Z Cofran
Biographic Data
| ID | 54585 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Z Cofran |
| GIVEN NAMES | Z |
| FAMILY NAME | Cofran |
| SIGNATURE | COFRAN Z |
| AFFILIATIONS | Vassar College |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8688-9976 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 60 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 13 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
A reanalysis of the Taung endocranial surface: Comparison with large samples of living hominids
An overlooked Australopithecus brain endocast from Makapansgat, South Africa
Comparative study of manual identification of brain foldings in a living human brain using a proxy-endocast obtained from MRI
The use of virtual endocasts allows investigation of the folding configurations of the cerebral cortex of extinct species. However, is that really possible? Our goal is to help answer this question by qualifying and quantifying the subjective identifications of the foldings on endocasts compared to their real configurations on the brain. We invited 14 paleoneurologists to manually reconstruct the foldings they could recognize in a proxy-endocast …
Virtually estimated endocranial volumes of the Krapina Neandertals
We have provided new estimates of brain size of the Krapina Neandertals, including the first estimates for Krapina 2. Brain size at Krapina was similar to other pre-Würm Neandertals, within the range of but lower than the average of later Neandertals. Although the virtual approach overcomes many challenges of fossil preservation, our results are nevertheless subject to future revision
Did Neandertals have large brains? Factors affecting endocranial volume comparisons
Our results demonstrate that Neandertals do not have uniquely large brains when compared with recent humans. Their brain size falls in the large end of the recent human range of variation, but does not exceed it. These results have implications for future research on Neandertal encephalization
Morphology of the Homo naledi femora from Lesedi
The Lesedi femora increase the range of variation of femoral morphology in H. naledi. Newly described features of the diaphysis and distal femur are either taxonomically uninformative or Homo-like. Overall, these three new femora are consistent with previous functional interpretations of the H. naledi lower limb as belonging to a species adapted for long distance walking and, possibly, running
Brain size growth in Australopithecus
Brain size growth in wild and captive chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes )
Despite many studies of chimpanzee brain size growth, intraspecific variation is under-explored. Brain size data from chimpanzees of the Taï Forest and the Yerkes Primate Research Center enable a unique glimpse into brain growth variation as age at death is known for individuals, allowing cross-sectional growth curves to be estimated. Because Taï chimpanzees are from the wild but Yerkes apes are captive, potential environmental effects on neural …
Homo naledi pelvic remains from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa
Over 100 years of Krapina: New insights into the Neanderthal thorax from the study of rib cross-sectional morphology
Postnatal craniofacial ontogeny in neandertals and modern humans
OBJECTIVES: Neandertals and humans are closely related but differ noticeably in adult morphology. Previous work has been equivocal as to the contribution of postnatal growth and development to these differences. Due to disparate preservation, most analyses focus on specific anatomies, reconstructed fossils, or limited sample sizes. The objective of this research is to highlight the importance of postnatal growth in expressing Neandertal-human dis…
A neonatal perspective on Homo erectus brain growth
Mandibular development in Australopithecus robustus
Australopithecus robustus has a distinct mandibular anatomy, with a broad and deep corpus and a tall, relatively upright ramus. How this anatomy arose through development is unknown, as gross mandibular size and shape change have not been thoroughly examined quantitatively in this species. Herein, I investigate A. robustus mandibular growth by comparing its ontogenetic series with a sample of recent humans, examining age‐related size variation in…
Homo naledi pelvic remains from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa
Over 100 years of Krapina: New insights into the Neanderthal thorax from the study of rib cross-sectional morphology
A neonatal perspective on Homo erectus brain growth
Did Neandertals have large brains? Factors affecting endocranial volume comparisons
Our results demonstrate that Neandertals do not have uniquely large brains when compared with recent humans. Their brain size falls in the large end of the recent human range of variation, but does not exceed it. These results have implications for future research on Neandertal encephalization
Morphology of the Homo naledi femora from Lesedi
The Lesedi femora increase the range of variation of femoral morphology in H. naledi. Newly described features of the diaphysis and distal femur are either taxonomically uninformative or Homo-like. Overall, these three new femora are consistent with previous functional interpretations of the H. naledi lower limb as belonging to a species adapted for long distance walking and, possibly, running
Mandibular development in Australopithecus robustus
Australopithecus robustus has a distinct mandibular anatomy, with a broad and deep corpus and a tall, relatively upright ramus. How this anatomy arose through development is unknown, as gross mandibular size and shape change have not been thoroughly examined quantitatively in this species. Herein, I investigate A. robustus mandibular growth by comparing its ontogenetic series with a sample of recent humans, examining age‐related size variation in…
Virtually estimated endocranial volumes of the Krapina Neandertals
We have provided new estimates of brain size of the Krapina Neandertals, including the first estimates for Krapina 2. Brain size at Krapina was similar to other pre-Würm Neandertals, within the range of but lower than the average of later Neandertals. Although the virtual approach overcomes many challenges of fossil preservation, our results are nevertheless subject to future revision
Brain size growth in Australopithecus
Postnatal craniofacial ontogeny in neandertals and modern humans
OBJECTIVES: Neandertals and humans are closely related but differ noticeably in adult morphology. Previous work has been equivocal as to the contribution of postnatal growth and development to these differences. Due to disparate preservation, most analyses focus on specific anatomies, reconstructed fossils, or limited sample sizes. The objective of this research is to highlight the importance of postnatal growth in expressing Neandertal-human dis…
Mandibular development in Australopithecus robustus
Australopithecus robustus has a distinct mandibular anatomy, with a broad and deep corpus and a tall, relatively upright ramus. How this anatomy arose through development is unknown, as gross mandibular size and shape change have not been thoroughly examined quantitatively in this species. Herein, I investigate A. robustus mandibular growth by comparing its ontogenetic series with a sample of recent humans, examining age‐related size variation in…
A neonatal perspective on Homo erectus brain growth
Postnatal craniofacial ontogeny in neandertals and modern humans
OBJECTIVES: Neandertals and humans are closely related but differ noticeably in adult morphology. Previous work has been equivocal as to the contribution of postnatal growth and development to these differences. Due to disparate preservation, most analyses focus on specific anatomies, reconstructed fossils, or limited sample sizes. The objective of this research is to highlight the importance of postnatal growth in expressing Neandertal-human dis…
Brain size growth in wild and captive chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes )
Despite many studies of chimpanzee brain size growth, intraspecific variation is under-explored. Brain size data from chimpanzees of the Taï Forest and the Yerkes Primate Research Center enable a unique glimpse into brain growth variation as age at death is known for individuals, allowing cross-sectional growth curves to be estimated. Because Taï chimpanzees are from the wild but Yerkes apes are captive, potential environmental effects on neural …
Homo naledi pelvic remains from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa
Over 100 years of Krapina: New insights into the Neanderthal thorax from the study of rib cross-sectional morphology
Morphology of the Homo naledi femora from Lesedi
The Lesedi femora increase the range of variation of femoral morphology in H. naledi. Newly described features of the diaphysis and distal femur are either taxonomically uninformative or Homo-like. Overall, these three new femora are consistent with previous functional interpretations of the H. naledi lower limb as belonging to a species adapted for long distance walking and, possibly, running
Brain size growth in Australopithecus
Did Neandertals have large brains? Factors affecting endocranial volume comparisons
Our results demonstrate that Neandertals do not have uniquely large brains when compared with recent humans. Their brain size falls in the large end of the recent human range of variation, but does not exceed it. These results have implications for future research on Neandertal encephalization
Virtually estimated endocranial volumes of the Krapina Neandertals
We have provided new estimates of brain size of the Krapina Neandertals, including the first estimates for Krapina 2. Brain size at Krapina was similar to other pre-Würm Neandertals, within the range of but lower than the average of later Neandertals. Although the virtual approach overcomes many challenges of fossil preservation, our results are nevertheless subject to future revision
An overlooked Australopithecus brain endocast from Makapansgat, South Africa
Comparative study of manual identification of brain foldings in a living human brain using a proxy-endocast obtained from MRI
The use of virtual endocasts allows investigation of the folding configurations of the cerebral cortex of extinct species. However, is that really possible? Our goal is to help answer this question by qualifying and quantifying the subjective identifications of the foldings on endocasts compared to their real configurations on the brain. We invited 14 paleoneurologists to manually reconstruct the foldings they could recognize in a proxy-endocast …
A reanalysis of the Taung endocranial surface: Comparison with large samples of living hominids
Biology (13 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (11 works) · Paleontology (9 works) · Paleontology (9 works) · Evolutionary biology (8 works) · Anatomy (7 works) · Anatomy (7 works) · Primate Behavior and Ecology (7 works) · Evolution and Paleontology Studies (6 works) · Australopithecus (5 works)