Ectocranial Suture Fusion in Primates: Pattern and Phylogeny

Patterns of ectocranial suture fusion among Primates are subject to species-specific varia- tion. In this study, we used Guttman Scaling to com- pare modal progression of ectocranial suture fusion among Hominidae ( Homo, Pan, Gorilla, and Pongo), Hylobates, and Cercopithecidae (Macaca and Papio) groups. Our hypothesis is that suture fusion patterns should reflect their evolutionary relationship. For the lateral-anterior suture sites there appear to be three major patterns of fusion, one shared by Homo-Pan- Gorilla, anterior to posterior; one shared by Pongo and Hylobates, superior to inferior; and one shared by Cer- copithecidae, posterior to anterior. For the vault suture pattern, the Hominidae groups reflect the known phy- logeny. The data for Hylobates and Cercopithecidae groups is less clear. The vault suture site termination pattern of Papio is similar to that reported for Gorilla and Pongo. Thus, it may be that some suture sites are under larger genetic influence for patterns of fusion, while others are influenced by environmen- tal=biomechanic influences. J. Morphol. 275:342-347, 2014. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.