[Facial volume and its global position in vestibular orientation, in adults and during growth]

Two sagittal surfaces were defined on the dry skull of 96 youngs and 51 adults Caucasian subjects in vestibular orientation. The surface of the face and the surface of the "total face" (by including the buccodental and mandibular surfaces) were measured with a planimeter. From the longest maxillary and zygomatic distances, the volume of two ellipsoids were calculated. The radius of a sphere corresponding to this volume was then deducted. Each sphere was then positioned taking the vestibular coordinates, corresponding to the barycenter of the sagittal surface, as the center. The ontogenetic evolution of these two points showed a curve similar to that of all the points in the splanchnocranium of man. Quantitative results are given for volumes and calculated data. The two facial spheres were then positioned relative to two known spheres in the neurocranium. The quadrilaterals drawn between the 4 centers denote a phylogenic constancy of the directions when compared with the results observed in man and those obtained in anthropoïds.