Frontal Fusion: Collapse of Another Anthropoid Synapomorphy

Rosenberger, Alfred L.; Pagano, Anthony

doi:10.1002/ar.20647

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“… In contrast to Strepsirrhini, the frontal bone is unpaired in the skull of Haplorrhini (but see [ 33 ]). In Tarsius the frontal bone is included in the cranial module (in red ), while in Platyrrhini the frontal belongs to the midfacial module (in blue ) or to the premaxillary module (in yellow ) in Colobus .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anatomical Network Analysis Shows Decoupling of Modular Lability and Complexity in the Evolution of the Primate Skull

et al. 2015

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Modularity and complexity go hand in hand in the evolution of the skull of primates. Because analyses of these two parameters often use different approaches, we do not know yet how modularity evolves within, or as a consequence of, an also-evolving complex organization. Here we use a novel network theory-based approach (Anatomical Network Analysis) to assess how the organization of skull bones constrains the co-evolution of modularity and complexity among primates. We used the pattern of bone contacts modeled as networks to identify connectivity modules and quantify morphological complexity. We analyzed whether modularity and complexity evolved coordinately in the skull of primates. Specifically, we tested Herbert Simon’s general theory of near-decomposability, which states that modularity promotes the evolution of complexity. We found that the skulls of extant primates divide into one conserved cranial module and up to three labile facial modules, whose composition varies among primates. Despite changes in modularity, statistical analyses reject a positive feedback between modularity and complexity. Our results suggest a decoupling of complexity and modularity that translates to varying levels of constraint on the morphological evolvability of the primate skull. This study has methodological and conceptual implications for grasping the constraints that underlie the developmental and functional integration of the skull of humans and other primates.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anatomical Network Analysis Shows Decoupling of Modular Lability and Complexity in the Evolution of the Primate Skull

et al. 2015

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“…Thus, our results suggest that the 3D method may also be more suitable for examining differences in AFSA among species, allowing further examination of interspecies variation in development and subsequent closure of the AF. In particular, recent research suggests modification of the growth patterns of the frontal neurocranium among hominins (Bookstein et al, ; Rosenberger and Pagano, ; Athreya, ; Falk et al, ; Freidline et al, ; Gunz and Bulygina, ; Tague, ). Thus, future studies of comparative AF development and morphology may shed light on the evolution of the uniquely hominin trait of a persistently patent AF at birth and in early infancy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Size of the Anterior Fontanelle: Three‐Dimensional Measurement of a Key Trait in Human Evolution

Moffett

Aldridge

2013

The Anatomical Record

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The anterior fontanelle (AF) is an integral element of the developing human infant craniofacial system. Consideration of the AF is crucial for assessing craniofacial growth, as altered development of this feature may indicate abnormal growth. Moreover, prolonged patency of the AF may represent a derived hominin feature. The AF is regarded as essential for fetal head molding during birth in humans, with deformation of the head during birth often necessary for successful delivery. However, the function of a patent AF among fossil hominins is unclear. Because the AF represents an important structure in both a clinical and evolutionary context, techniques for estimating the size of the AF must be accurate and reproducible. Therefore, we have developed a novel method for assessing surface area of the AF with the goal of creating a more accurate measure of this feature. In this study, we test the accuracy and repeatability of a novel three-dimensional (3D) method for assessing the size of the AF in human infants and compare the results obtained for surface area of the AF using the conventional and 3D methods. Anat Rec, 297:234-239, 2014. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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“…The frontal bone develops as two paired bones early in the ontogeny of the human skull; these paired frontals will fuse totally during the first years of life, giving rise to the unpaired condition of the adult frontal (Weinzweig et al, 2003). Evolutionarily, frontal paired bones are a primitive condition in primates; the closure of the metopic suture (interfrontal) occurred several times independently within this group and before the origin of anthropoids (Rosenberger and Pagano, 2008). The morphogenetic process underlying this pattern relates to different timing in the closure of skull bone sutures at an evolutionary scale (Morriss-Kay, 2001;Richtsmeier et al, 2006;Esteve-Altava et al, 2013), which can sometimes cause severe pathologies in the human skull, known as craniosynostosis (Heuzé et al, 2010;Percival and Richtsmeier, 2011).…”

Section: Bone's Burden-rankmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grist for Riedl's mill: A network model perspective on the integration and modularity of the human skull

et al. 2013

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Riedl's concept of burden neatly links development and evolution by ascertaining that structures that show a high degree of developmental co-dependencies with other structures are more constrained in evolution. The human skull can be precisely modeled as an articulated complex system of bones connected by sutures, forming a network of structural co-dependencies. We present a quantitative analysis of the morphological integration, modularity, and hierarchical organization of this human skull network model. Our overall results show that the human skull is a small-world network, with two well-delimited connectivity modules: one facial organized around the ethmoid bone, and one cranial organized around the sphenoid bone. Geometric morphometrics further support this two-module division, stressing the direct relationship between the developmental information enclosed in connectivity patterns and skull shape. Whereas the facial module shows a hierarchy of clustered blocks of bones, the bones of the cranial modules show a regular pattern of connections. We analyze the significance of these arrangements by hypothesizing specific structural roles for the most important bones involved in the formation of both modules, in the context of Riedl's burden. We conclude that it is the morphological integration of each group of bones that defines the semi-hierarchical organization of the human skull, reflecting fundamental differences in the ontogenetic patterns of growth and the structural constraints that generate each module. Our study also demonstrates the adequacy of network analysis as an innovative tool to understand the morphological complexity of anatomical systems.

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Frontal Fusion: Collapse of Another Anthropoid Synapomorphy

Abstract: We test the hypothesis that the fused interfrontal suture of anthropoids is a uniquely distinguishing feature and a derived characteristic indicative of their monophyletic origin.

Cited by 9 publications

References 31 publications

Anatomical Network Analysis Shows Decoupling of Modular Lability and Complexity in the Evolution of the Primate Skull

Anatomical Network Analysis Shows Decoupling of Modular Lability and Complexity in the Evolution of the Primate Skull

Size of the Anterior Fontanelle: Three‐Dimensional Measurement of a Key Trait in Human Evolution

Grist for Riedl's mill: A network model perspective on the integration and modularity of the human skull

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