Comparative Anatomical Network Analysis of Chimpanzee and Human Craniocerebral Topology

The craniocerebral systems of both species display many similarities, which probably trace back to their Last Common Ancestor (LCA), 7-10 million years ago. Nevertheless, some differences are also found. The ethmoid bone's contribution to craniocerebral integration, specifically, is exceptional in humans but modest in chimpanzees, possibly due to differences in the growth process of the face. Another difference lies in their modularity: in chimpanzees, the frontal bone is lumped together with other elements of the calvaria and with the brain, whereas in humans, it participates in the facial block, probably owing to the relatively anterior position of the frontal bone in this species.