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Shifts in subsistence type and its impact on the human skull's morphological integration
Author(s) -
Paschetta Carolina,
De Azevedo Soledad,
González Marina,
QuintoSánchez Mirsha,
Cintas Celia,
Varela Hugo,
GómezValdés Jorge,
SánchezMejorada Gabriela,
GonzálezJosé Rolando
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
american journal of human biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1520-6300
pISSN - 1042-0533
DOI - 10.1002/ajhb.22746
Subject(s) - masticatory force , skull , neurocranium , anatomy , cranial vault , biology , osteology , morphometrics , facial skeleton , evolutionary biology , orthodontics , zoology , medicine
Objective Here we evaluate morphological integration patterns and magnitudes in different skull regions to detect if shifts in morphological integration are correlated to the appearance of more processed (softer) diets. Methods To do so, three transitional populations were analyzed, including samples from groups that inhabited the same geographical region and for which the evidence shows that major changes occurred in their subsistence mode. Ninety three‐dimensional landmarks were digitized on 357 skulls and used as the raw data to develop geometric morphometric analyses. The landmark coordinates were divided into several different regions of biomechanical interest, following a three‐level hierarchically nested scheme: the whole skull, further subdivided into neurocranium (divided into the vault and basicranium), the facial (divided into the lower and upper facial), and the masticatory apparatus (divided into alveolar, temporal, and temporo‐mandibular joint). Results Our results indicate that the morphological integration and variability patterns significantly vary across skull regions but are maintained across the transitions. The alveolar border and the lower facial are the regions manifesting greater value of morphological integration and variability, while the upper facial, the temporo‐mandibular joint, and the basicranium are highly integrated and poorly variable. Conclusions The transition to softer diets increased morphological variation across cranial regions that are more exposed to masticatory strains effects. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:118–128, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.