颞线作为头骨表面咀嚼肌颞肌的附着痕迹,其形态变异对探讨人类体质特征及咀嚼功能具有一定意义。为了解颞线在现代人群中的变异情况,本文选取亚洲、非洲和欧洲278例近现代成年人头骨为研究材料,通过对颞线的颞弧形态、宽度、发育程度、粗糙度及末端位置的观察和分析,明确颞线的分类及其定义标准,获取颞线各种表现形式的侧别、性别和地区间变异的数据,为体质人类学的研究提供参考资料。研究结果显示：1）颞线无显著侧别间差异;2）颞弧形态和发育程度无显著性别和地区间差异;3）顶部颞线宽度及粗糙度有显著性别间差异：男性顶部颞线整体较宽,粗糙型个体大多为男性;4）额部和顶部颞线宽度及粗糙度有显著地区间差异：超宽条带状颞线只出现在云南和华北地区标本,欧洲地区标本脊状颞线和粗糙型比例较高,非洲地区脊状颞线比例较高但粗糙型较低;5）颞线末端止于枕骨的类型极少;6）颞线宽度在额部和顶部及其与颞弧形态显著相关,颞线发育程度在额部与顶部显著相关。

The temporal lines are muscle attachment marks bilaterally on the surface of the skull. Their morphological variations are meaningful to study the physical features and masticatory function in human evolution. In order to know the temporal line classifications and variations in modern populations, 278 adult skulls from Asia, Africa and Europe were selected to observe and analyze. Based on the arc trend, line width, development degree, roughness and terminal position, the temporal lines are classified into various types, and their identifications are standardly defined and established. The database of various temporal line types in sides, sexes and regions were obtained, that can be used for additional studies in physical anthropology. The primary results of this study show that: 1) there is no significant differences between left and right skull; 2) there were no significant differences in arc trend types and development degree between male and female, or among different regions; 3) There are sex difference in the width and roughness types, showing males have higher percentages than females; 4) There are spatial significant differences in the width and roughness types: Super-wide striped type was only found in the specimens from Yunnan and northern China. The Europeans have a high proportion of ridged type and rough types. The Africans have a high proportion of ridged type and a low proportion of rough type; 5) The specimens of temporal line ending in the occipital bone are very few; 6) The width on the frontal and parietal bones were significantly correlated with each other, as well as with the temporal line arc type; the development degree types on the frontal and parietal bones were significantly correlated with each other, too.