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Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Sep 2022The estimation of sex from osteological and dental records has long been an interdisciplinary field of dentistry, forensic medicine and anthropology alike, as it... (Review)
Review
The estimation of sex from osteological and dental records has long been an interdisciplinary field of dentistry, forensic medicine and anthropology alike, as it concerns all the above mentioned specialties. The aim of this article is to review the current literature regarding methods used for sex estimation based on the skull and the teeth, covering articles published between January 2015 and July 2022. New methods and new approaches to old methods are constantly emerging in this field, therefore resulting in the need to summarize the large amount of data available. Morphometric, morphologic and biochemical analysis were reviewed in living populations, autopsy cases and archaeological records. The cranial and odontological sex estimation methods are highly population-specific and there is a great need for these methods to be applied to and verified on more populations. Except for DNA analysis, which has a prediction accuracy of 100%, there is no other single method that can achieve such accuracy in predicting sex from cranial or odontological records.
Topics: DNA; Forensic Anthropology; Humans; Skull
PubMed: 36143950
DOI: 10.3390/medicina58091273 -
Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology Jul 2019The skull is a vertebrate novelty. Morphological adaptations of the skull are associated with major evolutionary transitions, including the shift to a predatory... (Review)
Review
The skull is a vertebrate novelty. Morphological adaptations of the skull are associated with major evolutionary transitions, including the shift to a predatory lifestyle and the ability to masticate while breathing. These adaptations include the chondrocranium, dermatocranium, articulated jaws, primary and secondary palates, internal choanae, the middle ear, and temporomandibular joint. The incredible adaptive diversity of the vertebrate skull indicates an underlying bauplan that promotes evolvability. Comparative studies in craniofacial development suggest that the craniofacial bauplan includes three secondary organizers, two that are bilaterally placed at the Hinge of the developing jaw, and one situated in the midline of the developing face (the FEZ). These organizers regulate tissue interactions between the cranial neural crest, the neuroepithelium, and facial and pharyngeal epithelia that regulate the development and evolvability of the craniofacial skeleton.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Body Patterning; Facial Bones; Fishes; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Neural Crest; Skull
PubMed: 29248471
DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.12.004 -
American Journal of Physical... Apr 2018
Review
Topics: Anatomy, Comparative; Animals; Anthropology, Physical; Biological Evolution; Cranial Sutures; Craniosynostoses; Developmental Biology; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Mice; Primates; Skull
PubMed: 29574839
DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23379 -
Neurosurgical Review Apr 2015We reviewed the anatomy and embryology of the bridging and emissary veins aiming to elucidate aspects related to the cranial dural arteriovenous fistulae. Data from... (Review)
Review
We reviewed the anatomy and embryology of the bridging and emissary veins aiming to elucidate aspects related to the cranial dural arteriovenous fistulae. Data from relevant articles on the anatomy and embryology of the bridging and emissary veins were identified using one electronic database, supplemented by data from selected reference texts. Persisting fetal pial-arachnoidal veins correspond to the adult bridging veins. Relevant embryologic descriptions are based on the classic scheme of five divisions of the brain (telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon, metencephalon, myelencephalon). Variation in their exact position and the number of bridging veins is the rule and certain locations, particularly that of the anterior cranial fossa and lower posterior cranial fossa are often neglected in prior descriptions. The distal segment of a bridging vein is part of the dural system and can be primarily involved in cranial dural arteriovenous lesions by constituting the actual site of the shunt. The veins in the lamina cribriformis exhibit a bridging-emissary vein pattern similar to the spinal configuration. The emissary veins connect the dural venous system with the extracranial venous system and are often involved in dural arteriovenous lesions. Cranial dural shunts may develop in three distinct areas of the cranial venous system: the dural sinuses and their interfaces with bridging veins and emissary veins. The exact site of the lesion may dictate the arterial feeders and original venous drainage pattern.
Topics: Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations; Cerebral Veins; Cranial Fossa, Anterior; Cranial Sinuses; Dura Mater; Humans; Skull
PubMed: 25468011
DOI: 10.1007/s10143-014-0590-2 -
Journal of Forensic Sciences Jan 2023This study examines the influence of three-layered cranial architecture development upon blunt force trauma (BFT) cranial outcomes associated with pediatric...
This study examines the influence of three-layered cranial architecture development upon blunt force trauma (BFT) cranial outcomes associated with pediatric non-accidental injury (NAI). Macroscopic and microscopic metric and morphological comparisons of subadult crania ranging from perinatal to 17 years of age chronicle the ontogenetic development and spatial and temporal variability in the emergence of a mature cranial architecture. Cranial vault thickness increases with subadult age, accelerating in the first 2 years of life due to rapid brain growth during this period. Three-layer differentiation of the cranial tables and diploë initiates by 3-6 months but is not consistently observed until 18 months to 2 years; diploë formation is not well developed until after age 4 and does not manifest a mature appearance until after age 8. These results allow topographic documentation of cortical and diploic development and temporal and spatial variability across the growing cranium. The lateral cranial vault is identified as expressing delayed development and reduced expression of the three-layer architecture, a pattern that continues into adulthood. Comparison of fracture locations from known BFT pediatric cases with identified cranial fracture high-risk impact regions shows a concordance and suggests the presence of a higher fracture risk associated with non-accidental BFT in the lateral vault region in subadults below the age of 2. The absence or lesser development of a three-layered architecture in subadults leaves their cranial bones, particularly in the lateral vault, thin and vulnerable to the effects of BFT.
Topics: Humans; Child; Adult; Child, Preschool; Skull; Fractures, Bone; Wounds, Nonpenetrating; Brain
PubMed: 36529468
DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15183 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Feb 2019Cranial morphology in birds is thought to be shaped by adaptive evolution for foraging performance. This understanding of ecomorphological evolution is supported by...
Cranial morphology in birds is thought to be shaped by adaptive evolution for foraging performance. This understanding of ecomorphological evolution is supported by observations of avian island radiations, such as Darwin's finches, which display rapid evolution of skull shape in response to food resource availability and a strong fit between cranial phenotype and trophic ecology. However, a recent analysis of larger clades has suggested that diet is not necessarily a primary driver of cranial shape and that phylogeny and allometry are more significant factors in skull evolution. We use phenome-scale morphometric data across the breadth of extant bird diversity to test the influence of diet and foraging behaviour in shaping cranial evolution. We demonstrate that these trophic characters are significant but very weak predictors of cranial form at this scale. However, dietary groups exhibit significantly different rates of morphological evolution across multiple cranial regions. Granivores and nectarivores exhibit the highest rates of evolution in the face and cranial vault, whereas terrestrial carnivores evolve the slowest. The basisphenoid, occipital, and jaw joint regions have less extreme differences among dietary groups. These patterns demonstrate that dietary niche shapes the tempo and mode of phenotypic evolution in deep time, despite a weaker than expected form-function relationship across large clades.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Birds; Diet; Life History Traits; Phylogeny; Skull
PubMed: 30963827
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2677 -
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews.... 2016The sensory organs of the vertebrate head originate from simple ectodermal structures known as cranial placodes. All cranial placodes derive from a common domain... (Review)
Review
The sensory organs of the vertebrate head originate from simple ectodermal structures known as cranial placodes. All cranial placodes derive from a common domain adjacent to the neural plate, the preplacodal region, which is induced at the border of neural and non-neural ectoderm during gastrulation. Induction and specification of the preplacodal region is regulated by the fibroblast growth factor, bone morphogenetic protein, WNT, and retinoic acid signaling pathways, and characterized by expression of the EYA and SIX family of transcriptional regulators. Once the preplacodal region is specified, different combinations of local signaling molecules and placode-specific transcription factors, including competence factors, promote the induction of individual cranial placodes along the neural axis of the head region. In this review, we summarize the steps of cranial placode development and discuss the roles of the main signaling molecules and transcription factors that regulate these steps during placode induction, specification, and development. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Topics: Animals; Ectoderm; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Humans; Skull; Transcriptional Activation; Wnt Signaling Pathway
PubMed: 26952139
DOI: 10.1002/wdev.226 -
Journal of Anatomy Feb 2022In adult humans, the orbits vary mostly in their orientation in relation to the frontal bone profile, while the orientation of the cranial base and face are associated...
In adult humans, the orbits vary mostly in their orientation in relation to the frontal bone profile, while the orientation of the cranial base and face are associated with the anteroposterior dimensions of the parietal bone. Here we investigate the effect of parietal bone length on the orientation of the orbits, addressing craniofacial integration and head orientation. We applied shape analysis to a sample of computed tomography scans from 30 adult modern humans, capturing the outlines of the parietal and frontal bones, the orbits, and the lateral and midline cranial base, to investigate shape variation, covariation, and modularity. Results show that the orientation of the orbits varies in accordance with the anterior cranial base, and in association with changes in parietal bone longitudinal extension. Flatter, elongated parietal bones are associated with downwardly oriented orbits and cranial bases. Modularity analysis points to a significant integration among the orbits, anterior cranial base, and the frontal profile. While the orbits are morphologically integrated with the adjacent structures in terms of shape, the association with parietal bone size depends on the spatial relationship between the two blocks. Complementary changes in orbit and parietal bone might play a role in accommodating craniofacial variability and may contribute to maintain the functional axis of the head. To better understand how skull morphology and head posture relate, future studies should account for the spatial relationship between the head and the neck.
Topics: Adult; Face; Frontal Bone; Head; Humans; Parietal Bone; Skull; Skull Base
PubMed: 34498271
DOI: 10.1111/joa.13543 -
Nature Communications May 2021Habitat is one of the most important factors shaping organismal morphology, but it may vary across life history stages. Ontogenetic shifts in ecology may introduce...
Habitat is one of the most important factors shaping organismal morphology, but it may vary across life history stages. Ontogenetic shifts in ecology may introduce antagonistic selection that constrains adult phenotype, particularly with ecologically distinct developmental phases such as the free-living, feeding larval stage of many frogs (Lissamphibia: Anura). We test the relative influences of developmental and ecological factors on the diversification of adult skull morphology with a detailed analysis of 15 individual cranial regions across 173 anuran species, representing every extant family. Skull size, adult microhabitat, larval feeding, and ossification timing are all significant factors shaping aspects of cranial evolution in frogs, with late-ossifying elements showing the greatest disparity and fastest evolutionary rates. Size and microhabitat show the strongest effects on cranial shape, and we identify a "large size-wide skull" pattern of anuran, and possibly amphibian, evolutionary allometry. Fossorial and aquatic microhabitats occupy distinct regions of morphospace and display fast evolution and high disparity. Taxa with and without feeding larvae do not notably differ in cranial morphology. However, loss of an actively feeding larval stage is associated with higher evolutionary rates and disparity, suggesting that functional pressures experienced earlier in ontogeny significantly impact adult morphological evolution.
Topics: Animals; Anura; Biological Evolution; Ecosystem; Feeding Behavior; Larva; Osteogenesis; Phylogeny; Principal Component Analysis; Skull
PubMed: 33947859
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22792-y -
Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology Jul 2019Chrondrocranium, the cartilaginous skull, is one of the major innovations that underlie evolution of the vertebrate head. Control of the induction and shaping of the... (Review)
Review
Chrondrocranium, the cartilaginous skull, is one of the major innovations that underlie evolution of the vertebrate head. Control of the induction and shaping of the cartilage is a key for the formation of the facial bones and largely defines facial shape. The appearance of cartilage in the head enabled many new functions such as protection of central nervous system and sensory structures, support of the feeding apparatus and formation of muscle attachment points ensuring faster and coordinated jaw movements. Here we review the evolution of cartilage in the cranial region and discuss shaping of the chondrocranium in different groups of vertebrates.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Cartilage; Facial Bones; Humans; Lancelets; Models, Biological; Skull; Vertebrates
PubMed: 29248472
DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.12.007