Hominid Fossils from Cueva Negra - continued

A large Neanderthal left maxillary permanent canine, CN-2 (Table 3), was excavated from the area of the rhino skull in C3e(2c). Severe attrition of occluso-buccal enamel caused exposure of dentine and even the root canal, which X-rays show to be wide (typical in Neanderthals); there is also distal interproximal attrition. Although CN-2's root shows mesiodistal flattening (nowadays more typical of mandibular than maxillary canines), its root length (Table 3) surpasses modern mandibular and maxillary means (16mm and 17mm: cf. Ash 1987, 174), and neck dimensions also exceed modern ones (cf. Ash 1987, 163, 174). Its root length resembles three Neanderthal maxillary canines from Hortus whose root lengths are 19.5mm, 20.8mm and 19.2mm (de Lumley-Woodyear 1973, 475, 478, 480). The lingual crest (or ridge) on the lingual aspect of maxillary canines is usually more clear-cut than in mandibular ones, and what remains of it on the worn-down CN-2 crown is separated by mesiolabial and mesiodistal grooves from marginal crests that show as dark lines. Canine morphology is extremely variable anyway (cf. Ash 1987, 163, 174; Frayer 1978; Kieser 1990, 128-161; Kraus et al. 1972, 34, 41) - thus whereas incisoapical length of Danes' upper canines averages 29mm it can reach a 36mm (Carlsen 1987, 74).

A right mandibular permanent anterior premolar of a juvenile or adolescent, CN-4 (Table 4), was excavated in C2e(3ñ) from a deep, stratigraphically sealed position; the apex of its root is not fully closed. Occlusal attrition has exposed dentine and the root canal around which secondary dentine forms a protective areola.

A right maxillary permanent anterior premolar, CN-5 (Table 5), was found in C1a where superficial loose soil of unit 1 overlay Pleistocene sediments of unit 2 - it is not stratigraphically sealed. Dentine is exposed on the crown and there is distal interproximal attrition. A (possibly burnt) anterior permanent tooth root - from immediately below the neck to apex, CN-7 (Table 6), was excavated in C4g(2c), in a possibly unsealed position because C4g was affected by 60 year-old foundations of a flimsy lean-to structure.

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Last updated: Wed Dec 23 1998