Zygomaticomaxillary Morphology and Maxillary Sinus Form and Function: How Spatial Constraints Influence Pneumatization Patterns among Modern Humans

ABSTRACT Previous research has suggested that the maxillary sinuses may act as “zones of accommodation” for the nasal region, minimizing the impact of climatic‐related changes in nasal cavity breadth on surrounding skeletal structures. However, a recent study among modern human crania has identified that, in addition to nasal cavity breadth, sinus morphology also tracks lateral facial form, especially anterior‐posterior positioning of the zygomatics. Here, we expand upon this previous study to further investigate these covariation patterns by employing three samples with distinct combinations of nasal and zygomatic morphologies: Northern Asians (n = 28); sub‐Saharan Africans (n = 30); and Europeans (n = 29). For each cranium, 30 landmarks were digitized from CT‐rendered models and subsequently assigned to either a midfacial or maxillary sinus “block.” Two block partial least squares (2B‐PLS) analyses indicate that sinus morphology primarily reflects superior‐inferior dimensions of the midface, rather than either nasal cavity breadth or zygomatic position. Specifically, individuals with relatively tall midfacial skeletons exhibit more inferiorly and laterally expanded sinuses compared to those with shorter midfaces. Further, separate across‐group and within‐group 2B‐PLS analyses indicate that regional differences between samples primarily build upon a common pattern of midfacial and sinus covariation already present within each regional gr...
Source: The Anatomical Record Part A: Discoveries in Molecular, Cellular, and Evolutionary Biology - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Tags: ARTICLE Source Type: research