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

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.

面部形态特征在人类化石记录的物种鉴定和系统发育重建中占有重要地位。然而，它的使用仍然存在争议，因为面部特征的进化意义尚不清楚。为了评估面部形态在定义物种方面的价值及其在系统发育重建中的有用性，有必要提高对人脸的发育、整合和变异的了解。这项研究解决的问题包括：在现代人类个体发育过程中，面部形状是否存在特定人群的变化？现代人的面部特征是否已发育整合？现代人类个体和群体之间以及更新世古人类之间的特定面部特征如何在个体发生上发生变化？更新世中期的智人 (H. heidelbergensis s.l.) 面部形态是否比现代人类更加多变？尼安德特人也是如此吗？欧洲更新世人类中是否存在类似尼安德特人的面部特征的分阶段时间顺序发展？非洲也有类似的趋势吗？为了回答这些问题，本研究使用了一种尖端的半地标几何形态测量方法，涉及面部表面分析，而不仅仅是地标分析，以量化经常用于定义更新世类群的微妙面部特征。成人和个体发育变异的模式以及这些特征的共同变异将在最近的人类地理样本中建立，并用作解释更新世人类化石记录的框架。这种新颖的方法首次能够对面部形态进行严格的定量分析并评估其进化意义。这项工作对于利用面部形态学评估人类化石记录具有重要意义，有助于阐明人类进化后期的进化过程和现代人类起源。