Nasion
Definition
The anatomical landmark at the junction of the nasal bones and the frontal bone (the bridge of the nose). One of the primary registration points for skull-portrait landmark alignment in superimposition.
- Anatomical location
- Junction of nasal and frontal bones (nasofrontal suture)
- Skeletal position
- Midline point at the bridge of the nose
- Key use
- Primary landmark for skull-portrait superimposition alignment
Common questions
What is the nasion and where do you find it?+
The nasion is a fixed anatomical landmark on the skull located at the junction where the nasal bones meet the frontal bone, forming the bridge of the nose. It sits at the nasofrontal suture, the seam where these two bones come together.
Why is the nasion important in skull-portrait comparison?+
The nasion is one of the primary registration points for aligning a skull with a photograph or video during superimposition work. Accurate identification of this midline landmark helps establish proper alignment between the skull and the face in the image.
Related terms
- Gonion
- The most posterior and inferior point of the mandibular angle, bilaterally. Used in superimposition to assess the width of the jaw angle...
- Video Superimposition
- The updated superimposition workflow using a motorised skull turntable, a calibrated video camera, and real-time electronic mixing of the skull video image...
- Anatomical Landmarks
- Fixed cranial reference points (about 25 are used) including glabella, nasion, gonion, gnathion, zygion and prosthion that must align with corresponding soft-tissue...
- AnthropoScope
- Computerised three-dimensional skull and facial reconstruction system using laser scans of the skull and soft-tissue prediction from CT databases.
- Consistent with
- The categorical superimposition conclusion that examined morphological features do not exclude the skull as deriving from the same individual as the portrait....
- Exclusion
- The categorical conclusion that one or more examined features are clearly inconsistent in a way that cannot be explained by projection angle,...
- FACES
- American computerised composite and reconstruction software (IQ Biometrix) used to generate two-dimensional faces from cranial and witness data.
- Frankfurt Horizontal Plane
- The anatomical reference plane defined by the upper border of the external acoustic meatus and the lowest point of the orbital margin...
- Glabella
- The midline prominence on the frontal bone between the superciliary arches. Scored 1 (flat, female) to 5 (highly prominent, male). Correlated with...
- Glaister-Brash Method
- The original photographic-transparency superimposition protocol developed by John Glaister Jr and James Couper Brash for the 1935 Buck Ruxton case in Lancaster...
- Gnathion
- The most inferior point of the mandibular symphysis in the midline, corresponding to the tip of the chin in the portrait photograph....
- Iscan-Helmer 1993
- The edited volume 'Forensic Analysis of the Skull' (Iscan and Helmer, Wiley-Liss, 1993) that brought together the first systematic reliability assessment of...
Explained in these topics
- Photo-Skull and Video SuperimpositionThe anatomical landmark at the junction of the nasal bones and the frontal bone (the bridge of the nose). One of the primary registration points for skull-port...
- Skull Superimposition and Facial ReconstructionMidline point at the nasofrontal suture, where the bridge of the nose meets the forehead.