The Endocast of the Late Pleistocene Human Skull from Hofmeyr

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Endocasts provide the only direct evidence of brain morphology in hominin fossils. In this study, I used computed tomography data, biomedical image processing and geometric morphometrics to generate, reconstruct and investigate a digital endocast of the Late Pleistocene human individual from Hofmeyr, South Africa. Its estimated endocranial volume based on multiple reconstructions is 1,541 ± 10 ml. Impressions of brain convolutions reveal a modern human pattern of sulci and gyri including those in several brain regions that are associated with language functions. Several imprints of meningeal vessels are also preserved. The globular endocranial shape of the Hofmeyr individual conforms to the shape variation of present-day humans with morphometric affinities to Upper Paleolithic Eurasian fossils as well as present-day (southern) Africans.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHofmeyr
Editors Fred Grine
Place of PublicationCambridge
PublisherSpringer
Pages153-163
Number of pages11
ISBN (Print)978-3-031-07426-4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2022

Publication series

NameVertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology
ISSN (Print)1877-9077
ISSN (Electronic)1877-9085

Fields of science

  • 301102 Anatomy
  • 301114 Cell biology

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