TY  - JOUR
A1  - ,  
T1  - Endocranial traits. Prevalence and distribution in a recent human population
JO  - Eur. J. Anat.
SN  - 1136-4890
Y1  - 2003
VL  - 7
SP  - 23
EP  - 33
UR  - http://www.eurjanat.com/web/paper.php?id=03010023
KW  - anatomical variation
KW  - anthropology
KW  - article
KW  - clinical feature
KW  - dura mater
KW  - gender
KW  - genetic trait
KW  - geographic distribution
KW  - human
KW  - human tissue
KW  - Italy
KW  - meninx
KW  - morphological trait
KW  - population research
KW  - prevalence
KW  - skull
KW  - skull base
KW  - spinal arachnoid
N2  - A recent human population from Italy was analysed for the prevalence and expression of endocranial characters, as well as for the presence of some ectocranial epigenetic traits. The purpose was to provide a supplementary database for the characterisation of some features used to compare the variability of extant and extinct human groups. Many differences between males and females are the result of allometric trajectories, with males shifted to a larger size. In contrast, other features may be unrelated to size and thus interpreted as real sexual characters. The cranial base angle is slightly but significantly related to size, particularly to the vertical skull development. The digital impressions are more expressed in males but there is no evidence of a correlation with size. Arachnoid granulations show no relationship with sex, age or size. The middle meningeal vessels are extremely variable but with a general dominance of the anterior branch providing the parietal supply, and with the left system slightly more developed than the right. The middle meningeal pattern is not related to the venous sinuses pattern. Some further aspects of the expression of these features are discussed, and data for the prevalence of epigenetic traits are reported.
ER  -