Shape analysis of the mid-sagittal craniogram in some European middle and upper-Paleolithic adult and subadult crania.
In order to evaluate the lateral shape contour of the Neanderthal cranium, the mid-sagittal profiles (glabella-opisthocranion) in adult and subadult Neanderthal remains were examined and compared with those of other specimens of fossil Homo. Size normalized boundaries were digitally acquired as ordered series of coordinates; the series of the distances from the glabella opisthocranion axis, was decomposed in Fourier polynomials; the extracted amplitudes and phase angles were used as variables to carry out multivariate discriminant analysis (PCA). The first and the second components accounted for 70% of the total variance. Neanderthal and European Upper Paleolithic subadults differ from adults of their respective groups: the subadult Homo sapiens are more similar to the adult, as the element characterizing the group is constituted by a steep craniogram with a noticeable equilibrium between the anterior and posterior district. In Neanderthal subadults, the adult model seems partially delineated and the mature cranial architecture is reached trough a phase of local allometric differentiation.
Vacca
Eligio
E
Department of Zoology, Anthropology Unit, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. e.vacca@biologia.uniba.it
Ciraci
Rosalia
R
Delfino
Vittorio Pesce
VP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003395:Craniology; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005060:Europe; D005580:Fossils; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D015186:Hominidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*