Macho G A, Cecchi J M
Department of Palaeontology, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa.
Arch Oral Biol. 1992;37(7):575-8. doi: 10.1016/0003-9969(92)90140-4.
The relationships between total occlusal crown area and the basal cusp areas of the accessory distal tubercle (C5) and the hypocone were analysed in molars of complete upper tooth rows of a southern African sample. While non-parametric tests between hypocone and C5 sizes did not yield statistically significant results, analyses of metrical data revealed a trend towards compensatory interaction between both cusps. Contrary to previous reports the size of C5 was found to be independent of total crown area. As enamel is thickest on cusp tips there may be a functional reason for the frequency of occurrence of the distal accessory tubercle. The pattern of distribution of the hypocone and C5 within a tooth row may be related to the occlusal wear pattern in Homo, which exhibits a marked lingual slope of wear in anterior molars and a horizontal or even buccal slope in posterior teeth.
在一个来自非洲南部的样本的完整上颌牙列臼齿中，分析了全咬合冠面积与副远中结节（C5）和次尖的基部牙尖面积之间的关系。虽然次尖和C5大小之间的非参数检验没有产生统计学上的显著结果，但测量数据分析显示，两个牙尖之间存在补偿性相互作用的趋势。与之前的报告相反，发现C5的大小与全冠面积无关。由于牙尖顶端的牙釉质最厚，远中副结节出现频率可能存在功能上的原因。次尖和C5在牙列中的分布模式可能与人类的咬合磨损模式有关，人类前磨牙的磨损呈现明显的舌侧倾斜，而后牙的磨损则呈水平甚至颊侧倾斜。
