Department of Anthropology, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126, USA; Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA.
Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA; Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Alcalá, Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Campus Universitario, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona Km 33,600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West, 79th St., New York, NY 10024, USA.
J Hum Evol. 2023 Jan;174:103280. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103280. Epub 2022 Nov 28.
The bony labyrinth contains phylogenetic information that can be used to determine interspecific differences between fossil hominins. The present study conducted a comparative 3D geometric morphometric analysis on the bony labyrinth of the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos (SH) hominins. The findings of this study corroborate previous multivariate analyses of the SH hominin bony labyrinth. The analysis of the semicircular canals revealed the SH hominin canal morphologies appear closer to those of the Neandertals than to those of Homo sapiens. This is attributable to a Neandertal-like ovoid anterior canal, and mediolaterally expanded, circular posterior canal. However, the SH hominins lack the increased torsion in the anterior canal and the inferior orientation of the lateral canal seen in Neandertals. The results of the cochlear analysis indicated that, although there is some overlap, there are notable differences between the SH hominins and the Neandertals. In particular, the SH hominin cochlea appears more constricted than in Neandertals in the first and second turns. A principal component analysis of the full bony labyrinth separated most SH hominins from the Neandertals, which largely clustered with modern humans. A covariance ratio analysis found a significant degree of modularity within the bony labyrinth of all three groups, with the SH hominins and Neandertals displaying the highest modularity. This modular signal in the bony labyrinth may be attributable to different selective pressures related to locomotion and audition. Overall, the results of this study confirm previous suggestions that the semicircular canals in the SH hominins are somewhat derived toward Neandertals, while their cochlea is largely primitive within the genus Homo.
内耳迷路包含系统发生信息，可用于确定化石古人类之间的种间差异。本研究对中更新世西玛德洛斯胡埃斯（SH）古人类的内耳迷路进行了比较的 3D 几何形态测量分析。该研究的结果证实了之前对 SH 古人类内耳迷路的多元分析。对半规管的分析表明，SH 古人类的管腔形态与尼安德特人更为相似，而与智人则不太相似。这归因于尼安德特人样的卵形前管和横向扩张、圆形的后管。然而，SH 古人类缺乏尼安德特人那样的前管扭转和侧管的下倾。耳蜗分析的结果表明，尽管存在一些重叠，但 SH 古人类与尼安德特人之间存在明显的差异。特别是，与尼安德特人相比，SH 古人类的耳蜗在第一和第二转中显得更为狭窄。对完整内耳迷路的主成分分析将大多数 SH 古人类与尼安德特人区分开来，他们主要与现代人聚类。协方差比分析发现三组的内耳迷路都具有显著的模块性，SH 古人类和尼安德特人显示出最高的模块性。这种内耳迷路中的模块信号可能归因于与运动和听觉相关的不同选择压力。总体而言，本研究的结果证实了之前的建议，即 SH 古人类的半规管在某种程度上向尼安德特人进化，而他们的耳蜗在人类属中则基本上是原始的。
