Nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses of the roe-deer (Capreolus capreolus) (corrision-anatomical and x-ray studies)

By means of about fifty skulls of dominating female animals of all age groups the formation and topgraphy of the Cavum nasi and its Sinus paranasales at the roe-deer are investigated and described by pouring out the Sinus paranasales about their physiological entrances with Technovit 7143. Amongst numerous findings the main results are in the following: 1. the total absence of a Sinus frontalis, 2. the characteristic formation of the Sinus ethmoidales. The results are compared with the well-known findings at the sheep and goat and the differences are put out. Furthermore a critical discussion with the hitherto existing opinions about the pneumatisation of the skulls at the roe-deer is given.     

Mechanisms of control of alae nasi muscle activity.

Human upper airway dilator muscles are clearly influenced by chemical stimuli such as hypoxia and hypercapnia. Whether in humans there are upper airway receptors capable of modifying the activity of such muscles is unclear. We studied alae nasi electromyography (EMG) in normal men in an attempt to determine 1) whether increasing negative intraluminal pressure influences the activity of the alae nasi muscle, 2) whether nasal airway feedback mechanisms modify the activity of this muscle, and 3) if so, whether these receptor mechanisms are responding to mucosal temperature/pressure changes or to airway deformation. Alae nasi EMG was recorded in 10 normal men under the following conditions: 1) nasal breathing (all potential nasal receptors exposed), 2) oral breathing (nasal receptors not exposed), 3) nasal breathing with splints (airway deformation prevented), and 4) nasal breathing after nasal anesthesia (mucosal receptors anesthetized). In addition, in a separate group, the combined effects of anesthesia and nasal splints were assessed. Under each condition, EMG activity was monitored during basal breathing, progressive hypercapnia, and inspiratory resistive loading. Under all four conditions, both load and hypercapnia produced a significant increase in alae nasi EMG, with hypercapnia producing a similar increment in EMG regardless of nasal receptor exposure. On the other hand, loading produced greater increments in EMG during nasal than during oral breathing, with combined anesthesia plus splinting producing a load response similar to that observed during oral respiration. These observations suggest that nasal airway receptors have little effect on the alae nasi response to hypercapnia but appear to mediate the alae nasi response to loading or negative airway pressure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The effect of artificial cranial deformation on the incidence of wormian bones in the lambdoidal suture

One hundred and twenty adult and 80 human fetal skulls were examined to find the relationship (if any) between the presence of wormian bones in the lambdoidal suture and artificial deformation of the skull. Wormian bones occur in deformed and undeformed skulls with no significant differences. Wormian bones detected in fetal skulls preclude cultural deformation as an important factor in the formation of these bones. It is hypothesized that a genetic predisposition (genes allowing formation of secondary ossification centers) is present and that wormian bones are under direct genetic control regardless of the presence or absence of detectable cultural deformation.     

现代人头骨面部某些特征的投影栅相位法测量研究

用投影栅相位法 ,定量测量现代人面颅骨的一些项目 ,分析比较了中国南方、北方面骨的特点及中国与欧洲现代人面骨的差异 ,并探讨该方法在人类学研究领域应用的可行性和实用性。发现 :1 不论云南、欧洲头骨 ,性别差异主要集中在线距项目上 ,男性测量值大于女性。 2 华北头骨的中面宽、上面高及其指数、颧上颌高和内侧两眶宽指数大于云南头骨 ,中面部的扁平度小于云南头骨 ,颧骨额蝶突的前外侧面比云南头骨的要朝向前方。 3 中国云南、华北现代人头骨上面部的宽度小于欧洲现代人头骨 ,上面部扁平程度大于欧洲现代人头骨; 颧骨额蝶突的前外侧面比欧洲头骨更朝向前方。华北头骨上面部高度及其指数大于欧洲头骨; 云南头骨上面高及男性的上面高指数与欧洲头骨无差异 ,云南女性上面高指数大于欧洲头骨。我们认为投影栅相位法可作为传统测量方法的有益补充。     

Comparaison de l'expression de certains caractères crâniens sur les hominidés chinois du Pléistocène récent et de l'Holocène (grotte supérieure de Zhoukoudian, sites de Longxian et de Yanqing)

The human remains recovered from “Grotte supérieure de Zhoukoudian” are the best-preserved Late Pleistocene human fossils in East Asia. For decades, as the representative of the Late Pleistocene human in East Asia, the Upper Cave skulls have been playing important role in the research of origins of modern Mongoloids and American Indians. With the advance of the origin and evolution of modern humans, more attention has been paid to the details and the mechanisms for the late Pleistocene human evolution and the formation of modern human populations. Both the origin and diversification of modern humans have been stressed. Some studies further trigger the debaters on the Upper Cave Man concerning its evolutionary level and its role in the formation of modern human populations in East Asia. To further explore these problems, we examined and compared 12 non-metric features on the 3 Late Pleistocene Upper Cave skulls and 162 Holocene individuals earthed from two archaeological sites of North China (Longxian and Yanqing). Our results indicate that 8 on the 12 features have different expression patterns between Upper Cave Man and recent Chinese leading the authors to believe that more primitive expressions appeared on the Upper Cave Man than on recent Chinese populations. Based on these findings, some problems on the intragroup variation in Late Pleistocene and Holocene populations are discussed.     

Étude craniométrique du complexe d’espèces Meriones shawii–grandis (Mammalia : Rodentia) au Maroc,en Algérie et en Tunisie

In North Africa, the rodents of the species complex Meriones shawii–grandis have a considerable ecological, economic and epidemiological importance. Until now, the systematics of these species was subject to discussion due to the presence of populations displaying high morphological variability. By means of an approach of traditional morphometrics based on cranial distances and by using the method of the log shape-ratio, we attempt to characterize morphologically these two taxa. The results show significant differences in size and shape between the specimens of Morocco, on the one hand, and those of Algeria and Tunisia, on the other hand. The samples of Morocco that have been molecularly typed and attributed to M. grandis have larger tooth rows and narrower skulls, as well as relatively small tympanic bullae. On the other hand, those of Algeria and Tunisia assigned to M. shawii are characterized by small tooth rows and wide skulls with well-developed tympanic bullae. The morphological distance is relatively strong between both clades (79.5%), which corresponds to the molecular distance. However, the discriminant analysis performed after molecularly-typed specimens allows the correct classification of only 91.8% of the individuals.     

Respiratory changes in nasal muscle length

Respiratory changes in alae nasi muscle length were recorded using sonomicrometry in pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized tracheostomized dogs spontaneously breathing 100% O2. Piezoelectric crystals were inserted via small incisions into the alae nasi of 11 animals, and bipolar fine-wire electrodes were inserted contralaterally in nine of the same animals. The alae nasi shortened during inspiration in all animals. The mean amount of shortening was 1.33 +/- 0.22% of resting length (LR), and the mean velocity of shortening during the first 200 ms was 4.60 +/- 0.69% LR/S. The onset of alae nasi shortening preceded inspiratory flow by 77 +/- 18 ms (P less than 0.002), at which time both alae nasi shortening and the moving average of electromyographic (EMG) activity had reached approximately one-third of their peak values. In contrast, there was a relative delay in alae nasi relaxation relative to the decay of alae nasi EMG at the end of expiration. Single-breath airway occlusions at end expiration changed the normally rounded pattern of alae nasi shortening and moving average EMG to a late-inspiratory peaking pattern; both total shortening and EMG were increased by similar amounts. The onset of vagally mediated volume-related inhibition of alae nasi shortening occurred synchronously with the onset of inhibition of alae nasi EMG; both occurred at lung volumes substantially below tidal volume. These results indicate that the pattern of inspiratory shortening of this nasal dilating muscle is reflected closely in the pattern of EMG activity and that vagal afferents cause substantial inhibition of alae nasi inspiratory shortening.     

Intrapopulation Polymorphism of the Pine Marten (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Martes martes</Emphasis>, Carnivora,Mustelidae) from Tver Oblast

The intrapopulation polymorphism of the pine marten (Martes martes L. 1758) was assessed on the basis of studying five samplings of skulls, three of which were collected on the same territory at different times. The geographical distance between the three sampling areas varied from 60 to 240 km. Study of the material using the phenetic (250 skulls), morphometric (151 skulls), and molecular genetic (21 skin samples) approaches allowed us to characterize the pine marten as a species with a low level of polymorphism. The genetic diversity (π = 0.0069 ± 0.0041 and H = 0.90 ± 0.039) is determined by ancient demographic processes that took place in the Pleistocene and Holocene and are related to the ice-age history of this species, its expansion, and the formation of the population on the territory under study. Low levels of phenetic (μ = 1.48 ± 0.056, h = 0.14 ± 0.033) and morphological (CV = 3.37 ± 0.41) diversity as well as a low level of sexual dimorphism (Isd = 9.4) indicate that the pine marten occupies a specific and relatively narrow ecological niche and is involved in weak competition with smaller mustelid species.     

华南人颅骨上、下颌臼齿磨耗与年龄变化的关系

本文以华南人103例17—73岁男性颅骨的709个臼齿为材料,研究了上下颌臼齿磨耗度与年龄的关系。将磨耗度分为九级,统计分析结果表明,华南人臼齿的磨耗度与年龄关系是密切相关的,这种相关关系,能够作为估计华南人颅骨年龄的标准。第一臼齿与第二臼齿的磨耗平均年龄比率是M1∶M2=6∶6.9;磨耗度与年龄的相关系数M1为0.91,M2为0.90,均为高度相关。并得出磨耗度的平均年龄及95％置信区间(见表3)。华南人下颌臼齿的磨耗比上颌臼齿的磨耗稍大(61.5％)。     

禄丰古猿雌性头像的复原

本文叙述了制作禄丰古猿雌性复原头像的根据和过程。复原像以宽阔的眶间宽和中面部,以及低平的鼻根和鼻梁硬骨部为其显著的特点。它的“鼻—前颌部”侧面轮廓和软鼻形态与猩猩的较相似。它的鼻属猿型鼻,有类似大猩猩的和人形化的性状。     

香港地区现代人头骨的研究：性别和地区类型的判别分析

本文报告了香港地区现代中国人头骨测量性状的性别差异情况和香港与太原的男性头骨的差异情况。在此基础上,使用判别分析的方法建立了各自的判别函数,正判率分别达到93.1％和85.3％。它们分别适用于华南头骨的性别鉴定和华南与华北男性头骨的区分。     

The fluctuating asymmetry of medieval and modern human skulls.

The analysis of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) allows for estimating the influence of stress factors on human development and allows to evaluate resistance to stress. FA is often used as a marker of prenatal stress. The aim of this work is to estimate the symmetry of skulls from selected historic human populations and to analyse changes in their morphology which have taken place over centuries. The studied material consisted of two skull samples - a modern sample containing 82 skulls and a medieval sample of 77 skulls from Gródek on the Bug River. Radiographs were taken in postero-anterior (P-A) and base projections. Images were scanned and calibrated by means of MicroStation 95 Academic Edition software. Measurements of the skull images were used to estimate FA. All data were analysed statistically. The skulls in both samples showed asymmetry. The levels of FA varied in different skull regions. A high level of FA in the calvaria and a low asymmetry for the facial part of skull is characteristic of modern skulls. In medieval skulls these relations are inverted. The higher value of FA in modern skulls is an evidence of a higher level of developmental stress in the modern population as well as of its lesser abilities to resist stress.     

A new approach to mammalian cranial analysis, illustrated by examples of prosimian primates

Latex endocranial casts, which may be made without damaging the skull, reveal much of the information provided by a hemisected skull. Examination of drawings of endocasts superimposed on skulls may provide insight into the biological significance of skull and brain morphology. The high degree of cranial flexion and the globose brain shape of Daubentonia appear to be related to the functional demands of its gnawing mechanism. The broad frontal lobes of indriids are correlated with orbital orientation; differences in frontal lobe sulcal pattern suggest greater elaboration of the motor filed for the hand in indriids than in lemurids. Several features of lorisid cranial anatomy are discussed. It is suggested that, as a first approximation, increased splanchnocranial declination in small prosimians results from the necessity of accommodating relatively large eyes in a skull with a relatively small splanchnocranium.     

Genioglossus and alae nasi activity in fetal sheep

The functional development of two upper airway dilating muscles, the alae nasi and the genioglossus, has been studied in fetal sheep in utero from 112-140 days gestation. Before electrocortical differentiation phasic activity was present in both muscles for long periods, mostly when breathing movements were present. After 120 days gestation phasic genioglossal and alae nasi activity occurred only during periods of low voltage electrocortical activity. During high voltage episodes there was no phasic activity and tonic activity was not sustained. Although present during periods of breathing movements genioglossus activity was rarely synchronous with the diaphragm. The alae nasi showed both respiratory and non-respiratory related activity. Hypoxia abolished both alae nasi and genioglossus activity but whereas alae nasi rapidly developed an inspiratory rhythm during 5% CO2 administration this was not the case with the genioglossus and inspiratory activity was not always seen in the genioglossus even during 10% CO2 administration. It is concluded that there are fundamental differences between the control of genioglossus and alae nasi activity in the fetal sheep. The alae nasi behaves as an inspiratory muscle responding to hypoxia and hypercapnia as would be expected but the genioglossus shows no inspiratory activity during normal unstimulated fetal breathing. Thus the neural mechanisms for activation of inspiratory activity appear to be present late in gestation. However it is possible for the genioglossus to develop an inspiratory rhythm under conditions of much increased respiratory drive.     

Alae nasi electromyographic activity and timing in obstructive sleep apnea

The alae nasi is an accessible dilator muscle of the upper airway located in the nose. We measured electromyograms (EMG) of the alae nasi to determine the relationship between their activity and timing to contraction of the rib cage muscles and diaphragm during obstructive apnea in nine patients. Alae nasi EMG were measured with surface electrodes and processed to obtain a moving time average. Contraction of the rib cage and diaphragm during apneas was detected with esophageal pressure. During non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep, there was a significant correlation in each patient between alae nasi EMG activity and the change in esophageal pressure. During rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, correlations were significantly lower than during NREM sleep. As the duration of each apnea increased, the activation of alae nasi EMG occurred progressively earlier than the change in esophageal pressure. We conclude that during obstructive apneas in NREM sleep, activity of the alae nasi increases when diaphragm and rib cage muscle force increases and the activation occurs earlier as each apneic episode progresses.     

Betrachtungen an Schädeln von Goldfischen (Carassius gibelio f. auratus)

Studies on skulls of goldfishes (Carassius gibelio f. auratus) The aim of the study is to analse skulls of some races of goldfish, the domesticated form of Carassius gibelio Bloch, 1782. The problem: are changes of these skulls parallelisms to skulls of other domesticated animals originating from different species. Parallelism is a most interesting phenomenon of phylogeny abundant but not regular, very frequent in domesticated animals. Skulls of normal goldfish, of frinetail and tigerhead have been compared. In total the skulls of fringetail and especially tigerhead are broader, higher, stouter, the faceart shortened. Remarkable in detail: the opercula are slender and higher in fringetail and tigerhead than in normal goldfish, the preopercula shortened and their ventral art bended upwards, influencin the position of the mouth. In comparison with normal goldfish the skulls of fringetail and tigerhead have to be classified als parallelisms to skulls of some races of other domesticated secies. Finally: some remarks on parallelism, convergence and pluripotenz and agout modern viewpoints on the relations between genes and complex organismal patterns.     

Bioanthropological analysis of human occipital condyles using geometric morphometric method

Sex differences are present in all parts of the body, including the skeletal system. Several methods are used to analyze the sex differences of skeleton, while more recently, a new method called geometric morphometry has been used. The aim of this study was to examine the sexual dimorphism of occipital condyles on human skulls originating from the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina using the geometric morphometric method.Material and methodsThe study was conducted on 214 human skulls of known gender from Bosnian population. For analysis of sexual dimorphism of occipital condyles, we used geometric morphometry, where all the skulls were scanned to obtain three-dimensional skull models. On the obtained models, we marked anthropometric points on occipital condyles in a Landmark Editor program from which we exported data in the form NTSYS file and analyzed it in MorphoJ program.ResultsFirst principal component PC1 describes 26.917% of total variability, the second principal component PC2 describes 20.992% of total variability, while the first eight principal components together describe 100% of total variability. The greatest variability between the male skulls and female skulls was present in the anterior-posterior diameter (length of occipital condyles). Discriminant functional analysis of the shape and size of the occipital condyles was possible with 69.50% accuracy for male skulls and with 60.27% accuracy for female skulls. The size of the occipital condyles showed a statistically significant effect on sexual determination. Discriminant functional analysis of the shape of the occipital condyles without affecting size enabled the determination of gender with with 65.96% accuracy for male skulls and with 63.01% accuracy for female skulls.ConclusionAnalysis of sexual dimorphism of occipital condyles using geometric morphometry showed statistically significant differences in the shape and size of occipital condyles between the sexes. The accuracy of sex determination based on occipital condyles was higher for male gender.     

中国古人类进化连续性新辩

本文通过对一些形态特征的分析说明研究人类起源和进化应该注意的一些思维方法的问题,并且为多地区进化说增添了新的证据:1)中国更新世头骨共同具有的眼眶及其外侧下缘形状等特征在近代头骨中已有所改变,在考虑其意义时不应该忽略时间和基因交流起过的作用;2)中国更新世头骨的共同特征并不因为它们也可见于其他地区而丧失其意义,因为证明连续性的共同特征不需要是地区独有的;3)铲形门齿的结构在近代人中变弱,不削弱它作为连续进化证据的价值,这种弱化的现象是人类进化过程中形态纤巧化的一种表现;4)在辩论时不要对有关形态作不正确的观察和曲解对方的观点和论据;5)头骨正中矢状突隆、下颌圆枕、夹紧状鼻梁和第三臼齿先天性缺失等四项特征在近代非洲人中阙如,却存在于东亚近代人,本文的分析认为这种现象增强多地区进化说的说服力。     

Phylogenetic and environmental components of morphological variation: skull, mandible, and molar shape in marmots (Marmota, Rodentia)

The phenotype is a product of its phylogenetic history and its recent adaptation to local environments, but the relative importance of the two factors is controversial. We assessed the effects of diet, habitat, elevation, temperature, precipitation, body size, and mtDNA genetic divergence on shape variation in skulls, mandibles, and molars, structures that differ in their genetic and functional control. We asked whether these structures have adapted to environment to the same extent and whether they retain the same amount of phylogenetic signal. We studied these traits in intra- and interspecific populations of Eurasian marmots whose last common ancestor lived 2-5 million years ago. Path Analysis revealed that body size explained 10% of variation in skulls, 7% in mandibles, and 15% in molars. Local vegetation explained 7% of variation in skulls, 11% in mandibles, and 12% in molars. Dietary category explained 25% of variation in skulls, 11% in mandibles, and 9% in molars. Cyt b mtDNA divergence (phylogeny) explained 15% of variation in skulls, 7% in mandibles, and 5% in molars. Despite the percentages of phylogenetic variance, maximum-likelihood trees based on molar and skull shape recovered most phylogenetic groupings correctly, but mandible shape did not. The good performance of molars and skulls was probably due to different factors. Skulls are genetically and functionally more complicated than teeth, and they had more mathematically independent components of variation (5-6-in skulls compared to 3-in molars). The high proportion of diet-related variance was not enough to mask the phylogenetic signal. Molars had fewer independent components, but they also have less ecophenotypic variation and evolve more slowly, giving each component a proportionally stronger phylogenetic signal. Molars require larger samples for each operational taxonomic unit than the other structures because the proportion of within-taxon to between-taxon variation was higher. Good phylogenetic signal in quantitative skeletal morphology is likely to be found only when the taxa have a common ancestry no older than hundreds of thousands or millions of years (1% to 10% mtDNA divergence)--under these conditions skulls and molars provide stronger signal than mandibles.     

A method for estimation of cranial capacity from cephalometric roentgenograms

A method of estimating cranial capacity of either living subjects or cadavers or dry skulls has been developed and tested. This method requires a lateral and a frontal (A-P) cephalogram. The area of the projection of the cranial cavity on the lateral cephalogram, A_L, is determined by use of a planimeter and the breadth, b, is determined by direct measurement of its projection on the frontal cephalogram. These data are applied to a formula, V = KA_Lb, where K is a constant which has been determined by tests of a similar population of skulls of known volume. Ten or 12 skulls should be sufficient for the purpose of determining K. The method is simple and direct, and offers accuracy and reliability as good or better than the best methods presently employed.