The Incidence of Enamel Hypoplasia among the Krapina Neandertals

Developmental defects of teeth often appear as a record of metabolic disturbances during growth. One defect in particular, enamel hypoplasia, has been described among recent prehistoric human populations, but few analyses have been made of fossil hominids. This study describes the enamel quality of the dental remains of the Krapina Neandertals. Of the 18 individuals represented by dental arch fragments, 13 showed evidence of one or more teeth with enamel defects described as hypoplasia. This was a high frequency of occurrence when compared to Bronze and Copper Age populations in Central Europe or Woodland and Mississippian populations in North America. The reason for the higher incidence among the Neandertals is not fully explainable given the data available. However, there is a suggestion that fluorosis could be a factor that reduced the expression of enamel hypoplasia in the European populations.