Biological and Physical Anthropology | Open Access Articles

Taurodontism In Review: Methods Of Determination And Anthropological Utility., Scott Legge, Anna Hardin

Scott Legge

Taurodontism, the expansion of the pulp chamber of a tooth, has been a well-known feature of both fossil and modern humans since the early 20th century. In modern populations taurodontism is clinically important, as any increase in pulp chamber size affects the endodontic treatment options, but its archaeological importance among anatomically modern human groups remains unclear. It is often seen as a defining characteristic of the post-canine dentition in Neanderthals and is sometimes used as an indicator of phylogenetic affinity for European fossils. Since the 1960s a number of studies have examined the frequency of taurodontism in modern human populations; …

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Cranial Trauma And Interpersonal Violence In Alaskan Natives, Scott Legge

Scott Legge

Cranial trauma is investigated in a skeletal collection from Nunivak Island, Alaska. Trauma was observed in ten individuals from a sample of 121 crania (8.3%). Of the ten, five were males and five were females representing frequencies of 9.8% and 7.1%, respectively. Types of trauma included both blunt force and sharp-edged weapon inflicted injuries. Six of the ten show signs of healing or are completely healed; the other four individuals sustained the trauma at or near the time of death. The occurrence of trauma in the Nunivak Island collection supports previous researchers’ findings of higher frequencies for island dwelling Native …

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