Stereoplotting Hominid Brain Endocasts : Some Preliminary Results

Ralph L. Holloway

doi:10.1117/12.956947

29 July 1980 Stereoplotting Hominid Brain Endocasts : Some Preliminary Results

Ralph L. Holloway

Proceedings Volume 0166, NATO Symposium on Applications of Human Biostereometrics; (1980) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.956947
Event: NATO Symposium on Applications of Human Biostereometrics, 1978, Paris, France

Abstract

To objectively and quantitatively demonstrate regional differences in brain endocast morphology, traditional anthropometric caliper measurements must be replaced by a system providing not only localness, but homology and reasonable freedom from allometric distortion. Stereoplotting the radial distances from endocast surface (the closest point to the once underlying brain cortex) to a homologous center every ten degrees provides some 300+ data points for each dorsal endocast surface, thus giving the requisite localness. These measurements provide a large matrix of data suitable for a number of multivariate statistical techniques, and the translation of such data and analyses to readily visualized maps, which can then be compared in relation to both taxonomic and functional knowledge about the cerebral surface. This paper descri-bes some preliminary results from using such methods on a sample of 64 undistorted endocasts composed of both pongids and fossil hominids. While sample sizes within taxonomic groups need to be augmented, the preliminary and tentative pilot studies conducted so far suggest that the method has excellent potential, and that two major areas of the brain endocast surface show the greatest shape changes : 1) the posterior association areas (inferior parietal lobule); 2) the anterior prefrontal areas.

Citation Download Citation

Ralph L. Holloway "Stereoplotting Hominid Brain Endocasts : Some Preliminary Results", Proc. SPIE 0166, NATO Symposium on Applications of Human Biostereometrics, (29 July 1980); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.956947

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