Tomaszewska A, Tomczyk J, Kwiatkowska B
Department of Human Biology, Wroclaw University, 50-138 Wroclaw, Poland.
Homo. 2013 Feb;64(1):58-70. doi: 10.1016/j.jchb.2012.11.002. Epub 2012 Dec 6.
The aim of this study was to obtain morphological data on the supraorbital foramina and notches related to sex and side of the skull in populations from different climatic conditions. We assume that the type and frequency of these supraorbital structures may depend on the climatic conditions in which the population lived. Populations from colder regions should have a higher frequency of foramina and populations from warmer climates should have a higher frequency of supraorbital notches than other populations. This may be a result of adaptive changes and developmental responses to ambient temperatures, for prevention of heat loss in the supraorbital neurovascular bundle passing through these supraorbital structures. Localisation of the supraorbital neurovascular bundle is higher and deeper when it passes through the foramen than in the notch. A total of 1978 orbits from 989 skulls collected in three climatic regions: warm, temperate and cold, were analysed. The highest frequency of supraorbital foramina (35.4%) was in skulls from cold climatic conditions. In samples from warm climates, the frequency of supraorbital foramina was lowest (16.4%). In contrast, the frequency of supraorbital notches was highest in the sample from warm climates (54.5%), and lowest in the sample from cold climatic conditions (44.0%). Statistically significant differences in the frequency of supraorbital structures were found between cold climate sample and the other two samples (p<0.05). Our results suggest a relationship between the type of supraorbital structure and climatic conditions as an adaptation to cold climate and thermoregulatory processes concerning the human head. This research is of direct relevance to clinical practice, and drawing attention to the differences in the frequency of these supraorbital structures may help surgeons to avoid injuring the neurovascular bundles. These data and studies may also contribute to the understanding of the impact of climate on the morphology of modern European skulls.
本研究的目的是获取不同气候条件下人群中与性别及颅骨侧别相关的眶上孔和眶上切迹的形态学数据。我们假设这些眶上结构的类型和频率可能取决于人群所生活的气候条件。与其他人群相比，来自寒冷地区的人群眶上孔的频率应更高，而来自温暖气候地区的人群眶上切迹的频率应更高。这可能是对环境温度的适应性变化和发育反应的结果，以防止通过这些眶上结构的眶上神经血管束散热。眶上神经血管束通过眶上孔时的定位比通过眶上切迹时更高且更深。对在温暖、温带和寒冷三个气候区域收集的989个颅骨的1978个眼眶进行了分析。眶上孔频率最高的是来自寒冷气候条件的颅骨（35.4%）。在来自温暖气候的样本中，眶上孔的频率最低（16.4%）。相比之下，来自温暖气候样本的眶上切迹频率最高（54.5%），而来自寒冷气候条件样本的眶上切迹频率最低（44.0%）。在寒冷气候样本与其他两个样本之间，眶上结构的频率存在统计学上的显著差异（p<0.05）。我们的结果表明，眶上结构的类型与气候条件之间存在关联，这是对寒冷气候的一种适应以及与人类头部温度调节过程相关。本研究与临床实践直接相关，关注这些眶上结构频率的差异可能有助于外科医生避免损伤神经血管束。这些数据和研究也可能有助于理解气候对现代欧洲颅骨形态的影响。
