Professional paper

Anthropological significance of shovel shaped incisors

Vera Njemirovskij ; Zavod za morfologiju Stomatološkog fakulteta, Zagreb
Mustafa Ćatović ; Zavod za morfologiju Stomatološkog fakulteta, Zagreb

Abstract

Although morphology of teeth is taught in dentistry the recognition and assessment of morphological variations in teeth, their interpretation and measurement gives valuable information for anthropological studies. Comparisons as to the origin of human species, phylogenetic changes and racial differences are thus possible. Shovel shaped incisors »l’incisives en pelle« (the presence of mesial and distal ridges enclosing a central fossa in the lingual surface of incisor teeth) have been described long ago but their significance is not yet decided. Prominent experts in the field of anthropology have reported a high incidence of shovel shaped incisors in ethnical groups with Mongoloid affinities compared to a low
frequency of this tra it in Caucasoid groups. A fter discussing the masticatory significance of shovel shaped incisors with an additional tubercle from the early hominid forms to the modern cultured man the authors report their findings. In two Vietnamese with typical mongoloid characteristics shovel shaped incisors existed although with warious appearence. The two other cases have been brothers born in Split without any sign of mongoloid traits but on them shovel shaped incisors especially on lateral incisors existed. Enquiring their ethnic origin it was discovered that their mother is of Hungarian extract. It is probable that the trait has been hereditary. The authors
interprete the finding with the fact that Hungarians and Fins, belonging to the same ethnic group, have a greater incidence of shovel shaped teeth then other Caucasian groups. In conclusion the authors think that further investigations are desirable to elucidate the migration and interracial mixing of different ethnical groups. For future investigations the measurement of the depth of the lingual fossa should be done with a measuring device rather using the subjective scale for degrees of shoveling to eliminate subjective errors.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

106008

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/106008

Publication date:

15.9.1977.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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