Lateral enamel growth in human incisors from Çatalhöyük in Turkey

Abstract

Whereas the differences in lateral enamel growth between fossil and modern populations have been well documented in recent years, few studies report on the variability in perikymata counts and distribution between modern human populations. There is a need for information on modern human populations from a wide range of geographical regions and archaeological populations to determine whether existing patterns are representative. The aim of this paper is to document enamel surface microstructures in human teeth from a previously unknown region and time period comprehensively. Perikymata counts and distribution are assessed in a large sample of relatively unworn permanent incisors from the mid-Holocene site of Çatalhöyük in Turkey. All four incisor types exhibit total perikymata counts that are intermediate between values for modern samples from northern Europe and South Africa. The perikymata distribution followed the modern human pattern of a marked decrease in spacing in the cervical half of the crown. The existence of regional differences in perikymata number and distribution demonstrates the importance of documenting enamel microstructures in a wider range of modern human populations, both geographically and chronologically.