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Using elliptical best fits to characterize dental shapes
Author(s) -
Bauer Catherine C.,
Bons Paul D.,
Benazzi Stefano,
Harvati Katerina
Publication year - 2016
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.22866
Subject(s) - neanderthal , computer science , variety (cybernetics) , orientation (vector space) , artificial intelligence , tooth crown , crown (dentistry) , variation (astronomy) , pattern recognition (psychology) , mathematics , orthodontics , geometry , geography , medicine , physics , archaeology , astrophysics
A variety of geometric morphometric methods have recently been used to describe dental shape variation in human evolutionary studies. However, the applicability of these methods is limited when teeth are worn or are difficult to orient accurately. Here we show that elliptical best fits on outlines of dental tissues below the crown provide basic size‐ and orientation‐free shape descriptors. Using the dm 2 and M 3 as examples, we demonstrate that these descriptors can be used for taxonomic purposes, such as distinguishing between Neanderthal and recent modern human teeth. We propose that this approach can be a useful alternative to existing methodology. Am J Phys Anthropol 159:342–347, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.