Asymmetric Study on the Korean Skull Using Bilateral Measurements

Abstract

In anthropological study of the skull, there was a tendency to use the unilateral

measurements or the average of the bilateral measurements of the skull. This tendency

was baed on the assumption that the skull is symmetric. However, there is few report

on the skull symmetry by metric method, and much less in Korean skull. The purpose

of this study is to define that Korean skull is symmetric or asymmetric using bilateral

measurements. In this study, 116 Korean skulls(84 males, 32 females) were used. For

each skull, 47 measurements were measured in each right and left side. Of the total

measurements, 19 measurements were taken on the calvaria, 18 measurements on the

facial skeleton, and 10 measurements on the cranial base.

The result of comparing the right and left sides of the skull, both of the male and

female skulls tended to be larger in size on the right than on the left. In males, calvaria

was superoinferiorly larger on the right than on the left, and facial skeleton and cranial

base were laterally larger on the right than on the left. In particular, frontal bone and

orbit of the male were larger in size on the right than on the left. In females, calvaria

and cranial base were anteroposteriorly larger on the right than on the left, and facial

skeleton was superoinferiorly larger on the right than on the left. In particular, parietal

bone and zygomatic arch of the female were projected more laterally on the right than

on the left. These results suggest that parts of skull regions are asymmetric in Korean.