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Moustafa MA, Ghitani SA, Kholief MA, Abulnoor BAES, Attia MH. Prescription eyeglasses as a forensic physical evidence: Prediction of age based on refractive error measures using machine learning algorithm. J Forensic Sci 2024; 69:765-783. [PMID: 38389439 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Refractive errors (RE) are commonly reported visual impairment problems worldwide. Previous clinical studies demonstrated age-related changes in human eyes. We hypothesized that the binocular RE metrics including sphere and cylinder power, axis orientation, and interpupillary distance (IPD) can be used for forensic age estimation of an unknown individual. RE data of both eyes were collected from the clinical optometric exams and prescription glasses of 2027 Egyptian individuals aged between 2 to 93 years. The differences between age groups as well as sides, and sexual dimorphism were explored. Two modeling methods were compared: multiple and stepwise linear regression (LR) versus machine learning Regression Forest (RFM). Data were apportioned into training and test datasets with a ratio of 80/20. The results showed significant differences among the age groups in each eye for all variables. Stepwise LR improved the results over models based on the one-sided lens due to selection of IPD in addition to the left and right axis, and left sphere as independent variables. For the RFM, the left axis and IPD were the most important features. RFM outperformed LR in terms of accuracy and root mean squared error (RMSE). The estimated age within ±10 years showed 81.4% accuracy rate and RMSE = 8.9 years versus 38.5% accuracy rate and RMSE = 17.99 years using RFM and stepwise LR, respectively, in the test set. The current study upholds the significance of the age-related changes of refractive error in formulating alternative forensic age estimation models when standard methods are unavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maram Atef Moustafa
- Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Sara Attia Ghitani
- Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Marwa Abdelfattah Kholief
- Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | | | - MennattAllah Hassan Attia
- Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
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Gürbüz İ, Demiraslan Y, Demircioğlu İ, Karaavci FA, Özgel Ö. Orbital shape in goat and sheep: Symmetric analysis. Anat Histol Embryol 2024; 53:e13033. [PMID: 38519863 DOI: 10.1111/ahe.13033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to evaluate orbital symmetry in goat and sheep skulls. For this purpose, a total of 83 skulls, including 50 sheep and 33 goat skulls, were used in the study. Geometric morphometry method was applied. For symmetric analysis, one side of each orbit was photographed twice and mirror images were created. There were 36 landmards marked to determine the outer limit of the orbita. As a result of the study, asymmetric components (fluctuating asymmetry and directional asymmetry) for shape were statistically significant in both goats and sheep (p < 0.0001). The first three principal components explained 52.558% of the total shape variation in goats and 61.245% in sheep. This value for symmetric components was 59.095% and 67.742% for goats and sheep, respectively, and 66.791% and 71.154% for asymmetric components. As a result of discriminant function analysis, right and left orbital shapes showed grouping characteristics with similar success rates according to species. Although limited, the right orbit in goats (100%) and the left orbit in sheep (96.5%) were grouped more accurately.
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Affiliation(s)
- İftar Gürbüz
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey
| | - Yasin Demiraslan
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey
| | - İsmail Demircioğlu
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Harran University, Şanlıurfa, Turkey
| | | | - Özcan Özgel
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey
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Examination of Shape Variation of the Skull in British Shorthair, Scottish Fold, and Van Cats. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040614. [PMID: 36830403 PMCID: PMC9951682 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
A variety of skull shapes are frequently used for discrimination between animal species, breeds, and sexes. In this study, skulls of three different breeds of cats were examined by the geometric morphometric method, with the aim of revealing skull shape differences. For this purpose, 27 cats (6 British Shorthair, 7 Scottish Fold, and 14 Van cats) were used. The skulls of cats were modeled by computed tomography. Geometric morphometrics was applied using dorsal (8 landmarks, 63 semilandmarks) and lateral (8 landmarks, 63 semilandmarks) skull projections on these models. Centroid size differences between the breeds were statistically insignificant. However, the differences in shape were statistically significant for both the dorsal view and lateral view. Shape variation was less in the British Shorthair than in other breeds. Shape differences generally occurred around the orbit. In the skull of Scottish Folds, the orbit was situated more caudally than in other breeds. The British Shorthair had the largest orbital ring. In dorsal view, the Scottish Fold had the largest orbital diameter. The orbital ring of Van cats was smallest in both dorsal and lateral views. In the canonical variate analysis, it was seen that the breeds were separated from each other. The shape difference in the skull between different cat breeds could be revealed by geometric morphometrics. The results of this study provide useful information for taxonomy.
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Ajanović Z, Ajanović U, Dervišević L, Hot H, Voljevica A, Talović E, Dervišević E, Hašimbegović S, Sarač-Hadžihalilović A. A Geometric Morphometrics Approach for Sex Estimation Based on the Orbital Region of Human Skulls from Bosnian Population. SCANNING 2023; 2023:2223138. [PMID: 37089258 PMCID: PMC10121348 DOI: 10.1155/2023/2223138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Background Understanding the anatomy and morphological variability of the orbital region is of great importance in clinical practice, forensic medicine, and biological anthropology. Several methods are used to estimate sex based on the skeleton or parts of the skeleton: classic methods and the geometric morphometric method. The objective of this research was to analyse sex estimation of the orbital region on a sample of skulls from a Bosnian population using the geometric morphometric method. Materials and Methods The research was conducted on three-dimensional models of 211 human adult skulls (139 males and 72 females) from the Osteological Collection at the Faculty of Medicine in Sarajevo. The skulls were recorded using a laser scanner to obtain skull 3D models. We marked 12 landmarks on each model to analyse sexual dimorphism. Landmarks were marked using the program Landmark Editor. After marking the landmarks, we used the MorphoJ program to analyse the morphological variability between male and female orbital regions. Results After Procrustes superimposition, generating a covariant matrix, and introducing sex as a variable for classification, a discriminant functional analysis (DFA) was applied which determined the estimation for males with 86.33% accuracy and for females with 88.89% based on the form of the orbital region. The results of regression analysis showed that the size of the orbital region has a statistically significant effect on its shape's sexual dimorphism. After excluding the influence of size and providing DFA, we concluded that sex estimation was possible with 82.01% accuracy for males and 80.55% accuracy for females based on the shape of the orbital region in the examined sample. Conclusion Sex estimation based on the orbital region was possible with more than 80% accuracy for both sexes, which is a high percentage of correct estimation. Therefore, we recommend using the orbital region of the skull for sex estimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zurifa Ajanović
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo, 71 000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Uzeir Ajanović
- Department of Information Technologies, Faculty of Engineering, Natural and Medical Sciences, International Burch University, 71 000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Lejla Dervišević
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo, 71 000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Haris Hot
- Department of Information Technologies, Faculty of Engineering, Natural and Medical Sciences, International Burch University, 71 000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Alma Voljevica
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo, 71 000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Elvira Talović
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo, 71 000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Emina Dervišević
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo, 71 000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Selma Hašimbegović
- Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital Serbia, 71 123 East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Aida Sarač-Hadžihalilović
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo, 71 000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Patra A, Singla RK, Mathur M, Chaudhary P, Singal A, Asghar A, Malhotra V. Morphological and Morphometric Analysis of the Orbital Aperture and Their Correlation With Age and Gender: A Retrospective Digital Radiographic Study. Cureus 2021; 13:e17739. [PMID: 34659952 PMCID: PMC8491795 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.17739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Precise knowledge about clinically observed bony orbital aging is needed for surgical planning for acceptable cosmetic results. The effect of age and gender on the facial skeleton and orbital aperture has been appreciated earlier, but its quantification remains ignored. The purpose of this study was to evaluate age- and sex-related changes in the shape of the orbital aperture and construct a reference data set for the aging phenomenon in Indians. Methods Two hundred digital radiographs (Water’s/frontal view) of the skull, obtained for various reasons, were evaluated. The radiographs comprised 107 males and 93 females aged between 10 and 60 years (10-59 years). Orbital shape, height/width, and interorbital/biorbital distances were noted, and orbital indices (OIs) were calculated. Orbital parameters thus obtained were compared between right and left sides and males and females. The relation of the parameters with age and gender was analyzed. Results Four types of orbits, round (33.5%), elliptical (30.5%), rectangular (27.5%), and square (9.5%), were noted in the study population. The average value of height and width of the right orbit was found to be higher than that of the left (p > 0.05). Male patients had higher (p > 0.05) and wider (p > 0.05) orbits than females. The right OI (81.55 ± 5.30) was higher than the left (80.75 ± 4.80) (p > 0.05). When comparatively evaluated between gender, both orbits were found to be of the microseme type with a mere difference (p > 0.05). The average interorbital/biorbital distance was 1.27 ± 2.11 and 9.78 ± 4.40 cm, respectively, without any gender difference. No significant relation was found between the age change and the parameters defined (p > 0.05), except in one age group (10-19 years). Conclusions Orbital dimensions showed no association with age and gender except in one age group (10-19 years); a pubertal growth spurt in females might be causing this phenomenon. The morphometric data may be useful in forensic anthropology and better planning for reconstructive surgeries in the orbito-maxillary region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apurba Patra
- Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bathinda, IND
| | | | - Manoj Mathur
- Radiology, Government Medical College, Patiala, IND
| | - Priti Chaudhary
- Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bathinda, IND
| | - Anjali Singal
- Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bathinda, IND
| | - Adil Asghar
- Anatomy, Orthopaedics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, IND
| | - Vishal Malhotra
- Family and Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Patiala, IND
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Reséndiz-Benhumea GM, Sangati E, Sangati F, Keshmiri S, Froese T. Shrunken Social Brains? A Minimal Model of the Role of Social Interaction in Neural Complexity. Front Neurorobot 2021; 15:634085. [PMID: 34177507 PMCID: PMC8226032 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2021.634085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The social brain hypothesis proposes that enlarged brains have evolved in response to the increasing cognitive demands that complex social life in larger groups places on primates and other mammals. However, this reasoning can be challenged by evidence that brain size has decreased in the evolutionary transitions from solitary to social larger groups in the case of Neolithic humans and some eusocial insects. Different hypotheses can be identified in the literature to explain this reduction in brain size. We evaluate some of them from the perspective of recent approaches to cognitive science, which support the idea that the basis of cognition can span over brain, body, and environment. Here we show through a minimal cognitive model using an evolutionary robotics methodology that the neural complexity, in terms of neural entropy and degrees of freedom of neural activity, of smaller-brained agents evolved in social interaction is comparable to the neural complexity of larger-brained agents evolved in solitary conditions. The nonlinear time series analysis of agents' neural activity reveals that the decoupled smaller neural network is intrinsically lower dimensional than the decoupled larger neural network. However, when smaller-brained agents are interacting, their actual neural complexity goes beyond its intrinsic limits achieving results comparable to those obtained by larger-brained solitary agents. This suggests that the smaller-brained agents are able to enhance their neural complexity through social interaction, thereby offsetting the reduced brain size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Montserrat Reséndiz-Benhumea
- Embodied Cognitive Science Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.,Computer Science and Engineering Postgraduate Program, Institute for Applied Mathematics and Systems Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ekaterina Sangati
- Embodied Cognitive Science Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Federico Sangati
- Embodied Cognitive Science Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Soheil Keshmiri
- Embodied Cognitive Science Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Tom Froese
- Embodied Cognitive Science Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
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Pureepatpong Kongkasuriyachai N, Prasitwattanaseree S, Case DT, Mahakkanukrauh P. Craniometric estimation of ancestry in Thai and Japanese individuals. AUST J FORENSIC SCI 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/00450618.2020.1789219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natthamon Pureepatpong Kongkasuriyachai
- Forensic Osteology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Forensic Osteology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | | | - D. Troy Case
- Department of Sociology & Anthropology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Pasuk Mahakkanukrauh
- Forensic Osteology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Excellence Center in Osteology Research and Training Center (ORTC), Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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KONGKASURIYACHAI NATTHAMONPUREEPATPONG, PALEE PATISON, PRASITWATTANASEREE SUKON, MAHAKKANUKRAUH PASUK. Ancestry estimation using image analysis of orbital shapes from Thai and Japanese skulls. ANTHROPOL SCI 2020. [DOI: 10.1537/ase.200128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- NATTHAMON PUREEPATPONG KONGKASURIYACHAI
- PhD Degree Program in Forensic Osteology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai
- Forensic Osteology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai
| | - PATISON PALEE
- College of Arts, Media and Technology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai
| | | | - PASUK MAHAKKANUKRAUH
- Forensic Osteology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai
- Excellence in Osteology Research and Training Center (ORTC), Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai
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9
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Dykes SJ, Pilbrow VC. A mathematical landmark-based method for measuring worn molars in hominoid systematics. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6990. [PMID: 31198638 PMCID: PMC6535218 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Worn teeth pose a major limitation to researchers in the fields of extinct and extant hominoid systematics because they lack clearly identifiable anatomical landmarks needed to take measurements on the crown enamel surface and are typically discarded from a study. This is particularly detrimental when sample sizes for some groups are already characteristically low, if there is an imbalance between samples representing populations, sexes or dietary strategies, or if the worn teeth in question are type specimens of fossil species or other key specimens. This study proposes a methodology based predominantly on mathematically-derived landmarks for measuring size and shape features of molars, irrespective of wear. With 110 specimens of lower second molars from five species of extant hominoids (Pan troglodytes, P. paniscus, Gorilla gorilla, G. beringei, Homo sapiens), n ≥ 20 per species, n ≥ 10 per subspecies, good species separation in morphospace is achieved in a principal components analysis. Classification accuracy in a discriminant function analysis is 96.4% at the species level and 88.2% at the subspecies level (92.7% and 79.1%, respectively, on cross-validation). The classification accuracy compares favorably to that achieved by anatomically-derived measurements based on published research (94% and 84% at the species and subspecies level respectively; 91% and 76% on cross-validation). The mathematical landmarking methodology is rapid and uncomplicated. The results support the use of mathematical landmarks to enable the inclusion of worn molar teeth in dental studies so as to maximize sample sizes and restore balance between populations and/or sexes in hominoid systematic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan J. Dykes
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Varsha C. Pilbrow
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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10
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Pereira‐Pedro AS, Masters M, Bruner E. Shape analysis of spatial relationships between orbito-ocular and endocranial structures in modern humans and fossil hominids. J Anat 2017; 231:947-960. [PMID: 29027198 PMCID: PMC5696126 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The orbits and eyes of modern humans are situated directly below the frontal lobes and anterior to the temporal lobes. Contiguity between these orbital and cerebral elements could generate spatial constraints, and potentially lead to deformation of the eye and reduced visual acuity during development. In this shape analysis we evaluate whether and to what extent covariation exists between ocular morphology and the size and spatial position of the frontal and temporal areas in adult modern humans. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to investigate patterns of variation among the brain and eyes, while computed tomography (CT) was used to compare cranial morphology in this anatomical region among modern humans, extinct hominids and chimpanzees. Seventeen landmarks and semi-landmarks that capture the outline of the eye, frontal lobe, anterior fossa/orbital roof and the position of the temporal tips were sampled using lateral scout views in two dimensions, after projection of the average grayscale values of each hemisphere, with midsagittal and parasagittal elements overlapped onto the same plane. MRI results demonstrated that eye position in adult humans varies most with regard to its horizontal distance from the temporal lobes and, secondly, in its vertical distance from the frontal lobes. Size was mainly found to covary with the distance between the eye and temporal lobes. Proximity to these cerebral lobes may generate spatial constraints, as some ocular deformation was observed. Considering the CT analysis, modern humans vary most with regard to the orientation of the orbits, while interspecific variation is mainly associated with separation between the orbits and endocranial elements. These findings suggest that size and position of the frontal and temporal lobes can affect eye and orbit morphology, though potential effects on eye shape require further study. In particular, possible effects of these spatial and allometric relationships on the eye and vision should be examined using ontogenetic samples, vision parameters such as refractive error in diopters, and three-dimensional approaches that include measures of extraocular soft tissues within the orbit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Emiliano Bruner
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución HumanaBurgosSpain
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11
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A morphometric analysis of prognathism and evaluation of the gnathic index in modern humans. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2016; 67:294-312. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2016.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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12
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Bruner E, Bondioli L, Coppa A, Frayer DW, Holloway RL, Libsekal Y, Medin T, Rook L, Macchiarelli R. The endocast of the one-million-year-old human cranium from Buia (UA 31), Danakil Eritrea. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 160:458-68. [PMID: 27040007 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Homo erectus-like cranium from Buia (UA 31) was found in the Eritrean Danakil depression and dated to 1 million years. Its outer morphology displays archaic traits, as well as distinctive and derived characters. The present study provides the description and metric comparison of its endocranial anatomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS UA 31 was originally filled by a diffuse concretion. Following its removal and cleaning, the endocast (995 cc) was reconstructed after physical molding and digital scan. Its morphology is here compared with specimens belonging to different human taxa, taking into account endocranial metrics, cortical traits, and craniovascular features. RESULTS The endocast is long and narrow when compared to the H. erectus/ergaster hypodigm, although its proportions are compatible with the morphology displayed by all archaic and medium-brained human species. The occipital areas display a pronounced bulging, the cerebellum is located in a posterior position, and the middle meningeal vessels are more developed in the posterior regions. These features are common among specimens attributed to H. erectus s.l., particularly the Middle Pleistocene endocasts from Zhoukoudian. The parietal lobes are markedly bossed. This lateral bulging is associated with the lower parietal circumvolutions, as in other archaic specimens. This pronounced parietal curvature is apparently due to a narrow cranial base, more than to wider parietal areas. CONCLUSIONS The endocast of UA 31 shows a general plesiomorphic phenotype, with some individual features (e.g., dolichocephaly and rounded lower parietal areas) which confirm a remarkable degree of morphological variability within the H. erectus/ergaster hypodigm. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:458-468, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Bruner
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, 09002, Spain
| | - Luca Bondioli
- Sezione di Bioarcheologia, Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico "Luigi Pigorini", 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Alfredo Coppa
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Università di Roma "La Sapienza", 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - David W Frayer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, KS 66045-2110, Lawrence, USA
| | - Ralph L Holloway
- Department of Anthropology, Columbia University, 5532, New York, USA
| | | | - Tsegai Medin
- National Museum of Eritrea, 5284, Asmara, Eritrea.,Institut Catala de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Lorenzo Rook
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, 50121, Italy
| | - Roberto Macchiarelli
- UMR 7194 CNRS-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, 75000, Paris, France.,Département Géosciences, Université de Poitiers, 86000, France
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13
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Barbeito-Andrés J, Anzelmo M, Ventrice F, Pucciarelli HM, Sardi ML. Morphological Integration of the Orbital Region in a Human Ontogenetic Sample. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2015; 299:70-80. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2015] [Revised: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Barbeito-Andrés
- División Antropología, Museo de La Plata; Paseo del Bosque S/N. 1900 La Plata Buenos Aires Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Marisol Anzelmo
- División Antropología, Museo de La Plata; Paseo del Bosque S/N. 1900 La Plata Buenos Aires Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Fernando Ventrice
- Laboratorio de Neuroimágenes, Departamento de Imágenes, Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas Raúl Carrea FLENI; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Héctor M. Pucciarelli
- División Antropología, Museo de La Plata; Paseo del Bosque S/N. 1900 La Plata Buenos Aires Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Marina L. Sardi
- División Antropología, Museo de La Plata; Paseo del Bosque S/N. 1900 La Plata Buenos Aires Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Buenos Aires Argentina
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Tomaszewska A, Kwiatkowska B, Jankauskas R. Is the area of the orbital opening in humans related to climate? Am J Hum Biol 2015; 27:845-50. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Tomaszewska
- Department of Anthropology; Institute of Biology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences; Wrocław Poland
| | - Barbara Kwiatkowska
- Department of Anthropology; Institute of Biology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences; Wrocław Poland
| | - Rimantas Jankauskas
- Department of Anatomy; Histology, and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University; Vilnius Lithuania
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15
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16
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Bednarik RG. Doing with less: hominin brain atrophy. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2014; 65:433-49. [PMID: 25440983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In contrast to hominin encephalization, the final Pleistocene and Holocene reduction in cranial volume has attracted very little attention and remains unexplained. Here it is examined in the light of current neuroscientific and archaeological understanding, and it is shown that the most parsimonious explanation is via the domestication hypothesis of recent humans. Accordingly, rapid atrophy of the brain is partly explained by the culturally based process of sexual selection, first detectable in late robust Homo sapiens perhaps 40,000 years ago. Furthermore it is suggested that this deleterious process of neotenization and brain atrophy was compensated for by the concurrent development of exograms, i.e. means of storing memory outside the brain. Consequently most of human memory and cultural information is now stored external to the brain, which has altered that organ significantly and facilitated a cultural complexity that would be impossible to maintain by biological memory alone. The escalating use of exograms, neotenization and reduction in cranial volume all appear to co-occur with numerous other changes to the human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert G Bednarik
- International Federation of Rock Art Organizations (IFRAO), P.O. Box 216, Caulfield South, Melbourne, VIC 3162, Australia.
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Bruner E, de la Cuétara JM, Masters M, Amano H, Ogihara N. Functional craniology and brain evolution: from paleontology to biomedicine. Front Neuroanat 2014; 8:19. [PMID: 24765064 PMCID: PMC3980103 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2014.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Anatomical systems are organized through a network of structural and functional relationships among their elements. This network of relationships is the result of evolution, it represents the actual target of selection, and it generates the set of rules orienting and constraining the morphogenetic processes. Understanding the relationship among cranial and cerebral components is necessary to investigate the factors that have influenced and characterized our neuroanatomy, and possible drawbacks associated with the evolution of large brains. The study of the spatial relationships between skull and brain in the human genus has direct relevance in cranial surgery. Geometrical modeling can provide functional perspectives in evolution and brain physiology, like in simulations to investigate metabolic heat production and dissipation in the endocranial form. Analysis of the evolutionary constraints between facial and neural blocks can provide new information on visual impairment. The study of brain form variation in fossil humans can supply a different perspective for interpreting the processes behind neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s disease. Following these examples, it is apparent that paleontology and biomedicine can exchange relevant information and contribute at the same time to the development of robust evolutionary hypotheses on brain evolution, while offering more comprehensive biological perspectives with regard to the interpretation of pathological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Bruner
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana Burgos, Spain
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18
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Pearce E, Bridge H. Is orbital volume associated with eyeball and visual cortex volume in humans? Ann Hum Biol 2013; 40:531-40. [PMID: 23879766 DOI: 10.3109/03014460.2013.815272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In humans orbital volume increases linearly with absolute latitude. Scaling across mammals between visual system components suggests that these larger orbits should translate into larger eyes and visual cortices in high latitude humans. Larger eyes at high latitudes may be required to maintain adequate visual acuity and enhance visual sensitivity under lower light levels. AIM To test the assumption that orbital volume can accurately index eyeball and visual cortex volumes specifically in humans. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques are employed to measure eye and orbit (n = 88) and brain and visual cortex (n = 99) volumes in living humans. Facial dimensions and foramen magnum area (a proxy for body mass) were also measured. RESULTS A significant positive linear relationship was found between (i) orbital and eyeball volumes, (ii) eyeball and visual cortex grey matter volumes and (iii) different visual cortical areas, independently of overall brain volume. CONCLUSION In humans the components of the visual system scale from orbit to eye to visual cortex volume independently of overall brain size. These findings indicate that orbit volume can index eye and visual cortex volume in humans, suggesting that larger high latitude orbits do translate into larger visual cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiluned Pearce
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oxford , 64 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PN , UK
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19
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XING SONG, GIBBON VICTORIA, CLARKE RONALD, LIU WU. Geometric morphometric analyses of orbit shape in Asian, African, and European human populations. ANTHROPOL SCI 2013. [DOI: 10.1537/ase.120803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- SONG XING
- Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing
| | - VICTORIA GIBBON
- Purdue University, Department of Anthropology, West Lafayette
- University of the Witwatersrand, Institute of Human Evolution, Johannesburg
| | - RONALD CLARKE
- University of the Witwatersrand, Institute of Human Evolution, Johannesburg
| | - WU LIU
- Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing
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20
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Masters MP. Relative size of the eye and orbit: An evolutionary and craniofacial constraint model for examining the etiology and disparate incidence of juvenile-onset myopia in humans. Med Hypotheses 2012; 78:649-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2012.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2011] [Revised: 01/25/2012] [Accepted: 02/05/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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21
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Sholts SB, Wärmländer SK, Flores LM, Miller KW, Walker PL. Variation in the Measurement of Cranial Volume and Surface Area Using 3D Laser Scanning Technology. J Forensic Sci 2010; 55:871-6. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01380.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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22
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Liang Bua Homo floresiensis mandibles and mandibular teeth: a contribution to the comparative morphology of a new hominin species. J Hum Evol 2009; 57:571-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2008] [Revised: 04/29/2009] [Accepted: 06/01/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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23
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KAWAKUBO YOSHINORI, HANIHARA TSUNEHIKO, SHIGEMATSU MASAHITO, DODO YUKIO. Interpretation of craniometric variation in northeastern Japan, the Tohoku region. ANTHROPOL SCI 2009. [DOI: 10.1537/ase.080609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- YOSHINORI KAWAKUBO
- Department of Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, Saga Medical School, Saga
| | - TSUNEHIKO HANIHARA
- Department of Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, Saga Medical School, Saga
| | | | - YUKIO DODO
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Human Science, Hokkaido Bunkyo University, Eniwa
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Velemínská J, Brůzek J, Velemínský P, Bigoni L, Sefcáková A, Katina S. Variability of the Upper Palaeolithic skulls from Predmostí near Prerov (Czech Republic): craniometric comparison with recent human standards. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2008; 59:1-26. [PMID: 18242606 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2007.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2006] [Accepted: 01/06/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
One of the largest skeletal series of the Upper Palaeolithic period from Predmostí was destroyed during the Second World War, but the study of this material continues up to the present. The discovery of Matiegka's original photographic documentation on glass plates [Velemínská et al., 2004. The use of recently re-discovered glass plate photo-documentation of those human fossil finds from Predmostí u Prerova destroyed during World War II. J. Nat. Mus. Nat. Hist. Ser. 173, 129-132] gives an opportunity to perform a new and detailed craniometric analysis of five adult skulls in their lateral projection. The craniometric data were analysed using specialised Craniometrics software, and the analysis included morphological and dimensional comparisons with current Central European norms. The aim of the study was not only to monitor the skull shape as a whole, but predominantly, to evaluate the size and shape of various parts of the splanchnocranium. The Upper Palaeolithic skulls are significantly longer, and male skulls are also higher than the current norms. The crania of anatomically modern humans are characterised by two general structural features: mid-lower facial retraction and neurocranial globularity. The height of the face of the Palaeolithic skulls corresponds to that of the current Central European population. The face has a markedly longer mandibular body (3-4 SD), while female mandibular rami are shorter. The skulls are further characterised by a smaller gonial angle, the increased steepness of the mandibular ramus, and the greater angle of the chin. These changes in the size and shape associated with anterior rotation of the face produce a strong protrusion of both jaws, but the sagittal inter-maxillary relationships remain unchanged. The observed facial morphology is similar to the Czech Upper Palaeolithic skulls from Dolní Vestonice. This study confirms the main diachronic changes between skulls of Upper Palaeolithic and present-day human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Velemínská
- Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Praha, Czech Republic.
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25
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Stynder DD, Ackermann RR, Sealy JC. Craniofacial variation and population continuity during the South African Holocene. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2008; 134:489-500. [PMID: 17786993 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We assess craniometric variation in 153 individually dated human crania from South Africa with the aim of investigating genetic continuity/discontinuity during the Holocene. Evidence from the archaeological record is used to pinpoint likely episodes of genetic discontinuity. Craniometric data are then used to assess the likelihood of genetic change having occurred. Two periods of possible genetic discontinuity are identified: i) c. 4,000 BP, when an increase in overall population size, shifts in site organization and diet, and reduced mobility, were accompanied by reductions in stature; ii) c. 2,000 BP, when the herding of domesticates and the use of pottery vessels were introduced into the region. Results indicate that there was a decrease in cranial size and concomitant size-related changes in craniofacial shape between c.4,000 BP and 3,000 BP. This was followed almost immediately by a recovery in craniofacial size and a return to pre-4,000 BP craniofacial shape at c. 3,000 BP. This recovery continued gradually, extending into the herder period without any major shifts in morphology at 2,000 BP. It is suggested that the fluctuations in craniofacial size/shape were related to changes in environmental factors. Results obtained are consistent with long term continuity in South African Later Stone Age populations during the Holocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deano D Stynder
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
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Bernal V, Perez SI, Gonzalez PN. Variation and causal factors of craniofacial robusticity in Patagonian hunter-gatherers from the late Holocene. Am J Hum Biol 2006; 18:748-65. [PMID: 17039466 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Fueguian-Patagonian skulls have been characterized as some of the most robust of any modern crania. However, the causal factors of such robusticity remain unsettled. We assess within- and among-sample cranial robusticity of seven samples from continental Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, using geometric morphometric techniques. In addition, the biomechanical, phylogenetic, and climatic hypotheses proposed to account for robusticity in such samples are discussed. Two Amerindian samples of farmers and two early middle Holocene samples from South America were included. The results show: 1) large variation in craniofacial robusticity among Patagonian samples, with the highest robusticity in samples from south continental Patagonia and Isla Grande of Tierra del Fuego, whereas central and north Patagonian samples display the same degree of robusticity as farmer samples; 2) that early middle Holocene samples display lower levels of robusticity than South Patagonian samples; and 3) strong association between latitude and craniofacial robusticity, with the most robust craniofacial morphologies occurring at the highest latitudes. In consequence, neither masticatory stress nor retention of ancestral features is supported by the morphological evidence analyzed. Hence it is hypothesized that endocrine changes related to cold climate may be a plausible explanation for several craniofacial features found in Fueguian and south continental Patagonian samples, such as their large masticatory component, and pronounced supraorbital ridge and glabellar region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Bernal
- CONICET, División Antropología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata 1900, Argentina.
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Brown P, Sutikna T, Morwood MJ, Soejono RP, Saptomo EW, Due RA. A new small-bodied hominin from the Late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia. Nature 2004; 431:1055-61. [PMID: 15514638 DOI: 10.1038/nature02999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 375] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2004] [Accepted: 09/08/2004] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Currently, it is widely accepted that only one hominin genus, Homo, was present in Pleistocene Asia, represented by two species, Homo erectus and Homo sapiens. Both species are characterized by greater brain size, increased body height and smaller teeth relative to Pliocene Australopithecus in Africa. Here we report the discovery, from the Late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia, of an adult hominin with stature and endocranial volume approximating 1 m and 380 cm3, respectively--equal to the smallest-known australopithecines. The combination of primitive and derived features assigns this hominin to a new species, Homo floresiensis. The most likely explanation for its existence on Flores is long-term isolation, with subsequent endemic dwarfing, of an ancestral H. erectus population. Importantly, H. floresiensis shows that the genus Homo is morphologically more varied and flexible in its adaptive responses than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Brown
- Archaeology & Palaeoanthropology, School of Human & Environmental Studies, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia.
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