A Companion to Dental Anthropology

Companion to Dental Anthropology presents a collection of original readings addressing all aspects and sub–disciplines of the field from its roots and evolution through to the latest scientific research. Essays are contributed by over 30 scholars and practitioners from a variety of dental anthropology specialties and subfields, each who reveal their expertise and share their latest research results. Following an introduction to dental anthropology, the chapters cover topics relating to dental evolution and the human dentition; dental growth, development, and histology; morphometric variations in populations and individuals, dental health and disease, and a group of final readings pointing to new directions in dental anthropological research. Companion to Dental Anthropology is an essential resource to all aspects of the complex biology of teeth.

Notes on Contributors

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Part I Context

1. Introduction to Dental Anthropology (Joel D. Irish and G. Richard Scott)

2. A Brief History of Dental Anthropology (G. Richard Scott)

Part II Dental Evolution

3. Origins and Functions of Teeth: From Toothed Worms to Mammals (Peter S. Ungar)

4. The Teeth of Prosimians, Monkeys, and Apes (Frank P. Cuozzo)

5. The Hominins 1: Australopithecines and their Ancestors (Lucas K. Delezene)

6. The Hominins 2: The Genus Homo (Maria Martinón–Torres and José María Bermúdez de Castro)

Part III The Human Dentition

7. Terms and Terminology used in Dental Anthropology (Joel D. Irish)

8. Anatomy of Individual Teeth and Tooth Classes (Loren R. Lease)

9. The Masticatory System and its Function (Peter W. Lucas)

Part IV Dental Growth and Development

10. An Overview of Dental Genetics (Toby Hughes, Grant Townsend, and Michelle Bockmann)

11. Odontogenesis (Edward F. Harris)

12. Tooth Eruption and Timing (Helen M. Liversidge)

13. Tooth Classes, Field Concepts, and Symmetry (Grant Townsend, Alan Brook, Robin Yong and Toby Hughes)

Part V Dental Histology from the Inside Out

14. The Pulp Cavity and its Contents (Scott S. Legge and Anna M. Hardin)

15. Dentine and Cementum Structure and Properties (Nancy Tang, Adeline Le Cabec, and Daniel Antoine)

16. Enamel Structure and Properties (Daniel Antoine and Simon Hillson)

Part VI Dental Morphometric Variation in Populations

17. Identifying and Recording Key Morphological (Nonmetric) Crown and Root Traits (G. Richard Scott, Christopher Maier, and Kelly Heim)

18. Assessing dental nonmetric variation among populations (Joel D. Irish)

19. Measurement of Tooth Size (Odontometrics) (Brian E. Hemphill)

20. Assessing Odontometric Variation among Populations (Brian E. Hemphill)

Part VII Dental Morphometric Variation in Individuals

21. Forensic Odontology (Heather J.H. Edgar and Anna L.M. Rautman)

22. Estimating Age, Sex, and Individual ID from Teeth (Christopher W. Schmidt)

23. Indicators of Idiosyncratic Behavior in the Dentition (Christopher M. Stojanowski, Kent M. Johnson, Kathleen S. Paul, and Charisse L. Carver)

24. Dentition, Behavior, and Diet Determination (Kristin L. Krueger)

Part VIII Dental Health and Disease

25. Crown Wear: Identification and Categorization (Scott E. Burnett)

26. Caries: The Ancient Scourge (Daniel H. Temple)

27. Dental Stress Indicators from Micro– to Macroscopic (Debbie Guatelli–Steinberg)

28. A Host of other Dental Diseases and Disorders (Greg C. Nelson)

Part IX The Future of Dental Anthropology

29. New Directions in Dental Development Research (John P. Hunter and Debra Guatelli–Steinberg)

30. Chemical and Isotopic Analyses of Dental Tissues (Louise T. Humphrey)

31. Non–Invasive Imaging Techniques (José Braga)

Index

Joel D. Irish is Professor of Bioarchaeology in the Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology at Liverpool John Moores University, UK, and Professor Emeritus in the Anthropology Department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He is former Associate Editor of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, and his publications focus on dental nonmetric variation and biological affinity.

G. Richard Scott is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Nevada Reno, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he taught for 24 years.  He has published widely on issues relating to tooth crown and root morphology and biological affinity.