Relative position and extent of the nasal and orbital openings in Gorilla, Pan and the human species from the study of their areas and centres of area.
In order to quantify the relative position and extent of the nasal and orbital openings in hominoid primates, a new methodology based on image analysis was developed and applied to a series of 134 hominoid skulls (52 Gorilla gorilla; 30 Pan troglodytes; 44 Homo sapiens, and, as comparison material, 8 Pongo pygmaeus). The areas and the centres of area of the orbital and nasal openings were determined automatically. The orbitonasal triangle connecting these three centres of area was then constructed. This triangle was used to quantify the elongation of the face. It was most elongated in gorilla, shortest in the human species and intermediate in Pan; the elongation in Pongo was close to that in Gorilla. The proportions of the areas of the orbital and nasal openings in the face were related to the extent of the bony structures of the midface and were thus used to quantify the facial robustness. A robust face was demonstrated in Gorilla, but a gracile face in the human species. Robusticity in Pan was intermediate.
Schmittbuhl
M
M
Institut d'Anatomie Normale, Faculté de Médecine, Université Louis-Pasteur, Strasbourg, France.
Le Minor
J M
JM
Schaaf
A
A
D000717:Anatomy, Comparative; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D015186:Hominidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*