Nasopharyngeal morphology contributes to understanding the “muddle in the middle” of the Pleistocene hominin fossil record

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Section: Descriptive Anatomy and Comparison Between Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The cranial base and related internal anatomical features in Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens

Balzeau

Pagano

2022

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“…Over the course of evolution, morphological modifications of nasopharyngeal anatomy have occurred in genus Homo which serve to distinguish the human upper aerodigestive tract from that of other mammals (Laitman, 1977; Pagano et al, 2022). These adaptive changes play an important role in the evolution of breathing, vocalization, and alimentation.…”

Section: Clinical Relevance Of Nasopharyngeal Morphology In Humansmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical perspectives on nasopharyngeal morphology in humans

Rohde

Friedland

2022

The nasopharynx is an integral component of the upper aerodigestive tract, whose morphologic features share an intimate relationship with a vast array of clinical, functional, and quality of life conditions related to contemporary humans. Its composite architecture and central location amidst the nasal cavity, pharyngotympanic tube, palate, and skull base bears implications for basic physiologic functions including breathing, vocalization, and alimentation. Over the course of evolution, morphological modifications of nasopharyngeal anatomy have occurred in genus Homo which serve to distinguish the human upper aerodigestive tract from that of other mammals. Understanding of these adaptive changes from both a comparative anatomy and clinical perspective offers insight into the unique blueprint which underpins many clinical pathologies currently encountered by anthropologists, scientists, and otorhinolaryngologists alike. This discussion intends to familiarize readers with the fundamental role that nasopharyngeal morphology plays in upper aerodigestive tract conditions, with consideration of its newfound clinical relevance in the era of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

“…The demands of bipedal locomotion and related inferior placement of the foramen magnum, encephalization, basicranial flexion, and facial orthognathy have all contributed to shaping the nasopharynx into a mediolaterally broad, anteroposteriorly shallow space with less vertical height compared to that of other primates (Pagano & Laitman, 2015). Continual increase in brain size (e.g., Rightmire, 2004), basicranial flexion (e.g., Ross & Henneberg, 1995), and facial reduction and retraction under the neurocranium (e.g., Lieberman et al, 2002), have rendered the nasopharyngeal dimensions of Homo sapiens autapomorphic relative to other human species (Pagano et al, 2019, 2022, this volume; Figure 4). These changes have also allowed for the formation of a supralaryngeal vocal tract capable of spoken language, a trait not seen in any other mammal (Laitman et al, 1979; Lieberman et al, 1992).…”

Section: Nasopharyngeal Change Over the Course Of Human Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Choanal width (shown with the red arrows) is a proxy measure for overall nasopharyngeal width. It is relatively broader in modern humans than in other human species as a result of facial orthognathy and posterior rotation of the facial skeleton beneath the forebrain (see Pagano et al, 2022, this volume). Images of KNM‐ER 406 and Cro Magnon 1 were generated from surface renderings of micro‐CT scanned specimens in the virtual collection of the Musée de l'Homme, Paris.…”

Section: Nasopharyngeal Change Over the Course Of Human Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The nasopharynx as a window to half a billion years of evolutionary change to the upper respiratory tract

Pagano

Márquez

2022

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The nasopharynx is a region at the nexus of several vital physiological systems, including the nasal cavity, oral cavity, braincase, middle ear, and cervical vertebrae. It has undergone pronounced morphological change over the course of tetrapod, mammalian, and human evolution. However, despite its place in evolutionary history, the nasopharynx has received relatively little attention. This special issue focuses on “the evolution, development, and functional morphology of the nasopharynx and its boundaries.” Topics covered here include evolutionary developmental biology (or evo–devo), nasopharyngeal adaptions in bats, the importance of the nasopharynx and adjacent structures over the course of human evolution, normal development, middle ear morphology, clinical importance, and the study of the nasopharynx throughout history. Contributions to this special issue range among reviews and syntheses, descriptive analyses, phylogenetic analysis, traditional morphometrics, three‐dimensional geometric morphometrics, and computational fluid dynamics. Here, we discuss the central importance of the nasopharynx as can be seen through vertebrate paleontology and comparative morphology. It is via the composite evolutionary history of the nasopharyngeal boundaries that our origins may be better understood, starting with the derivation of the choanae from the median olfactory pit of jawless fish nearly half a billion years ago to the basicranial flexion and facial reduction that distinguish Homo sapiens from all other living mammals. Indeed, the nasopharynx must be acknowledged for its importance in the processes of encephalization and acquisition of speech that have become the hallmark of our species.