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Premaxillary‐maxillary suture fusion and anterior nasal tubercle morphology in the chimpanzee
Author(s) -
Mooney Mark P.,
Siegel Michael I.
Publication year - 1991
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/ajpa.1330850408
Subject(s) - anatomy , biology , premaxilla , fibrous joint , maxilla
The anterior nasal spine (ANS) is considered by some to be a unique characteristic of modern humans; however, it has been reported to occur in chimpanzees. Among human populations, ANS size correlates with facial prognathism and timing of premaxillary‐maxillary sutural fusion, which may have implications for models of midfacial growth. To investigate these questions, skulls from 55 chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) (29 male, 26 female), ranging in age from infants to adults, were examined. None of the 55 specimens examined had a true ANS, but a number of specimens exhibited raised anterior nasal prominences or tubercles (ANT) on the nasal surface of the premaxilla. Female specimens had significantly ( P < .05) more ANTs and more extensive fusion of both the palatal and facial components of the suture than did the male specimens. Results from the present study document the presence of an ANT in a sample of chimpanzee crania and are consonant with associations predicted by a septal‐traction model of midfacial growth.