Abstract

Discrete or epigenetic cranial traits, which exhibit heritable morphological variation influenced by environmental and developmental factors, are crucial for understanding human evolution. Despite genetic differences, Neanderthals and anatomically modern Homo sapiens inhabited diverse Eurasian environments, yet the impact of these environments on cranial trait variability remains underexplored. Here we analyzed discrete cranial traits in individual Neanderthals and modern humans using the Simple Matching Coefficient to assess phenotypic variability across species and environments. Our results reveal similar patterns of trait expression, indicating convergent phenotypic responses to environmental pressures. These findings suggest that environmental factors significantly influence the expression of epigenetic cranial traits, reflecting adaptive plasticity in hominin populations. This study highlights the complex interplay between genetics and environment in shaping cranial morphology during human evolution.

Keywords:Discrete cranial traits; Phenotypic variability; Adaptive plasticity; Convergent evolution; Environmental selective pressures