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Jung H, Strait D, Rolian C, Baab KL. Evaluating modularity in the hominine skull related to feeding biomechanics. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:39-59. [PMID: 37982349 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Modular architecture of traits in complex organisms can be important for morphological evolution at micro- and sometimes macroevolutionary scales as it may influence the tempo and direction of changes to groups of traits that are essential for particular functions, including food acquisition and processing. We tested several distinct hypotheses about craniofacial modularity in the hominine skull in relation to feeding biomechanics. MATERIALS AND METHODS First, we formulated hypothesized functional modules for craniofacial traits reflecting specific demands of feeding biomechanics (e.g., masseter leverage/gape or tooth crown mechanics) in Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, and Gorilla gorilla. Then, the pattern and strength of modular signal was quantified by the covariance ratio coefficient and compared across groups using covariance ratio effect size. Hierarchical clustering analysis was then conducted to examine whether a priori-defined functional modules correspond to empirically recovered clusters. RESULTS There was statistical support for most a priori-defined functional modules in the cranium and half of the functional modules in the mandible. Modularity signal was similar in the cranium and mandible, and across the three taxa. Despite a similar strength of modularity, the empirically recovered clusters do not map perfectly onto our priori functional modules, indicating that further work is needed to refine our hypothesized functional modules. CONCLUSION The results suggest that modular structure of traits in association with feeding biomechanics were mostly shared with humans and the two African apes. Thus, conserved patterns of functional modularity may have facilitated evolutionary changes to the skull during human evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunwoo Jung
- Department of Anatomy, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona, USA
| | - David Strait
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
- DFG Center for Advanced Studies "Words, Bones, Genes, Tools", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Campbell Rolian
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Karen L Baab
- Department of Anatomy, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona, USA
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Del Bove A, Menéndez L, Manzi G, Moggi-Cecchi J, Lorenzo C, Profico A. Mapping sexual dimorphism signal in the human cranium. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16847. [PMID: 37803023 PMCID: PMC10558540 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43007-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of sexual dimorphism in human crania has important applications in the fields of human evolution and human osteology. Current, the identification of sex from cranial morphology relies on manual visual inspection of identifiable anatomical features, which can lead to bias due to user's expertise. We developed a landmark-based approach to automatically map the sexual dimorphism signal on the human cranium. We used a sex-known sample of 228 individuals from different geographical locations to identify which cranial regions are most sexually dimorphic taking into account shape, form and size. Our results, which align with standard protocols, show that glabellar and supraciliary regions, the mastoid process and the nasal region are the most sexually dimorphic traits (with an accuracy of 73%). The accuracy increased to 77% if they were considered together. Surprisingly the occipital external protuberance resulted to be not sexually dimorphic but mainly related to variations in size. Our approach here applied could be expanded to map other variable signals on skeletal morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonietta Del Bove
- Department of History and History of Arts, University Rovira i Virgli, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain.
- Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Lumila Menéndez
- Department of Anthropology of the Americas, University of Bonn, Oxfordstraße 15, 53111, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Giorgio Manzi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Jacopo Moggi-Cecchi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via del Proconsolo, 12, 50122, Florence, Italy
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Department of History and History of Arts, University Rovira i Virgli, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain
- Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Antonio Profico
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Luca Ghini, 13, 56126, Pisa, Italy
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Abstract
Homo erectus is the first hominin species with a truly cosmopolitan distribution and resembles recent humans in its broad spatial distribution. The microevolutionary events associated with dispersal and local adaptation may have produced similar population structure in both species. Understanding the evolutionary population dynamics of H. erectus has larger implications for the emergence of later Homo lineages in the Middle Pleistocene. Quantitative genetics models provide a means of interrogating aspects of long-standing H. erectus population history narratives. For the current study, cranial fossils were sorted into six major palaeodemes from sites across Africa and Asia spanning 1.8-0.1 Ma. Three-dimensional shape data from the occipital and frontal bones were used to compare intraspecific variation and test evolutionary hypotheses. Results indicate that H. erectus had higher individual and group variation than Homo sapiens, probably reflecting different levels of genetic diversity and population history in these spatially disperse species. This study also revealed distinct evolutionary histories for frontal and occipital bone shape in H. erectus, with a larger role for natural selection in the former. One scenario consistent with these findings is climate-driven facial adaptation in H. erectus, which is reflected in the frontal bone through integration with the orbits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Baab
- Department of Anatomy, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
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Speech adapts to differences in dentition within and across populations. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1066. [PMID: 33441808 PMCID: PMC7806889 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80190-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
We test the hypothesis that a specific anatomical feature, the dental malocclusion associated with reduced dental wear, causes languages to adapt by relying more heavily on labiodental consonants. In contrast to previous work on this topic, we adopt a usage-based approach that directly examines the relative frequency of such labiodental sounds within phonetically transcribed word lists and texts from thousands of languages. Labiodentals are shown to be very infrequent in the languages of hunter gatherers, who tend to have edge-to-edge bites as opposed to the overbite and overjet observed in populations that consume softer diets and rely heavily on eating utensils. This strong tendency is evident after controlling for Galton’s problem via multiple methods including frequentist and Bayesian linear mixed modeling. Additionally, we discuss data from Amazonian hunter gatherers with edge-to-edge bites. The languages of these populations are shown not to use labiodentals frequently, or to have only recently begun doing so. Finally, we analyze the speech of English speakers with varying bite types, demonstrating how the sounds used by individuals reflect the same phenomenon. The diverse findings converge on the same conclusion: speech adapts to anatomical differences within and across populations.
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Hubbe M, Terrazas Mata A, Herrera B, Benavente Sanvicente ME, González González A, Rojas Sandoval C, Avilés Olguín J, Acevez Núñez E, Von Cramon-Taubadel N. Morphological variation of the early human remains from Quintana Roo, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico: Contributions to the discussions about the settlement of the Americas. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227444. [PMID: 31995578 PMCID: PMC6988924 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The human settlement of the Americas has been a topic of intense debate for centuries, and there is still no consensus on the tempo and mode of early human dispersion across the continent. When trying to explain the biological diversity of early groups across North, Central and South America, studies have defended a wide range of dispersion models that tend to oversimplify the diversity observed across the continent. In this study, we aim to contribute to this debate by exploring the cranial morphological affinities of four late Pleistocene/early Holocene specimens recovered from the caves of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The four specimens are among the earliest human remains known in the continent and permit the contextualization of biological diversity present during the initial millennia of human presence in the Americas. The specimens were compared to worldwide reference series through geometric morphometric analyses of 3D anatomical landmarks. Morphological data were analyzed through exploratory visual multivariate analyses and multivariate classification based on Mahalanobis distances. The results show very different patterns of morphological association for each Quintana Roo specimen, suggesting that the early populations of the region already shared a high degree of morphological diversity. This contrasts with previous studies of South American remains and opens the possibility that the initial populations of North America already had a high level of morphological diversity, which was reduced as populations dispersed into the southern continent. As such, the study of these rare remains illustrates that we are probably still underestimating the biological diversity of early Americans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Hubbe
- Department of Anthropology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
- Instituto de Arqueología y Antropología, Universidad Católica del Norte, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
- * E-mail:
| | - Alejandro Terrazas Mata
- Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Brianne Herrera
- Department of Anthropology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Martha E. Benavente Sanvicente
- Laboratorio de Prehistoria y Evolución del Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | | | | | | | | | - Noreen Von Cramon-Taubadel
- Department of Anthropology, State University of New York – Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States of America
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Eyquem AP, Kuzminsky SC, Aguilera J, Astudillo W, Toro-Ibacache V. Normal and altered masticatory load impact on the range of craniofacial shape variation: An analysis of pre-Hispanic and modern populations of the American Southern Cone. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225369. [PMID: 31826020 PMCID: PMC6905515 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The reduction of masticatory load intensity resulting from dietary changes in human evolution has been proposed as an important factor that alters craniofacial shape in past and current populations. However, its impact on craniofacial variation and on the perceived differences among populations is unclear. The maxillomandibular relationship, which alters masticatory force direction, is a factor often neglected but it can contribute to variation in craniofacial morphology, particularly among modern/urban populations where the prevalence of dental malocclusions is greater than in prehistoric populations. This study investigates the influence of masticatory load intensity and maxillomandibular relationship as a proxy for force direction on the human craniofacial skeleton. By using 3D imaging and geometric morphometrics, we analyzed craniofacial shape variation among 186 individuals from pre-Hispanic and modern Chilean and Argentinean populations that differ in diet consistency (a proxy for masticatory load intensity) and maxillomandibular relationship. We predicted that masticatory load would have a subtle effect on the upper craniofacial bones and that this would be more marked in the maxilla. Our results showed no clear influence of masticatory load on craniofacial shape, particularly in modern/urban populations. Allometry, on the contrary, shows a stronger effect. The degree of integration between the upper craniofacial bones and the load-bearing maxilla depends on masticatory load intensity, decreasing from high to low but showing a conservative pattern of covariation among the groups. The degree of variation in the shape of the maxilla is greater than the upper craniofacial bones. These results suggest that masticatory load has a limited effect in determining differences in craniofacial morphology among populations. This effect is slightly greater for the maxillary region of the face. We propose that the reduction of functional constraints is key to greater shape variation found in modern/urban populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea P. Eyquem
- Centro de Análisis Cuantitativo en Antropología Dental, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Max Planck Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Susan C. Kuzminsky
- Department of Anthropology and Applied Archaeology, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, New Mexico, United States of America
- Anthropology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - José Aguilera
- Facultad de Medicina and Hospital Clínico, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Williams Astudillo
- Facultad de Medicina and Hospital Clínico, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Viviana Toro-Ibacache
- Centro de Análisis Cuantitativo en Antropología Dental, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail: ,
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Larsen CS. Bioarchaeology in perspective: From classifications of the dead to conditions of the living. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 165:865-878. [PMID: 29574846 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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