title: Assessing the effects of tooth loss in adult crania using geometric morphometrics.
abstract: With high numbers of unidentified skeletonised remains recovered annually in South Africa and an increased number of edentate individuals being reported, the question arises as to whether tooth loss would result in craniofacial changes which might alter the accuracy of osteological analyses. Forty-five fixed landmarks together with sliding semilandmarks were collected from 229 white South African crania and were used to capture curve data pertaining to the basicranium, alveoli, zygomatic arches, nasal aperture and orbits. Geometric morphometric methods were employed to assess the effects of tooth loss on these structures. Although a number of effects were seen when the skull was analysed in its entirety, only the alveoli proved to be significantly affected when regions were analysed individually. Both upper facial height and palate shape were affected by tooth loss, which may influence various osteometric measurements and qualitative traits that are used during the assessment of ancestry and sex.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, Republic of South Africa. candicesmll@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Candice
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Small
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, Republic of South Africa. desire.brits@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Desiré
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brits
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, Republic of South Africa. jason.hemingway@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hemingway
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D059925:Anatomic Landmarks; D002508:Cephalometry; D005260:Female; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000150:complications; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013019:South Africa; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000150:complications*; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alveolus/maxilla; Forensic anthropology; Geometric morphometrics; Population variation; Semilandmarks; Tooth loss