Variations in the anatomical structure of the pterion among populations from various global regions

• Published in: VESTNIK ARHEOLOGII, ANTROPOLOGII I ETNOGRAFII
• Main Author: Movsesian A.A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Russian
• Published: Tyumen Scientific Centre SB RA 2024
• Subjects: craniology; non-metric traits; pterion structure; multidimensional scaling; mean measure of divergence; Archaeology; CC1-960; Chukchi; Chukotka; eskimo*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.20874/2071-0437-2024-65-2-12; https://doaj.org/article/72c8541bfb1844f1845b0b8f214c63f8

Anatomical variations in the structure of the pterion were examined in various craniological series representing modern populations from Australia, Melanesia, Southeast Asia, North Asia, America, and Europe, encompassing 2035 adult crania. The comparison of populations based on the frequency of nonmetric traits revealed significant diversity across regions. Notably, the sphenoparietal connection is most frequent in European and South Asian populations, as well as among Native Americans, while it is least common among African groups. The frontotemporal connection predominates among Australian Aborigines and Melanesians and is also common in African populations but is almost non-existent in Europeans. The X-shaped pterion is most frequently observed in the Eskimos of Chukotka and the Chukchi, as well as among Somali and Tanzanian populations. A high frequency of epipteric bones is particularly characteristic of Southern Indians, Burmese, Australians, and Melanesians. Pairwise comparisons of populations were conducted using Smith's Mean Measure of Divergence (MMD). To visualize the data from individual regions, the method of Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) was applied to the matrices of biological distances. The MDS plot for the North Asian region revealed distinct clusters of the Arctic, Baikal, Central Asian, and Ural groups, aligning with G.F. Debetz's classification based on morphological similarities among populations. In the MDS plot for the South and Southeast Asian, American, and African populations, Australians and Melanesians formed a separate cluster; Pueblo Indians were closely aligned with Peruvians, South Indians with Burmese, Malays merged with Papuans, and African populations were positioned relatively close to each other. In Europe, Caucasian groups formed a distinct cluster. On the combined graph, the populations were clearly divided by regions. The results obtained indicate that the spatial arrangement of populations on the graphs approximately mirrors their genetic connections and shared origins. ...