Computer-aided visualization and analysis of fossils has revolutionized the study of extinct
organisms. Novel techniques allow fossils to be characterized in three dimensions and in …

Comparative morphology, dealing with the diversity of form and shape, and functional
morphology, the study of the relationship between the structure and the function of an …

Quantitative shape analysis using geometric morphometrics is based on the statistical
analysis of landmark coordinates. Many structures, however, cannot be quantified using …

During fossilization, the remains of extinct organisms are subjected to taphonomic and
diagenetic processes. As a result, fossils show a variety of preservational artefacts, which …

Compared to our closest living and extinct relatives, humans have a large, specialized, and
complex brain embedded in a uniquely shaped braincase. Here, we quantitatively compare …

The globular braincase of modern humans is distinct from all fossil human species, including
our closest extinct relatives, the Neandertals. Such adult shape differences must ultimately …

Study of morphological form is fundamental to the discipline of paleoanthropology. The size
and shape of our ancestors' anatomical features have long been the focus of research on …

The Zuttiyeh hominin craniofacial fossil was discovered in Israel in 1925. Radiometric dates
and the archaeological context (Acheulo-Yabrudian) bracket the associated cave layers to …

The modern human expansion process out of Africa has important implications for
understanding the genetic and phenotypic structure of extant populations. While intensely …

The classification and phylogenetic relationships of the middle Pleistocene human fossil
record remains one of the most intractable problems in paleoanthropology. Several authors …