The Role of Genetics in Craniofacial Morphology and Growth

Abstract

The nature of family resemblance and the role of inheritance in craniofacial growth and morphology have comprised a research focus for scientists in biological anthropology, genetics, anatomy, and dentistry since at least the mid-1940s. Research has focused on normal human variation, primate evolution, and the inheritance of craniofacial form for purposes of developmental and evolutionary studies, and to facilitate the prediction, recognition, and treatment of abnormal dental and facial patterns. Studies of craniofacial morphology involve both static morphology and growth. Examinations of craniofacial morphology usually provide a description or analysis of the craniofacial complex at a single stage in the growth process-e.g. adult craniofacial morphology. Alternatively, analyses of craniofacial growth examine the craniofacial complex at different ages to show how adult morphology is achieved. In this review I examine the following issues: how quantitatively inherited traits are analyzed; the most common methods used to estimate the proportion of the observed variation attributable to genetic factors; the history of model-