Assessment of the Relationship between the Total Occlusal Area of the Human Permanent Upper First and Second Molars and the Robusticity of the Facial Skeleton in Sex-Different Cranial Samples of Homo Sapiens: A Preliminary Study.

The aim of this study was to establish whether there is a significant relationship between the total occlusal area (TOCA) of two types of permanent upper molars (first-M and second-M) and facial robusticity, as well as which of the examined facial regions indicate a relationship concerning the grade of their massiveness with the TOCA of analyzed molars in different sex adult cranial samples. To obtain the values of the TOCA of the molars (n = 145), a morphometric method was performed based on the calibrated digital images of their occlusal surface using ImageJ software. The grades of the massiveness of six facial regions were assessed using qualitative scales of their expression, and an index of general facial robusticity was calculated.

Smile photograph analysis and its connection with focal length as one of identification methods in forensic anthropology and odontology.

To positively identify a highly decomposed body forensic experts often use information obtained from the dentition. In this study authors try to employ a method of comparing incisal borders of the anterior teeth from antemortem (AM) and postmortem (PM) photographs within an experimental scenario with living individuals. The second purpose was to determine how focal length of the lens affects compared smile lines.

In search of identity: The field of forensic anthropology in Brazil-Profession and practice.

The existing divergencies in the development of forensic anthropology (FA) around the world justify an analysis of its situation in each country/region. Our objective is to report information gathered directly from professionals acting in the field of forensic anthropology in Brazil, with the aim of highlighting the challenges of the discipline and contributing to its advancement. The research consisted of personal visits in Medico-Legal Institutes (IMLs) in nine states of the country and semi-structured interviews with 16 professionals.

Dental-macrowear and diet of Tigara foragers from Point Hope, northern Alaska.

Ethnographic studies indicate that Eskimo foragers are characterized by well-defined sexual division of labor and extensive use of anterior teeth as a tool, resulting in higher degrees of wear. However, little is known about the intra-population variation in molar-macrowear rates and dietary implications. Here, percentages of dentin exposure (PDE) were recorded on first mandibular molars among Tigara foragers from Point Hope (Alaska) and attempt to correlate age and sex variation in wear patterns.

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.