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Related Concept Videos

Cranial Bones: Lateral View01:27

Cranial Bones: Lateral View

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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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Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View01:14

Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View

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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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Synteny and Evolution02:31

Synteny and Evolution

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John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral...
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Sutures of the Skull01:22

Sutures of the Skull

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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.
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
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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.
The cranial vault surrounds and protects the brain and houses the middle and inner ear structures. This cavity is bounded superiorly by the rounded top of the skull, which...
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Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

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Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
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New reconstruction of DAN5 cranium (Gona, Ethiopia) supports complex emergence of Homo erectus.

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Updated: Nov 20, 2025

Reverse Dissection and DiceCT Reveal Otherwise Hidden Data in the Evolution of the Primate Face
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Reverse Dissection and DiceCT Reveal Otherwise Hidden Data in the Evolution of the Primate Face

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Reconstructing cranial evolution in an extinct hominin.

Karen L Baab1

  • 1Department of Anatomy, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|January 20, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Homo erectus exhibited greater variation than Homo sapiens, suggesting different population histories. Climate-driven facial adaptation likely influenced Homo erectus evolution, particularly the frontal bone.

Keywords:
Homo erectuscranial evolutionpopulation historyquantitative genetics

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Area of Science:

  • Paleoanthropology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Quantitative Genetics

Background:

  • Homo erectus was the first widespread hominin species, with a distribution similar to modern humans.
  • Understanding Homo erectus population dynamics is crucial for tracing the evolution of later Homo lineages.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze microevolutionary events and population structure in Homo erectus.
  • To compare intraspecific variation between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens using cranial fossils.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized quantitative genetics models to study Homo erectus population history.
  • Analyzed 3D shape data from occipital and frontal bones of Homo erectus fossils (1.8-0.1 Ma).
  • Compared variation across six palaeodemes from Africa and Asia.

Main Results:

  • Homo erectus displayed higher individual and group variation than Homo sapiens.
  • Distinct evolutionary histories were observed for frontal and occipital bones in Homo erectus.
  • Natural selection played a significant role in shaping the frontal bone of Homo erectus.

Conclusions:

  • Higher variation in Homo erectus likely reflects greater genetic diversity and different population histories.
  • Climate-driven facial adaptation, integrated with orbits, is a plausible explanation for frontal bone evolution in Homo erectus.