Human anotocephaly (aprosopus, acrania-synotia) in the Vilnius anatomical collection

A genetic theory of "multifactorial" malformations, i.e., anomalies of blas togenesis or organogenesis, involving polygenic predisposition with morphog enetic threshold effect, was developed by Sewall Wright in the 1920s and re mains an essential basis of birth defects biology. Because of the phenomeno n of universality, i.e., the deployment of identical inductive, or pattern- forming, upstream molecular mechanisms during the earliest stages of mammal ian morphogenesis, Wright's work on guinea pig otocephaly is highly pertine nt to "corresponding," i.e., homologous malformations in humans. This conce pt is illustrated on the hand of a human fetus in the Vilnius (Lithuania) P athological Museum with anotocephaly, i.e., anencephaly and otocephaly so s evere as to correspond to Wright's guinea pig otocephaly grade 11 or 12, Th e observation also supports our apology for old museums and old books as re positories for anomalies, no less important for their rarity, (C) 2001 Wile y-Liss, Inc.