Constant D A, Grine F E
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, 7925, Observatory, South Africa.
Arch Oral Biol. 2001 Nov;46(11):1021-9. doi: 10.1016/s0003-9969(01)00071-1.
The prevalence and degree of taurodontism (enlargement of the pulp cavity) in the mandibular permanent molars of two recent population samples from southern Africa were investigated quantitatively from lateral radiographs. The degree of occlusal wear was scored and two measures of relative pulp cavity size were recorded for each tooth. There was a significant association between increased attrition and a reduction in the size of the pulp cavity when all of the teeth were considered together, but no correlation among individual molar types within each sample. In both the Zulu (n=68 individuals) and Khoisan (n=28 individuals) samples, third molars had the highest prevalence of taurodontism and first molars the lowest. The data for Zulus are similar to those recorded for other modern populations (e.g. white and black Americans, and Israelis), whereas the Khoisan data exhibit significantly higher frequencies. An increased appreciation of the distribution of this variant in modern human populations would contribute to an understanding of its possible evolutionary significance in the human fossil record.
从侧位X线片对来自非洲南部的两个近期人群样本的下颌恒牙中牛牙症（牙髓腔扩大）的患病率和程度进行了定量研究。对咬合磨损程度进行评分，并记录每颗牙齿的两个牙髓腔相对大小指标。当将所有牙齿一起考虑时，磨耗增加与牙髓腔大小减小之间存在显著关联，但每个样本中各类型磨牙之间无相关性。在祖鲁族（n = 68人）和科伊桑族（n = 28人）样本中，第三磨牙牛牙症的患病率最高，第一磨牙最低。祖鲁族的数据与其他现代人群（如美国白人和黑人、以色列人）记录的数据相似，而科伊桑族的数据显示出明显更高的频率。对这种变异在现代人群中的分布有更多了解将有助于理解其在人类化石记录中可能的进化意义。
