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Related Experiment Videos

Quantitative analysis of human mandibular shape using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics.

Elisabeth Nicholson1, Katerina Harvati

  • 1Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611-3008, USA.

American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|April 18, 2006
PubMed
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Modern human mandibular shape shows significant geographic patterns, influenced by climate and function, not just population history. Some traits previously thought unique to Neanderthals appear in modern humans, questioning their distinctiveness.

Area of Science:

  • Paleoanthropology
  • Human Evolution
  • Bioarchaeology

Background:

  • Human mandibular morphology is traditionally linked to function, with less emphasis on population history.
  • Previous studies identified ramal height and breadth as key differences among human groups.
  • Neanderthal mandibles exhibit distinct traits like robusticity, receding symphysis, and retromolar space compared to modern humans.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate geographic and functional patterns in modern human mandibular shape.
  • To assess the influence of allometry (size-related shape changes) on mandibular form.
  • To quantitatively evaluate purported Neanderthal mandibular traits in diverse modern human populations.

Main Methods:

  • Collected 3D coordinate data for 28 specific landmarks on human mandibles.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Employed statistical analyses to compare mandibular shapes across diverse geographic samples.
  • Quantitatively assessed traits previously associated with Neanderthals.

    • Main Results:

    • Modern human mandibular shape displays significant geographic patterning, correlating with climatic gradients and functional adaptations.
    • Population history influences mandibular form, though to a lesser extent than geography and function.
    • Traits proposed as Neanderthal autapomorphies successfully differentiated Neanderthal from modern human mandibles.
    • The retromolar gap, a proposed Neanderthal trait, was found to correlate with increased mandibular size in modern humans.

    Conclusions:

    • Modern human mandibular morphology is shaped by geography, climate, and function, with population history playing a weaker role.
    • The retromolar gap's association with mandibular size in modern humans warrants caution in classifying it as a unique Neanderthal trait.
    • Further research is needed to fully understand the evolutionary significance of mandibular variation.