Enamel growth rates of anterior teeth in males and females from modern and ancient British populations

Aris, Christopher; Mahoney, Patrick; Deter, Chris

Abstract

Objective
This study explored biological sex differences in the regional daily growth rates of human anterior enamel from modern and ancient populations in Britain.

Methods
Maxillary permanent incisors (n = 80) and canines (n = 69) from Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, and Modern day populations were analyzed using histological methods. Daily secretion rates (DSRs) were collected for inner, mid, and outer regions of cuspal and lateral enamel. Modern day samples were of known sex, archeological individuals had sex determined using standard osteological methods. Variation in DSRs between the sexes, both between and within populations, was sought using parametric and nonparametric tests.

Results
When all samples were pooled, there was no significant difference between males and females. Similarly no significant differences in DSRs were identified between male and females within each population. When DSRs were compared between the populations, DSRs decreased from the more ancient to the more recent populations for males, and for females. More interpopulation differences were observed in males.

Discussion
This study presents evidence for the relative consistency of enamel DSRs between male and female groups within each British population. Interpopulation analyses found DSRs slowed significantly between Roman and modern day populations for both sexes, with male DSRs showing the greatest variation between populations.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 10, 2020
• Online Publication Date: May 5, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Deposit Date: Jun 15, 2023
• Journal: American Journal of Physical Anthropology
• Print ISSN: 0002-9483
• Electronic ISSN: 1096-8644
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 173
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 236-249
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24068
• Keywords: Anthropology; Anatomy
• Additional Information: Received: 2020-01-24; Accepted: 2020-04-10; Published: 2020-05-05