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Related Experiment Videos

Heterochronic quantitative microevolution: dental divergence in aboriginal Americans

E D Shields1, G Jones

  • 1Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|July 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

Whole tooth structure analysis reveals human diversity, with enamel depth and root parameters being key discriminators. Dental traits show significant sexual dimorphism, influenced by genetic variations and evolutionary forces like sexual selection.

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Area of Science:

  • Anthropology
  • Genetics
  • Paleontology

Background:

  • Tooth crown morphology studies have historically defined human population differences.
  • Whole tooth structure offers a more complex and potentially informative approach to understanding human diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the hypothesis that quantitative comparisons of whole tooth structure can elucidate human diversity.
  • To compare dental morphology across three distinct populations: Kodiak Island Western Eskimos, Peruvian Inca Amerindians, and Southeast Asians.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative comparison of whole tooth structure, focusing on enamel depth and root parameters.
  • Analysis of dental traits across disparate populations to identify discriminating variables.

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Main Results:

  • Enamel depth showed an increasing gradient from Southeast Asians to the Inca.
  • Root parameters and enamel depth were the most effective variables in differentiating populations.
  • Dental traits exhibited significant sexual dimorphism, particularly in aboriginal Americans, with males having robust roots and thinner enamel.

Conclusions:

  • Microevolution of dental traits is likely due to variations in the timing of gene expression affecting tooth development.
  • Sexual dimorphism and sex-linked genes suggest sexual selection played a role in early Asian populations, with relaxed selection in Southeast Asians.
  • Divergence in tooth shape is attributed to genetic drift modulating gene regulators, influencing tooth development processes.