title: Effect of inbreeding and endogamy on occlusal traits in human isolates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the genetic basis of occlusal traits through analysis of the effects of inbreeding in a subdivided isolated community.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample comprised dental casts of 224 children, aged 7-14 years, from 15 villages of the Island of Hvar, Croatia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Studied traits were Angle class, overjet, vertical bite, overbite, and crowding/spacing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children with complete grandparental endogamy (all four grandparents born in the village of residence of the examinee) were compared to children with incomplete grandparental endogamy. In addition, children resident in the group of villages with a high prevalence of inbreeding were compared to children resident in the groups of villages with moderate and low prevalence of inbreeding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both designs, inbreeding seemed to increase the mean values of overjet, overbite, and vertical bite, while it had little or no effect on crowding/spacing. Angle classes were correlated to inbreeding at the individual level, but this was not supported at the population level. The effects were stronger in the subsample with bilaterally concordant Angle classes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The observed inbreeding effects imply that the genetic basis of some occlusal traits is polygenic and, in considerable part, influenced by rare and recessive genetic variants.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anthropological Research, Zagreb, Croatia. tom@luka.inantro.hr
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lauc
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rudan
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rudan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003241:Consanguinity; D017523:Croatia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D040582:Inheritance Patterns; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000235:genetics*