title: Evolutionary significance of the mandibular foramen area in Neandertals.
abstract: An unusual morphology of the mandibular foramen area is described, and its incidence determined for several fossil and modern hominid skeletal samples. This morphology, designated the horizontal-oval type mandibular foramen, is found in 46.2% of the 26 Neandertal foramina examined and in 23.1% of a European Upper Paleolithic sample of 13 foramina. In a total of 747 foramina from five modern skeletal samples, the highest incidence is 3.72%. Possible explanations for the presence of the H-0 trait and its unusually high incidence in Neandertals are examined. It is concluded that this feature is probably a genetic trait which either (1) might be selected for in Neandertals as a part of a massive masticatory apparatus, or (2) represents a discrete cranial trait without functional significance that simply reflects the high incidence of certain genes in Neandertal gene pools.
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D002508:Cephalometry; D005580:Fossils; D005788:Gene Pool; D000882:Haplorhini / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008409:Mastication; D010163:Paleontology; D012641:Selection, Genetic