Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A new coordinate system using the orbital axis for morphological analysis of primate skulls

  • Published:
Primates Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A new coordinate system for primate skulls was defined by the orbital axis and the validity of the system was examined. This system is thought to be equivalent throughout the primates. With the aid of photogrammetry the three-dimensional coordinates of 39 points on the skulls of 479 individuals comprising 54 species including man were accurately measured. The orbital structure is morphologically stable and its axis represents a comparative horizontal. The midsagittal plane and the bilateral symmetry of the cranium are also stable. The morphological stability in angular dimensions is confirmed by a standard deviation smaller than 2.0°. The major evolutionary change in the neurocranium is the inclination of the cranial base from the orbital horizon, and the inclination is related to the neurocranial size. The ear-eye plane is generally inapplicable to the primates, because it is affected by the orbital size and the descent of the auricular part due to the inclination of the cranial base. The clivus line or the vestibular coordinate system is not desirable as the horizontal, either. The evolutionary development of the facial part of the cranium is independent of that of the neurocranium and these two parts are separated by the orbital horizon.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abbie, A. A., 1963. The cranial centre.Z. Morph. Anthropol., 53: 6–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Angst, R., 1967. Beitrag zum Formwandel des Craniums der Ponginen.Z. Morph. Anthropol., 58: 109–151.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1968. Über die Variabilität und Veränderungen der präbasialen Kyphose während der postnatalen Ontogenese bei Colobinenschädeln.Folia Primatol., 8: 301–306.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, E. H. &S. Zuckerman, 1952. Age changes in the position of the occipital condyles in the chimpanzee and gorilla.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 10: 277–288.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ———— & ————, 1956. Age changes in the position of the foramen magnum in hominoids.Proc. Zool. Soc., Lond., 126: 315–325.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———— &T. F. Spence, 1958. Age changes in the cranial capacity and foramen magnum of hominoids.Proc. Zool. Soc., Lond., 130: 169–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benfer, R. A., 1975. Morphometric analysis of cartesian coordinates of the human skull.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 42: 371–382.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Biegert, J., 1957. Der Formwandel des Primatenschädels und seine Beziehungen zur ontogenetischen Entwicklung und den phylogenetischen Spezialisationen der Kopforgane.Morph. Jb., 98: 77–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1963. The evaluation of characteristics of the skull, hands and feet for primate taxonomy. In:Classification and Human Evolution,S. L. Washburn (ed.), Viking Fund Publ., Anthropol., Chicago, pp. 116–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolk, L., 1915. Über Lagerung, Verschiebung und Neigung des Foramen magnum am Schädel der Primaten.Z. Morph. Anthropol., 17: 611–692.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cartmill, M., 1970. The orbits of arboreal mammals: a reassessment of the arboreal theory of primate evolution. Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of Chicago, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, W. E. Le Gros, 1963.The Antecedents of Man. Harper & Row, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conroy, G. C., 1981. Cranial asymmetry in ceboid primates: the emissary foramina.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 55: 187–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Creel, N. &H. Preuschoft, 1976. Cranial morphology of the lesser apes: A multivariate statistical study. In:Gibbon and Siamang, Vol. 4,D. M. Rumbauch (ed.), S. Karger, Basel, pp. 219–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———— & ————, 1981. Homonoid taxonomy: A canonical analysis of cranial dimensions.Proceed. 3rd Int. Congr. Primatol., Zurich 1970, 1, pp. 36–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dabelow, A., 1929. Über Korrelationen in der phylogenetischen Entwicklung der Schädelform I. Die Beziehungen zwischen Rumpf und Schädelform.Morph. Jb., 63: 1–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1931. Über Korrelationen in der phylogenetischen Entwicklung der Schädelform II. Beziehungen zwischen Gehirn und Schädelbasis bei den Mammalien.Morph. Jb., 67: 84–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delattre, A. &R. Fenart, 1963. Etude des projections horizontale et verticofrontale du crane au cours de l'hominisation.L'anthropologie, 67: 525–561.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dmoch, R., 1975. Beiträge zum Formwandel des Primatencraniums mit Bemerkungen zu den sagittalen Knickungsverhältnissen.Gegenb. Morph. Jb., 121: 450–491; 521–601; 625–668.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1976. Beiträge zum Formwandel des Primatencraniums mit Bemerkungen zu den sagittalen Knickungsverhältnissen.Gegenb. Morph. Jb., 122: 1–81.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, H., 1960. Über die Variabilität der präbasialen Kyphose bei Pavianschädeln.Z. Anat. Entwicklungsgesch., 121: 446–454.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gabow, S. L., 1977. Population structure and the rate of hominid brain evolution.J. Human Evol., 6: 643–665.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, M. S., 1936. Changes in dimensions and form of the face and head with age.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 22: 37–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofer, H., 1952. Der Gestaltwandel des Schädels der Säugetiere und Vögel, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Knickungstypen und Schädelbasis.Verh. Anat. Ges., 50. Vers. Marburg, Anat. Anz. Erg-Heft, 102–103.

  • ————, 1954. Die kranio-cerebrale Topographie bei den Affen und ihre Bedeutung für die menschliche Schädelform.Homo, 5: 52–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • ----, 1957. Zur Kenntnisse der Kyphosen des Primatenschädels.Verh. Anat. Ges., 54. Vers. Freiburg (i. Br., Suppl.),Anat. Anz. Erg-Heft, pp. 54–76.

  • ————, 1960. Studien zum Problem des Gestaltwandels des Schädels der Säugetiere, insbesondere der Primaten I. Die Medianen Krümmungen des Schädels und ihre Erfassung nach der Methode vonLandzert.Z. Morph. Anthropol., 53: 299–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1965. Die morphologische Analyse des Schädels des Menschen. In:Menschiliche Abstammungslehre,G. Heberer (ed.), Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart, pp. 145–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobshagen, B., 1980. Grenzen konventioneller Techniken und Möglichkeiten alternativer Ansätze in der Anthropometrie.Z. Morph. Anthropol., 71: 306–321.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1981. Comparison of morphological factors in the cranial variation of the great apes and man. In:Primate Evolutionary Biology,A. B. Chiarelli &R. S. Corruccini (eds.), Springer, Berlin, pp. 98–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jungers, W. L. &R. Z. German, 1981. Ontogenetic and interspecific skeletal allometry in nonhuman primates: Bivariate versus multivariate analysis.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 55: 195–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kummer, B., 1952a. Untersuchungen über die Entstehung der Schädelbasisform bei Mensch und Primaten.Verh. Anat. Ges., 50. Vers. Marburg, Anat. Anz. Erg-Heft, pp. 122–126.

  • ————, 1952b. Untersuchungen über die ontogenetische Entwicklung des menschlichen Schädelbasiswinkels.Z. Morph. Anthropol., 43: 331–360.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1957. Zur Frage der Orientierung von Primatenschädeln zum morphologischen Formvergleich.Anthropol. Anz., 20: 283–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, R. & K. Saller, 1957.Lehrbuch der Anthropologie, 3 Aufl., Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart, Band I.

  • Moore, W. J., L. M. Adams &C. L. B. Lavelle, 1973. Head posture in the Hominoidea.J. Zool., London, 169: 409–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oyen, O. J. &A. Walker, 1977. Stereometric craniometry.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 46: 177–182.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz, A. H., 1940. The size of the orbit and of the eye in primates.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 26: 389–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1942. Conditions for balancing the head in primates.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 29: 484–497.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1955. The position of the occipital condyles and of the face relative to the skull base in primates.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 13: 97–120.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Starck, D., 1965. Some remarks on morphological problems of the baboon skull (skull base, development of the skull, variability in homogeneous populations). In:The Baboon in Medical Research,H. Vagdborg (ed.), Univ. of Texas Press, Austin, pp. 181–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suwa, G., 1981a. Fundamental characteristics of the vestibular coordinate system in human craniology.J. Anthropol. Soc. Nippon, 89: 303–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1981b. A morphological analysis of Japanese crania by means of the vestibular coordinate system.J. Anthropol. Soc. Nippon, 89: 329–350.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel, C., 1966.Morphologische Studien am Gesichtsschädel Catarrhiner Primaten. Bibliotheca Primatologica, Vol. 4.

  • Weidenreich, F., 1924. Die Sonderform des Menschenschädels als Anpassung an den aufrechten Gang.Z. Morph. Anthropol., 24: 157–190.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 484, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan

    Shin Matsumoto

Authors
  1. Shin Matsumoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

About this article

Cite this article

Matsumoto, S. A new coordinate system using the orbital axis for morphological analysis of primate skulls. Primates 24, 546–566 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02381688

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02381688

Keywords

Search

Navigation