DDI: Evolution Of The Face In Mid Pleistocene Homo--3D Surface Analysis Of Development, Integration And Phylogeny

DDI：中更新世人脸的进化--发育、整合和系统发育的3D表面分析

• 批准号: 0851756
• 负责人: Eric Delson
• 金额: $ 1.45万
• 依托单位: CUNY Graduate School University Center
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-05-01 至 2011-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0851756&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DDI; Evolution; Face; Mid; Pleistocene; DDI; Evolution; Face; Mid; Pleistocene

Facial morphology features figure prominently in species identification and phylogenetic reconstructions of the human fossil record. However, its use remains controversial, as the evolutionary significance of facial features is not well-understood. An improved knowledge of the development, integration and variation of the human face is necessary in order to assess the value of facial morphology in defining species and its usefulness in phylogenetic reconstructions. Questions addressed in this study include: Are there population-specific changes in facial shape during modern human ontogeny? Are facial traits developmentally integrated in modern humans? How do particular facial traits vary ontogenetically between individuals and populations of modern humans, and among Pleistocene hominins? Is the mid-Pleistocene Homo (H. heidelbergensis s.l.) facial form more variable than that of modern humans? Is the same true for H. neanderthalensis? Is there a phased time-sequential development of Neanderthal-like facial traits among European Pleistocene hominins? Is there a similar trend in Africa? To answer these questions, this study uses a cutting edge semilandmark geometric morphometric method involving analysis of facial surfaces, rather than just landmarks, to quantify subtle facial features frequently used to define Pleistocene taxa. Patterns of adult and ontogenetic variation and co-variation of these features will be established within recent human geographic samples and used as a framework for interpreting the Pleistocene hominin fossil record. This novel approach for the first time enables the rigorous quantitative analysis of facial morphology and the evaluation of its evolutionary significance. This work has important implications for the use of facial morphology in assessing the human fossil record and helps elucidate the evolutionary processes of the later stages of human evolution and modern human origins.

面部形态在人类化石记录的物种鉴定和系统发育重建中显着特征。但是，它的使用仍然有争议，因为面部特征的进化意义并没有得到很好的理解。为了评估面部形态在定义物种中的价值及其在系统发育重建中的有用性，需要对人脸的发展，整合和变化的了解。这项研究中提出的问题包括：现代人体个体发育期间的面部形状有特定人群的变化？面部特质是否在现代人类中发展成一体化？特定的面部特征如何在现代人类和更新世人类中的个人和人群之间在异化上变化？中更新世同性（H. Heidelbergensis S.L.）面部表格是否比现代人类更可变？ H. Neanderthalensis也是如此吗？欧洲更新世人类中的尼安德特人样面部特征是否存在分阶段的时间序列发展？非洲有类似的趋势吗？为了回答这些问题，本研究使用了尖端半标志几何形态学方法，涉及面部表面而不是地标的分析，以量化经常用于定义更新世分类单元的微妙面部特征。这些特征的成人和种植变异的模式将在最近的人类地理样本中建立，并用作解释更新世的人类化石记录的框架。这种新颖的方法首次可以对面部形态进行严格的定量分析及其进化意义的评估。这项工作对于使用面部形态在评估人类化石记录时具有重要意义，并有助于阐明人类进化和现代人类起源的后期阶段的进化过程。