Abstract
EVER since Gregory and Hellman, the number of cusps on the molar teeth and the pattern of the occlusal grooves have been used as taxonomic criteria in the assessment of hominid and hominoid remains1,2. Both the number of cusps (4, 5 or 6) and the groove pattern (+ or Y) have been used in the comparison of many recent human populations3–11. The addition of the X groove pattern by Jorgensen in 1955 (ref. 8) completed the series of polymorphisms, giving three groove patterns (+, Y and X) and three or more cusp numbers (4, 5 and 6), or at least nine possible combinations in all. However, it has not been known for certain whether cusp number and groove pattern represent a single pleomorphism or two independent dental polymorphisms8.
Published Version
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