Occipital bone modeling patterns during the first years of life: A preliminary histological and quantitative approach

Studies of modeling processes have provided important insights in human evolutionary discipline. Most of these studies are based on facial bones and in much lesser extent on other bones such as those from the cranial vault. Thus, this study fills a gap in research by examining occipital bone modeling in subadults, adding individuals under 2 years old and expanding the sample size available to date. The sample comprise 14 subadults occipitals (4 months to 5 years) from archeological sites spanning the thirteenth to the eighteenth century. Resin replicas coated with gold were elaborated to examine the modeling patterns using scanning electron microscopy and the results of this analysis are illustrated in the modeling maps. The percentages of deposition and resorption were calculated to enable the comparison of the modeling patterns between individuals. The analysis unveiled a pattern of resorption predominance in younger individuals, shifting to deposition around 3 years old before reverting to resorption in older individuals. Symmetry in modeling processes between left and right halves of the occipital was observed, suggesting stability in bone modeling. Comparisons with previous studies showed variations in modeling patterns influenced by factors like age. Overall, this study sheds light on occipital bone modeling processes, highlighting the importance of sample size and quantitative analysis in the interpretation of modeling maps. Further research is justified to comprehensively explore occipital modeling patterns, particularly during the early stages of development.