Understanding Human Cranial Variation in Light of Modern Human Origins

Relethford, John H.

doi:10.1002/9781118659991.ch9

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Craniometrics is one of the main tools of biological distance analysis [ 101 ] reflecting similarities between human groups [ 102 ]. Since the publication of comparative studies on the craniometrics and genetic variation of different human populations of the world, it is believed that cranial measurements reflect genetic variation and neutral evolution [ 103 , 104 ]. Craniometric variation is thus geographically structured [ 105 ] and it is widely used for population history [ 106 ] or population affinity analyses [ 107 ], even in palaeoanthropological studies [ 108 , 109 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual reconstruction of the Upper Palaeolithic skull from Zlatý Kůň, Czech Republic: Sex assessment and morphological affinity

et al. 2018

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The incomplete cranium discovered at the Zlatý kůň site in the Bohemian Karst is a rare piece of skeletal evidence of human presence in Central Europe during the Late Glacial period. The relative position of cranial fragments was restored and missing parts of the cranium were virtually reconstructed using mirroring and the Thin-plate splines algorithm. The reconstruction allowed us to collect principal cranial measurements, revise a previous unfounded sex assignment and explore the specimen’s morphological affinity. Visual assessment could not reliably provide a sexual diagnosis, as such methods have been developed on modern populations. Using a population-specific approach developed on cranial measurements collected from the literature on reliably sexed European Upper Palaeolithic specimens, linear discriminant analysis confirmed previous assignment to the female sex. However, caution is necessary with regard to the fact that it was assessed from the skull. The Zlatý kůň specimen clearly falls within the range of Upper Palaeolithic craniometric variation. Despite the shift in cranial variation that accompanied the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the Zlatý kůň skull exhibits a morphological affinity with the pre-LGM population. Several interpretations are proposed with regard to the complex population processes that occurred after the LGM in Europe.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual reconstruction of the Upper Palaeolithic skull from Zlatý Kůň, Czech Republic: Sex assessment and morphological affinity

et al. 2018

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“…To the knowledge of the author, no study has seen if cranial size distance is associated with geographical distance. However, reference has been made to geographical distance being used as a stand-in for genetic distance (Relethford, 2013); whilst genetic distance increases with cranial shape distance, it does not increase with cranial size distance (Harvati & Weaver, 2006).…”

Section: Cranial Shape Distancementioning

confidence: 99%

The global expansion from southern Africa by modern humans? Its signal may be shown more through the cranial shape of males than females

Cenac

2023

Preprint

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As the geographical distance between populations increases, populations are known to become more distant (dissimilar) in biological measures such as cranial shape. Relationships between geographical distance and biological distance are thought to be explained by modern humans having expanded from Africa. Expansion from Africa is also thought to explain why biological diversities (e.g., cranial shape diversity) decrease as geographical distance from Africa goes up. Research has suggested that modern humans expanded through different routes. If there were different routes, perhaps the relationship between geographical distance and cranial shape distance declines as the population (that distances are measured from) gets further away from Africa. This study used cranial shape measurements derived from the Howells data, and found that such a decline was suggested for males, unlike for females. It has been reasoned that variables which indicate the global expansion should signal an area of origin which is only in Africa. The relationship between geographical and cranial shape distances did not signal an exclusively African area. However, for males, the area was primarily in Africa. Overall, the relationship seemed to represent the expansion better amongst males than females. Congruently, cranial shape diversity declined more strongly for males than females as geographical distance from Africa accrued. To estimate which area of Africa the global expansion originated in, previous research pooled an estimate from genetic diversities, and suggested a southern origin. This estimate was supported when adding cranially-derived variables to the pooling, including the relationship between geographical distance and male cranial shape distance.

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“…Further, this similarity is found throughout Eurasia and in other populations of Eurasian descent. As has been found in a number of studies of recent modern humans (as reviewed by Relethford, ), there is a general correspondence of craniometric variation, genetics, and population history. Our analyses extend this correspondence to the evolutionary relationships of Neandertals and recent modern humans.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…The greater similarity of Eurasians and Neandertals is found across the full range of climates, and regional differences in Neandertal‐modern distances more likely reflect genetic drift more than selection. A number of studies have shown that much of the global variation in modern human craniometrics reflects primarily the action of genetic drift balanced by gene flow (e.g., Betti, Balloux, Hanihara, & Manica, ; Relethford, ; Roseman, ; von Cramon‐Taubadel, ). The work of Weaver et al () has also supported the hypothesis that much of the cranial differences between Neandertals and recent modern humans is also due to genetic drift.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is reason to suggest that craniometric variation might reflect Neandertal ancestry. Numerous studies of craniometric variation in recent modern humans have shown moderate to high correspondence with neutral DNA markers and geographic distance (e.g., Relethford, ; Roseman, ; von Cramon‐Taubadel, ). There is also genomic evidence showing a relationship between the level of Neandertal ancestry and cranial morphology in present‐day Europeans, particularly those parts of the cranium that differentiate Neandertals and modern humans (Gregory et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cranial measures and ancient DNA both show greater similarity of Neandertals to recent modern Eurasians than to recent modern sub‐Saharan Africans

Relethford

Smith

2018

American J Phys Anthropol

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Understanding Human Cranial Variation in Light of Modern Human Origins

Cited by 8 publications

References 55 publications

Virtual reconstruction of the Upper Palaeolithic skull from Zlatý Kůň, Czech Republic: Sex assessment and morphological affinity

Virtual reconstruction of the Upper Palaeolithic skull from Zlatý Kůň, Czech Republic: Sex assessment and morphological affinity

The global expansion from southern Africa by modern humans? Its signal may be shown more through the cranial shape of males than females

Cranial measures and ancient DNA both show greater similarity of Neandertals to recent modern Eurasians than to recent modern sub‐Saharan Africans

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