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

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

ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATION ALI S HUNGARICÏ Tomus73. Budapest, 1981 p. 305-312. The od on to logical aspect in the ethnogenesis of Hungarians, I. by T. TÓTH, Budapest Abstract — Odontological data from different ethnogeographic groups of Hungarian people have been evaluated regarding some ethnogenetical problems. With 3 tables. Prolegomena. — The increasing importance of anthropology in the interdisciplinary field of ethnogenesis became clear during the last decades. The somatological and craniological analyses supplied us important information on the proportion of the main (Europoid and Mongoloid) taxonomical components enlightening the origin of Hungarians, too. The odontological aspect developed only step by step in the general anthropology relying upon surveys carried out on the main areal-morphological groups of humankind (HRDLICKA, DAHLBERG, SELMER-OLSEN, PEDERSEN). From the most important phases it is worth mentioning the recognition of the great diagnostic value of the shovel-shapedness (HRDLICKA 1920). The analysis of this odontomorphological trait became more and more systematic in the examination of living populations. The incidence of the shovel-shape had been comparatively analysed concerning the lingual surface of the upper deciduous incisors (HANIHARA 1963, 1966, 1970) as well as that of the permanent maxillary incisors (KOSKI & HAUTALA 1952; KIRVESKARI 1974, 1978; ZUBOV 1968a, 1973). As a result of these wide-ranging studies dental anthropology developed as a new branch of the physical anthropology : the principal bases of the ethnic odontology were outlined in 1966 by ZUBOV. Some years later, in 1973 he published a general synthesis having a lot of numerical data about this new field. The term ethnic odontology has been proposed also by him. Finally, a book was published on the ethnic odontology of the living populations of Northern Eurasia (ZUBOV et al. 1979). Material and methods It was the first occasion that some morphological traits of the teeth have been studied on adult males in different ethnogeographical groups of Hungarians. The period of our investigations lasted from November till March in the years of 1969/1970 and 1970/1971. The principal aim of our studies was the morphological analysis of the lingual surface of the upper permanent incisors especially regarding the frequency of shovel-shapedness. For visually evaluating the lingual surface of the medial and lateral incisors a dentistic speculum was used, grouping the surface pecularities according to the generally accepted four degrees (0-3) (HANTHARA 1963; ZUBOV 1968b). Our findings are presented in tables. Data about the above mentioned odontomorphoscopic trait have been sampled from 3310 men (aged between 20 and 60) living in 28 different localities: Őriszentpéter, Szalafő, Bajánsenye (all from Őrség), Csonkahegyhát, Kustánszeg, Becsvölgye, Milejszeg, Petrikeresztur (all from Göcsej), Karcag, Kunmadaras, Kunhegyes (all from the Middle-Tisza region), Jászapáti, Jászárokszállás, Jászfényszaru (all from Jászság), Taktaharkány, Taktakenéz, Taktabáj (all from Taktaköz), Gacsáj, Rozsály, Matolcs (all from Szamoshát), Aszaló, Szikszó, Szendrő, Boldva (northeastern group of the so-called Palócság), Gyöngyöstarján, Mezőkövesd (southern group of the so-called Palócság and the Matyós), Himód, Kisfalud (from Rábaköz). Thus samples were taken from the southwestern, northwestern, northern and northeastern groups of Hungarians living in the Transdanubian as well as in the Middle- and Upper-Tisza regions of Hungary. At the time of our investigations the absorbing effect of the industrialization was negligible. Annls hist.-nat. Mus. natn. hung., 73, 1981