Moscow University
Anthropology
Bulletin
Anthropology
Bulletin
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, 11, Mokhovaya str., Moscow, 125009, Russia
Karapetian Marina, PhD, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1886-8943; marishkakar@hotmail.com.
Introduction. Although cranial vault thickness was a subject of numerous studies on modern and ancient humans, Arctic and Siberian groups are unexplored in this respect. The aim of the current study was to present and characterize new data on cranial vault thickness in these population groups. Materials and Methods. Overall, computed tomography scans of 69 men’s crania from the Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology collections were studied. These included Eskimo, Chukchi, Aleuts, Buryats, Evenks, Yakuts and Ulchis. The point measurements of thickness were made at Bragma, Mid Frontal, Lambda and external occipital protuberance. Also mean thickness of the frontal, occipital (on sagittal plane) and parietal bones (on parasagittal plane) were estimated. Each cranium was studied for additional traits including maximum length, breadth and height (Mart. 1, 8 and 17) as well as the degree of suture obliteration (as an estimate of biological age) (after Meindl and Lovejoy). Results. Cranial vault thickness in Arctic and Siberian groups was within mean values reported previously for other human population groups. Aleuts, Chukchi and Ulchis had lower overall values of thickness while the highest values were observed for Evenks. A significant correlation was observed between the size of the braincase and the thickness of the frontal and parietal bones. While no significant correlation existed between the form of the braincase (cranial index), the degree of suture obliteration and the thickness of cranial bones. Conclusion. The article presents new data on cranial vault thickness in Arctic and Siberian groups. In future, it would be necessary to increase sizes of the comparative samples as well as to perform analysis between groups living in different environmental conditions. This would enable to perform a meaningful comparative analysis allowing to reveal possible influence of ecological factors on the variability of the studied trait.
Craniology; computed tomography; cranial bone morphology; Siberia; Aleutian Islands
DOI: 10.32521/2074-8132.2019.2.040-050
Цит.: Karapetian M.K. Studying cranial vault thickness. Part 2: New data on Arctic and Siberian groups (based on computed tomography scan analysis) // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2019; 2/2019; с. 40-50
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