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Discrimination of extant Pan species and subspecies using the enamel-dentine junction morphology of lower molars

Skinner, Matthew M., Gunz, Philipp, Wood, Bernard A., Boesch, Christophe, Hublin, Jean-Jacques (2009) Discrimination of extant Pan species and subspecies using the enamel-dentine junction morphology of lower molars. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 140 (2). pp. 234-243. ISSN 1096-8644. (doi:10.1002/ajpa.21057) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:48508)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.21057

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that species and subspecies of extant chimpanzees and bonobos can be distinguished on the basis of the shape of their molar crowns. Thus, there is potential for fossil taxa, particularly fossil hominins, to be distinguished at similar taxonomic levels using molar crown morphology. Unfortunately, due to occlusal attrition, the original crown morphology is often absent in fossil teeth, and this has limited the amount of shape information used to discriminate hominin molars. The enamel–dentine junction (EDJ) of molar teeth preserves considerable shape information, particularly in regard to the original shape of the crown, and remains present through the early stages of attrition. In this study, we investigate whether the shape of the EDJ of lower first and second molars can distinguish species and subspecies of extant Pan. Micro-computed tomography was employed to non-destructively image the EDJ, and geometric morphometric analytical methods were used to compare EDJ shape among samples of Pan paniscus (N = 17), Pan troglodytes troglodytes (N = 13), and Pan troglodytes verus (N = 18). Discriminant analysis indicates that EDJ morphology distinguishes among extant Pan species and subspecies with a high degree of reliability. The morphological differences in EDJ shape among the taxa are subtle and relate to the relative height and position of the dentine horns, the height of the dentine crown, and the shape of the crown base, but their existence supports the inclusion of EDJ shape (particularly those aspects of shape in the vertical dimension) in the systematic analysis of fossil hominin lower molars.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1002/ajpa.21057
Uncontrolled keywords: tooth morphology;micro-computed tomography;geometric morphometrics;sliding semilandmarks
Subjects: Q Science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation
Depositing User: Matthew Skinner
Date Deposited: 15 May 2015 13:05 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:19 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/48508 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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