The Obstetrical Conundrum: Fontanelles & Human Birth Canals

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the obstetrical conundrum, specifically the relationship between human fontanelles and pelvic morphology during childbirth. Participants seek literature on whether human fontanelles have increased in size historically to adapt to the narrow birth canal. A recommended resource for research is PubMed, where users can find relevant studies by searching for "human evolution fontanelles." The conversation also highlights the evolutionary implications of pelvic morphology and extended childhood development.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of obstetrical conundrum and pelvic morphology
  • Familiarity with human evolutionary biology
  • Knowledge of fontanelles and their role in childbirth
  • Experience using scientific literature databases like PubMed
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the evolutionary significance of fontanelles in human development
  • Examine studies on pelvic morphology and childbirth efficiency
  • Investigate the implications of extended childhood on parental investment
  • Explore additional resources on human evolution through PubMed
USEFUL FOR

Students, researchers, and educators in evolutionary biology, anthropology, and obstetrics will benefit from this discussion, particularly those interested in the anatomical and evolutionary aspects of childbirth.

Nick tringali
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I want to do a project for my class on the obstetrical conundrum. Which is basically the antagonism of selective pressures on pelvic morphology. I need help to find literature. I want to know if over the course of history, if Human baby's fontanelles increased in size in order to compensate for the narrow birth canal. Does anyone know any good articles that talk about the change in size or efficacy of the fontanelles over time? Let me know.
 
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I don't have any particular expertise on this topic, but a good source to search the scientific literature in the biological sciences is pubmed.gov

For example, the searching for human evolution fontanelles gives three papers that might be a good starting point (all three papers appear to be freely available in case you don't have access to a university library system):
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=human+evolution+fontanelles+&sort=date
 
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Ygggdrasil said:
I don't have any particular expertise on this topic, but a good source to search the scientific literature in the biological sciences is pubmed.gov

For example, the searching for human evolution fontanelles gives three papers that might be a good starting point (all three papers appear to be freely available in case you don't have access to a university library system):
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=human+evolution+fontanelles+&sort=date
Thank you!
 
Its not only involves an "antagonism of selective pressures on pelvic morphology" involving pelvic morphology and baby head flexibility, but also the extended post natal development (extended childhood) and investment in parental care which result of these kind of limitations.

These are big expensive evolutionarally significant investments by the parents.
 
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