First molar size and wear within and among modern hunter-gatherers and agricultural populations

Apart from reflecting modern human dental variation, differences in dental size among populations provide a means for studying continuous evolutionary processes and their mechanisms. Dental wear, on the other hand, has been widely used to infer dietary adaptations and variability among or within diverse ancient human populations. Few such studies have focused on modern foragers and farmers, however, and diverse methods have been used. This research aimed to apply a single, standardized, and systematic quantitative procedure to measure dental size and dentin exposure in order to analyze differences among several hunter-gatherer and agricultural populations from various environments and geographic origins. In particular, we focused on sexual dimorphism and intergroup differences in the upper and lower first molars. Results indicated no sexual dimorphism in molar size and wear within the studied populations. Despite the great ethnographic variation in subsistence strategies among these populations, our findings suggest that differences in sexual division of labor do not affect dietary wear patterns.The study was funded by grants CGL2010-15340 and CGL2011-22999 (Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia de España) to APP

Les restes humains de Solignac-sur-Loire et d'Ours-Mons près Le Puy (Haute-Loire)

Genet-Varcin E. Les restes humains de Solignac-sur-Loire et d'Ours-Mons près Le Puy (Haute-Loire). In: Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'anthropologie de Paris, X° Série. Tome 7 fascicule 3-4, 1956. pp. 133-146

Etudes de dents humaines isolées provenant des grottes de la Chaise Vouthon (Charente) (suite)

Summary. The upper canines of the La Chaise excavations have a neanderthal morphology, although the one from Suard Cave is close to the archanthropine canines. Tables of the measurements.Résumé. Les canines supérieures des gisements de La Chaise sont de morphologie néanderthalienne, bien que celle provenant de la grotte Suard soit de taille voisine des canines archanlhropiennes. Tableaux des mesures.Genet-Varcin E. Etudes de dents humaines isolées provenant des grottes de la Chaise Vouthon (Charente) (suite). In: Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'anthropologie de Paris, XIII° Série. Tome 2 fascicule 3, 1975. pp. 277-286

Boeuf Odile : Le Site villafranchien de Chilhac (Haute-Loire), France.

Genet-Varcin E. Boeuf Odile : Le Site villafranchien de Chilhac (Haute-Loire), France.. In: Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'anthropologie de Paris, XIV° Série. Tome 1 fascicule 2, 1984. pp. 153-154

Etude de dents humaines isolées provenant de La Chaise de Vouthon (Charente). (Fin)

Summary. The Pm1 of Suard Cave has strong dimensions but a neandertal morphology. The Pm2 and Pm1 of Bourgeois- Delaunay cave have dimensions and morphology near that of modern man, with the exception of a vestige of vestibular cingulum on the Pm1. The question is to know if the difference of size between the teeth of both caves (and consequently of Riss III and Riss Würm levels) corresponds to a difference of population or to a sexual difference.Résumé. La Pm1 de la grotte Suard est de forte taille mais de morphologie néanderthalienne. La Pm2 et la Pm1 de la grotte Bourgeois-Delaunay sont de taille et de morphologie voisines de celles de l'homme actuel, à l'exception d'un vestige de cingulum vestibulaire présent sur la Pm1. La question posée est de savoir si la différence de taille entre les dents des deux grottes (et donc des niveaux Riss III et Riss-Würm) correspond à une différence de population ou à une différence sexuelle.Genet-Varcin E. Etude de dents humaines isolées provenant de La Chaise de Vouthon (Charente). (Fin). In: Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'anthropologie de Paris, XIII° Série. Tome 3 fascicule 3, 1976. pp. 243-259