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Sexual dimorphism in modern human permanent teeth
Gary T Schwartz1, M Christopher Dean
1Department of Anthropology, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA. garys.iho@asu.edu
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|April 30, 2005
Summary
Male teeth have more dentine, contributing to larger crown size and increased weight compared to female teeth. This tooth weight dimorphism, especially in canines, is valuable for forensic sex determination.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Anthropology
- Human Anatomy
- Dental Morphology
Background:
- Sexual dimorphism in human tooth crown size is well-documented.
- Previous research suggested varying contributions of enamel and dentine to this dimorphism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the nature of sexual dimorphism in permanent modern human tooth crowns.
- To compare dimorphism patterns in enamel and dentine distribution between third molars and canines.
- To explore tooth weight as a metric for sexual dimorphism.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of buccolingual sections of permanent mandibular third molars and canines from known sex individuals.
- Estimation of relative enamel and dentine contributions to crown size.
- Measurement of wet tooth weight.
Main Results:
- Sexual dimorphism in tooth crowns is partly attributed to a greater proportion of dentine in male teeth.
- Male permanent third molars and canines are significantly heavier than female teeth.
- Wet tooth weight demonstrates significant sexual dimorphism for both tooth types.
Conclusions:
- Dentine proportion is a key factor in dental sexual dimorphism.
- Wet tooth weight is a reliable indicator of sexual dimorphism in human teeth.
- Canine tooth weight shows particular promise for sex determination in forensic contexts.