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The in vivo development of the hamster periodontium and implications for the chin's evolution
Author(s) -
Biggerstaff Robert H.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330380120
Subject(s) - dental alveolus , chin , periodontal fiber , intramembranous ossification , anatomy , mandible (arthropod mouthpart) , hamster , biology , periodontium , osteoblast , alveolar process , bone cell , dentistry , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , biochemistry , botany , in vitro , genus
The anthropological problem related to the biology and evolution of the human chin was approached by examining the hypothesis that the body of the mandible consists of two bony moieties: (1) alveolar bone and (2) basal bone. The alveolar bone was assumed to be a component of the dentition, ontogenetically distinct from the basal bone on which it is superposed. Each bone moiety exhibits differences in the amount, direction and timing of growth — factors which are presumed to be partially responsible for the origin and evolution of the chin. To provide additional information on this problem, histologic sections from 45 postnatal hamster mandibles were examined with the light microscope. The results revealed that the hamster alveolar bone tissue develops from a hyalinelike precursor which is ontogenetically distinct from the processes of intramembranous bone formation. The maturation of alveolar bone appears to be associated with and highly correlated to the progressive development of the periodontal ligament and the root, a process which suggests epithelio‐mesenchymal interactions analogous to those observed during crown formation. The probable relationships between these observations on alveolar bone development and chin formation are discussed.