Encephalization and allometric trajectories in the genus Homo: evidence from the Neandertal and modern lineages.

ABSTRACT: The term "encephalization" is commonly used to describe an enlargement in brain size, considered as either absolute endocranial volumes or relative values in relation to body size. It is widely recognized that a considerable endocranial expansion occurred throughout the evolution of the genus Homo. This article aims to evaluate whether this phenomenon was the outcome of distinct evolutionary lineages, reaching similar brain expansions but through different trajectories. Endocranial morphology was studied in a sample of fossil hominines by multivariate approaches using both traditional metrics and geometric morphometrics. The analysis was focused on the transition from a generalized archaic pattern within the genus Homo to the modern morphology and compared with changes that occurred along

SUBMITTER: Bruner E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC307568 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature