Early history of European domestic cattle as revealed by ancient DNA.

We present an extensive ancient DNA analysis of mainly Neolithic cattle bones sampled from archaeological sites along the route of Neolithic expansion, from Turkey to North-Central Europe and Britain. We place this first reasonable population sample of Neolithic cattle mitochondrial DNA sequence diversity in context to illustrate the continuity of haplotype variation patterns from the first European domestic cattle to the present. Interestingly, the dominant Central European pattern, a starburst phylogeny around the modal sequence, T3, has a Neolithic origin, and the reduced diversity within this cluster in the ancient samples accords with their shorter history of post-domestic accumulation of mutation.

The Neanderthalian molar from Hunas, Germany.

In this paper, we present a well-preserved isolated human molar found in 1986 in the Hunas cave ruin, south-east Bavaria. The tooth was located at the bottom of layer F2, which belongs to a long stratigraphic sequence comprising faunal remains as well as archaeological levels (Mousterian). A stalagmite from layer P at the base of the stratigraphic sequence was recently dated to 79.373+/-8.237 ka (base) and 76.872+/-9.686 ka (tip) by TIMS-U/Th (Stanford University). We identified the tooth as a right (possibly third) mandibular molar. Characteristic parameters such as crown and root morphology, fissure pattern, enamel thickness, occlusal and interproximal wear, dental dimensions and indices, and radiological features indicate that the Hunas molar represents the tooth of a Neanderthal. This is corroborated by both the palaeontological and archaeological findings (Mousterian) of layer F2.

Syphilis 2001--a palaeopathological reappraisal.

The origin and subsequent spread of the treponematoses, especially that of venereal syphilis, has been the subject of considerable scientific attention. Various theories were put forth and palaeopathological specimens were used for their validation in recent times. One influential contribution was the paper by Baker & Armelagos in 1988. Numerous new findings and results on both sides of the Atlantic call for a new evaluation of the available osseous material. A review of the recent literature leads to the suggestion of a worldwide distribution of non-venereal treponemal disease since the emergence of Homo and to a first epidemic outbreak of venereal syphilis in Europe of the late 15th and the early 16th century, which was a time of change and enormous sexual liberty. Old World specimens with pathological alterations attributed to venereal syphilis and dated to precolumbian times seem to invalidate the Columbian theory and call for a more differentiated analysis of the phenomenon of syphilis than a theory based on a single factor can provide. With the help of molecular methods which now allow a positive identification of Treponema pallidum pallidum, causative agent of venereal syphilis, in palaeopathological material, it seems possible to elucidate the matter of origin and spread of syphilis further and to evaluate previous diagnoses of treponemal disease.

[Cortical thickness of the mandible with special reference to miniplate osteosynthesis. Morphometric analysis of autopsy material]. / Kortikalisdicke am Unterkiefer unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Miniplattenosteosynthese. Morphometrische Analyse an Sektionsmaterial.

Thirty-two human mandibles were marked with three typical fracture lines: a low condylar fracture, a fracture of the mandibular angle, and one through the mental foramen on each side. The mandibles were sectioned at the fixation sites of the miniplate screws. The thickness of the cortical layer was measured with a scaled magnifying glass at the points of anthropological interest and at the marked screw holes. The inferior cortical layer turned out to be thickest in the anterior area. In contrast, it was very thin at the mandibular angle, which might explain the higher complication rate in treating fractures in this region. The thickness of the lingual cortex increased up to the symphysis, whereas the buccal cortical layer showed a decline in size from the mandibular angle up to the chin. The cortical bone at the alveolar ridge was porous. The cortical supply for miniplate osteosynthesis at the condylus ranged from 1.1 mm up to 1.74 mm, which seems to be limited, but due to the small diameter of the condylus most common screws obtain additional anchorage in the inner cortex. The thickness of the cortical layer at the mandibular angle increased from 1.47 mm at the ramus up to 1.97 mm at the beginning of the corpus, reaching 2.14-2.38 mm for the lower plate at the mental foramen. The results for the upper plate were slightly lower.

Dental print media and their value in forensic odontology.

Teeth are one of the most important factors in the identification of unknown cadavers. One of the most efficient methods the police have of publicizing a case is to publish the victim's dental x-rays of treatment records in the dental print media which dentists will often recognize and thus be able to contribute to the identification. To evaluate the efficiency of this procedure, 177 cases published between 1975 and 1995 were reviewed. The results show that only 3% of the cases were identified from recognition in the dental print media. A survey of 500 dentists was carried out to gauge the efficacy of the presentation of identification cases in their dental print media. According to these results a revised method of presentation needs to be developed to improve the efficiency of this odontoforensic publicity medium. New technologies could also open new avenues for forensic identification such as digital x-raying or online data transfer. The Internet itself could be useful regarding international cooperation of forensic odontologists in the identification of unknown corpses.

[Tooth root length and tooth neck diameter as indicators in sex determination of human teeth]. / Zahnwurzellänge und Zahnhalsdurchmesser als Indikatoren zur Geschlechtsbestimmung an menschlichen Zähnen.

The length of the dental root and the diameter of the tooth neck are odontometric parameters which to date have rarely been used for the differentiation of the sexes. Teeth of 166 individuals from the early medieval burial ground of Eichstetten (south Germany) were available for examination. A correlation analysis was performed to show the possible dimensional interrelation of teeth which, however, applies only to the dental neck parameters. Using only diameters of the tooth neck and length of dental roots, it was possible to perform a new sex determination for 68 of the 166 individuals. It shows a good coincidence with a traditional sex determination. A traditional sex determination, performed in advance, as well as the archeological assignment of typical sex related grave goods were used for verification. For future sex determination based on teeth, examinations are recommended to be restricted to the six-year molar, the first upper premolar and, in particular, the canine. Also the dental neck diameter proved to be more useful than the crown diameter. Dental root lengths can be neglected. By comparing the results with those of a second Alamannic burial ground it could be established that discriminant analyses performed within the same population are highly congruent.

Mandibular condyles and rami are asymmetric structures.

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of bony asymmetry between the right (R) and left (L) mandibular condyles and rami. On 25 dry skulls, condylar height, breadth and length, as well as ramus height and breadth were assessed. On each skull the average of the three measurements on the right and left sides, respectively, were calculated with the corresponding reference points being redetermined for each measurement. The raw absolute differences magnitude of R - L as well as the relative absolute differences magnitude of R - L/R + L were computed. The relative absolute differences showed that asymmetries were of similar magnitude (between 1.20% and 2.58%) for all variables except for condylar height (11.06%). After taking three additional measurements with reference points chosen only once, the intra-individual measurement error, consisting of reproducibility of the reference points and accuracy in measuring the distance between the chosen points, was assessed with the help of a statistical variance component technique. Estimates of the 95% range of the absolute differences were computed. Between 60% and 88% of the measured differences were outside the predicted 95% range, thus much too large to be explained by random measurement error; hence, they were due to real individual asymmetries. We concluded that asymmetries of mandibular condyles and rami are part of the biologic variation of humans. It still remains unclear, however, when such asymmetries should be considered "unphysiological."

Richard Owen and the comparative anatomy of teeth.

One hundred fifty years ago, Richard Owen published the first detailed monograph on the comparative anatomy of teeth entitled Odontography; or, A Treatise on the Comparative Anatomy of the Teeth; their Physiological Relations, Mode of Development, and Microscopic Structure, in the Vertebrate Animals. The treatise is considered to be the first fundamental work of odontology. The 150th anniversary of its publication is an appropriate time to rediscover the roots and development of this scientific discipline, as well as the life and work of its author.

Twenty-five thousand-year-old triple burial from Dolní Vestonice: an ice-age family?

In 1986 a paleolithic triple burial was discovered near Dolní Vestonice (Czech Republic). The occurrence of anatomic variants in all three skeletons gave rise to speculations that the buried individuals may have been closely related. To test this hypothesis the skeletons were submitted to a systematic kinship analysis based on odontologic and other non-metric traits. Statistical tests showed that the coincident occurrence of several rare traits in the individuals is highly unlikely to occur at random. This and further data included in the analysis therefore suggest that the three individuals buried together were genetically related and actually belonged to one family.

Comparative anatomy of teeth from past to present.

The comparative anatomy of teeth has a long tradition in research, starting more than two thousand years ago in antiquity. In the 19th century, Richard Owen's oeuvre Odontography (1840-45) contributed much to establish odontology as an independent scientific discipline. After a short outline of the historical development of the comparative anatomy of teeth, we describe the contents and importance of Owen's Odontography. Finally, we sketch the contemporary situation of dental morphology, which in the course of the last thirty years has developed into an important and internationally highly recognized multidisciplinary field.

Düsseldorf data on the PCR-based locus HumFES/FPS (human c-fes/fps proto oncogene).

This paper reports PCR-based genotype distribution and allele frequencies of the locus HumFES/FPS (human c-fes/fps proto oncogene). For this study 300 unrelated Caucasoids of German ancestry living in Düsseldorf were analyzed. Seven of the eight alleles previously described and fourteen of the corresponding thirty-six diploid genotypes were detected. The proportions of heterozygotes and homozygotes observed and expected and the parameters of forensic interest, e.g. the mean paternity exclusion chance, were calculated. No deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed. A preliminary German data base (3,238 individuals) was created by using the weighted arithmetical mean which included data from Düsseldorf.

Determining mandibular condyle and ramus height with the help of an Orthopantomogram--a valid method?

The asymmetry of condylar and rami heights was determined from orthopantomograms of 25 macerated skulls and compared with the results of the 'true' values obtained by direct measurements of the skulls. The correlation between the two measuring methods was low.

German data on the HUMVWA31 locus.

A population study was carried out on Caucasians from Düsseldorf using the short tandem repeat (STR) system HumVWA (von Willebrand factor; locus 12p12-12pter; intron A). After amplification, electrophoresis and silver staining 9 alleles could be detected in the sample of 304 unrelated individuals. No deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium could be observed. The results were compared with other population studies.

German population data on the loci low-density-lipoprotein receptor, glycophorin A, hemoglobin gamma G, D7S8 and group-specific component.

This paper reports on the allele and genotype frequencies for five polymerase chain reaction-based loci determined in a sample (n = 295) from Düsseldorf (Germany). The loci are Low-Density-Lipoprotein Receptor, Glycophorin A, Hemoglobin gamma G, D7S8 and Group-Specific Component. Typing was carried out by using the AmpliType PM PCR amplification and typing kit. The loci were tested for possible divergences from Hardy-Weinberg expectations (HWE). The gene frequencies found can be used in forensic analyses and paternity tests. The data from Düsseldorf were compared with six other studies having been published up today.

Designating teeth: the advantages of the FDI's two-digit system.

For more than 130 years, several systems for designating and encoding teeth have been in use. Starting with the oldest one, which was proposed by Zsigmondy and Palmer, the most important methods are briefly described. Because none of these early systems complies with the requirements set by the Fédération Dentaire Internationale, the organization introduced its own two-digit system in 1970. Although this system has not gained worldwide recognition yet, it has many advantages over the other methods and should be universally adopted.

Odontologic kinship analysis in skeletal remains: concepts, methods, and results.

Identification of familial relationships is essential for reconstructing social structures in ancient societies. In forensic medicine, individual identification is occasionally also achieved by the same procedure. The paper discusses the role of odontologic traits for kinship analysis as well as several statistical procedures helpful in the detection and evaluation of presumptive 'genetic' relationships, and presents examples of applications.

[The recognition of mandibular asymmetries in the panoramic tomogram. An example of the need for judging the value of a diagnostic procedure]. / Erkennung von mandibulären Asymmetrien auf der Panoramaschichtaufnahme. Ein Beispiel für die Notwendigkeit der Beurteilung der Güte eines diagnostischen Verfahrens.

According to Habets et al. (1988), dental rotational panoramic radiographs can be used to diagnose vertical asymmetries between the right (R) and left (L) mandibular condyle and/or ramus. The difference in vertical height between the two sides is expressed by an asymmetry index which is calculated with the formula (R - L)/(R + L) x 100%. The aim of this paper is to investigate the accuracy of this diagnostic method with the help of the parameters sensitivity and specificity. For each of 25 fully preserved and macerated skulls with a stable occlusion. Two dental rotational panoramic radiographs were made. The values obtained for condylar and rami heights as well as for the asymmetry indices as proposed by Habets and al. (1988) were compared with the values received from the corresponding measurements on the skulls. For the determination of sensitivity and specificity, the five highest asymmetry values found on the skulls were classified as "high asymmetry present". In order to achieve an acceptable sensitivity (.8), an insufficient specificity must be accepted (for ramus height .25, condyle height .2), resulting in a very high rate of false positive diagnoses. The study emphasizes the necessity of a critical evaluation of the utility of diagnostic tests and procedures.

Prosthetics, periodontal therapy and conservative dentistry in the eighteenth century: archeological findings from Grand Sacconex, Geneva, Switzerland.

There are only few archaeological findings on therapeutic measures dating to the early times of scientific dentistry. The remains of two burials from the mid-eighteenth century permit the assessment of the spectrum of dental treatments of that time. Bridges, ivory dentures, gold ligatures for splinting as well as various metal fillings demonstrate the state-of-the-art of contemporary practical dentistry. A presentation of the findings should be of interest not only for the history of dentistry but can also supplement the written records of that time.