The aim of this study was to compare the size of the teeth of a sample of small-bodied fossil humans from the island of Palau, Micronesia, with modern and fossil human populations from mainland southern Africa. Four modern human population groups and a sample of Holocene human remains were examined for comparison. These included Zulus, Tswanas, Khoisan and Europeans, from the Dart Collection, University of the Witwatersrand. Several measurements of the different tooth classes were obtained from the modern population groups and compared to the Palauan sample using Univariate and Bivariate statistical methods. In addition, frequencies of anomalies were recorded for the entire modern human Dart Collection (n. 3000), and a sample of Holocene human skeletons (n. 69) for comparison with the Palauan material. The Palauans have been found to have absolutely and relatively very large teeth compared to modern and Holocene population groups. Their mesiodistal diameter (MD) and buccolingual diameter (BL) exceed the normal range of modern human populations, whereas the same measurements at the cervical enamel junction are smaller. Total root length and crown height of the Palauans are equal to those of modern humans. Estimating body size from tooth size is thus shown to be unreliable, indicating that tooth size should be viewed in relation to other factors, such as diet, which may lead to phenomena like island dwarfism. Frequencies of third molar agenesis, incisiform canines, caniniform premolars and rotated premolars were very high in the Palauan sample: third molar agenesis, incisiform canines, caniniform premolars and rotated premolars. These anomalies are mostly due to crowding, which results in erupting teeth looking like their neighbours, or failing to develop at all, as in the case of third molars, which free up space for the remaining teeth to develop.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/11939 |
| Date | 12 September 2012 |
| Creators | Tawane, Mirriam |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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