Teeth are among the best sources of evidence for both identification purposes and studies of demography, biological relationships, and health in ancient human communities. The anthropologist's specimen may be a cast that a dentist has taken from a living mouth, or actual teeth from an archaeological site or forensic case. This text introduces the complex biology of teeth and provides a practical guide to all essential aspects of dental anthropology, including excavation, identification, microscopic study, and tooth age determination. Dental Anthropology is a concise yet comprehensive resource designed for students and researchers in anthropology and archaeology.
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.
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
Symposia of the Society for the Study of Human Biology, Volume V: Dental Anthropology is a collection of papers that covers the application of dental pathology in the context of anthropology. The book presents 15 studies that cover various human dental variables and relates to different anthropological factors. The dental variables considered in the articles include tooth morphology; occlusion and malocclusion of primate teeth; morphogenesis of deciduous molar pattern in man; and double-rooted human lower canine teeth. The text also covers topics about race specific dental traits such as radiographic study of the Neanderthal teeth from Krapina; crown characters of the deciduous dentition of the Japanese-American hybrids; and analysis of the American Indian dentition. The selection will be of great interest to evolutionary scientists, such as anthropologists and paleontologists.
All humans share certain components of tooth structure, but show variation in size and morphology around this shared pattern. This book presents a worldwide synthesis of the global variation in tooth morphology in recent populations. Research has advanced on many fronts since the publication of the first edition, which has become a seminal work on the subject. This revised and updated edition introduces new ideas in dental genetics and ontogeny and summarizes major historical problems addressed by dental morphology. The detailed descriptions of 29 dental variables are fully updated with current data and include details of a new web-based application for using crown and root morphology to evaluate ancestry in forensic cases. A new chapter describes what constitutes a modern human dentition in the context of the hominin fossil record.
This work provides the first-ever 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 standardized images and descriptions of dental morphological variants that are accessible and user friendly. 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 by 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.
Bringing together a variety of accomplished dental researchers, this book covers a range of topics germane to the study of human and other primate teeth. The chapters encompass work on individuals to samples, ranging from prehistoric to modern times. The focus throughout the book is the methodology required for the study of modern dental anthropology, comprising the scientific methods in use today - ranging from simple observation to advanced computer-based analyses - which can be utilized by the reader in their own dental research. Originating from the 20th anniversary meeting of the Dental Anthropology Association, this is a valuable reference source for graduate students, academic researchers and professionals in the social and life sciences, as well as clinicians.
