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Related Concept Videos

Overview of the Skull01:08

Overview of the Skull

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The cranium (skull) is the skeletal structure of the head that supports the face and protects the brain. It is subdivided into the facial bones and the brain case, or cranial vault. The facial bones underlie the facial structures, form the nasal cavity, enclose the eyeballs, and support the teeth of the upper and lower jaws.
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Sutures of the Skull01:22

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The human skull is composed of several bones that come together to protect the brain and support the structures of the face. The junctions where these bones meet are called sutures.
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Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View01:14

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The superior view of the cranium shows the frontal and paired parietal bones.
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
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Cranial Bones: Lateral View01:27

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The lateral view of the cranium is dominated by temporal, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones.
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
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The skull from Florisbad: a paleoneurological report.

Emiliano Bruner1, Marlize Lombard2

  • 1Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain,emiliano.bruner@cenieh.es.

Journal of Anthropological Sciences = Rivista Di Antropologia : JASS
|November 1, 2020
PubMed
Summary

The Florisbad fossil cranium shows a mix of modern and archaic human traits. Its unique neurocranial morphology offers insights into human evolution, particularly the transition from Homo heidelbergensis to Homo sapiens.

Keywords:
Human evolutionPaleoneurologyMiddle PleistoceneSouthern Africa

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Area of Science:

  • Paleoanthropology
  • Human Evolution
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • The Florisbad fossil cranium, discovered in South Africa in 1932, has been taxonomically debated, with proposed affinities to Homo sapiens, Neandertals, or Homo heidelbergensis.
  • Understanding its paleoneurological features is crucial for resolving its phylogenetic position within human evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an updated perspective on the paleoneurological features of the Florisbad cranium.
  • To analyze its neurocranial morphology in the context of human evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Review of the neurocranial morphology of the Florisbad fossil.
  • Comparative analysis of endocranial anatomy with extant and fossil hominins.

Main Results:

  • The frontal squama curvature aligns with modern human variation, but the anterior cranial fossa is broad, similar to Neandertals.
  • Parietal lobe and vascular network morphology resemble archaic species like Homo heidelbergensis.
  • The endocranial anatomy presents a mosaic of derived and plesiomorphic features, not strictly diagnostic for taxonomy.

Conclusions:

  • The Florisbad cranium exhibits a mosaic of features, making it compatible with various phylogenetic scenarios.
  • This specimen is key to understanding the potential anagenetic evolution from Homo heidelbergensis to modern humans.