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Patterns of ectocranial suture fusion among Primates are subject to species-specific variation. In this study, we used Guttman Scaling to compare 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 Cercopithecidae, posterior to anterior. For the vault suture pattern, the Hominidae groups reflect the known phylogeny. 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 environmental/biomechanic influences., (Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Timing of calvarial suture fusion is important in primate ontogeny. Ages at death are difficult to assess especially for museum collections., Methods: 1550 skulls of Hominoid, Hylobatidae, Macaca and Papio were observed for fusion. Calvarial expansion (early) and dental eruption (late) were utilized as indicators of ontogeny. Homogeneity of slopes and ANOVA were used to determine differences in timing of fusion., Results: For calvarial growth the great apes all showed small levels of calvarial suture remodeling prior to full calvarial expansion. For dental eruption, Homo and Macaca share a common pattern of fusion in late adulthood. The other species show early remodeling. Papio was observed to have distinct patterns for suture fusion progression., Conclusions: Thus, suture fusion progression although influenced by evolutionary changes in the robusticity of the craniofacial skeleton can be modeled by the phylogeny among this group. Overall, Homo appears to have a distinct pattern of delayed suture fusion progression., (© 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Eruption sequence and age ranges for the maxillary and mandibular deciduous dentition were generated from serial dental study models from 28 laboratory-reared chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). These data can serve as additional normative, baseline information for the evaluation of fetal insults on neonatal growth and development in the laboratory-reared chimpanzee.