Search results for "morphometric"
showing 10 items of 149 documents
Morphological variability of Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic skulls from Sicily
2020
Scenarios for the dispersal of Homo sapiens in Southern Europe and in the Mediterranean basin have been uncertain, given the scarceness of osteological samples and the simplicity of the proposed archaeologically-based settlement hypotheses. According to available data, the first anatomically modern humans entered Sicily during the Late Pleistocene, coming from the Italian peninsula. A presumably small Late Epigravettian population colonised coastal sites. Later, North-Western archaeological horizons gave hospitality to a significant Mesolithic expansion. In order to verify a hypothesis of continuity in the peopling of the island, we analyzed Sicilian skulls from the Late Epigravettian site …
Assessing thoraco-pelvic covariation in Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes: A 3D geometric morphometric approach
2019
[Objectives]: Understanding thoraco-pelvic integration in Homo sapiens and their closest living relatives (genus Pan) is of great importance within the context of human body shape evolution. However, studies assessing thoraco-pelvic covariation across Hominoidea species are scarce, although recent research would suggest shared covariation patterns in humans and chimpanzees but also species-specific features, with sexual dimorphism and allometry influencing thoraco-pelvic covariation in these taxa differently.
Shape change in the atlas with congenital midline non-union of its posterior arch: a morphometric geometric study.
2017
Background Context The congenital midline non-union of the posterior arch of the atlas is a developmental variant present at a frequency ranging from 0.7% to 3.9%. Most of the reported cases correspond to incidental findings during routine medical examination. In cases of posterior non-union, hypertrophy of the anterior arch and cortical bone thickening of the posterior arches have been observed and interpreted as adaptive responses of the atlas to increased mechanical stress. Purpose We sought to determine if the congenital non-union of the posterior arch results in a change in the shape of the atlas. Study Design/Setting This study is an analysis of the first cervical vertebrae from osteo…
3D geometric morphometric analysis of variation in the human lumbar spine
2019
[Objectives]: The shape of the human lumbar spine is considered to be a consequence of erect posture. In addition, several other factors such as sexual dimorphism and variation in genetic backgrounds also influence lumbar vertebral morphology. Here we use 3D geometric morphometrics (GM) to analyze the 3D morphology of the lumbar spine in different human populations, exploring those potential causes of variation.
Assessment of the implantation of day-2 human embryos by morphometric nonsubjective parameters
2014
Objective: To demonstrate the usefulness of image analysis in designing objective embryonic morphometric variables. Design: Retrospective study of 214 top-quality day-2 embryo photographs from 50 double-embryo transfers resulting in no pregnancy (group 0) and 57 resulting in twin pregnancy (group 1). Setting: Human reproduction unit. Patient(s): Study of 107 in vitro fertilization intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF ICSI) cycles in women age<36 years with doubleembryo transfer of top-quality embryos. Only the first cycle of IVF ICSI was included. Intervention(s): Standard IVF ICSI protocols. Main Outcome Measure(s): The embryo photographs were analyzed using the ImageJ program. The effect…
MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ANCIENT GRAPE SEEDS FROM A SINK IN THE MIDDLE-AGE TOWN OF PALERMO
2014
The archaeological excavations in Piazza della Vittoria, in the Roman-Middle Age town of Palermo (Sicily) put in light a sink 3.20 m deep and 1 square m. large, partially filled by thin organic sediments. Grape seeds (grape-stones), fish scales and few vertebrate bones have been found in specific strata sealed under a stratum chronologically attributed to Islamic Middle-Age period (a post-quem limit). The finding of well preserved grape seeds is peculiar and their study opens the opportunity to improve the actual knowledge about evolution, cultivation, use and trade of Vitis L. in the Mediterranean area. This preliminary work focuses on morphologic and morphometric analysis of the ancient g…
Human Peopling and Population Dynamics in Sicily: Preliminary Analysis of the Craniofacial Morphometric Variation from the Paleolithic to the Contemp…
2023
The geographic position, isolation, and the long and dynamic history of colonization created a human context in Sicily that allows for a particular anthropological study; information about “migratory flow” and “population influx” could be investigated in the cranial morphology of a localized geographical region. The research goals are the identification of temporal trends in facial morphology in order to assess the adaptations and the microevolutionary trends and to verify if the cranial morphology of humans was modified by the various genetic contributions and more or less related to the intense and significant migratory flows. This work includes a diachronic morpho…
Assessing, measuring and modelling erosion in calanchi areas: A review
2016
Calanchi are erosion landforms characterised by a heavily dissected terrain with steep, unvegetated slopes and channels with a dendritic pattern, which rapidly incise and extend headwards. Recent literature focusing on badland systems highlights their similarity with other larger fluvial landforms, stating that these behave as a full size laboratory, due to their rapid development in space and time and to the diversity of geomorphic processes involved. In this paper, a brief review of the most important results on badland research is firstly presented. Then, the morphometric similarity between calanchi and other erosion landforms is discussed. Finally, models quantitatively relating the vol…
A new method for morphometric analysis of opal phytoliths from plants.
2014
Micro-morphometry has substantially gained ground in the field of phytolith analysis, but the comparability of results is limited due to the use of different methods. This paper presents a new, user-friendly method based on open-source software (FIJI) that is proposed as a step towards the introduction of a standard method. After obtaining a mask of a phytolith by making a digital drawing, 27 commonly used variables of size and shape are measured automatically. This method is not only useful for phytolith analysis, but may also be used for other fields of morphometric research. Users can furthermore customize the software tool when additional variables are required.
Morphometric analysis of the parotid gland affected by alcoholic sialosis
2008
Background: In alcoholic parotid sialosis, the gland is frequently enlarged due to ductal and/or acinar hypertrophy, ductal hyperplasy and stromal fat infiltration. The aim of this study was to determine acinar and ductal dimensions, the number of striated ducts and the proportion of fat tissue in patients with and without alcoholic parotid sialosis. Methods: Twelve parotid biopsy samples from patients with hepatic alcoholic cirrhosis and those from seven controls were used. A morphometrical study with a digital image analyser attached to an optical microscope was carried out. Direct and indirect indicators from acinar and ductal dimensions were recorded. The number of striated ducts and …