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Cited by 408Morphological variations and asymmetryPleistocene-Era Hominins and ArchaeologyEvolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior

The Evolution of the Human Head

Lieberman, Daniel E.·2011·Harvard University Press eBooks
DOI 10.4159/9780674059443
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Abstract

In one sense, human heads function much like those of other mammals. We use them to chew, smell, swallow, think, hear, and so on. But, in other respects, the human head is quite unusual. Unlike other animals, even our great ape cousins, our heads are short and wide, very big brained, snoutless, largely furless, and perched on a short, nearly vertical neck. Daniel E. Lieberman sets out to explain how the human head works, and why our heads evolved in this peculiarly human way. Exhaustively researched and years in the making, this innovative book documents how the many components of the head function, how they evolved since we diverged from the apes, and how they interact in diverse ways both functionally and developmentally, causing them to be highly integrated. This integration not only permits the head's many units to accommodate each other as they grow and work, but also facilitates evolutionary change. Lieberman shows how, when, and why the major transformations evident in the evolution of the human head occurred. special way the head is integrated, Lieberman argues, made it possible for a few developmental shifts to have had widespread effects on craniofacial growth, yet still permit the head to function exquisitely. This is the first book to explore in depth what happened in human evolution by integrating principles of development and functional morphology with the hominin fossil record. The Evolution of the Human Head will permanently change the study of human evolution and has widespread ramifications for thinking about other branches of evolutionary biology.

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  • Facial growth is closely integrated with the development of the braincase and other cranial components, highlighting interdependence of morphological modules during growth and development.

    “facial growth is closely integrated with the development of the braincase (neurocranium), and other cranial components 4 , highlighting the interdependence of different morphological traits, or modules, during growth and development 5,6”

    From The evolutionary history of the human face (2019) · cites this paper as [6]

  • The main mode of subsistence in modern human populations is recognized as playing an important role in shaping the face, with masticatory stress particularly affecting the mandible and lower face.

    “The main mode of subsistence in modern human populations (i.e.agricultural vs non-agricultural diet; plant-based vs meat-based diet) is recognized as playing an important role in shaping the face, with masticatory stress particularly affecting the mandible and lower face 6,69,70”

    From The evolutionary history of the human face (2019) · cites this paper as [6]

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Authors
Lieberman, D. E.
Corresponding author
Lieberman, Daniel E.
ORCID
Lieberman, Daniel E.
Venue
Harvard University Press eBooks
Publisher
Harvard University Press
Published
2011-12-31
DOI
10.4159/9780674059443
OpenAlex
W2148136385
Cited by
408
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 40 · 2015: 38 · 2014: 35 · 2013: 31 · 2012: 23
FWCI
20.19
Type
book
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Harvard University Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Geometry and Topology › Morphological variations and asymmetry
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Keywords
craniofacial morphology, hominin evolution, functional morphology, developmental changes, craniofacial growth, skull shape, neck length, functional integration, hominin fossil record

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