Geometric morphometric analyses of extant and fossil hominoid craniofacial morphology.
Item
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Title
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Geometric morphometric analyses of extant and fossil hominoid craniofacial morphology.
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Identifier
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AAI3103146
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identifier
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3103146
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Creator
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McNulty, Kieran Padraic.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Eric Delson
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Date
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2003
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Anthropology, Physical
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Abstract
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Phylogenetic relationships within the Hominoidea are largely controversial, with alternative hypotheses debated for nearly every fossil taxon. Such disagreement is due, in part, to reliance upon verbal description and traditional morphometric approaches to characterize variability in complex, three-dimensional morphologies. This study used geometric morphometric techniques to study hominoid affinities in pursuit of three objectives: (1) a quantitative analysis of craniofacial shape variation among extant hominoid specimens and taxa; (2) an assessment of similarities within and differences between the morphologies of anthropoid crown clades; and (3) an examination of the affinities of selected fossil specimens. These goals were pursued in three separate analytical units, examining the morphology of the whole cranium, the supraorbital region, and the palate. Based on a generalized Procrustes analysis, data were studied using standard multivariate statistical techniques: principal components analysis, canonical variates analysis, Mahalanobis distance clustering, and discriminant analysis. I also introduced a new method (phylogenetic node discrimination) for testing the affinities of fossil specimens within an assumed phylogeny.;The methods used here also proved to be powerful tools for discerning subtle differences in shape, leading to new ideas about the affinities of extant hominoid morphologies. In analyses of the whole cranium, Gorilla was largely conservative among extant apes. Hominoid supraorbital morphology was shown to have three distinct states, corresponding to hylobatids, pongines, and hominines; cercopithecoid genera all shared one distinct morphology. Results from palatal morphology supported previous descriptive analyses, suggesting that Hylobates retains primitive catarrhine morphology, while hominids are more derived. Beyond this, platyrrhine palatal morphology was shown to be distinct from that of catarrhines.;Results from phylogenetic node discriminations provided new evidence regarding the affinities of fossil specimens. Among Early Miocene taxa, Proconsul and Morotopithecus could not be grouped conclusively with hominoids, while Afropithecus and Turkanapithecus demonstrated marked hominoid affinities; surprisingly, Rangwapithecus placed strongly with the hominids. Among Late Miocene taxa, Dryopithecus was found to group with hominids, but not hominines; Graecopithecus demonstrated strong hominine affinities, grouping closely with Gorilla. Of all these fossil taxa, only Sivapithecus demonstrated any affinity to the pongine lineage.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
