Head balancing Index Research Project

This is my project carried out in the late 90's/early 2000s at the Natural History Museum in London under the direction of Mr Rob Kruszynski. It carries on research work on the Head Balancing Index originally carried out by Raymond Dart and Phillip Tobias, who also assisted in the project with advice. The project was put on hold in 2002 when Rob Walsh started his LRU research into the Iberian early hominins. 



                                                    Rob Kruszynski of the Natural History Museum

Purpose and Objective(s) of this research

 

The purpose of this research is to establish how the position of the foramen magnum, in the basic cranium of the hominid skulls, that I have examined, relates to individuals within a species, and with groups of hominids of other later/earlier species.

 

The objective of this research undertaking is simply to present the data I have obtained from measuring a number of hominid skulls held at London’s Natural History Museum in both raw and graph/chart format. The measurements are rounded to the nearest whole number i.e. 55.8mm to 59mm to make kinder comparisons for the reader, and I have used only seven different measurements as this I believe was all that was necessary to produce interesting and comprehensive results.

 

Method used to obtain values and make comparisons

 

For the purpose of this research I have employed the use of multivariate analysis and produced the results in various types of graphs and charts.

 

The ‘raw data’ from my measurements of hominid foramen magnums, is also presented in an easily readable format. This will make the various graphs and charts generated by this raw data, easier to understand.

 

The seven measurements taken on the skulls examined in this research were:

 

  1. Foramen to Maxillary sinus
  2. Foramen to Frontal Maxillary shelving
  3. Foramen to Superior Nuchal line
  4. Foramen to Right/Left occipital Lobe
  5. Foramen Length
  6. Foramen Width
  7. Circumference of Foramen

 

Photographs will assist the readers by familiarising them with the morphology of the craniums studied and commented upon.

 

Although detailed, the results of my research on comparison of hominid basic crania are quite understandable in their simplified context.  

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