Four cranial metrics for OH 83 and 33 other Middle and Late Pleistocene Homo fossils
Data files
Feb 18, 2026 version files 4.18 KB
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OH83_comparative_data.txt
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README.md
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Abstract
This brief dataset presents the four cranial metrics that are measurable for the OH 83 partial cranium (a Middle Pleistocene Homo sapiens fossil from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania) alongside the same four metrics for 33 other Middle and Late Pleistocene Homo crania. This comparative dataset extends the original comparative data presented in Reiner et al. (2017)'s initial description of OH 83.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.qbzkh18zh
Description of the data and file structure
The linear metric data presented here were compiled to provide a revised/updated comparison for OH 83, a partial archaic Homo cranium from Olduvai Gorge. These four metrics are standard craniometrics:
XFB: Maximum frontal breadth in mm.
FMB: Bifrontal breadth in mm (distance from the lateral edge of one orbit to the other).
STB: Bistephanic breath in mm.
FRC: Frontal chord in mm (distance from the top of the nasal to the top of the cranium).
More detailed definitions of these four metrics can be found in:
Howells WW. 1973. Cranial Variation in Man. A Study by Multivariate Analysis of Patterns of Differences Among Recent Human Populations. Papers of the Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology, vol. 67, pp. 259. Cambridge, Mass.: Peabody Museum.
Howells WW. 1989. Skull Shapes and the Map. Craniometric Analyses in the Dispersion of Modern Homo. Papers of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, vol. 79, pp. 189. Cambridge, Mass.: Peabody Museum.
Howells WW. 1995. Who’s Who in Skulls. Ethnic Identification of Crania from Measurements. Papers of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, vol. 82, pp. 108. Cambridge, Mass.: Peabody Museum.
Files and variables
File: OH83_comparative_data.txt
Description: This brief dataset includes only four craniometric variables for 34 fossil hominins attributed to Middle or Late Pleistocene Homo, as these are the only four standard craniometrics that are available to measure on OH 83.
Variables
- id_code: The specimen number or name.
- taxon: Indicates if the specimen is Middle Pleistocene Homo (MP Homo), Late Pleistocene Homo (LP Homo), or OH 83.
- XFB: maximum frontal breadth in mm
- FMB: bifrontal breadth (distance from the lateral edge of one orbit to the other) in mm
- STB: bistephanic breadth in mm
- FRC: frontal chord (distance from the top of the nasal to the top of the cranium) in mm
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- n/a
Data was derived from the following sources:
- Laird, M.F., Schroeder, L., Garvin, H.M., Scott, J.E., Dembo, M., Radovčić, D., Musiba, C.M., Ackermann, R.R., Schmid, P., Hawks, J. and Berger, L.R., 2017. The skull of Homo naledi. Journal of Human Evolution, 104, pp.100-123.
- Ni, X., Ji, Q., Wu, W., Shao, Q., Ji, Y., Zhang, C., Liang, L., Ge, J., Guo, Z., Li, J. and Li, Q., 2021. Massive cranium from Harbin in northeastern China establishes a new Middle Pleistocene human lineage. The Innovation, 2(3).
- Reiner, W.B., Masao, F., Sholts, S.B., Songita, A.V., Stanistreet, I.G., Stollhofen, H., Taylor, R.E., Hlusko, L.J., 2017. OH 83: a new early modern human fossil cranium from the Ndutu beds of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 164, 1–13.