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A principal components analysis of human odontometrics
1Department of Orthodontics, College of Dentistry, University of Tennessee, Memphis 38163.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|January 1, 1988
Summary
This study reveals that tooth crown dimensions in humans show sex-specific integration patterns. Females exhibit stronger correlations between tooth dimensions, indicating greater dental integration.
Area of Science:
- Anthropology
- Human Biology
- Dental Morphology
Background:
- Tooth crown diameters in hominoids are known to be positively intercorrelated.
- Understanding these correlations is crucial for studying human evolution and variation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex-specific patterns in tooth crown diameter intercorrelations.
- To apply Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for data reduction and identification of dental components.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of mesiodistal and buccolingual tooth crown diameters from 2,650 individuals in the Solomon Islands.
- Calculation of sex-specific correlation matrices and application of Principal Component Analysis (PCA).
- Extraction and interpretation of four principal components before and after varimax rotation.
Main Results:
- Significant sex dimorphism was found in the strength of tooth crown intercorrelations, with females showing higher integration.
- PCA identified four main components: overall size, width vs. length, anterior vs. posterior teeth, and premolars vs. molars.
- Overall size accounted for the majority (63%) of the explained variance in the dentition.
Conclusions:
- Dental integration patterns differ between sexes, with females exhibiting more integrated dentitions.
- PCA is a valuable tool for analyzing complex dental morphometric data, offering insights beyond simple size summation.
- The identified principal components may reflect biologically and genetically meaningful aspects of dental development.
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