Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 73. (Budapest 1981)

Tóth, T.: The odontological aspect in the ethnogenesis of Hungarians, I.

Interpretation of the results Odontoscopical characteristics of the lingual surface of the upper medial permanent incisors could be analysed in 2219 men, those of the lateral incisors in 2060 individuals (Tables 1 and 2). In comparing these numerical data with the whole contingent of the studied local groups (3310 male individuals) one obtains interesting information about the clinical state of their dentition strongly connected with the social hygienic conditions manifested during postnatal ontogenesis. While analysing the odontoscopical data of Hungarian males it was found that in the different local groups the first two forms (0 and 1) of the lingual surface of the upper medial incisors presented preponderant majority in comparison to those of the third and fourth forms (2 and 3) (Table 1). Concurrently the unequal geographic distribution of the first two forms according to the local groups, deserves one's attention as does the parallelism of the two forms (0 and 1). It is worth mentioning that there is a dominancy of form 1 in the majority of the local groups (in 15 from 26) in comparison to the frequency of form 0. The geographical distribution as well as the parallelism between the first two forms reveal the same pattern as regards the lingual surface of the upper lateral incisors (Table 2). The dominancy of the frequency from these two forms follows the same trend as that from the upper medial incisors. Analysing the odontoscopical traits of the different ethnogeographic groups of Hungarians one can get a clearer separation of them in spite of the mosaicity pointed out above. Considering this aspect the proportional association of the first two forms (0 and 1) of the lingual surface of the upper medial incisors reveals a similarity between the combined groups form Nagykunság, Taktaköz, Jászság (all from the Middle-Tisza region) and from Göcsej (Transdanubia). This means that in all of the above mentioned ethnogeographic groups form 0 is dominant over form 1 (Table 1). So a correlation to some extent is revealed between some odontoscopical traits and the southwestern and central somatological complexes stated by us (TÓTH 1977). Considering the whole studied contingent this correlation cannot be ascertained as absolute, becasuse on the basis of the reciprocal association (dominancy of from 1 over form 0) the combined group from Őrség differing from that of Göcsej bordering on him is very close to the northwestern complex (Rábaköz) and the two combined groups of the Palócság, all belonging to the central somatic complex of Hungarian men. In the Szamosmellék ethnogeographic group the first two forms of the lingual surface of the upper medial incisors exhibit a nearly equal frequency. In contrast to the somatological complexes outlined by us

—at least to a certain degree

—in the area of the Central Danubian variant (TÓTH 1977, 1979) apparently a geographical linkage is existing regarding the first two forms of the lingual surface of the upper medial incisors. The geographical limitation of the proportioned association of these two odontoscopical forms is very important. It should be borne in mind that the four odontoscopical forms of the maxillary incisors have been combined to form two groups (0 + 1 and 2+3) by the Japanese odontologistanthropologist HANIHARA (1963). This type of grouping seems very useful for analysing the distribution of the main racial stock components. We are of the opinion that a separate analysis of the first two forms (0 and 1) as well as their different geographical limitation might indicate the assumption of intraracial components, i.e. that of the northern and southern subcontinental odontomorphological elements of the Europoid racial stock. In this respect it deserves attention that among American and Arab people form 0 is dominating over form 1, the Finns are characterized on the other hand by a reversed proportion of these two odontoscopial forms (DONINA 1969). In addition to these findings it cannot be left out of consideration that the odontoscopical traits characterizing Russian, Danish and Swedish people are quite different from those uf the Finns. Disregarding the mosaicity between the two forms (0 and 1) Hungarian men are characterized by the clearly expressed odontoscopi-