Background Variation is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is observable at all levels of
morphology, from anatomical variations of DNA molecules to gross variations between …

One of the morphological features that has been identified as uniquely derived for the
western Eurasian Neandertals concerns the relative sizes and positions of their semicircular …

The semicircular canals (SCs), part of the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear, are directly
involved in the detection of angular motion of the head for maintaining balance, and exhibit …

The bony labyrinth provides a proxy for the morphology of the inner ear, a primary cognitive
organ involved in hearing, body perception in space, and balance in vertebrates. Bony …

Currently in physical anthropology there is a need for reliable methods of sex estimation for
immature individuals and highly fragmented remains. This study develops a sex estimation …

Ontogeny, or the development of an individual from conception to death, is a major source of
variation in vertebrate morphology. All anatomical systems are affected by ontogeny, and …

The semicircular canals are biomechanical sensors responsible for detecting and encoding
angular motion of the head in 3D space. Canal afferent neurons provide essential inputs to …

New isolated petrosals from the Itaboraí beds of Brazil (late Palaeocene or early Eocene)
are here described and referred to the early diverging litoptern Miguelsoria parayirunhor …

Biarmosuchia, as the basalmost group of Therapsida (the stem group of mammals), are
important for understanding mammalian origins and evolution. Unlike other therapsid …

It is generally accepted that the three semicircular canals are set at right angles to each
other and the lateral semicircular canal is smaller than the anterior and posterior …