Contribution to the study of frontal sinus familial similarity based on genealogically documented individuals (Bohemia, 19th to 20th centuries)

Abstract

The issue of the influence of biological relatedness on frontal sinus patterns is still the subject of discussion. Research possibilities worldwide are however limited by the lack of genealogically documented skeletal remains. This study presents the results of analyses of seven identified 19th-20th century skulls from two families, discovered in the collections of the Hrdlička Museum of Man. Anteroposterior X-rays were created and the morphology of the frontal sinuses was evaluated using two approaches: A) a simple visual assessment indicating shared or similar features; and B) calculation of the degree of similarity based on a scoring system. With both approaches, the results of family relationship assessments were best reflected in the first family, between individuals with the smallest degree of biological distance. In the second family, which had more distant relationships compared to the first, the positive relationship between biological distance and degree of similarity was not clearly apparent. Although this is a small sample with a small number of generations, our findings support the conclusions of previous studies, i.e. that the degree of similarity between individuals decreases with their increasing biological distance.