Morphological dental trait examination of Ajnala skeletal remains and their possible population affinity

The metric and non-metric features of the fragmented, badly damaged and commingled human remains play a significant role in their identity establishment in forensic anthropology. The main objective of the present study was to assess the population specific attributes of the unknown human dental remains excavated from an abandoned well, found underneath a religious structure at Ajnala (Punjab, India). Written accounts mentioned that Ajnala skeletal remains belonged to 282 Indian origin soldiers of the British army who had revolted against the colonial rulers in 1857, who were killed after capture, and their bodies dumped in an abandoned well.

Eleven non-metric dental traits were investigated in a sample of 1527 teeth (1200 dislodged teeth comprising of 300 canines, 300 premolars and 600 molars along with 93 jaw fragments having 327 teeth of different types) collected from this non-scientifically exhumed skeletal assemblage. These selected traits were examined with adequate magnification and lighting, using a flexible arm illuminated magnifier (Lensel Optics Pvt. Ltd., Pune, India), identified and scored in accordance with the descriptions provided in the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS).

Eight of the eleven features examined (Carabelli trait, Hypocone absence, Cusp 5, Cusp 6, Tomes root, mesial canine ridge, Y-groove pattern, and four-cusp mandibular second molar) exhibited frequencies that were distinctly higher or lower than the three major continental ancestries.

Some amateur historians doubted the authenticity of the written versions and argued that these remains might belong to the non-Indians. Present study results revealed that the studied dental trait frequencies were not similar to any major continental ancestry and were relatively unique in Ajnala teeth like previous Indian studies. While this in itself does not guarantee that these teeth belong to individuals of the Indian subcontinent, it endorses previous scientific analyses and supports the written accounts that the majority of Ajnala teeth were probably Indian in origin. However, the determination of ethnicity from dental morphological features remains debatable and can be used only as suggestive than diagnostic tool owing to possible bias in recording morphological features of teeth. Although determining the racial affinity from teeth is very difficult, caution must be exercised in concluding the racial identity of an individual from the teeth.