Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2025
Systematic Assessment of Mammalian Skull Specimens for Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology
Published on: August 22, 2022
Dental morphological variation in Chalcolithic and Bronze Age human populations from North-Eastern Romania
Mariana Popovici1, Vasilica-Monica Groza1, Luminiţa Bejenaru2
1Romanian Academy - Iaşi Branch, "Olga Necrasov" Center of Anthropological Research, Str. Th. Codrescu, no. 2, Iaşi 700481, Romania.
Background:
This study aims to evaluate the dental variability and the phenetic relationships among archaeological human populations of the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age in North-Eastern Romania.
Methods:
The evaluation of phenotypic variability was performed using the 2D Geometric Morphometrics on the second molars (upper - M2, and lower - M2) belonging to adult skeletons discovered in archaeological sites of the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age in North-Eastern Romania.
Results:
The size (Centroid Size, CS) and shape analysis of the second molar highlighted specific characteristics for each prehistoric period. The CS doesn't achieve any statistical significance for two of the comparison criterium used (i.e., period, archaeological site). Instead, statistically significant differences were recorded between males and females. The greater variability in the shape of M2 compared to M2 was noticed. The M2 model of the Bronze Age is flattened mesiodistal compared to the Chalcolithic one, while differences in M2 morphotypes are associated with the hypocone shape, particularly.
Conclusion:
This study of dental morphology provides new data that could contribute as evidence of interactions between biological human groups in different regional prehistoric contexts.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin...
01:21Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or...