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Combining radiographic and histological data for dental development to compare growth in the past and the present

Abstract Background: Being able to estimate the age at death of fossil hominins enables meaningful comparisons of both dental and general growth, past and present. Aim: The aim of this study was to use data for modern permanent canine formation derived from separate histological and radiographic studies to estimate the age at death of an early African Homo erectus specimen (KNM-WT 15 000) with a developing permanent maxillary canine. Methods: Ground sections of 18 sexed modern human canines were used to reconstruct growth in tooth height along the enamel–dentine junction (EDJ) and onwards into root formation along the cement–dentine junction (CDJ). Daily rates of enamel and dentine formation were used to put a time scale to cumulative fractions of tooth height. Results: Age estimates for KNM-WT 15 000 averaged 7.89–8.8 years of age (range = 6.6–10.3 years) and were close to previous histological estimates for this individual (7.6–8.8 years). Conclusions: Stages of dental development in KNM-WT 15 000 were easily accommodated within this age distribution of a modern sample. However, body mass and stature estimates for KNM-WT 15 000 fell well beyond those reported for a modern sample of 438 Sudanese children aged between 7.0–10 years.