Dental Dimensions Research Articles

Mesiodistal and bucolingual dental diameters in a group of mixed ethnicity population in Cali, Colombia

Objective: To obtain the mesiodistal and bucolingual diameters of upper and lower permanent central and lateral incisors, cuspids, first and second premolars and first molars by the analysis of 66 plaster casts (27 women and 39 men) belonging to a group of mestizo Caucasoid in the city of Cali, in order to determine the mean diameters of each teeth class, sexual dimorphism, bilateral symmetry and biological distances of the studied sample.
 Materials and methods: quantitative crosssectional descriptive study to characterize the dental dimensions through Moorrees method for meso-distal diameter and Kieser method for the buco-lingual diameter systems, using a gauge of thin tips with 0.1 mm of precision. The Student T test and Mann-Whitney test were used to determine sexual dimorphism and bilateral symmetry, respectively (p <0.05).
 Results: According to the mesiodistal and bucolingual diameters, the permanent teeth of the studied population not display sexual dimorphism and they have bilateral symmetry. At the same time, a distance matrix with the respective dendrogram was built from the averages of these measurements, resulting in a grouping of the studied sample with microdontes global populations.
 Conclusions: The studied sample has no sexual dimorphism, presents bilateral symmetry and is considered as a microdonte population.

Comment on relative brain size in early primates and the use of encephalization quotients in primate evolution

An accurate prediction of the body mass of an extinct species can greatly inform the reconstruction of that species' ecology. Therefore, paleontologists frequently predict the body mass of extinct taxa from fossilized materials, particularly dental dimensions. Body mass prediction has traditionally been performed in a frequentist statistical framework, and accounting for phylogenetic relationships while calibrating prediction models has only recently become more commonplace. In this article, we apply BayesModelS—a phylogenetically informed Bayesian prediction method—to predict body mass in a sample of 49 euarchontan species (24 strepsirrhines, 20 platyrrhines, 3 tarsiids, 1 dermopteran, and 1 scandentian) and compare this approach's body mass prediction accuracy with other commonly used techniques, namely ordinary least squares, phylogenetic generalized least squares, and phylogenetic independent contrasts (PICs). When predicting the body masses of extant euarchontans from dental and postcranial variables, BayesModelS and PICs have substantially higher predictive accuracy than ordinary least squares and phylogenetic generalized least squares. The improved performances of BayesModelS and PIC are most evident for dentally derived body mass proxies or when body mass proxies have high degrees of phylogenetic covariance. Predicted values generated by BayesModelS and PIC methods also show less variance across body mass proxies when applied to the Eocene adapiform Notharctus tenebrosus. These more explicitly phylogenetically based methods should prove useful for predicting body mass in a paleontological context, and we provide executive scripts for both BayesModelS and PIC to increase ease of application.

Early Pleistocene hominin deciduous teeth from the Homo antecessor Gran Dolina-TD6 bearing level (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).

During the last 13years, the late Early Pleistocene Gran Dolina-TD6-2 level (Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Spain) has yielded an additional sample of 26 dental specimens attributed to Homo antecessor. In this report, we present a descriptive and comparative study of the six deciduous teeth. We provide external and internal morphological descriptions following classical terminology, as well as the mesiodistal and buccolingual measurements of the teeth. The internal morphology was described by means of micro-CT technique. The TD6 deciduous teeth preserve primitive features regarding the Homo clade, such as the presence of styles in lower and upper canines and developed anterior and posterior foveae in the dm2 . However, other features related to the complexity of the crown morphology (e.g., cingulum) are not present in this sample. Furthermore, the great reduction of the talonid of the dm1 s is also noteworthy. Despite the limited comparative evidence, the presence of a remarkably well-developed tuberculum molare in the dm1 and dm1 s from TD6 can be also considered a derived feature in the genus Homo. The TD6 hominins exhibit dental dimensions similar to those of other Pleistocene hominins. The dm1 s are buccolingually elongated and the buccolingual diameter of ATD6-93 is the largest recorded so far in the Homo fossil record. This study expands the list of plesiomorphic features of H. antecessor, and provides some information on the evolutionary status of this species. However, the identification of some advanced traits evinces a step towards the derived morphology of European Pleistocene teeth. The study of the deciduous dentition confirms the mosaic pattern of H. antecessor morphology revealed in previous studies of this hominin sample.

Middle Miocene Kenyapotamus (Cetartiodactyla, Hippopotamidae) from Napudet, Turkana Basin, Kenya

ABSTRACTWe describe five new specimens of Hippopotamidae from the Miocene of Napudet, a new site in southwestern Turkana Basin, Kenya. These specimens include fragmentary maxillae with teeth and a well-preserved mandibular symphysis. We attribute them to Kenyapotamus ternani, the least known species within Kenyapotamus, on the basis of relatively small dental dimensions and a clear distinction between the parastyle and the mesiostyle on the upper molars. This attribution suggests an age older than 10 Ma for Napudet. A cladistic analysis integrating these new data makes it possible to evaluate the relationships between middle Miocene hippopotamids and later representatives. The mandibular symphysis from Napudet, defining the plesiomorphic condition for mandibular morphology in Hippopotaminae, could be crucial for future phylogenetic reconstructions of the family. Mandibular morphology is a fast-evolving complex of characters, key in reconstructing the behavior and the past diversity of Hippopotamidae. Finally, this material demonstrates the potential of Napudet for augmenting the fossil record for a relatively ill-documented time interval (13–10 Ma).SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVPCitation for this article: Boisserie, J.-R., C. Kiarie, F. Lihoreau, and I. Nengo. 2017. Middle Miocene Kenyapotamus (Cetartiodactyla, Hippopotamidae) from Napudet, Turkana Basin, Kenya. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1272055.

Odontometric sex estimation from clinically extracted molar teeth in a North Indian population sample.

Background:Different dental features have contributed significantly toward sex determination in the forensic anthropological contexts. Population-specific standards (discriminant functions or regression formulae) have been suggested for various population groups to identify the sex of an unknown individual from dental dimensions and other odontometric features. The main purpose of the present investigation was to examine the degree of sexual dimorphism exhibited by the human teeth of North Indians and identify importance as a forensic tool in sex determination.Materials and Methods:The linear and diagonal dimensions were recorded at both crown and cementoenamel junction levels of 58 upper and 72 lower molars of 130 Northwest Indian subjects (73 males and 57 females). The measurements were subjected to appropriate statistical analyses to estimate the sex estimation accuracy from lower and upper molars separately.Results:Univariate analyses revealed that molar teeth had greater dimensions in males than the females and the mesiodistal cervical diameter (MDCV) was found to be the most suitable variable for sex determination of the molars. The classification results were in agreement with the previously conducted studies. The index of sexual dimorphism (ISD) was calculated to be higher in lower molars than the upper molars, and the highest sex differences were observed for MDCV based on the ISD. The overall sex estimation accuracy obtained from multivariate discriminant function analysis and regression analysis of pooled data was 70.0% (74% males, 64.9% females) and 66.9% (78.1% males, 52.6% females), respectively.Conclusions:Odontometrics can play a significant role in establishing the biological identity of an unknown individual even from a single tooth in the absence of other sophisticated molecular or biochemical techniques used for this purpose.

Earliest known record of a hypercarnivorous dasyurid (Marsupialia), from newly discovered carbonates beyond the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, north Queensland

Whollydooleya tomnpatrichorum gen. et sp. nov. is a new, highly specialised hypercarnivorous dasyuromorphian from a new mid-Cenozoic limestone deposit southwest of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in northwestern Queensland. Dental dimensions suggest it may have weighed at least twice as much as the living Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii). Although known only from a lower molar, it exhibits a plethora of carnivorous adaptations including a hypertrophied protoconid, tiny metaconid and a battery of vertical carnassial blades between most of the major cusps, most of which incorporate carnassial notches to immobilise materials being sheared. It is unique among dasyuromorphians in having a massive entoconid that closes the entire lingual side of the talonid. Comparison with previously known thylacinid and dasyurid hypercarnivores suggests its relationships are closer to dasyurids than thylacinids in the main because of the very large entoconid, a cusp that is relatively small to absent in all known thylacinids but commonly small to large in dasyurids. However, the extent of enlargement of the entoconid suggests that it is not closely related to previously known Cenozoic hypercarnivorous dasyurids in the genera Dasyurus, Glaucodon, Sarcophilus or any of the other previously described Cenozoic dasyurids. Although the early late Miocene Ganbulanyi djadjinguli is only known from an upper molar, the reduced area of its protocone suggests a correspondingly reduced rather than hypertrophied entoconid in its as-yet-unknown lower molars. Reconsideration of the structure of the talonid in species of Sarcophilus even suggests that within that Quaternary lineage, the entoconid may have been entirely lost, with the posteriorly displaced metaconid taking its functional place as an occlusal counterpart for the blades of the protocone. The large size of the new species signals the earliest indication within the dasyurid radiation of a late Cenozoic trend towards gigantism that became evident in many lineages of Australian marsupials. While the age is uncertain, on the basis of associated taxa such as species of Ekaltadeta, it is probably either mid or late Miocene in age. Geological features of the deposit suggest it was formed within a pool in a cave environment that periodically underwent desiccation. Some grains suggest an aeolian as well as an alluvial and pluvial origin for the deposit. This may relate to current understanding about environmental change that took place in the region following the mid Miocene climate oscillation.

The Early Pleistocene Gigantopithecus-Sinomastodon fauna from Juyuan karst cave in Boyue Mountain, Guangxi, South China

As one of the most important Quaternary mammalian faunas in southern China, the Gigantopithecus-Sinomastodon fauna has received much attention. The large-primate fossil teeth newly collected from Juyuan karst cave in Boyue Mountain, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of southern China, can be identified as Gigantopithecus blacki. The morphology and size of these G. blacki teeth differ from those of the middle Pleistocene Gigantopithecus teeth which hold evidently larger dental dimensions and more complex crenulations from Hejiang Cave also in Guangxi and Tham Khuyen Cave in Vietnam. However, the G. blacki teeth from Juyuan Cave are relatively similar to those from Early Pleistocene Mohui Cave and Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave both in Guangxi, which suggests that the three cave sites have similar age. The Juyuan fauna associated with Gigantopithecus blacki, consisting of 45 mammalian species (such as Sinomastodon yangziensis, Ailuropoda wulingshanensis, Stegodon huananensis, and Rhinoceros fusuiensis), is a typical Early Pleistocene Gigantopithecus-Sinomastodon fauna of southern China. The Juyuan fauna is mostly similar to Mohui fauna, also implying their contemporaneity. Paleomagnetic analyses demonstrate that the fossil-bearing sediments in Juyuan Cave are dominated by normal polarity. Combining the faunal analysis and magnetostratigraphic evidence, the Juyuan sediments can be best correlated with the Olduvai normal subchron, giving an estimated age of 1.8 Ma.

Cranial dimensions as estimators of body mass and locomotor habits in extant and fossil rodents

ABSTRACTEstimating body mass and locomotor habits of fossil rodents is challenging for taxa without available postcranial material. Although equations exist to estimate body mass from dental dimensions based on extant rodents, the applicability of such equations is doubtful given that modern rodents have evolved highly specialized teeth, whereas fossil taxa often exhibit a much less derived condition. For the present study, 11 cranial variables from a sample of 203 extant rodents of known body mass representing a range of taxonomic groups were assessed using reduced major axis (RMA) regression. The results show a strong correlation between body mass and each of the 11 cranial variables. The best estimators for body mass are skull length and cheek-tooth area, whereas the least reliable measures are palate length, and foramen magnum, as well as braincase and occipital condyle dimensions. We estimated body mass for specimens of five fossil Ischyromyidae rodents for which body mass had never been estimated (Paramys copei, P. delicatus, Reithroparamys delicatissimus, Rapamys atramontis, and Ischyromys typus). Principal components and canonical variates analyses based on 10 cranial dimensions for 103 members of Sciuromorpha demonstrate that a relationship exists between locomotor habits and cranial variables in this suborder. In these analyses, early ischyromyids are all placed in the terrestrial group with Aplodontia, Marmota, Cynomys, and Spermophilus. This contradicts previous hypotheses regarding early rodent locomotion, which suggested that they were arboreal or more generalized in their habits.SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVPCitation for this article: Bertrand, O. C., M. A. Schillaci, and M. T. Silcox. 2015. Cranial dimensions as estimators of body mass and locomotor habits in extant and fossil rodents. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2015.1014905.

Predicting euarchontan body mass: A comparison of tarsal and dental variables.

Multiple meaningful ecological characterizations of a species revolve around body mass. Because body mass cannot be directly measured in extinct taxa, reliable body mass predictors are needed. Many published body mass prediction equations rely on dental dimensions, but certain skeletal dimensions may have a more direct and consistent relationship with body mass. We seek to evaluate the reliability of prediction equations for inferring euarchontan body mass based on measurements of the articular facet areas of the astragalus and calcaneus. Surface areas of five astragalar facets (n = 217 specimens) and two calcaneal facets (n = 163) were measured. Separate ordinary least squares and multiple regression equations are presented for different levels of taxonomic inclusivity, and the reliability of each equation is evaluated with the coefficient of determination, standard error of the estimate, mean prediction error, and the prediction sum of squares statistic. We compare prediction errors to published prediction equations that utilize dental and/or tarsal measures. Finally, we examine the effects of taxonomically specific regressions and apply our equations to a diverse set of non-primates. Our results reveal that predictions based on facet areas are more reliable than most linear dental or tarsal predictors. Multivariate approaches are often better than univariate methods, but require more information (making them less useful for fragmentary fossils). While some taxonomically specific regressions improve predictive ability, this is not true for all primate groups. Among individual facets, the ectal and fibular facets of the astragalus and the calcaneal cuboid facet are the best body mass predictors. Since these facets have primarily concave curvature and scale with positive allometry relative to body mass, it appears that candidate skeletal proxies for body mass can be identified based on their curvature and scaling coefficients.

Dental Arch Size, Biting Force, Bizygomatic Width and Face Height in Three Colombian Ethnic Groups

El objetivo fue describir las dimensiones transversales de los arcos dentales, la fuerza de mordida y el indice facial en tres grupos etnicos de Colombia. El tamano de la muestra fue de 197 adolescentes, de 12 a 14 anos; 33% mestizos, 35% de ascendencia africana y 32% indio amazonico; 50,3% hombres y 49,7% mujeres. El analisis comparativo para determinar las diferencias entre los grupos etnicos se hizo mediante la prueba de Kruskal Wallis y luego el Componente Principal de Analisis se utilizo para establecer el patron de las mediciones para identificar las caracteristicas etnicas. Todas las mediciones mostraron diferencias estadisticamente significativas entre los grupos etnicos, excepto la altura facial (p=0,157). Se evidencia que el indio amazonico tiene una mayor fuerza de mordida (p<0,05) que los otros dos grupos etnicos. En cuanto a las dimensiones transversales del arco dental, el indio amazonico se caracterizo por tener un mayor ancho, con una longitud media de 44,1 mm. Esta longitud es mayor que en los adolescentes mestizos (M=36,7 mm) y afroamericanos (M=38,3 mm). En conclusion, la etnia india amazonica Ticuna tiene una fuerza de mordida significativamente mayor, asi como mayor ancho del arco dental transversal y ancho bicigomatico que los otros dos grupos etnicos considerados.

Incongruity between Affinity Patterns Based on Mandibular and Lower Dental Dimensions following the Transition to Agriculture in the Near East, Anatolia and Europe

While it has been suggested that malocclusion is linked with urbanisation, it remains unclear as to whether its high prevalence began 8,000 years earlier concomitant with the transition to agriculture. Here we investigate the extent to which patterns of affinity (i.e., among-population distances), based on mandibular form and dental dimensions, respectively, match across Epipalaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic samples from the Near East/Anatolia and Europe. Analyses were conducted using morphological distance matrices reflecting dental and mandibular form for the same 292 individuals across 21 archaeological populations. Thereafter, statistical analyses were undertaken on four sample aggregates defined on the basis of their subsistence strategy, geography, and chronology to test for potential differences in dental and mandibular form across and within groups. Results show a clear separation based on mandibular morphology between European hunter-gatherers, European farmers, and Near Eastern transitional farmers and semi-sedentary hunter-gatherers. In contrast, the dental dimensions show no such pattern and no clear association between the position of samples and their temporal or geographic attributes. Although later farming groups have, on average, smaller teeth and mandibles, shape analyses show that the mandibles of farmers are not simply size-reduced versions of earlier hunter-gatherer mandibles. Instead, it appears that mandibular form underwent a complex series of shape changes commensurate with the transition to agriculture that are not reflected in affinity patterns based on dental dimensions. In the case of hunter-gatherers there is a correlation between inter-individual mandibular and dental distances, suggesting an equilibrium between these two closely associated morphological units. However, in the case of semi-sedentary hunter-gatherers and farming groups, no such correlation was found, suggesting that the incongruity between dental and mandibular form began with the shift towards sedentism and agricultural subsistence practices in the core region of the Near East and Anatolia.

New 400–320 ka Gigantopithecus blacki remains from Hejiang Cave, Chongzuo City, Guangxi, South China

Gigantopithecus blacki is a typical member of the Stegodon–Ailuropoda faunal complex (sensu lato) that inhabited southern China or, more broadly, mainland Southeast Asia during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. Current evidence indicates that the giant ape became extinct during the Middle Pleistocene. Recently, new remains of G blacki and associated mammalian fossils have been unearthed from a karst cave site, Hejiang Cave, in Chongzuo City, Guangxi, South China. The age of the Gigantopithecus-bearing depositional unit is estimated to be 400–320 ka using 230Th–234U disequilibrium U-series dating of flowstone samples bracketing the deposits. These finds document the latest occurrence of Gigantopithecus and provide potential insights regarding its extinction. Comparisons of dental dimensions between the Hejiang G. blacki remains, more than four hundred isolated teeth from Early Pleistocene localities, and over ninety isolated teeth from local drugstores show that the Hejiang teeth are slightly larger in their buccolingual dimensions. In addition, the crowns of the three unerupted upper premolars differ from those of all of the other Gigantopithecus material in having more complex crenulations. The differences in dental dimensions and morphology are possibly reflective of dietary responses to environmental changes that eventually led to the extinction of Gigantopithecus.

Finishing procedures in Orthodontics: dental dimensions and proportions (microesthetics)

The objective of the present article is to describe procedures that can be performed to achieve excellence in orthodontic treatment finishing. The content is limited to microesthetics, which comprises the concept of ideal dental dimensions and proportions (white esthetics) and its correlation with the periodontium (pink esthetics). Standards of normality are described both in their real dimensions (dental height and width), and in those effectively perceived by the observer, the virtual dimensions. The best scientific evidence was sought in the literature to support the clinical procedures that must guide the professional to obtain maximum esthetic quality on their treatments. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate what the other specialties in Dentistry expect from Orthodontics and, specially, what they have to offer. Clinical cases will be used to illustrate the dental movement that might maximize treatment outcome and to confront the ideal standards with the current state of the art. Treatment quality is directly related to the amount of procedures implemented by the orthodontist, associated with concepts and resources from Periodontics and Dental Prosthesis. Microesthetics cannot be seen in isolation, but rather as the key to establish a pleasant smile (miniesthetics) in addition to a harmonious face (macroesthetics) and a human being with high self-esteem (hyper-esthetics).

Dento-facial relationships in individuals with normal occlusion

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships of selected facial measurements with mesio-distal crown widths and dental arch dimensions in individuals with normal occlusions. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 276 subjects with Angle's Class I normal occlusions. Three-dimensional images of the face and dental casts were captured and analyzed using stereophotogrammetric systems. Significant correlations were found between the sagittal facial variables and both upper and lower dental arch dimensions and to lesser degree with the horizontal and vertical variables. The values of correlation coefficients calculated between facial and dental crown measurements ranged from .01 to .50 for upper teeth and .01 to .49 for lower teeth. The values of correlation coefficients between facial and upper dental arch dimensions ranged from .01 to .55 and those between facial and lower dental arch dimensions ranged from .01 to .60. A principal components analysis showed that the sagittal dimensions, face height, nose, labial fissure, binocular widths were positively associated with dental arch dimensions and mesio-distal crown diameters in males. On the other hand, only the sagittal variables were associated with dental dimensions in females. The results of this study confirm that positive associations exist between facial and dental arch dimensions. These relationships should be taken into consideration when attempts are made to modify dental arch size as part of orthodontic treatment. Moreover, these relationships are also relevant to prosthodontists involved with selecting tooth sizes that display optimal functional balance with the craniofacial structures.

Variability in permanent tooth size of three ancient populations in Xi’an, northern China

ObjectivesThis paper compares permanent dental dimensions between three ancient populations that belonged to the same biological population throughout a temporal range of 2000years to detect temporal trends and metric variation in dentition. Materials and methodsThe samples analysed were dental remains of 4502 permanent teeth from 321 individuals, which were excavated from three archaeological sites: Chang’an (1000–1300years BP), Shanren (2200years BP) and Shaolingyuan (3000years BP) in the Xi’an region (northern China). For each tooth three standard measurements were taken: Mesiodistal (MD) diameter of crown, labiolingual or buccolingual (BL) diameter of crown and length of root (LR). ResultsThree ancient population samples generally displayed the same dental dimensions (p>0.05), whereas some tooth types varied. The Shaolingyuan had larger canine and the smallest maxillary second molars and the Chang’an had the largest mandibular first molars in the MD dimension. The Shanren had the smallest maxillary third molars and mandibular central incisors, and the Chang’an had the smallest maxillary lateral incisors in the BL dimension. In the LR measures, statistically significant differences of five tooth types showed that the Chang’an were smaller than the Shaolingyuan and the Shanren. Comparisons of coefficients of variation for teeth showed that the length of root and third molar usually displayed greater variation. ConclusionsDecreasing or increasing trend for crown size does not occur between the ancient populations, while changes in crown size of a few tooth types fluctuate. The root size is more variable than the crown size and is likely to reflect a degenerated trend in a few tooth types.

Fossil remains of Macaca sylvanus florentina (Cocchi, 1872) (Primates, Cercopithecidae) from the Early Pleistocene of Quibas (Murcia, Spain)

The macaque material from the Early Pleistocene site of Quibas (Albanilla, Murcia, Spain), including dentognathic remains, isolated teeth and some postcranial bone fragments, is described. Both metrically and morphologically, this sample must be attributed to Macaca sylvanus (the Barbary macaque). This species is currently distributed through North Africa and Gibraltar, but was much more widely distributed during the Plio-Pleistocene, being represented by several European fossil subspecies. Metrical comparisons of dental size and proportions between extant M. s. sylvanus and fossil Macaca sylvanus florentina from the type locality and other Italian sites are undertaken, in order to classify the remains from Quibas at the subspecies level. The results show that the Quibas sample not only fits the range of variation of M. s. florentina from the type locality, but also differs from the extant Barbary macaque condition in several regards. This permits us to formally attribute the material from Quibas to M. s. florentina. The material described in this paper therefore significantly improves the knowledge of this fossil taxon, particularly regarding the upper dentition, and further confirms the taxonomic distinctiveness of this extinct taxon at the subspecies rank. Taken as a whole, M. s. florentina largely overlaps in dental dimensions with M. s. sylvanus, but differs from the latter by displaying (on average): (1) absolutely longer upper molars (especially M 1 and M 3); (2) relatively wider upper molars (especially M 1 and M 2); (3) longer M 3 as compared with the M 2; (4) absolutely longer M 1 and M 3; and (5) relatively narrower M 3.

Use of dental dimensions estimated from personal portraits in human identification

Many cases of human identification in which traditional methods are not applicable challenge the experts’ capability and versatility. In the absence of ante-mortem records, superimposition of skull images over photographs of a possible victim arises as a possible alternative. Aim: The present study was a pilot work willing to validate a new method of sizing images of the face by the use of proportionality principles, taking as reference a few predetermined accessories: a pair of sunglasses, a hat and a necklace. Methods: Twenty-one volunteers were photographed using each one of the accessories mentioned above. Pictures of the dental arches were also taken, with millimeter scale adjacent. The images with accessories were examined by a single operator, who estimated the mesiodistal width of the upper central incisor, for later comparison with the real measures. Results: The accuracy of the method was evaluated by the Student’s t-test, which showed that the estimated measures were statistically greater than the real ones. Conclusions: The analysis of the data collected showed that the use of the accessories as a dimensional scale did not generate reliable results.

First evidence of Macaca sylvanus (Primates, Cercopithecidae) from the Late Pleistocene of Lezetxiki II cave (Basque Country, Spain)

In this article, we describe an almost complete macaque mandible from the Middle Pleistocene locality Marathousa 1 in the Megalopolis Basin of southern Greece. The mandible belonged to a male individual of advanced ontogenetic age and of estimated body mass ∼13 kg. Comparative metric analysis of its teeth permits its attribution to the Barbary macaque Macaca sylvanus, a species that was geographically widely distributed in Western Eurasia during the Plio-Pleistocene. The dental dimensions of the Marathousa 1 macaque fit better within the variation of the Early Pleistocene M. s. florentina and the Middle to Late Pleistocene M. s. pliocena rather than with the extant representative M. s. sylvanus. Moreover, principal component analysis reveals a better match with M. s. pliocena. However, because no clear-cut diagnostic criteria have been defined to differentiate these European fossil subspecies, we attribute the Marathousa 1 specimen to M. s. cf. pliocena, in agreement with the chronology of the locality. Previously known only from the Early Pleistocene of Greece by some isolated teeth, this is the first record of Macaca in the Middle Pleistocene of the country and one of very few in the eastern sector of the peri-Mediterranean region. We discuss the presence of macaques in the paleolake environment of Marathousa 1, as well as their predation risks from both carnivores and hominins present at the locality.

Odontometric sex discrimination in the herculaneum sample (79 AD, Naples, Italy), with application to juveniles

Sex determination of subadult skeletal remains with satisfactory accuracy represents one of the most important limitations of archaeological research and forensic practice. Teeth are one of the most durable physical elements of an individual that remain after death, and constitute a potential source of information about the biological sex of that individual. This study was based on the skeletal remains of 117 individuals from the ancient city of Herculaneum (Naples, Italy), victims of the eruption of the nearby volcano Vesuvius on 24/25 August, 79 AD. It has been possible to develop discriminant function formulae based on dental dimensions of adult individuals whose sex had previously been determined based on descriptive osteologic criteria. These formulae were subsequently applied to the permanent dentitions of immature individuals of the same population in order to estimate their sex. The results show that the canine is the tooth with the greatest sex dimorphism in adults, providing percentages of correct assignment of sex between 76.5% and 100% depending on the dimension used. Of the 30 subadult individuals in the target sample, estimation of sex was possible for 22 individuals. Sex assignments matched those determined from descriptive characteristics of the ilia and mandible in 73.33% of the cases. The results provide some optimism that this method may be applicable to juvenile archaeological samples.

Comparative microcomputed tomography and histological study of maxillary pneumatization in four species of new world monkeys: The perinatal period

In anthropoid primates, it has been hypothesized that the magnitude of maxillary sinus growth is influenced by adjacent dental and soft tissue matrices. Relatively, little comparative evidence exists for the perinatal period when secondary pneumatization is at its earliest stages in some primates. Here, dental and midfacial variables were studied in a perinatal sample of four anthropoid primates, including three callitrichines (Leontopithecus, Saguinus, and Callithrix) and Saimiri boliviensis. In the latter species, the maxillary recess (the ontogenetic precursor to a "true" maxillary sinus) does not undergo secondary pneumatization. Using histological methods and micro-computed tomography, midfacial and dental dimensions and radiographic hydroxyapatite density of tooth cusps were measured. The distribution of osteoclasts and osteoblasts was also documented. Kruskal-Wallis's one-way analysis of variance tests indicates significant (P < 0.05) differences among groups for dental and midfacial measurements. In particular, the posterior maxillary dentition is relatively larger and more mineralized in Saimiri compared to the callitrichines. At posterior dental levels, Saimiri has the lowest palatonasal index [interdental (palatal) width/width of the nasal cavity] and highest bizygomatic-interorbital index. Distribution of osteoclasts indicates that the inferomedial surfaces of the orbits are resorptive in perinatal Saimiri, whereas, in all callitrichines, these surfaces are depository. Taken together, these findings suggest that pneumatization in Saimiri is suppressed by an inward growth trajectory of the orbits, relatively large posterior dentition, and a correspondingly compressed nasal region.