Comparison of cranial fluctuating asymmetry between normal and pathological specimens from a modern Thai skeletal group

Publication date: Available online 26 July 2018Source: HOMOAuthor(s): Hyunwoo Jung, Noreen von Cramon-TaubadelAbstractThe purpose of this study was to compare fluctuating asymmetry (FA) levels across cranial modules of normal and pathological cranial specimens. It was examined whether pathological specimens have significantly higher FA scores than normal specimens in cranial regions affected by a developmental disorder. For this study, a modern Thai skeletal sample from Chulalongkorn University was analyzed. Ninety-two cranial landmarks were digitized on 66 adult and 8 sub-adult normal specimens and on 5 pathological specimens including two adults with abnormal palates, two sub-adults with craniosynostosis, and one sub-adult with natal absence of nasal bones. In sub-adults, FA scores of specimens with developmental disorders were significantly higher than normal specimens in the entire cranium (p=0.041) and vault (p=0.025). However, comparisons excluding specimen with coronal craniosynostosis were not statistically significant. In adult specimens, comparisons of FA scores in each separate cranial module were also not statistically significant. These results suggest that elevated cranial FA may not be confined to the specific cranial region with the developmental disorder.

Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - July 26, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research