TY - JOUR
T1 - Variation in chin and mandibular symphysis size and shape in males and females
T2 - A CT-based study
AU - Sella-Tunis, Tatiana
AU - Hershkovitz, Israel
AU - May, Hila
AU - Vardimon, Alexander
AU - Sarig, Rachel
AU - Shpack, Nir
N1 - Funding Information: Funding: This research was funded by the Dan David Foundation, the Tassia and Dr. Joseph Meychan Chair for the History and Philosophy of Medicine, and the Israeli Science Foundation (grant no.1116/16).
PY - 2020/6/2
Y1 - 2020/6/2
N2 - The chin is a unique anatomical landmark of modern humans. Its size and shape play an important role from the esthetic perspective. However, disagreement exists in the dental and anthropological literature regarding the sex differences in chin and symphysis morphometrics. The “sexual selection” theory is presented as a possible reason for chin formation in our species; however, many other contradictory theories also exist. This study’s aims were therefore to determine how chin and symphysis size and shape vary with sex, and to discuss “sexual selection” theory as a reason for its formation. Head and neck computed tomography (CT) scans of 419 adults were utilized to measure chin and symphysis sizes and shapes. The chin and symphysis measures were compared between the sexes using an independent-samples t-test, a Mann–Whitney test, and the F-statistic. The chin width was significantly greater in males than in females (p < 0.001), whereas the chin height, area, and size index were significantly greater in females (p < 0.001). Symphysis measures did not differ significantly between the sexes. Size accounted for 2–14% of the chin variance and between 24–33% of the symphysis variance. Overall, the chin was found to be a more heterogeneous anatomical structure than the symphysis, as well as more sexually dimorphic.
AB - The chin is a unique anatomical landmark of modern humans. Its size and shape play an important role from the esthetic perspective. However, disagreement exists in the dental and anthropological literature regarding the sex differences in chin and symphysis morphometrics. The “sexual selection” theory is presented as a possible reason for chin formation in our species; however, many other contradictory theories also exist. This study’s aims were therefore to determine how chin and symphysis size and shape vary with sex, and to discuss “sexual selection” theory as a reason for its formation. Head and neck computed tomography (CT) scans of 419 adults were utilized to measure chin and symphysis sizes and shapes. The chin and symphysis measures were compared between the sexes using an independent-samples t-test, a Mann–Whitney test, and the F-statistic. The chin width was significantly greater in males than in females (p < 0.001), whereas the chin height, area, and size index were significantly greater in females (p < 0.001). Symphysis measures did not differ significantly between the sexes. Size accounted for 2–14% of the chin variance and between 24–33% of the symphysis variance. Overall, the chin was found to be a more heterogeneous anatomical structure than the symphysis, as well as more sexually dimorphic.
KW - Chin
KW - Computed tomography
KW - Facial attractiveness
KW - Mandibular symphysis
KW - Morphometrics
KW - Sexual dimorphism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85086685326&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph17124249
DO - 10.3390/ijerph17124249
M3 - مقالة
C2 - 32545912
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 17
SP - 1
EP - 15
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
IS - 12
M1 - 4249
ER -