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Abstract: The Atlantic slave trade moved more than 13 million Africans to American lands between the 15th and 19th centuries. Previous historical, linguistic, and social-cultural studies suggested a Western-Central Bantu African origin for the Colombian slaves; however, their precise provenance remains unclear. The present study investigates the variation of the epigenetic dental traits in the deciduous and permanent dentition and phenotypic affinities of a contemporary Afro-Colombian community (n=178) in an attempt to identify their possible African ancestors. The results of a multivariate analysis of principal components show that Afro-descendents from Guapi have strong phenotypic relationships with several Bantu-speakers groups of Western and Western-Central Africa (Sub-Saharan region), specifically from Gabon, Congo, Pygmies, Nigeria, Cameroon, Togo and Benin. In concordance with recent mtDNA studies, this research suggests a distant but important relationship between Afro-Colombians and Eastern and South-Eastern African populations. This analysis also shows a marked dental divergence with North African samples. The dental information is not very different from the cultural, linguistic and historic data; however, it is more in agreement with studies based on molecular variation. In addition, this study reveals that African-Americans from North America, Central America-Caribbean and South America have high biological variation essentially identical to their several Sub-Saharan sources. Although a microevolutionary model, based on differential rates of gene flow with Native American and European-American groups and little selective pressures influence, better explains the phenotypic variation observed, more African-American dental samples must be analyzed from a regional perspective. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Much of a human molar's morphology is concentrated on its occlusal surface. In view of embryologists' recent attention on the determination of crown morphology by enamel knots that initiate cusp formation, we were interested in the arrangement of cusp apices in the definitive tooth. Computer-assisted image analysis was used to measure intercusp distances and angles on permanent maxillary M1 and M2 in a sample of 160 contemporary North American whites. The intent was to generate normative data and to compare the size and variability gradients from M1 to M2. There is little sexual dimorphism in intercusp distances or angles, even though the conventional mesiodistal (MD) and buccolingual (BL) crown size is 2.0% and 4.0% larger in males, respectively, in these same teeth. Dimensions decreased in size and increased in variability from M1 to M2, but differentially. Cusps of the trigon were more stable between teeth, especially the paracone-protocone relationship. Principal components analysis on the six Ml distances disclosed only one eigenvalue above 1.0, indicating that overall crown size itself is the paramount controlling factor in this tooth that almost invariably exhibits a hypocone. In contrast, four components were extracted from among the 12 angular cusp relationships in M1. These axes of variation may prove useful in studies of intergroup differences. A shape difference occurs in M2, depending on whether the hypocone is present; when absent, the metacone is moved lingually, creating more of an isosceles arrangement for the cusps of the trigon. Statistically, correlations are low between occlusal intercusp relationships and conventional crown diameters measured at the margins of the crowns that form later. Weak statistical dependence between cusp relationships and traditional MD and BL diameters suggest that separate stage- and location-specific molecular signals control these different parts (and different stages) of crown formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotypic variability is evaluated in a series of skeletal samples from the Apalachee region of Florida. Based on ethnohistoric evidence, several predictive models for changes in variability are generated. If variability decreases through time, this likely represents the effect of genetic drift in populations experiencing epidemic disease and population loss. If variability increases through time, this suggests that population aggregation or genetic admixture were primary factors shaping the Apalachee population during the mission period. Dental dimensions were collected from a series of precontact (pre1500), early mission (AD 1633-1650) (San Pedro y San Pablo de Patale), and late mission (post-1657) (San Luis) samples from the Apalachee region and were subjected to univariate and multivariate variability analyses. The results indicate that the late mission San Luis sample was significantly more variable than the Patale or precontact samples; however, the Patale sample exhibited no significant variability change in comparison to the precontact population. This suggests that the missions initially effected limited change in genetic variability in the mission populations. However, San Luis was affected by either admixture or population aggregation to such a degree that the observed variation had increased beyond earlier levels. Given the limited historic evidence for population aggregation at this mission, and the comparatively large resident Spanish population, the increased variability may be indicative of admixture at this mission, and potentially at this mission only. Based on a limited data set, however, it appears that the mission period cannot be typified by a single evolutionary or historic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roehler's Coryphodon Catastrophe Quarry (Wasatch Formation, lower Eocene) in the Washakie Basin, Wyoming is a paucispecific assemblage containing a minimum of 10 individuals from a single population of cf. Coryphodon anthracoideus. The RCCQ Coryphodon assemblage provides a relatively rare opportunity to assess intraspecific variation in a genus that has historically been difficult to classify due to variation from specimen to specimen and species to species. Variation in metric features of the dentition (i.e., length, width, and molar area) in the RCCQ Coryphodon is within the range observed in comparable sexually dimorphic extant species. The RCCQ Coryphodon assemblage is also compared to another paucispecific, single population assemblage of Coryphodon molestus from New Mexico. Intraspecific metric variation characterizing these two assemblages is also comparable. In both assemblages, overall intraspecific metric variation is most pronounced in the third molar, suggesting sexual dimorphism as the source of variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the transposition of teeth resulting in atypical tooth in native American skeletal samples in New Mexico. Exhibition of bilateral canine retentions; Variation of population frequencies; Differences in maxillary canine and first premolar transposition between geographically distinct populations.

Differentiates male and female and black and white American teeth sizes through the constituent decidous tooth crown components study. Enlarged dentine and pulp dimensions in men; Absence of sexual dimorphism in relation to enamel thickness; Isometrically enlarged dentine and pulp tissues in blacks; Disproportionate marginal enamel thickness among blacks.

Examines the metabolic disruptions during early childhood by ancestral Puebloan inhabitants of southwestern Colorado through dental enamel hypoplasia. Prevalence and timing of hypoplasia occurrence; Peak age for enamel disruption.

Presents the taxonomic diversity of omomyids during the Early Eocene in Washakie Basin, Wyoming. Phylogeny and adaptations of omomyids; Anaptomorphine diet; Dental anthropological specimens.

Tooth emergence in 376 black and white children between the ages of 4 and 33 months was studied in southeastern Michigan. The results indicate a trend in both groups for boys to show earlier tooth emergence in early stages and for girls to show earlier tooth emergence in later stages of deciduous tooth emergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of dental caries in 1,155 white and black preschool children was studied in the United States in 1969 and 1970. The results demonstrated that white children of the lower socioeconomic level had a significantly greater prevalence of dental caries than middle class white children, but a significantly lower prevalence than black children, most of whom represented the lower social class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an abstract of the study `Enamel Hypoplasias and Evidence for Stress in North Florida' by D.L. Hutchinson.

Presents an abstract of the study `Dental Mutilation at Pecos Pueblo, New Mexico: Two Cases Dating From 1400-1600 A.D.' by S.E. Burnett.

Presents an abstract for the work `Differential patterns of enamel hypoplasia between prehistoric Navajo Reservoir and Grasshopper Pueblo populations,' by B.E. Ensor and J.D. Irish, from the Sixty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists.

Presents an abstract of the study `Odontometric Analysis of the Slack Farm Population' by L.M. Havill.

Presents an abstract for the work `Preliminary observations of the dental pathologies of the African Burial Ground skeletal population,' by M. E. Mack, M.L. Blakey and M.C. Hill, from the Sixty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists.

Presents an abstract of the study `Evidence of childhood stress in prehistoric southwestern Colorado populations: Enamel hypoplasias in permanent and deciduous teeth,' by N.J. Malville. Enamel hypoplasias as indicators of nutritional and health status among children in prehistoric Colorado populations; Analysis of childhood stress level.

Presents an abstract of the study `Skeletal remains of 8000-year-old North American,' by C.F. Hildebolt, W.P. Murphy, D.T. Rasmussen and A.M. Haeussler. Analysis of the remains of a 35-year old fossil man in the United States.

Presents an abstract of the study `Factor analytic analysis of the deciduous dentition of American Blacks,' by E.F. Harris. Analyses of the deciduous crown sizes of American Blacks.