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The Neanderthal "chignon": variation, integration, and homology
Philipp Gunz1, Katerina Harvati
1Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Journal of Human Evolution
|November 14, 2006
Summary
The occipital bun, a Neanderthal trait, is not a reliable separator of Neanderthals and modern humans based on shape alone. Its presence is linked to other cranial features, indicating integration with overall braincase shape.
Area of Science:
- Paleoanthropology
- Human Evolution
- Bioarchaeology
Background:
- The occipital bun (chignon) is a debated Neanderthal trait, potentially indicating interbreeding with early modern humans.
- Previous assessments of the occipital bun's phylogenetic significance are limited by measurement difficulties and varied morphological interpretations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively evaluate the occipital bun using geometric morphometrics.
- To assess its utility in distinguishing Neanderthals from modern humans and its similarity to Upper Paleolithic 'hemibuns'.
Main Methods:
- Collected 3D coordinate data of midsagittal cranial points and anatomical landmarks from recent humans and Pleistocene fossils.
- Applied geometric morphometrics, including relative warps, canonical variates, and singular warps, for analysis.
Main Results:
- Occipital shape alone did not differentiate Neanderthals from modern humans, including early Europeans.
- Neanderthals were distinguished from modern humans when occipital position and size were included.
- Occipital bun presence strongly correlated with parietal shape and temporal bone position across all samples.
Conclusions:
- The occipital bun's shape is not an independent trait but is integrated with overall braincase morphology.
- The study does not support distinct integration patterns of the posterior midsagittal profile in Pleistocene versus recent humans.
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