Influence of the Interproximal Attrition of Teeth on the Formation of Neanderthal Retromolar Space

Bibliographic Data

ID6135787
AuthorsTakashi Nara (Department of Anatomy, Tohoku University School of Medicine), Tsunehiko Hanihara (Department of Anatomy, Tohoku University School of Medicine), Yukio Dodo (Department of Anatomy, Tohoku University School of Medicine), Bernard Vandermeersch (Laboratoire d'Anthropologie, Université de Bordeaux I)
Year1998
Volume106
Issue4
Pages297-309
Publication date1998-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAnthropological Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0918-7960 • E-ISSN: 1348-8570
PublisherAnthropological Society of Nippon (PUBLISHER • JP)
DOI10.1537/ase.106.297
OpenAlexW2072419655
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited13

Sixteen Neanderthal mandibles together with those of five European middle Pleistocene Homo specimens, and over one hundred prehistoric Jomon crania from Japan were examined to clarify whether the presence of large retromolar space, one of the unique facial features of Neanderthals, is at least in part a consequence of forward migration of the teeth caused by heavy interproximal attrition. When the Neanderthal and the Jomon samples were divided according to age or magnitude of tooth attrition, the reduction of olar teeth length and the enlargement of retromolar space with the vance of age or tooth attrition were indicated in both samples. The results suggest that the retromolar space is a morphological complex containing heterogeneous factors, one of which is the secondarily acquired one caused by forward migration of the postcanine dentition

Archaeology · Attrition · Biology · Crania · Dentition · Geography · Hyena · Neanderthal · dental development and anomalies · Dentistry · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Medicine · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Anatomy · Orthodontics · Paleontology

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