High-Resolution Laser Digitizing of Early Hominid Molars

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Isolated teeth, and jaw fragments containing teeth, represent a significant proportion of early hominid fossils. These specimens are the focus of continuing interest and study, and will contribute to future debates on hominid phylogeny. Current methods of analysis of differences between teeth of purportedly different species are limited by current methodologies. This project will implement new three dimensional laser scanning technologies to record and analyze differences between postcanine dental crowns of known hominoid species and apply the same technology to the assessment of fossil molars. The data for each crown surface, which generally exceeds 33,000 discreet 3D surface points per crown, will be stored and analyzed in a modified computer assisted design system. Superimposition and simple finite element scaling techniques will be used to analyze surface data from the teeth. These data should prove instrumental in revealing new and useful phylogenetic as well as functional patterns in hominoid molars.