PREVIOUS   NEXT   CONTENTS   HOME 

Hominid fossils from Sima de las Palomas

Deciduous incisors

A left maxillary medial deciduous incisor, CG-35 (Table 25), with a lingually shovel-shaped crown showing no attrition and an open root, was excavated in the upper cutting extension in layer Ia.

Elementin mm
VLMWaverage
mesiodistal crown dimension 7.8 7.9 7.85
buccolingual crown dimension 6.1 6.0 6.05
mesiodistal dimension at the neck 5.9 5.7 5.8
buccolingual dimension at the neck 4.8 4.8 4.8
maximal mesiodistal dimension of the root 5.3 5.0 5.15
maximal buccolingual dimension of the root 4.0 3.7 3.85
buccal crown height (circumferential height) 7.6 --
buccal height of the root (circumferential height)10.3 *--
buccal crown height (vertical projection) - 7.5 -
buccal height of the root (vertical projection)- 10.0 *-
incisoapical height (vertical projection) 17.5* 17.4 * 17.45 *
Table 25: Odontometric measurements of CG-35 left maxillary incisormeasurements taken by A.V.Lombardi - VL and M.J.Walker - MW
*Root incompletely formed

Deciduous canines

A probably right, maxillary deciduous canine, CG-31, with a cingulum and marked attrition affecting one-third of the crown, was excavated in the upper cutting in layer 2i; because its measurements are low for Neanderthal children they were taken twice (Table 26).

Elementin mm
VL VL MWaverage
mesiodistal crown dimension 7.1 7.1 7.1 7.1
buccolingual crown dimension 6.5 6.6 6.55 6.55
mesiodistal dimension at the neck 5.4 5.0 5.5 5.3
buccolingual dimension at the neck 5.8 5.6 5.5 5.6
maximal mesiodistal dimension of the root 4.3 4.0 4.15 4.15
maximal buccolingual dimension of the root 5.0 4.2 4.4 4.5
buccal crown height (circumferential height) 5.0 5.2 --
buccal height of the root (circumferential height) 11.1 * 11.0 * --
buccal crown height (vertical projection) -- 5.1 -
buccal height of the root (vertical projection) -- 11.0 * -
incisoapical height (vertical projection)15.5 * 15.5 * 15.8 * 15.6
Table 26: Odontometric measurements of CG-31 right maxillary canine (measurements taken by A.V.Lombardi - VL and M.J.Walker - MW)
* Root incompletely formed

A poorly-preserved right maxillary or left mandibular deciduous canine, CG-34, with characteristically Neanderthal dimensions (Table 27), came from mine rubble on the hillside.

Elementin mm
mesiodistal crown dimension 8.5 mm
buccolingual crown dimension 6.5 mm
mesiodistal dimension at the neck 6.0 mm
buccolingual dimension at the neck 6.0 mm
maximal mesiodistal dimension of the root 5.0 mm
maximal buccolingual dimension of the root 4.5 mm
buccal crown height (circumferential height) 10.0 mm
buccal height of the root (circumferential height) 13.0 mm
incisoapical height (vertical projection) 22.0 mm
Table 27: Odontometric measurements of CG-34 maxillary or mandibular canine (measurements taken by A.V. Lombardi)

Deciduous molars

A right mandibular, probably anterior, deciduous molar, CG-28, with attrition of crown enamel, resorption of its root, and rather low measurements (Table 28) for Neanderthal children, was excavated in the upper cutting in layer 2f.

Elementin mm
mesiodistal crown dimension8.0
buccolingual crown dimension 7.1
mesiodistal dimension at the neck 7.0
buccolingual dimension at the neck 6.0
maximal mesiodistal dimension of the root 7.4
maximal buccolingual dimension of the root 5.7
buccal crown height (circumferential height) 7.0
buccal height of the root (circumferential height) 5.0 *
incisoapical height (vertical projection) 11.0 *
Table 28: Odontometric measurements of CG-28 right mandibular anterior molar (measurements taken by A.V. Lombardi)
* Root partly resorbed

Other tooth fragments

A probably human root of a single-root tooth, CG-46 (Table 29), was excavated in our upper cutting in layer 2i. Two other unmeasured roots of single-root teeth are CG-44 and CG-45.

Elementin mm
mesiodistal dimension at the neck 7.0?
buccolingual dimension at the neck 7.4?
maximal mesiodistal dimension of the root 6.3
maximal buccolingual dimension of the root 5.6
Table 29: Odontometric measurements of CG-46 tooth root of single-root tooth (measurements taken by M.J.Walker)

 PREVIOUS   NEXT   CONTENTS   HOME 

© Internet Archaeology URL: http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue5/walker/4.2.2.html
Last updated: Wed Dec 23 1998