Dentofacial biometry as a discriminant factor in the identification of remote Amazon indigenous populations

This study aimed to examine the role of dentofacial morphology in discriminating semi-isolated indigenous groups. These populations present a similar pattern of dietary habits. Studies in human genetics have reported a large intertribal genetic distance and low intratribal variation.

This study was conducted following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. Face dimensions were measured through facial photogrammetry, and dental arches and tooth size were evaluated using plaster models. A total of 98 subjects in the permanent dentition and belonging to 4 indigenous groups were analyzed: Arara-Iriri (n = 20), Arara-Laranjal (n = 33), Assurini (n = 25), and Xicrin-Kayapó (n = 20). The random and systematic errors were verified using the Dahlberg formula and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively. In order to evaluate the discrimination of the variables to identify the indigenous groups, a discriminant analysis was performed (P <0.05).

A small causal error (Dahlberg, 0.13-1.81) and excellent replicability (ICC, 0.75-0.99) for face dimensions as well as for models (Dahlberg, 0.10-0.68; ICC, 0.94-0.99) were observed. The discriminant analysis allowed the identification of 4 populations by facial and dental arch dimensions and tooth size. Dentofacial biometry revealed an accuracy of 98% for females and 100% for males, which confirms a high intragroup homogeneity and considerable intergroup heterogeneity for dentofacial features.

Biometric measurements of the human face added with tooth size and dental arch dimensions are very useful to identify remote indigenous populations with high accuracy. Supported by previous studies in human genetics, these findings reinforce the role of genetic variation in the determination of dentofacial features.