Introduction to Dental Anthropology with presentation of the program.
Definition and history of the discipline. Overview of anatomy and dental histology. Importance of the study of human remains, in particular of the teeth, as a contribution to the history of medicine (in particular of the dental practice) and of the evolution of the masticatory apparatus. The
study of teeth in paleoanthropology and palethnology: morpho-functional changes from early hominids to modern humans. Comparative odontology: comparison of the teeth of different living and fossil species.
The study of teeth in archeology: reconstruction of eating habits, stress indicators (case study – Herculaneum population’s hypoplasia) and the state of health of a population (paleopathology). Variability of dental wear. Methods of studying dental wear caused by feeding, cultural practices, intentional modifications. Importance of the study of teeth in application to forensic odontology. The variability of metric characters.
Variability concept. Tools and methods. Case studies. Variability of nonmetric characters, or "anomalies". Causes and manifestations. Case studies. Sexual dimorphism and age estimation. Utilities in physical and forensic anthropology. The diachronic and synchronic ethnic variability.
Case studies on ancient and modern populations. New investigation techniques: μCT in the light of Sincrotrone; study of trace elements (e.g. laser ablation). Exercise in the osteology laboratory of the Operative Unit of Anthropology: osteometry; identification of maxillary and mandibular fragments; identification of dental elements. Wear analysis; age estimate.