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The crescent of foramina in Australopithecus afarensis and other early hominids
Author(s) -
Rak Yoel,
Kimbel William H.,
Johanson Donald C.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-8644(199609)101:1<93::aid-ajpa6>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - anatomy , australopithecus , foramen , sphenoid bone , hominidae , synapomorphy , biology , foramen ovale (heart) , skull , medicine , biological evolution , clade , biochemistry , genetics , patent foramen ovale , migraine , gene , phylogenetic tree
The crescent of foramina of the cerebral surface of the sphenoid bone (superior orbital fissure, foramen rotundum, foramen ovale, foramen spinosum) differs morphologically in the African great apes and modern humans. New discoveries of Australopithecus afarensis at Hadar, Ethiopia, draw attention to the similarity of the crescent, particularly the “foramen” shape of the superior orbital fissure and its close proximity to the foramen rotundum, in this species, the African apes, and many other primates. Australopithecus africanus also shows this primitive pattern, whereas “robust” australopiths and humans share a configuration in which a true, laterally extended superior orbital fissure intervenes between the greater and lesser wings of the sphenoid and a broad bridge of bone separates the fissure from the foramen rotundum. This shared morphology may be added to the list of putative “robust” australopith‐ Homo synapomorphies. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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