If a scientist finds fossae on a bone sample, they can conclude that the bone belongs to a vertebrate animal. Fossae are shallow, concave depressions or hollows on the surface of bones. They are often indicative of the presence of muscles or other soft tissues that were attached to the bone during the animal’s lifetime.
The specific location, shape, and size of the fossae can provide additional clues about the animal’s anatomy, physiology, and behavior. For example, the presence of large fossae on the femur bone may indicate that the animal had powerful leg muscles for running or jumping, while fossae on the skull may suggest the presence of strong jaw muscles for biting or chewing.
The occipital bone of Neandertals exhibits some morphological traits that are thought to be unique to this prehistoric human group. Among them is the existence of a suprainiac fossa as well as a lambdoidal flattening, an occipital “bun,” a weak and bilaterally arched occipital torus, and an occipital “bun.” However, the majority of the early Neandertal fossils correspond to chronologically late individuals from Western Europe, and they are often referred to as “classic” Neandertals. As a result, from a historical standpoint, it is critical to analyze the pattern of appearance of probable Neandertal morphological traits, as well as their variety of expression.
Numerous Neandertal individuals have been identified with a suprainiac fossa. However, no qualitative or quantitative comparative study on a sizable sample of fossils that takes into account their geographic and chronological variability has been presented. Additionally, there are no published data on the internal makeup of Neandertals’ occipital bones or any potential internal peculiarities of the suprainiac fossa region. The modes of growth and development as well as the history of the suprainiac fossa are also poorly understood. In this regard, the current study offers a thorough anatomical description of this trait for several Neandertal people from distinct geological eras, geographic locations, and developmental stages.
Using imaging techniques, we also characterize the distribution of the external table, the diploic layer, and the internal table in the region of the suprainiac fossa of each specimen. Finally, a comparison with anatomically modern Homo sapiens fossils from Europe and Africa is made in order to assess the presence or absence of a suprainiac fossa on their occipital bone and describe the underlying internal characteristics. Such a broad chronological and geographical scope adds new evidence to the debate over the definition of the suprainiac fossa in Neandertals.
We also make theories about the ways in which it will grow and evolve by looking at young Neandertals. On the basis of these findings, we investigate the idea that the depressions on the occipital bone of contemporary humans and Neandertals are similar in terms of the features on the external cranial surface and the underlying structural makeup of the bone. Finally, we analyze how the topic of hominin evolution in Europe and the transition from Neandertals to Homo sapiens may be affected by the potential autapomorphic position of the suprainiac fossa in Neandertals.
By examining the characteristics of the fossae, scientists can make inferences about the animal’s evolutionary history and ecological niche. This type of analysis can be particularly useful in paleontology, where scientists use fossils to reconstruct the anatomy and behavior of extinct animals.
