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Population variation in tooth, jaw, and root size: A radiographic study of two populations in a high‐attrition environment
Author(s) -
Smith Patricia,
Wax Yochanan,
Adler Fanny
Publication year - 1989
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.1330790207
Subject(s) - crown (dentistry) , dentistry , radiography , dental alveolus , mandible (arthropod mouthpart) , basal (medicine) , alveolar process , population , orthodontics , biology , anatomy , medicine , botany , environmental health , insulin , genus , endocrinology , radiology
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.