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Using elliptical best fits to characterize dental shapes
Catherine C Bauer1, Paul D Bons2, Stefano Benazzi3,4
1Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoecology, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Rümelinstrasse 23, Tübingen, 72070, Germany.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|September 19, 2015
Summary
New dental analysis methods offer size- and orientation-free shape descriptors for human evolutionary studies. This technique aids in distinguishing between Neanderthal and modern human teeth, even when worn.
Area of Science:
- Paleoanthropology
- Dental Morphology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Geometric morphometrics are common in human evolutionary studies of dental variation.
- Existing methods face limitations with worn or difficult-to-orient teeth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel method for dental shape analysis.
- To provide size- and orientation-free shape descriptors.
- To assess the taxonomic utility of this new approach.
Main Methods:
- Elliptical best fits applied to outlines of dental tissues below the crown.
- Analysis of deciduous second molars (dm2) and third molars (M3).
Main Results:
- The elliptical fit method yields basic size- and orientation-free shape descriptors.
- These descriptors successfully distinguish between Neanderthal and recent modern human teeth.
- The method shows potential for taxonomic classification.
Conclusions:
- Elliptical best fits on sub-crown dental tissue outlines offer a robust alternative for dental shape analysis.
- This approach overcomes limitations of traditional methods, especially for worn or poorly oriented specimens.
- The technique is valuable for taxonomic discrimination in human evolutionary research.
