Metric dental variation of major human populations

Abstract

Mesiodistal and buccolingual crown diameters of all teeth recorded in 72 major human population groups and seven geographic groups were analyzed. The results obtained are fivefold. First, the largest teeth are found among Australians, followed by Melanesians, Micronesians, sub-Saharan Africans, and Native Americans. Philippine Negritos, Jomon/Ainu, and Western Eurasians have small teeth, while East/Southeast Asians and Polynesians are intermediate in overall tooth size. Second, in terms of odontometric shape factors, world extremes are Europeans, aboriginal New World populations, and to a lesser extent, Australians. Third, East/Southeast Asians share similar dental features with sub-Saharan Africans, and fall in the center of the phenetic space occupied by a wide array of samples. Fourth, the patterning of dental variation among major geographic populations is more or less consistent with those obtained from genetic and craniometric data. Fifth, once differences in population size between sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, South/West Asia, Australia, and Far East, and genetic drift are taken into consideration, the pattern of sub-Saharan African distinctiveness becomes more or less comparable to that based on genetic and craniometric data. As such, worldwide patterning of odontometric variation provides an additional avenue in the ongoing investigation of the origin(s) of anatomically modern humans.

First molar size and wear within and among modern hunter-gatherers and agricultural populations

“…An interesting discordance are the rather low values of tooth size variables in African groups (San and Khoe). Hanihara and Ishida (2005) have reported that sub-Saharan African groups are characterized by relatively large tooth dimensions, but our results did not reflect that. This could be due to the fact that these groups were substantially underrepresented in terms of number of analyzed individuals, which could greatly impact our results.…”

“…This inconsistency suggests that genetic factors determine dental size, rather than external or environmental influences (Dempsey et al, 1999;Garn et al, 1977). Australian Aborigines, Native Americans, and Eskimos were reported to have relatively large teeth and the Negritos (Agta) some of the smallest (Hanihara and Ishida, 2005), which is in accord with our results.…”

“…The decrease of tooth size in Negritos has been associated with their generally reduced body size (Hanihara and Ishida, 2005;Hillson, 1996). An interesting discordance are the rather low values of tooth size variables in African groups (San and Khoe).…”

“…Crown length-breadth measurements have been widely used to provide insights into inter-and intragroup variability, and differences in tooth size among modern humans have been reported (Bishara et al, 1989;Brook et al, 2009;Hanihara, 1977;Keene, 1979;Otuyemi and Noar, 1996;Turner and Richardson, 1989). Probably, the most complex study of tooth size differences in modern humans was performed by Hanihara and Ishida (2005), who investigated the mesio-distal and bucco-lingual tooth crown differences among 72 major human populations. The authors have concluded that the Australian Aborigines possess the largest and Philippine Negritos the smallest teeth of all considered groups.…”

Effects of an Asian-specific nonsynonymous EDAR variant on multiple dental traits

“…[1][2][3][4] They have focused on differences among populations and differences among individuals within populations. Owing to their work, we now know that dental morphology is highly differentiated among human populations.…”