New facial measurement used in the determination of palatine index and thickness of the mandibular body index

Measurements of the height of the mandibular body and the length of the palate rest on the assumption that the alveolar parts of the mandible and maxilla are not altered. Unfortunately, in the skeletal remains of the past population most of the molar teeth are often antemortem lost and this tooth loss is followed by resorption of the alveolar ridge. A new method of taking mandibular and palate measurements, which could be used in these cases is proposed in the study.     

Periodontal disease in the Mycenean (1450–1150 BC) population of Aghia Triada, W. Peloponnese, Greece

This study investigates the incidence of periodontitis in a Mycenaean population unearthed at the cemetery of Aghia Triada (West Peloponnese, Greece) during the 1989–1997 field season. The material consists of 172 dry skulls. Demographic parameters of sex and age were difficult to be assigned due to the bad state of preservation of the skeletal material. The ratio was 50 males, 48 females, 65 unidentified and 9 children, and we estimated an average age of 38 years. In this work we used traditional and modern methods to determine the incidence of periodontitis in the archeological human dental bone. We also recorded other dental diseases, such as ante mortem tooth loss, caries and attrition. The results showed that periodontitis has affected 35% of the jaws. A notable percentage of the individuals — 24% — lost three or more teeth during their lifetime and a total 53% of the population had extracted teeth before death. This paper points out that the ancient jaws present a high proportion of ante-mortem tooth loss, attrition and deep caries, whereas the frequency of periodontitis does not seem to differ from that of other prehistoric samples.     

Population variation in tooth, jaw, and root size: a radiographic study of two populations in a high-attrition environment

Radiographs were taken of the jaws of skeletal remains of two populations of different-phenotype Prehistoric Australians from Roonka and Early New Zealanders (Maoris). On these radiographs crown, root, and corpus size were measured. Corpus height was subdivided into alveolar bone height, defined as the bone superior to the mandibular canal, and basal bone height, defined as that inferior to the mandibular canal. Both between and within the two populations there was a significant and negative correlation between crown size and corpus height. The differences between the two populations in corpus height were associated with differences in alveolar bone height rather than basal bone height and support hypotheses associating continued eruption of adult teeth with growth of the alveolar bone. The findings also support previous studies that have shown only a low correlation between crown size, root size, and corpus height.     

Variation in dental wear and tooth loss among known‐aged,older ring‐tailed lemurs (Lemur catta): a comparison between wild and captive individuals

Tooth wear is generally an age‐related phenomenon, often assumed to occur at similar rates within populations of primates and other mammals, and has been suggested as a correlate of reduced offspring survival among wild lemurs. Few long‐term wild studies have combined detailed study of primate behavior and ecology with dental analyses. Here, we present data on dental wear and tooth loss in older (>10 years old) wild and captive ring‐tailed lemurs (Lemur catta). Among older ring‐tailed lemurs at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve (BMSR), Madagascar (n=6), the percentage of severe dental wear and tooth loss ranges from 6 to 50%. Among these six individuals, the oldest (19 years old) exhibits the second lowest frequency of tooth loss (14%). The majority of captive lemurs at the Indianapolis Zoo (n=7) are older than the oldest BMSR lemur, yet display significantly less overall tooth wear for 19 of 36 tooth positions, with only two individuals exhibiting antemortem tooth loss. Among the captive lemurs, only one lemur (a nearly 29 year old male) has lost more than one tooth. This individual is only missing anterior teeth, in contrast to lemurs at BMSR, where the majority of lost teeth are postcanine teeth associated with processing specific fallback foods. Postcanine teeth also show significantly more overall wear at BMSR than in the captive sample. At BMSR, degree of severe wear and tooth loss varies in same aged, older individuals, likely reflecting differences in microhabitat, and thus the availability and use of different foods. This pattern becomes apparent before “old age,” as seen in individuals as young as 7 years. Among the four “older” female lemurs at BMSR, severe wear and/or tooth loss do not predict offspring survival. Am. J. Primatol. 72:1026–1037, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Middle Pleistocene human remains from the Bau de l'Aubesier

Excavations in later Middle Pleistocene levels at the Bau de l'Aubesier, Vaucluse, France yielded a maxillary molar (M(1) or M(2); Aubesier 10) and a partial mandible from the left C(1) alveolus to the right condylar base lacking the coronoid process (Aubesier 11). Dentally they are similar to other later Middle Pleistocene Europeans in dental dimensions and variable taurodontism (Aubesier 10 but not Aubesier 11). The small Aubesier 11 mandible exhibits a retreating symphyseal profile with a minimal tuber symphyseos, an anterior marginal tubercle at P(4)/M(1), the mental foramen at P(4)/M(1)-M(1), a modest retromolar space, no lingular bridging of the mandibular foramen, an enlarged superior medial pterygoid tubercle, a modest lateral condylar tubercle, and a mandibular notch crest that intersects the middle third of the condylar margin. All of these features fall within the ranges of variation of later Middle Pleistocene Neandertal lineage humans, and some are characteristic of Middle Pleistocene human mandibles in general. In addition, Aubesier 11 exhibits pervasive ante mortem alveolar resorption with apical abscesses, alveolar bone destruction, universal labial/buccal bone loss, ante mortem tooth loss (for > or =81.8% of preserved alveoli), a lingual alveolar fenestration, and two broken root apices with masticatory attrition. These lesions indicate significantly impaired masticatory function, the oldest specimen currently known with such a reduced degree of dental function but one of several Middle Pleistocene human remains with indications of serious abnormalities.     

Analysis of human skeletal remains from Nadin iron age burial mound

This analysis attempts to reconstruct health, disease and life conditions of the population buried in Nadin, a burial mound, situated in central Dalmatia, Croatia. The analyzed skeletal material belongs to Liburnian culture and could be dated to early Iron Age, from 9th to 6th century B.C. The sample consists of a minimum number of 37 individuals, 7 children and 30 adults. The frequency of all the observed conditions is relatively low. Cribra orbitalia was observed only in females, the frequency of periosteal reaction on the tibiae is 26.1%. Two cases of cranial trauma were observed. Analyzed teeth exhibit low prevalence of carious lesions, ante mortem tooth loss and linear enamel hypoplasia. The case of hyperostosis frontalis interna on the endocranial surface of the frontal bone was observed. The affected skull belongs to the older adult female.     

Interspecific and intraspecific relationships between tooth size and jaw size in primates

The association between mandibular robusticity, postcanine megadontia, and canine reduction in hominins has led to speculation that large and robust jaws might be required to spatially accommodate large canine and molar teeth in hominins and other primates. If so, then variations in mandibular form that are generally regarded as biomechanical adaptations to masticatory demands might instead be incidental effects of functional requirements of tooth support. While the association between large teeth and deep, robust jaws in hominins is well known, the relationship between tooth size and jaw size has not been systematically evaluated in a comparative sample of primates. We evaluate the relationships between molar tooth size, canine tooth size, and mandibular corpus and symphyseal dimensions in a sample of adult anthropoids in interspecific (n=84 species) and intraspecific (n=36 species) contexts. For intraspecific comparisons, tooth size and jaw size are correlated, but for a majority of species this is a function of sexual size dimorphism. Interspecific comparisons lend little direct support to the hypothesis that jaw breadth directly covaries with molar tooth breadth, but they do support the hypothesis that mandibular depth is associated with canine tooth size in males. The latter observation suggests that if there is a causal association between canine size and mandibular depth, it is subject to a threshold effect. In contrast, neither corpus nor symphyseal robusticity, measured as a shape index of breadth/height, are correlated with tooth size. Our results suggest that further studies of the relationship between tooth size and corpus morphology should focus on tooth root size and corpus bony architecture, and that species-specific factors should have a strong impact on such relationships.     

Mandibular lesions in the Western Arctic caribou herd of Alaska.

Lesions were noted in 7.0 and 4.4% of mandible pairs collected from the Western Arctic caribou herd of northwestern Alaska in 1959-61 and 1975-77, respectively. The prevalence of mandibular lesions in the 1959-61 collection is believed to be the highest reported in wild caribou herds of North America. The frequency of occurrence of mandibular lesions was highest in caribou 7 years of age and older, and there was a higher prevalence in adult males than in adult females. Trauma, dental abscesses, and periodontal disease were the probably cause of most lesions. Pathogenic bacteria were not isolated from mandibular lesions from an 11 year-old female. Thirty-three of 98 (33.7%) mandibles with lesions were missing one tooth, while ten (10.2%) were missing more than one tooth. The first molar (M1) was the most common tooth lost in association with lesions, although the loss of two or more teeth was more common among premolars than among molars.     

Dento-alveolar lesions and nutritional habits of a Roman Imperial age population (1st–4th c. AD): Quadrella (Molise, Italy)

The study of teeth is very important in archaeoanthropology for reconstruction of the nutritional habits and living conditions of past populations. We have analysed dental lesions of pathological (caries, abscesses and ante mortem tooth loss) and non-pathological origin (calculus), linear enamel hypoplasia and tooth wear in 67 adults from the Roman Imperial age necropolis (1st-4th c. AD) of Quadrella (Molise, Italy). The high frequency of caries (likely giving rise to the abscesses and ante mortem tooth loss), the abundant calculus and the low frequency of heavy wear are probably due to a limited use of hard fibrous foods and a high consumption of carbohydrates. The high frequency of linear enamel hypoplasia suggests metabolic problems during growth. Comparison of these data with those for two coeval Italian necropoleis near Rome (Latium), Isola Sacra and Lucus Feroniae, indicates poorer living conditions in the Quadrella population.     

Mandibular development in Australopithecus robustus

Australopithecus robustus has a distinct mandibular anatomy, with a broad and deep corpus and a tall, relatively upright ramus. How this anatomy arose through development is unknown, as gross mandibular size and shape change have not been thoroughly examined quantitatively in this species. Herein, I investigate A. robustus mandibular growth by comparing its ontogenetic series with a sample of recent humans, examining age‐related size variation in 28 linear measurements. Resampling is used to compare the amount of proportional size change occurring between tooth eruption stages in the small and fragmentary A. robustus sample, with that of a more complete human skeletal population. Ontogenetic allometry of corpus robusticity is also assessed with least squares regression. Results show that nearly all measurements experience greater average increase in A. robustus than in humans. Most notably, A. robustus corpus breadth undergoes a spurt of growth before eruption of M₁, likely due in part to delayed resorption of the ramus root on the lateral corpus. Between the occlusion of M₁ and M₂, nearly all dimensions experience greater proportional size change in A. robustus. Nested resampling analysis affirms that this pattern of growth differences between species is biologically significant, and not a mere byproduct of the fossil sample size. Some species differences are likely a function of postcanine megadontia in A. robustus, although the causes of other differences are less clear. This study demonstrates an important role of the postnatal period for mandibular shape development in this species. Am J Phys Anthropol 154:436–446, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The influence of age,sex, population group,and dentition on the mandibular angle as measured on a South African sample

The mandibular angle is measured in physical anthropological assessments of human remains to possibly assist with the determination of sex and population affinity. The purpose of this investigation was to establish how the mandibular angle changes with age and loss of teeth among the sexes in South African population groups. The angles of 653 dried adult mandibles from the Pretoria Bone Collection were measured with a mandibulometer. Males and females of both South African whites and blacks were included. To compensate for imbalances in numbers among subgroups, type IV ANOVA testing was applied. No association was found between age and angle within either of the populations, within sexes, or within dentition groups. The angle was the most obtuse in individuals without molars and with an uneven distribution of molars, and most acute in the group with an even distribution of molars on both sides. Statistically significant differences (P < 0.001) were found in the angle between the two population groups and sexes in the overall sample as well as in the subgroup with absent molar teeth (P = 0.003 for sex, males more acute angle, and P = 0.001 for population group, blacks more acute angle), although a very large overlap existed. No significant differences could be demonstrated between the sexes or populations within the subgroups with molars. We concluded that the loss of molars, especially if complete or uneven, has a considerable effect on the mandibular angle. In the assessment of human remains, the mandibular angle is not very usable in determining sex. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Microwear and morphology: functional relationships between human dental microwear and the mandible

Microscopic pits and scratches form on teeth during chewing, but the extent to which their formation is influenced by mandibular morphology is unknown. Digitized micrographs of the base of facet nine of the first, second, and third mandibular molar were used to record microwear features from an archaeological sample of modern humans recovered from Semna South in northern Sudan (n=38; 100 BC to AD 350). Microwear patterns of the molar row are correlated with mandibular corpus width and depth, and with mandibular length. Variations in shear and compression at the base of facet nine during chewing were inferred. It may be that some correlations between microwear and mandibular morphology are predictable, reflecting similar aspects of masticatory loading, though the full extent of the relationship remains to be resolved.     

Relationship between canine dimorphism and mandibular morphology in the hamadryas baboon and the Japanese monkey

To examine morphological interrelationships between canine size and mandibular corpus shape, inter-sex comparisons were made in the hamadryas baboon and the Japanese monkey, known to display extreme and moderate canine dimorphism, respectively. Results of adult comparisons showed that all mandibular dimensions were significantly larger in the males than in the females in both species. In the hamadryas baboon, the males also exhibited a higher ratio of anterior to posterior corpus height than the females. This sex difference in corpus shape was not significant in the Japanese monkey, indicating lack of involvement of canine dimorphism. Analysis of mandibular growth patterns in the hamadryas baboon demonstrated that significant sexual size difference did not occur before incisor eruption, and that the anteriorly high corpus of the adult male mandible was associated with a rapidly increasing symphyseal height after incisor eruption. It was also shown that the female canine started to erupt shortly after incisor eruption, while the forming male canine continued to stay near the mandibular base and developed further in size until eruption. The relative positions of the incisors kept shifting upwards even after eruption in the males, while they hardly changed in the females. It is therefore suggested that the prolonged development and size increase of the male canine is accompanied by further enlargement of the symphysis, resulting in the higher anterior corpus of the adult males compared to the adult females. The results thus indicate the importance of understanding the spatial relationships of the developing teeth in interpreting mandibular morphology.     

Relative contribution of caries and periodontal disease in adult tooth loss among patients reporting to the Institute of Dental Sciences,Belgaum, India

Objectives: To examine the reasons for tooth loss in an adult population. Methods: Patients who reported to the department of prosthodontics in Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum, located in the north‐western part of the state of Karnataka, in the southern region of India over a period of 2 months, with at least one missing tooth (excluding third molars) constituted the sample size. There were a total of 365 patients (185 females and 180 males) within the age group of 16–84 years (mean age 51.06 ± 16.47 years) who fulfilled this criterion. Socio‐demographic profile was recorded along with a clinical examination for assessing the number and pattern of tooth loss. The reasons for tooth loss were recorded according to the history reported by the patient. Results: In the present study of 365 patients, 58.9% of the patients were completely edentulous, 41% were partially dentate, of which 20.8% had lost their teeth from caries, 11% from periodontal disease and 9.3% from a combination of reasons. More females had lost their teeth because of dental caries whereas more males had lost their teeth because of periodontal disease, this being statistically significant. (χ² = 16.53, p = 0.001). Highly significant results were obtained for age and reasons for tooth loss. (χ² = 150.39, p < 0.001). Irrespective of the socio‐economic status, dental caries was the most common cause for tooth loss in partially dentate patients though it was not statistically significant (χ² = 13.62, p = 0.325). Mandibular first molars were the teeth most frequently lost due to dental caries. The maxillary left central incisor was most frequently lost due to periodontal disease, followed by the maxillary right central incisor. Conclusions: Since both dental caries and periodontal disease contributed to tooth loss at different ages, risk indicators need to be identified.     

Pattern of tooth loss in an elderly population from Ibadan, Nigeria

Objectives: To determine tooth loss, edentulousness, causes of tooth loss and pattern of tooth loss in the elderly in South East Local Government area (SELGA) in Ibadan. Background data: SELGA is one of the largest in Oyo State, Nigeria and has a population of 225 800. Design: A cross‐sectional survey. Methodology: A total of 690 elderly individuals who were 65 years and above living in various wards in SELGA were interviewed by two interviewers and examined by two trained and calibrated examiners whilst two record clerks recorded all the findings of the examination. Result: Forty‐eight per cent of the subjects in the study had not lost any teeth. The mean tooth loss was 4.5 ± 7.6. Percentage edentulousness was 1.3% and this was higher in males than in females. This difference was not statistically significant (χ² = 0.07 p = 0.7). The total number of teeth lost was 3102, 14% of the total number of teeth examined. The study showed that caries was not a major cause of tooth loss. Only 22 (0.7%) teeth were lost as a result of caries, 19 (0.6%) were lost because of trauma and periodontal disease contributed to loss of 3061 (98.7%) teeth. Mandibular teeth exhibited a higher rate of retention than maxillary teeth. The percentage of elderly individuals with tooth loss increased with age. Conclusion: The study highlights the high life expectancy of a tooth among the elderly in SELGA. Despite the different cause of tooth loss in this area, in comparison with developed countries, the pattern of tooth retention appeared similar.     

Age,sex, and antemortem loss of teeth in prehistoric Eskimo samples from point hope and Kodiak Island,Alaska

The incidence of teeth lost antemortem was investigated in 244 archeologically derived dried skeletal specimens from the Ipiutak and Tigara burials at Point Hope, Alaska, and 83 Koniag Eskimo specimens excavated at Jones Point, Uyak Bay, Kodiak Island, Alaska. Ipiutak skeletal remains date from approximately 1500 years B.P. and the Tigara remains from 300–400 years B.P. The Kodiak Island sample is undated. Specimens were sexed and aged in five-year groupings using standard techniques. Teeth lost antermortem were identified as having occupied tooth sockets which showed healing of alveolar bone following exfoliation. Numbers of lost teeth were calculated as percentages of total number of tooth sites of each tooth classification for each age, sex, and site subgrouping. Tooth loss was very low in the Kodiak Island sample, with little difference between sexes and no identifiable age trends. The Tigara ramains displayed moderate tooth loss, with strong correlations to increasing age and little differentiation between the sexes. The Ipiutak specimens lost the most teeth antemortem, with notable between-sex differences and strong correlations with increasing age. In all groups loss of anterior teeth was probably due to accident or heavy wear, while loss of posterior teeth was due to heavy wear, periodontal disease, or agenesis.     

A reappraisal of variation in hominid mandibular corpus dimensions

The relationship between breadth and height of the mandibular corpus has been investigated in a sample of 77 hominid mandibles. An interspecific allometric increase in robusticity with size occurs between four taxonomic subgroups of Australopithecus, but subgroups of Homo vary in robusticity while differing little in size. Within taxonomic subgroups, variation in breadth is not significantly related to variation in height among the “gracile” australapithecines; however, it is isometrically related to height in the “robust” australopithecines and bears an allometric relationship to height in Homo. Thus, robusticity, in conjunction with size, may provide a useful indicator of the taxonomic affinities of hominid mandibles.     

Loss of molar occlusion and mandibular morphology in adults in an ancient human population consuming a coarse diet

The purpose of the study is to investigate the link between number of molar teeth retained in occlusion and mandibular morphology in adults in an ancient, high dental wear human population. The study material comprises skeletons from Mediaeval Wharram Percy, England (N = 50 female, 69 male adults). It was hypothesized that adults retaining fewer occluding molars would show reduction in mandibular dimensions, particularly in the ascending ramus and gonial regions where the main muscles of mastication have their insertions. Molar occlusal status is assessed using the concept of functional units. Mandibular morphology is assessed using a suite of ten linear measurements plus the mandibular angle. Results show no evidence for any association between number of molars retained in occlusion and mandibular angle. There was an association between mandibular size and number of molars retained in occlusion, with smaller mandibular dimensions in those retaining fewer occluding molars. Some measurements were affected more than others so that there was also some shape alteration. Alteration of mandibular dimensions was more clearly demonstrable in females than in males. Only in females could significant reduction in the ascending ramus and gonial regions be demonstrated. Reasons for the apparent difference in response to loss of molar occlusion between male and female mandibles are unclear, but sex differences in bony metabolism mediated by hormonal factors may be implicated. Results suggest that care should be exercised when including mandibles from individuals showing loss of molar occlusion in morphological studies. Am J Phys Anthropol 152:383–392, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The effect of pioglitazone and resistance training on body composition in older men and women undergoing hypocaloric weight loss

Age‐related increases in ectopic fat accumulation are associated with greater risk for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, and physical disability. Reducing skeletal muscle fat and preserving lean tissue are associated with improved physical function in older adults. PPARγ‐agonist treatment decreases abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and resistance training preserves lean tissue, but their effect on ectopic fat depots in nondiabetic overweight adults is unclear. We examined the influence of pioglitazone and resistance training on body composition in older (65–79 years) nondiabetic overweight/obese men (n = 48, BMI = 32.3 ± 3.8 kg/m²) and women (n = 40, BMI = 33.3 ± 4.9 kg/m²) during weight loss. All participants underwent a 16‐week hypocaloric weight‐loss program and were randomized to receive pioglitazone (30 mg/day) or no pioglitazone with or without resistance training, following a 2 × 2 factorial design. Regional body composition was measured at baseline and follow‐up using computed tomography (CT). Lean mass was measured using dual X‐ray absorptiometry. Men lost 6.6% and women lost 6.5% of initial body mass. The percent of fat loss varied across individual compartments. Men who were given pioglitazone lost more visceral abdominal fat than men who were not given pioglitazone (?1,160 vs. ?647 cm³, P = 0.007). Women who were given pioglitazone lost less thigh subcutaneous fat (?104 vs. ?298 cm³, P = 0.002). Pioglitazone did not affect any other outcomes. Resistance training diminished thigh muscle loss in men and women (resistance training vs. no resistance training men: ?43 vs. ?88 cm³, P = 0.005; women: ?34 vs. ?59 cm³, P = 0.04). In overweight/obese older men undergoing weight loss, pioglitazone increased visceral fat loss and resistance training reduced skeletal muscle loss. Additional studies are needed to clarify the observed gender differences and evaluate how these changes in body composition influence functional status.     

Geometric morphometric 3D shape analysis and covariation of human mandibular and maxillary first molars

Dental casts of 160 Greek subjects (80 males, 80 females) were scanned by a structured‐light scanner. The upper and lower right first molar occlusal surface 3D meshes were processed using geometric morphometric methods. A total of 265 and 274 curve and surface sliding semilandmarks were placed on the upper and lower molar surfaces, respectively. Principal component analysis and partial least square analysis were performed to assess shape parameters. Molars tended to vary between an elongated and a more square form. The first two principal components (PCs), comprising almost 1/3 of molar shape variation, were related to mesiodistal–buccolingual ratios and relative cusp position. Distal cusps displayed the greatest shape variability. Molars of males were larger than those of females (2.8 and 3.2% for upper and lower molars respectively), but no shape dimorphism was observed. Upper and lower molar sizes were significantly correlated (r² = 0.689). Allometry was observed for both teeth. Larger lower molars were associated with shorter cusps, expansion of the distal cusp, and constriction of the mesial cusps (predicted variance 3.25%). Upper molars displayed weaker allometry (predicted variance 1.59%). Upper and lower molar shape covariation proved significant (RV = 17.26%, P < 0.0001). The main parameter of molar covariation in partial least square axis 1, contributing to 30% of total covariation, was cusp height, in contrast to the primary variability traits exhibited by PC1 and PC2. The aim of this study was to evaluate shape variation and covariation, including allometry and sexual dimorphism, of maxillary and mandibular first permanent molar occlusal surfaces. Am J Phys Anthropol 152:186–196, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.