Histological reconstruction of dental development and age at death of a juvenile Paranthropus robustus specimen, SK 63, from Swartkrans, South Africa

Bibliographic Data

ID8316052
AuthorsM C Dean, Christopher Dean (0000-0002-0780-6918, University College London, corresponding author), A D Beynon (Newcastle Dental Hospital), J Francis Thackeray (0000-0001-6884-382X, Anglo-Boer War Museum), G A Macho (0000-0002-2355-2858, University of Liverpool)
Year1993
Volume91
Issue4
Pages401-419
Publication date1993-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.1330910402
PMID8372933
OpenAlexW2120208280
LanguageEN
Citations received68
References cited37

There has been disagreement about whether the earliest hominids grew in a similar manner to great apes or modern humans. This has important biological implications, since it may have been inappropriate to apply modern human developmental standards to early hominids. The aim of the present study was to combine data from replicas of tooth surfaces, computed tomographic (CT) scans, and radiographs with data from a histological section of the canine crown, in order to provide a complete description of tooth crown and tooth root development in a single early hominid specimen (SK 63). Although partially destructive in nature, we have been able to determine the most reliable data yet for aspects of dental development in an important juvenile early hominid specimen. Appositional enamel formation time in the permanent right canine was estimated at between 305 and 418 days, imbricational enamel formation time at 819 days, and total crown formation time at between 3.18 and 3.48 years. The most likely age at death was estimated at around 4 years with a range of ages calculated between 3.18 and 4.23 years based on differences in timing of initial mineralization of the canine and differences in appositional enamel formation times. Crown formation times of the lower central and lateral incisors were estimated between 2.35–2.68 years and 2.57–2.91 years, respectively. Crown formation time of the first permanent molar was estimated at 2.4 years. Wear facets on the first permanent molars indicate that gingival emergence had occurred sometime prior to death, between 3 and 4 years of age. Estimates of root extension rates in the first permanent molars and in the permanent incisors are fast, and either within or above ranges of rates estimated for modern great apes. While we recognize that data for one individual may not be representative of data for a whole population of early hominids, the data for age at death, for age of M 1 emergence, and for root extension rates presented here accord with those known for modern great apes and fall beyond the known ranges for modern humans. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc

Ameloblast · Biology · Crown (dentistry · Enamel organ · Enamel paint · Juvenile · Molar · Tooth crown · Dentistry · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Medicine · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub