摘要：The present study concerns with the methodological aspects of the vestibular method of orientating the cranium, which is mainly recommended for its physiological significance. Three dimensional coordinates of 36 landmarks were examined in the vestibular coordinate system which is defined by the plane of the lateral semicircular canals. This was determined utilizing a tomography apparatus. The coordinate data were obtained from 63 macerated modern Japanese crania by recording the landmarks with the cubic craniophore and then translocating the landmarks into the vestibular coordinate system.Measurement errors were found to be small and variance as represented by bilateral asymmetry in the orientation of the lateral semicircular canals were estimated to be insignificant to the total variance. Thus, no apparent evidence exists indicating an instability of the vestibular orientation. Variability of the landmarks was investigated in the vestibular, Frankfort horizontal and glabella-inion line coordinate systems. This comparison revealed that the vestibular coordinate system characteristically shows a relasively high variability strongest in the facial landmarks.
