A Quantitative Assessment of the Morphology of the Piriform Aperture as an Indicator of Race

Abstract

Piriform apertures from skulls in the Bass Collection at the University of Tennessee were examined. The morphology of the perform aperture from digital images was captured using Adobe Measuring Tool 9.0 and data analyzed with SPSS 17.0. Twenty-four linear measurements from a central point of the aperture as well as the perimeter were evaluated to quantify a difference between Black and White populations. The statistical analyses employed Discriminate Functional Analysis followed by Stepwise analysis. Discriminate functions were generated to predict to which group a skull belonged. A discriminate function produced an accuracy of 77.4%.Step-wise discriminate function analysis, using only three variables, produced an accuracy of 79.0%.

Analysis of nasal parameters and nasal index of dry crania in Southern Nigeria

“…It is reported that people who live in cold weather and dry climate tend to have narrower nose while people who live in warmer climate tend to have broader nose [6,9]. Therefore Europeans tend to have a narrower triangular nasal opening while Africans tend to have a much wider and more rectangular opening [4,10]. This assertion is logical because it is known that the moistening and heating of the inspired air are better with a narrow piriform aperture [3].…”

“…Even though the proportions of the nose vary between ethnic groups, the size and shape of the nose do not actually confer specificity of race such as Caucassian, Asian or African [4]. But nasal index exhibit sexual dimorphism [4] and therefore it is a useful tool in forensic science.…”

“…Nasal index is important in forensic science in classification of fossil remains, estimation of ancestry, estimation of sex of individuals and also in understanding evolution [9]. Europeans tend to have a narrower triangular opening while Africans tend to have a much wider and more rectangular opening [4,10]. This observation shows that these variations may have resulted from adaptation to physiological and functional need of the climate [11].…”

“…The morphometrics of the anterior nasal aperture appears to be a distinguishing characteristics of the hominid [4]. The nose is at the centre of the face.…”