The Metopism in the Light of Radiocraniometric Analysis

Abstract

The material comprises roentgenograms of 878 skulls (420 male, 458 female) of patients from Babiński Voivodeship Hospital at Wrocław taken in the years 1964-1975. In order to establish relations between the presence of the metopic suture in adults and cranial morphology—especially in the frontal and parietal regions — the authors have investigated 11 craniometric characters with respect to sexual dimorphism. They have found that differences between metopic and non-metopic crania are present in the frontal region only. Metopic crania do not show a tendency toward brachycephaly. In further analysis, the authors have revealed that in the female group, metopic individuals, when compared to non-metopic ones, have a steeper forehead, relatively broader with a more curved squamous part of the frontal bone. The authors believe that these facts are not solely due to sexual dimorphism but also, to a considerable extent, depend on the occurrence of the metopic suture.