Foundation and Frontier – Centenary Path of Dental Anthropology in China

Chinese dental anthropology, spanning a century of research, has significantly advanced the understanding of human evolution and population interactions. The study reveals that over 70 human fossil sites in China, many containing dental remains, provide critical insights into early human origins and evolutionary patterns. Notably, late Middle Pleistocene human teeth exhibit greater variability and mosaic features, sparking debates on their taxonomic classification. Using the American ASUDAS method, researchers analyzed Neolithic to modern human dentition, uncovering consistent non-metric traits that highlight northern-southern population differences and exchanges with western populations, some corroborated by paleogenomics. The application of new techniques has elevated Chinese dental anthropology to an international standard, though questions about early human origins remain open due to material limitations. Future research is poised to deepen our understanding through modern materials and innovative methods.

Lin, G. (2022). Foundation and Frontier – Centenary Path of Dental Anthropology in China. Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), (4), 83–99. https://doi.org/10.32521/2074-8132.2022.4.083-099