It's not just wrinkles that reveal age, changes in facial bone structure make faces look older, too, according to researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center。

　　Researchers analyzed CT scans of 60 female and 60 male patients' faces. The patients were split into three groups: young (ages 20 to 40)， middle-aged (41 to 64) and older (65 and up)。

　　Bones undergo changes with age, the researchers found. In both men and women, the eye sockets became wider and longer. The distance between the most prominent part of the brow to the top of the nose decreased, while the cheekbones stuck out less and the opening of the nose bones receded. Meanwhile, the lower jaw shrunk in both length and height。

　　The changes in eye-socket size and shape may contribute to forehead wrinkles and crow's feet. A decrease in jaw size could flatten the chin and soften the neckline, while changes in nose bones could lead to "decreased nasal support". Researchers also found that women showed the changes slightly earlier than men。

　　"Physicians have long been taught that facial aging is caused by soft tissue descent and loss of elasticity," said Howard Langstein, the chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center. "Though we have always known that bones change over time, until now, the extent to which it causes an aged appearance was not appreciated."

　　美国“趣味科学”网站4日报道称，揭示人类年龄的不仅仅是皱纹。美国罗切斯特大学医学中心的研究人员发现，面部骨骼结构的变化也会让人看起来更老。

　　研究人员对60名女性病患和60名男性病患的面部进行了CT扫描。这些病患被分为三组：年轻组(20到40岁)、中年组(41到64岁)以及老年组(大于等于65岁)。

　　研究人员发现，骨骼结构随着年龄发生了变化。不论男女，眼窝均会随着年龄增长变宽变长。而眉宇最高处与眉心处距离缩短，同时颧骨不再那么突出，鼻骨开口处向后萎缩。另外，下颌骨在长度和高度上都有“缩水”。

　　眼窝大小、形状的变化会导致抬头纹以及鱼尾纹。颌骨变窄变小使得下巴扁平，颈线柔和，而鼻骨的变化则会引起“鼻部支撑的减少”。研究人员还发现，与男性相比，女性面部骨骼的变化更早一些。

　　“长期以来，内科医生们所接受的教育是，面部老化是软组织萎缩以及缺乏弹性的结果，”罗切斯特大学医学中心整容修复手术首席专家霍华德雷恩斯坦说道。“尽管早已知道骨骼会随时间发生变化，可直到如今我们才开始重视其对面部老化的作用程度。”