TY - JOUR

T1 - Intraspecific variability in human maxillary bone modeling patterns during ontogeny

AU - Schuh, Alexandra

AU - Gunz, Philipp

AU - Villa, Chiara

AU - Kupczik, Kornelius

AU - Hublin, Jean-Jacques

AU - Freidline, Sarah E

N1 - © 2020 The Authors. American Journal of Physical Anthropology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

PY - 2020/12

Y1 - 2020/12

N2 - OBJECTIVES: This study compares the ontogenetic bone modeling patterns of the maxilla to the related morphological changes in three human populations to better understand how morphological variability within a species is established during ontogeny at both micro- and macroscopic levels.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The maxillary bones of an ontogenetic sample of 145 subadult and adult individuals from Greenland (Inuit), Western Europe (France, Germany, and Portugal), and South Africa (Khoekhoe and San) were analyzed. Bone formation and resorption were quantified using histological methods to visualize the bone modeling patterns. In parallel, semilandmark geometric morphometric techniques were used on 3D models of the same individuals to capture the morphological changes. Multivariate statistics were applied and shape differences between age groups were visualized through heat maps.RESULTS: The three populations show differences in the degree of shape change acquired during ontogeny, leading to divergences in the developmental trajectories. Only subtle population differences in the bone modeling patterns were found, which were maintained throughout ontogeny. Bone resorption in adults mirrors the pattern found in subadults, but is expressed at lower intensities.DISCUSSION: Our data demonstrate that maxillary morphological differences observed in three geographically distinct human populations are also reflected at the microscopic scale. However, we suggest that these differences are mostly driven by changes in rates and timings of the cellular activities, as only slight discrepancies in the location of bone resorption could be observed. The shared general bone modeling pattern is likely characteristic of all Homo sapiens, and can be observed throughout ontogeny.

AB - OBJECTIVES: This study compares the ontogenetic bone modeling patterns of the maxilla to the related morphological changes in three human populations to better understand how morphological variability within a species is established during ontogeny at both micro- and macroscopic levels.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The maxillary bones of an ontogenetic sample of 145 subadult and adult individuals from Greenland (Inuit), Western Europe (France, Germany, and Portugal), and South Africa (Khoekhoe and San) were analyzed. Bone formation and resorption were quantified using histological methods to visualize the bone modeling patterns. In parallel, semilandmark geometric morphometric techniques were used on 3D models of the same individuals to capture the morphological changes. Multivariate statistics were applied and shape differences between age groups were visualized through heat maps.RESULTS: The three populations show differences in the degree of shape change acquired during ontogeny, leading to divergences in the developmental trajectories. Only subtle population differences in the bone modeling patterns were found, which were maintained throughout ontogeny. Bone resorption in adults mirrors the pattern found in subadults, but is expressed at lower intensities.DISCUSSION: Our data demonstrate that maxillary morphological differences observed in three geographically distinct human populations are also reflected at the microscopic scale. However, we suggest that these differences are mostly driven by changes in rates and timings of the cellular activities, as only slight discrepancies in the location of bone resorption could be observed. The shared general bone modeling pattern is likely characteristic of all Homo sapiens, and can be observed throughout ontogeny.

KW - Adult

KW - Anthropology, Physical

KW - Bone Remodeling/physiology

KW - Continental Population Groups/statistics & numerical data

KW - Humans

KW - Maxilla/anatomy & histology

U2 - 10.1002/ajpa.24153

DO - 10.1002/ajpa.24153

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33029815

VL - 173

SP - 655

EP - 670

JO - American Journal of Physical Anthropology

JF - American Journal of Physical Anthropology

SN - 0002-9483

IS - 4

ER -