The Use of Tooth Crown Measurements in the Assessment of Ancestry
Corresponding Author
Marin A. Pilloud Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Reno, 1644 N. Virginia St, Reno, NV 9557-0096
Additional information and reprint requests:
Marin A. Pilloud, Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, NV 89557-0096
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorJoseph T. Hefner Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology, Michigan State University, 655 Auditorium Dr, East Lansing, MI 48824
Search for more papers by this authorTsunehiko Hanihara Ph.D.
Department of Anatomy, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara 252-0374, Japan
Search for more papers by this authorAtsuko Hayashi M.A.
Central Identification Laboratory, Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, 310 Worchester Avenue, Bldg 45, JBPHH, HI
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Marin A. Pilloud Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Reno, 1644 N. Virginia St, Reno, NV 9557-0096
Additional information and reprint requests:
Marin A. Pilloud, Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, NV 89557-0096
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorJoseph T. Hefner Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology, Michigan State University, 655 Auditorium Dr, East Lansing, MI 48824
Search for more papers by this authorTsunehiko Hanihara Ph.D.
Department of Anatomy, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara 252-0374, Japan
Search for more papers by this authorAtsuko Hayashi M.A.
Central Identification Laboratory, Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, 310 Worchester Avenue, Bldg 45, JBPHH, HI
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
As the hardest tissue in the body, teeth have the potential to offer a wealth of biological information to the forensic anthropologist, which can include the assessment of ancestry. Using a large data set of dental measurements, the efficacy of mesiodistal and buccolingual tooth dimensions to discriminate between broad, geographically based groups is explored. A general pattern is identified: African populations have the largest teeth, Asians possess teeth of intermediate size, and Europeans have the smallest teeth. In a discriminant function analysis using crown measurements of all teeth (mandibular and maxillary and excluding the third molar), individuals were correctly classified in 71.3% of cases. When the sex of the individual is known, classification is improved up to 88.1% in females and 71.9% of males (cross-validated). Based on these results, we argue that dental metrics can be regularly employed as part of the development of the biological profile.
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