Overview
- A PLOS One paper led by University at Buffalo anthropologist Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel concludes the human chin is a byproduct rather than an adaptation.
- The team tested a null hypothesis of neutrality by comparing cranial traits across apes and humans using a trait-integration framework.
- Most chin-specific traits showed little or no signal of direct natural selection in the evolutionary analyses.
- The study ties the feature to cranial angle changes that accommodated larger brains alongside reductions in tooth size and the lower face.
- Authors note possible minor functions, such as chewing support or jaw protection, while confirming humans are the only primates with a true bony chin useful for fossil identification.