Fossil Skulls Research Articles

Three-Dimensional Analysis of the Maxillary Sinuses in Ancient Crania Dated to the V-VI Centuries BCE from Opi (Italy): Volumetric Measurements in Ancient Skulls from the Necropolis of Opi, Abruzzi, Italy.

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) can provide precise information about complex anatomical structures as it is characterised by rapid volumetric image acquisition with high resolution. The aim of this study was to provide measurements for 20 ancient skulls of the Samnite people found in the necropolis of Opi, a small and isolated mountain village in Abruzzo, a region in central Italy. All the images (left and right) of the 20 ancient skulls from Opi were acquired. All the data are the property of the Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry of G. D'Annunzio University, Chieti, and different parameters (area and volume) were measured and evaluated. The mean and standard deviation of the facial measurements were also calculated. All the data were subjected to statistical analysis. CBCT scan data of 20 fossil skulls did not show significant values regarding the MS area and the volume between the right and left sides. In the ancient skulls, no difference was found between the right and left sides.

A Palaeogene stem crotaphytid (Aciprion formosum) and the phylogenetic affinities of early fossil pleurodontan iguanians.

Pleurodonta is an ancient, diverse clade of iguanian lizard distributed primarily in the Western Hemisphere. Although the clade is a frequent subject of systematic research, phylogenetic resolution among the major pleurodontan clades is elusive. That uncertainty has complicated the interpretations of many fossil pleurodontans. I describe a fossil skull of a pleurodontan lizard from the Palaeogene of Wyoming that was previously allocated to the puzzling taxon Aciprion formosum, and provide an updated morphological matrix for iguanian lizards. Phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference demonstrate that the fossil skull is the oldest and first definitive stem member of Crotaphytidae (collared and leopard lizards), establishing the presence of that clade in North America during the Palaeogene. I also discuss new or revised hypotheses for the relationships of several early pleurodontans. In particular, I examine potential evidence for crown-Pleurodonta in the Cretaceous of Mongolia (Polrussia), stem Pleurodonta in the Cretaceous of North America (Magnuviator) and a stem anole in the Eocene of North America (Afairiguana). I suggest that the placement of the fossil crotaphytid is stable to the uncertain phylogeny of Pleurodonta, but recognize the dynamic nature of fossil diagnosis and the potential for updated systematic hypotheses for the other fossils analysed here.

Metrological analysis of additively manufactured copies of a fossil skull

Metrological analysis of additively manufactured copies of a fossil skull

The link between blood pressure and Alzheimer's disease

Brain function and blood pressure are deeply connected. Despite being only a fortieth of our bodyweight, the brain receives nearly a fifth of our cardiac output. Such a large percentage is unique to humans, possibly because of the increasing metabolic needs of the brain during evolution. 1 Seymour RS Bosiocic V Snelling EP Correction to 'Fossil skulls reveal that blood flow rate to the brain increased faster than brain volume during human evolution’. R Soc Open Sci. 2017; 4: 170846 Crossref PubMed Scopus (5) Google Scholar Finely tuned physiological systems also maintain cerebral blood flow across a vast range of blood pressures to ensure blood delivery. It should not be surprising, therefore, that circulatory disorders strongly affect brain function, particularly hypertension. Prevalence of hypertension increases with age, as do stroke and Alzheimer's disease, and a study done in the USA showed that it is common to see both vascular and Alzheimer's disease pathologies present in brains of older individuals (median age 80 years) in the community. 2 Schneider JA Arvanitakis Z Bang W Bennett DA Mixed brain pathologies account for most dementia cases in community-dwelling older persons. Neurology. 2007; 69: 2197-2204 Crossref PubMed Scopus (1180) Google Scholar Moreover, validated Alzheimer's disease risk profiles include blood pressure along with other vascular risk factors, such as body-mass index and serum cholesterol concentrations. Life's Simple 7, a measure of healthy vascular lifestyle, is inversely associated with incident mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and preserved brain structure. 3 Thacker EL Gillett SR Wadley VG et al. The American Heart Association Life's Simple 7 and incident cognitive impairment: The REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2014; 3: e000635 Crossref PubMed Scopus (90) Google Scholar Finally, the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) MIND study 4 Williamson JD Pajewski NM et al. SPRINT MIND Investigators for the SPRINT Research GroupEffect of intensive vs standard blood pressure control on probable dementia: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2019; 321: 553-561 Crossref PubMed Scopus (493) Google Scholar conclusively showed that intensive treatment of hypertension was associated with a significant reduction in incident cognitive impairment. In that study, nearly 10 000 individuals were randomly assigned to standard (systolic blood pressure goal <140 mm Hg) or intensive (systolic blood pressure goal <120 mm Hg) blood pressure management. There was no substantial increase in side-effects with intensive treatment, even among older individuals (aged 75 years or older). Taken together, there is strong evidence that aggressive blood pressure management can mitigate dementia for at-risk older adults. Safety and efficacy of losartan for the reduction of brain atrophy in clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease (the RADAR trial): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial12 months of treatment with losartan was well tolerated but was not effective in reducing the rate of brain atrophy in individuals with clinically diagnosed mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. Further research is needed to assess the potential therapeutic benefit from earlier treatment in patients with milder cognitive impairment or from longer treatment periods. Full-Text PDF Open Access

A new extinct species of alligator lizard (Squamata: Elgaria) and an expanded perspective on the osteology and phylogeny of Gerrhonotinae

BackgroundAlligator lizards (Gerrhonotinae) are a well-known group of extant North American lizard. Although many fossils were previously referred to Gerrhonotinae, most of those fossils are isolated and fragmentary cranial elements that could not be placed in a precise phylogenetic context, and only a handful of known fossils are articulated skulls. The fossil record has provided limited information on the biogeography and phylogeny of Gerrhonotinae.ResultsWe redescribe a nearly complete articulated fossil skull from the Pliocene sediments of the Anza-Borrego Desert in southern California, and refer the specimen to the alligator lizard genus Elgaria. The fossil is a representative of a newly described species, Elgaria peludoverde. We created a morphological matrix to assess the phylogeny of alligator lizards and facilitate identifications of fossil gerrhonotines. The matrix contains a considerably expanded taxonomic sample relative to previous morphological studies of gerrhonotines, and we sampled two specimens for many species to partially account for intraspecific variation. Specimen-based phylogenetic analyses of our dataset using Bayesian inference and parsimony inferred that Elgaria peludoverde is part of crown Elgaria. The new species is potentially related to the extant species Elgaria kingii and Elgaria paucicarinata, but that relationship was not strongly supported, probably because of extensive variation among Elgaria. We explored several alternative biogeographic scenarios implied by the geographic and temporal occurrence of the new species and its potential phylogenetic placements.ConclusionsElgaria peludoverde is the first described extinct species of Elgaria and provides new information on the biogeographic history and diversification of Elgaria. Our research expands the understanding of phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of alligator lizards and strengthens the foundation of future investigations. The osteological data and phylogenetic matrix that we provided will be critical for future efforts to place fossil gerrhonotines. Despite limited intraspecific sampled sizes, we encountered substantial variation among gerrhonotines, demonstrating the value of exploring patterns of variation for morphological phylogenetics and for the phylogenetic placement of fossils. Future osteological investigations on the species we examined and on species we did not examine will continue to augment our knowledge of patterns of variation in alligator lizards and aid in phylogenetics and fossil placement.

How did language evolve in the lineage of higher primates?

Speech components emerged in the hominin lineage before the rise of modern human behavior and were already in place in monkey species. Evidence from genetics to archaeological records points to an accumulative increase of those computational properties required for modern language. At about 2.4 mya, the polytypical species Homo erectus sensu lato (s.l.) appeared with significant cortical growth indicated by neural migration factors and fossil skulls. The evidence suggests that early Homo erectus s.l. was equipped with a computational capacity for premodern language. The same species developed Acheulean toolmaking and showed signs of a symbolic and aesthetic mind at about half a mya. We conclude that the modern language capacity evolved at around 1 mya in the merging species late Homo erectus s.l. and pre-archaic Homo sapiens.

A New Integrated Tool to Calculate and Map Bilateral Asymmetry on Three-Dimensional Digital Models

The observation and the quantification of asymmetry in biological structures are deeply investigated in geometric morphometrics. Patterns of asymmetry were explored in both living and fossil species. In living organisms, levels of directional and fluctuating asymmetry are informative about developmental processes and health status of the individuals. Paleontologists are primarily interested in asymmetric features introduced by the taphonomic process, as they may significantly alter the original shape of the biological remains, hampering the interpretation of morphological features which may have profound evolutionary significance. Here, we provide a new R tool that produces the numerical quantification of fluctuating and directional asymmetry and charts asymmetry directly on the specimens under study, allowing the visual inspection of the asymmetry pattern. We tested this show.asymmetry algorithm, written in the R language, on fossil and living cranial remains of the genus Homo. show.asymmetry proved successful in discriminating levels of asymmetry among sexes in Homo sapiens, to tell apart fossil from living Homo skulls, to map effectively taphonomic distortion directly on the fossil skulls, and to provide evidence that digital restoration obliterates natural asymmetry to unnaturally low levels.

Comparative accuracy analysis of triangulated surface models of a fossil skull digitized with various optic devices

Comparative accuracy analysis of triangulated surface models of a fossil skull digitized with various optic devices

Our earliest ancestors weren’t as brainy as we thought, fossil skulls suggest

Our earliest ancestors weren’t as brainy as we thought, fossil skulls suggest

The mammoth's mysterious companion: the materials of the Republican ecological and paleontological camp for schoolchildren “Tusk,” years 1997–2013

This article deals with a unique discovery. In 2010, a school expedition found an obscure skull of a woolly rhinoceros on Mamontova Mountain in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Young paleontologists with their leader P. D. Maksimov conducted an anatomical study of the woolly rhinoceros' fossil skull. During the entire period (years 1973–2021) of the camp's existence, young paleontologists have found the remains of 57 animal fossils. All the materials found during the expeditions have been stored in the museum-laboratory at the Republican Ecological-Paleontological Camp of Schoolchildren “Tusk.” Among the gathered paleontological finds, the young researchers were attracted to rhinoceros skulls found at different times near various excavations. The expedition participants have put forward the hypothesis that during the period of the flourishing of the mammoth fauna, there might have been some species or subspecies of woolly rhinoceros on the territory of Paleoyakutia besides the Lena species. The results of the research were highly appreciated by the experts of the republican scientific conferences.

First fossil record of the catfish genus Sorubim (Siluriformes, Pimelodidae), from the Late Miocene of Paraná, Northeastern Argentina

The aim of the present contribution is to describe a partial fossil skull belonging to the catfish genus Sorubim. The specimen originates from the Late Miocene Ituzaingó Formation, at Paraná locality, Entre Ríos Province, Argentina. The material described here (MACN Pv-14224) was determined just to genus because the living species of Sorubim are morphologically similar. Presence of Sorubim is in concordance with the hypothesis indicating that most extant pimelodid genera were already present by the Late Miocene. Present finding constitutes the first fossil record for the genus.

Toward an “Ancient” Virtual World: Improvement Methods on X-ray CT Data Processing and Virtual Reconstruction of Fossil Skulls

This article focuses on virtual advances to solve technical problems usually encountered by paleontologists, such as (i) the limited acquisition size of the computed tomography machines to acquire data on large structures, (ii) the use in the same study of biological objects acquired with different types of computed tomography, and therefore different resolutions, and (iii) matrix removal within the fossil (cranial cavities, intra-trabecular cavities, among others cavities). All these problems are very common problems in paleontology, and therefore, solving then is important to save effort and the time invested in data processing. We propose various solutions to remove such artefacts, based on new technical advance focused on improving and processing the images obtained from the X-ray computed tomography acquisition. Other aspects could be the use of filters to remove background noise from XCT data and measuring histograms to remove artefacts. Such artefacts are the result of recrystallizations or very dense materials within the samples, especially fossils due to the taphonomic fossilization process or derived from anthropogenic restoration of fossils. Accordingly, here, we provide a protocol to gradually acquire data on samples with size that exceed the size of the acquisition window of the X-ray tomography machine, joining the parts with enough accuracy and resolution, and we propose the use of the interpolation "bicubic" method. Moreover, using this method it is possible to use medical XCT data together with Xmicro-CT data, which opens new ways to use different tools to be able to rotate or move the acquired data within the image stack. Another advantage is the use of plugins for quantitative analysis, which is necessary to have data with isometric voxels, such as the BoneJ plugin of the software ImageJ. We also deal with the problem of eliminating the exogenous material that usually fills the internal cavities of fossils by means of using filters based on edge detection by gradient. Applying this method, it is possible to segment the non-bony matrix parts more quickly and efficiently. All of this is exemplified using five fossil skulls belonging to the cave bear group, an iconic fossil species from the Pleistocene of Eurasia.

Earliest-known intentionally deformed human cranium from Asia

Hereditary hierarchy is one of the major features of complex societies. Without a written record, prehistoric evidence for hereditary hierarchy is rare. Intentional cranial deformation (ICD) is a ritualized and cross-generational cultural practice that embodies social identity and cultural beliefs in adults through the behavior of permanently and immutably altering infant head shape. Therefore, ICD is usually regarded as an archeological clue for the occurrence of hereditary hierarchy. With a calibrated radiocarbon age of 11,245–11,200 years BP, a fossil skull of an adult male discovered in Northeastern China is among the oldest-known ICD in the world. The fossil demonstrates the oldest application of the more sophisticated tabular deformation methodology that requires securing hard flat surfaces to the forehead and back of the skull of infants, differing from the other earliest-known records of ICD that used other processes. Along with the other earliest global occurrences of ICD, this discovery points to the early initiation of complex societies among the non-agricultural local societies in Northeastern Asia in the early Holocene. A population increase among previously more isolated terminal Pleistocene/early Holocene hunter-gatherer groups likely increased their interactions, possibly fueling the formation of the first complex societies.

An assessment of the late Middle Pleistocene occipital from Apidima 1 skull (Greece)

Recent papers have sparked an ongoing debate on the taxonomic adscription of the late Middle Pleistocene fossil skulls from Apidima (Greece). There is general agreement that the more complete skull Apidima 2 is a member of the Neandertal lineage. However, the evolutionary significance of the anatomy of Apidima 1 is unclear. While de Lumley et al. (2019; CNRS Editions) saw both skulls as belonging to the same deme, Harvati et al. (2019; Nature 571:500) argued that Apidima 1 is the earliest evidence of Homo sapiens in Eurasia. In order to assess the morphological affinities of this fossil skull, we performed both qualitative analyses and a 3D geometric morphometric (3D GM) analysis of twelve 3D landmarks (Asterion, Lambda, Inion) and a curve of semilandmarks along the upper occipital squama of Apidima 1 with a comparative sample of Homo. At the external side of its occipital bone we found some but not all the morphological features classically recognized as Neandertal derived, e.g. a smooth suprainiac fossa and a weak bilaterally protruding transverse occipital torus. Geometric morphometric analyses reveal that Apidima 1 appears in the morphospace close to primitive H. erectus specimens, whose plesiomorphic configuration of the Apidima 1 is mostly expressed in its low and wide occipital; a condition, nonetheless, also found in other Neandertals. All together, we do not find support for the hypothesis that Apidima 1 is the earliest evidence of Homo sapiens in Europe. The presence of Neandertal apomorphic qualitative features together with the existence of primitive occipital among H. neanderthalensis populations points to a Neanderthal adscription for Apidima 1. We believe Apidima 1 may be a brachycephalic female variant of the Neandertal genetic pool. If this interpretation is correct, Neandertal lineage may encompass more anatomical variation than yet realized.

Cerebral blood flow rates in recent great apes are greater than in Australopithecus species that had equal or larger brains.

Brain metabolic rate (MR) is linked mainly to the cost of synaptic activity, so may be a better correlate of cognitive ability than brain size alone. Among primates, the sizes of arterial foramina in recent and fossil skulls can be used to evaluate brain blood flow rate, which is proportional to brain MR. We use this approach to calculate flow rate in the internal carotid arteries , which supply most of the primate cerebrum. is up to two times higher in recent gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans compared with 3-million-year-old australopithecine human relatives, which had equal or larger brains. The scaling relationships between and brain volume (Vbr) show exponents of 1.03 across 44 species of living haplorhine primates and 1.41 across 12 species of fossil hominins. Thus, the evolutionary trajectory for brain perfusion is much steeper among ancestral hominins than would be predicted from living primates. Between 4.4-million-year-old Ardipithecus and Homo sapiens, Vbr increased 4.7-fold, but increased 9.3-fold, indicating an approximate doubling of metabolic intensity of brain tissue. By contrast, is proportional to Vbr among haplorhine primates, suggesting a constant volume-specific brain MR.

First nearly complete skull of Gallotia auaritae (lower-middle Pleistocene, Squamata, Gallotiinae) and a morphological phylogenetic analysis of the genus Gallotia

The Canary Islands are an Atlantic archipelago known for its high number of endemic species. Among the most known endemic vertebrate species are the giant lizards of the genus Gallotia. We describe the cranial osteology of the first almost complete and articulated fossil skull of the taxon Gallotia auaritae, recovered from the lower-middle Pleistocene of the La Palma island. In this work, X-ray computed microtomography images were used to perform an exhaustive phylogenetic analysis where most of the extant and fossil species of the genus Gallotia were included for first time. This analysis recovered a monophyletic Gallotia clade with similar topology to that of molecular analyses. The newly described specimen shares some characters with the group formed by G. bravoana, G. intermedia and G. simonyi, G. auaritae, and its position is compatible with a referral to the latter. Our study adds new important data to the poorly known cranial morphology of G. auaritae, and the phylogenetic analysis reveals an unexpected power of resolution to obtain a morphology-based phylogeny for the genus Gallotia, for inferring the phylogenetic position of extinct species and for helping in the identification of fossil specimens.

Fossil Finds Around Ancient Troy

Greek myths mention the existence of a monster (ketos) arount the city of Troy. This monster was killed by Heracles at cape Agammia (now Kucuk Besire Burun). There is a scene on a Greek vase dated to the sixth century, which depicts the heroic deed of Heracles at Agammia. The head of the monster is unmistakably a large animal fossil skull. In our survey project around Troy, we found fossil beds in in Beşige Burun, which most likey is the source of Greek myths concerning the Monster of Troy. Keywords : Troy, Fossill, Agammia, Kucuk Besige, Kumburun DOI : 10.7176/JSTR/5-2-25

Neandertal Introgression Sheds Light on Modern Human Endocranial Globularity

SUMMARYOne of the features that distinguishes modern humans from our extinct relatives and ancestors is a globular shape of the braincase [1–4]. As the endocranium closely mirrors the outer shape of the brain, these differences might reflect altered neural architecture [4, 5]. However, in the absence of fossil brain tissue, the underlying neuroanatomical changes as well as their genetic bases remain elusive. To better understand the biological foundations of modern human endocranial shape, we turn to our closest extinct relatives: the Neandertals. Interbreeding between modern humans and Neandertals has resulted in introgressed fragments of Neandertal DNA in the genomes of present-day non-Africans [6, 7]. Based on shape analyses of fossil skull endocasts, we derive a measure of endocranial globularity from structural MRI scans of thousands of modern humans and study the effects of introgressed fragments of Neandertal DNA on this phenotype. We find that Neandertal alleles on chromosomes 1 and 18 are associated with reduced endocranial globularity. These alleles influence expression of two nearby genes, UBR4 and PHLPP1, which are involved in neurogenesis and myelination, respectively. Our findings show how integration of fossil skull data with archaic genomics and neuroimaging can suggest developmental mechanisms that may contribute to the unique modern human endocranial shape.

First Neogene Proto-Caribbean pufferfish: new evidence for Tetraodontidae radiation

This study reports a three-dimensional fossil skull of a Tetraodontidae that dates to the middle Miocene (Serravallian), which was recovered from a rock matrix from the Valiente Peninsula Formation in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Caribbean coast of Panama. The new species, †Lagocephalus striatus n. sp., is the first fossil species of Tetraodontidae described from the Proto-Caribbean/Central Western Atlantic. We used high-resolution micro-CT scans of fossil and extant species to identify morphological characters on the skull, including the neurocranium, oromandibular and opercular bones, hyoid arch, and pectoral girdle. Specimens of both extant and extinct species of similar size were compared for accurate identification. We assess the paleogeographic distribution of the pufferfish group in the Neogene of Tropical America after the complete formation of the Isthmus of Panama.

Notes on Mesocapromys sanfelipensis (Rodentia: Capromyidae) from Cuba.

The San Felipe Hutia, Mesocapromys sanfelipensis, is one of the most endangered species of rodents in the world, and little is known about its ecology, evolution, and ancient distribution. At present, this hutia has been found only in its type locality, Cayo Juan Garcia, a cay in the southwest Cuban insular platform. Here we report for the first time a well preserved fossil skull referred to this species, collected in Cueva del Indio, Mayabeque province, western Cuba. This specimen shows that the modern population of M. sanfelipensis is a marginal relic of its former distribution, a consequence of climatic, eustatic, and neotectonic changes in the last 8 ka years. Also, we reevaluate the cranial characters and measurements that correspond to M. sanfelipensis and found that two of the eight specimens referred to this species and deposited at the Instituto de Ecologia y Sistematica belong to Mesocapromys auritus. Finally, we include six unpublished photos of specimens of M. sanfelipensis captured in 1970 during two expeditions to Cayo Juan Garcia.