our understanding of the origins of modern human skull form. Compared with other primates, modern humans have more coronally orientated petrous bones and a higher degree of basicranial flexion, resulting in a deeper and wider posterior cranial fossa. It has been argued that this derived condition results from a phylogenetic increase in the size of the brain and its subcomponents (infra- and supratentorial volumes) relative to corresponding lengths of the cranial base (posterior and anterior, respectively). The purpose of this study was to test such evolutionary hypotheses in a prenatal ontogenetic context. We measured the degree of basicranial flexion, petrous reorientation, base lengths, and endocranial volumes from high-resolution magnetic resonance images (hrMRI) of 46 human fetuses ranging from 10-29 weeks of gestation. Bivariate comparisons with age revealed a number of temporal trends during the period investigated, most notable of which were coronal rotation of the petrous bones and basicranial retroflexion (flattening). Importantly, the results reveal significant increases of relative endocranial sizes across the sample, and the hypotheses therefore predict correlated variations of cranial base flexion and petrous orientation in accordance with these increases. Statistical analyses did not yield results as predicted by the hypotheses. Thus, the propositions that base flexion and petrous reorientation are due to increases of relative endocranial sizes were not corroborated by the findings of this study, at least for the period investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Jeffery
- Evolutionary Anatomy Unit, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6JJ, UK.
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Robson Brown KA, Davies EN, McNally DS. The angular distribution of vertebral trabeculae in modern humans, chimpanzees and the Kebara 2 Neanderthal. J Hum Evol 2002; 43:189-205. [PMID: 12160715 DOI: 10.1006/jhev.2002.0568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Bone is known to remodel to optimize its structure according to its mechanical environment. In particular trabecular arcades are thought to align with the orientations of components of principal strain. This paper presents the application of a novel method for quantifying trabecular orientation to test the hypothesis that hominoid posture and locomotion are reflected in trabecular architecture. Lateral radiographs were taken of vertebrae from the entire thoracolumbar spines of eight modern humans, seven Pan troglodytes and one Neanderthal. The radiographs were digitized and a square region of interest located at the centre of each vertebral body selected. Fourier transforms of the regions of interest were performed and the relative magnitude of the transform in each of 16 angular segments calculated. The simple indices of external vertebral body morphology, wedge angle and aspect ratio, were also calculated from the radiographs. All three species exhibit the same pattern, with the majority of trabeculae oriented either axially or dorsoventrally. This suggests that vertebral mechanical loading is similar in chimpanzees and humans, despite their apparent postural and locomotor differences. Significant differences between the magnitudes of the Fourier transform in the 78.75 degrees and 135 degrees orientations of chimpanzee and human vertebrae were observed in all but the upper thoracic spine. As the magnitudes at these orientations in the Neanderthal correspond more closely to that in the human and the orientational features were unrelated to the external vertebral morphology, the difference between the two magnitudes may well prove to be a useful parameter in future phylogenetic analysis. Modern human spines were found to show a greater variation in the proportions of axial and dorsoventral trabeculae with spinal level than chimpanzees, with the greatest differences observed in the upper thoracic spine and thoracolumbar junction, suggesting an association with postural spinal curves.
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Klingenberg CP. Morphometrics and the role of the phenotype in studies of the evolution of developmental mechanisms. Gene 2002; 287:3-10. [PMID: 11992717 DOI: 10.1016/s0378-1119(01)00867-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Developmental mechanisms are usually assumed to evolve by natural selection of the morphological traits they produce. Therefore, information on phenotypic traits is an important component of comparative studies of development. Morphometrics permits the rigorous quantitative analysis of variation in organismal size and shape, and is increasingly being used in developmental contexts. The new methods of morphometrics combine a geometric concept of shape with the procedures of multivariate statistics, and constitute a powerful and flexible set of tools for analyzing morphological variation. This paper briefly reviews these methods and provides examples of their application in studies of genetic variation and developmental modularity. The results of morphometric analyses can be readily interpreted in relation to the geometry and anatomical structure of the parts under study. Genetic studies of shape in the mouse mandible found two recurrent patterns in environmental and genetic variation from different origins, suggesting that the development system 'channels' the phenotypic expression of variation in similar ways. Moreover, by analyzing the correlations of left-right asymmetries of morphometric traits, it is possible to delimit the spatial extent of developmental modules. These methods complement the experimental approaches of developmental biology and genetics, and can be expected to be especially fruitful in combination with them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Peter Klingenberg
- Laboratory of Development and Evolution, University Museum of Zoology, Department of Zoology, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom.
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Rühli FJ, Hodler J, Böni T. Technical note: CT-guided biopsy: A new diagnostic method for paleopathological research. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2002; 117:272-5. [PMID: 11842406 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this paper was to demonstrate the application of computerized tomographic (CT)-guided biopsy in a paleopathological examination. Researchers dealing with such special tasks should be aware of this method. We performed a CT-guided percutaneous biopsy of an ancient Egyptian child mummy, which allowed us to revise its initial diagnosis. Based on this experience, extended preinterventional planning and the choice of equipment (needle type) preferred by performing radiologists are strongly recommended, since they will influence diagnostic outcome. Easy documentation, suitable approaches according to the object's condition, and a reliable anatomical orientation without superposition effects during the procedure are some of the advantages of this method. It its already widely established in clinical practice. This technique is recommended for future tissue-sampling of human paleopathologic remains like mummies that are still wrapped within their original bandages, or any small bone lesion of unclear etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank J Rühli
- Clinical Paleopathology Team, Orthopaedic University Hospital Balgrist, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland.
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Weninger WJ, Mohun T. Phenotyping transgenic embryos: a rapid 3-D screening method based on episcopic fluorescence image capturing. Nat Genet 2002; 30:59-65. [PMID: 11743576 DOI: 10.1038/ng785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We describe a technique suitable for routine three-dimensional (3-D) analysis of mouse embryos that is based on episcopic fluorescence images captured during serial sectioning of wax-embedded specimens. We have used this procedure to describe the cardiac phenotype and associated blood vessels of trisomic 16 (Ts16) and Cited2-null mutant mice, as well as the expression pattern of an Myf5 enhancer/beta-galactosidase transgene. The consistency of the images and their precise alignment are ideally suited for 3-D analysis using video animations, virtual resectioning or commercial 3-D reconstruction software packages. Episcopic fluorescence image capturing (EFIC) provides a simple and powerful tool for analyzing embryo and organ morphology in normal and transgenic embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Johann Weninger
- Integrative Morphology Group, Department of Anatomy, University of Vienna, Waehringerstrasse 13 A-1090 Wien, Austria.
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Weber GW. Virtual anthropology (VA): a call for glasnost in paleoanthropology. THE ANATOMICAL RECORD 2001; 265:193-201. [PMID: 11519020 DOI: 10.1002/ar.1153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The adventurous scientist, with a hat protecting him from the fierce sun as he travels from one remote place to another, hunting for fossils of our ancestors, has been a part of the romantic imagination associated with anthropological research in the 20th Century. This picture of the paleoanthropologist still retains a grain of truth. Indeed, many new sites were discovered under troublesome conditions in the recent past and have added substantial information about our origins. But on another front, probably less sensational but no less important, are contributions stemming from the analysis of the already discovered fossils. With the latter, a rapid evolution in anthropologic research took place concurrently with advances in computer technology. After ambitious activities by a handful of researchers in some specialized laboratories, a methodologic inventory evolved to extract critical information about fossilized specimens, most of it preserved in the largely inaccessible interior as unrevealed anatomic structures. Many methodologies have become established but, for various reasons, access to both the actual and the digitized fossils is still limited. It is time for more transparency, for a glasnost in paleoanthropology. Herein are presented some answers to the question of how a high-tech approach to anthropology can be integrated into a predominantly conservative field of research, and what are the main challenges for development in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- G W Weber
- Institute for Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria.
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Weber GW, Schäfer K, Prossinger H, Gunz P, Mitteröcker P, Seidler H. Virtual anthropology: the digital evolution in anthropological sciences. JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND APPLIED HUMAN SCIENCE 2001; 20:69-80. [PMID: 11385941 DOI: 10.2114/jpa.20.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The discovery and explanation of differences among organisms is a major concern for evolutionary and systematic biologists. In physical anthropology, the discrimination of taxa and the qualitative and quantitative description of ontogenetic or evolutionary change require, of course, the analysis of morphological features. Since the 1960s, a remarkable amount of fossil material was excavated, some of it still awaiting a detailed first analysis, some of it requiring re-examination by more developed methods. While the fossil record grew continuously, a revolution in anthropological research took place with advances in computer technology in the 1980s: a handful of innovative researchers working in specialized anthropology laboratories or medical departments developed the methodological inventory needed to extract critical information from subjects in vivo and from fossilized remains. A considerable part of this information is preserved in the physically heretofore inaccessible interior of anatomical structures. Virtual Anthropology (VA) is a means of making them visible and measurable. Thus, VA also allows access to 'hidden' landmarks; in addition, the large number of semilandmarks accessible on the form enhances the power of Geometric Morphometrics analysis. Furthermore, the density information in volume data allows manipulations such as segmentation, impossible with the real, physical object. Moreover, metric body measurements generally, and cranial measurements specifically, are also an important source of information for the analysis of the ontogenetic development of the skeletal system, and--last but not least--for clinical use (e.g., operation planning, operation simulation, prosthetics). Thus, there developed a fruitful interdisciplinary cooperation between statistics, medicine, and physical anthropology.
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Affiliation(s)
- G W Weber
- Institute for Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria.
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