The Paranasal Sinuses of the Hofmeyr Cranium

This chapter provides the first descriptions of the intact paranasal sinuses of the Hofmeyr cranium, which include both frontal sinuses and the right maxillary sinus, and compares these structures across Recent and fossil Homo sapiens. In comparison to Recent human samples, the Hofmeyr cranium presents with absolutely and relatively small frontal and maxillary sinuses. The diminutive sizes of the frontal sinuses are paradoxical given the large size and robusticity of the cranium, with an inflated glabellar prominence and well-developed supraorbital tori. The small size of the Hofmeyr frontal sinus is similar to several penecontemporaneous Upper Paleolithic/Late Pleistocene crania from Europe, as well as Recent H. sapiens from high latitudes. The maxillary sinus in Hofmeyr falls comfortably within the range of Recent H. sapiens and is quite similar to penecontemporaneous fossil H. sapiens. When cranial size is taken into account, the Hofmeyr maxillary sinus volume is in the lower ranges of the samples studied here, including neighboring sub-Saharan human populations. This diminutive volume stands in contrast to the lack of a deeply excavated cheek in Hofmeyr, which theoretically should allow for additional pneumatization compared to other sub-Saharan samples. The results for the Hofmeyr cranium suggest that there is not a simple, direct relationship between external and internal maxillofacial morphology.