{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.027689030883919063, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.710714285714285, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Lateral growth in the basicranium: We drift, they drive

Basicranial synchondroses are crucial for elongation of the length of the skull and may contribute to basicranial angulation. Most studies have focused on midline synchondroses (e.g., sphenooccipital). More recently, however, evidence has emerged suggesting an important role for lateral basicranial regions in maintaining the functional spatial relationship with the facial skeleton. Numerous bilateral basicranial joints (both sutures and synchondroses) remain patent after birth, but few comparative studies have addressed them. Their role as pacemakers, if any, in changes in basicranial width or flexion is beyond even speculation. Using histology and μm‐CT, we examined lateral basicranial joints in four species of perinatal primates, including two monkeys and one lemur, and one bushbaby. Primates have a basic similarity in joints of the anterior and posterior cranial fossae. However, one cartilaginous growth center of the middle cranial fossa differs between higher primate groupings. The alisphenoid‐basisphenoid synchondrosis is present bilaterally in perinatal lemurs and bushbabies and is an active, bipolar growth center, with chondrocytes proliferating transversely. In contrast, this joint is fused in both monkey species, and the synchondrosis is not described in the literature on human newborns. Our pilot data indicate a dichotomy among primates: bilateral synchondroses are fused earlier in anthropoids compared to strepsirrhines. This indicates an earlier loss of intrinsic (i.e., “pacemaker”) growth within the lateral basicranium of anthropoids. As a result, we predict that anthropoids exhibit relatively more evidence for endocranial bone modeling (“drift”) at birth compared to strepsirrhines, most especially within the middle cranial fossa, which lacks active growth plates in anthropoids.