Anthropological Perspectives On Tooth Morphology

Researchers have long had an interest in dental morphology as a genetic proxy to reconstruct population history. Much interest was fostered by the use of standard plaques and associated descriptions that comprise the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System, developed by Christy G. Turner, II and students. This system has served as the foundation for hundreds of anthropological studies for over 30 years. In recognition of that success, this volume brings together some of the world's leading dental morphologists to expand upon the concepts and methods presented in the popular The Anthropology of Modern Human Teeth (Cambridge, 1997), leading the reader from method to applied research. After a preparatory section on the current knowledge of heritability and gene expression, a series of case studies demonstrate the utility of dental morphological study in both fossil and more recent populations (and individuals), from local to global scales.

A global study of dental variation offering insights into modern human origins.

A valuable guide to scoring crown and root traits in human dentitions for ancestry estimation and biodistance analysis.

Complete guide to genetics, evolution, and variation in human tooth crown and root morphology in modern and fossil Homo sapiens.

Shelley Saunders This book offers a welcome diversity of topics covering the broader subjects of teeth and the study of teeth by anthropologists. There is an impressive array of coverage here including the history of anthropological study of the teeth, morphology and structure, pathology and epidemiology, the relationship between nutrition, human behavior and the dentition, age and sex estimation from teeth, and geographic and genetic variation. Most chapter authors have provided thorough reviews of their subjects along with examples of recent analytical work and recommendations for future research. North American researchers should particularly appreciate the access to an extensive European literature cited in the individual chapter bibliographies. Physical anthropologists with even a passing interest in dental research should greet the publication of this book with pleasure since it adds to a growing list of books on how the study of teeth can tell us so much about past human populations. In addition to the archaeological applications, there is the forensic objective of dental anthropology which the editors refer to in their introduction which is dealt with in this volume. The chapters dealing with methods of sex determination, age estimation of juveniles and age estimation of adults using the teeth are exhaustive and exacting and of critical importance to both "osteoarchaeologists" and forensic anthropologists. Authors Liversidge, Herdeg and Rosing provide very clear guidelines for the use of dental formation standards in juvenile age estimation, recommendations that are so obviously necessary at this time.

Dental Functional Morphology offers an alternative to the received wisdom that teeth merely crush, cut, shear or grind food and shows how teeth adapt to diet. Providing an analysis of tooth action based on an understanding of how food particles break, it shows how tooth form from the earliest mammals to modern-day humans can be understood using very basic considerations about fracture. It outlines the theoretical basis step by step, explaining the factors governing tooth shape and size and provides an allometric analysis that will revolutionize attitudes to the evolution of the human face and the impact of cooked foods on our dentition. In addition, the basis of the mechanics behind the fracture of different types of food, and methods of measurement are given in an easy-to-use appendix. It will be an important sourcebook for physical anthropologists, dental and food scientists, palaeontologists and those interested in feeding ecology.

This work provides a new, comprehensive update to the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS). Drawing upon her extensive experience in informatics, curating data, and dental morphological data acquisition, Edgar has developed accessible and user-friendly standardized images and descriptions of dental morphological variants. The manual provides nearly 400 illustrations that indicate ideal expressions of each dental trait. These drawings are coupled with over 650 photographs of real teeth, indicating real-world examples of each expression. Additionally, trait descriptions have been written to be clear, comparative, and easy to apply. Together, the images and descriptions are presented in a standardized form for quick and clear reference. All of these modifications to ASUDAS make it more usable for students and professionals alike. In addition to these features of the manual, the text makes a brief but strong argument for why dental morphology will continue to be a useful tool in biological anthropology through the 21st century.

Companion to Dental Anthropology presents a collection of original readings addressing all aspects and sub-disciplines of the field of dental anthropology—from its origins and evolution through to the latest scientific research. Represents the most comprehensive coverage of all sub-disciplines of dental anthropology available today Features individual chapters written by experts in their specific area of dental research Includes authors who also present results from their research through case studies or voiced opinions about their work Offers extensive coverage of topics relating to dental evolution, morphometric variation, and pathology