Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 82. (Budapest 1990)

Tóth, T.: On the frequency of shovel-shaped incisors in Hungarians

ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICI Tomus 82. Budapest, 1990 p. 241-247. On the frequency of shovel-shaped incisors in Hungarians * by T. TÓTH, Budapest T. TÖTH: On the frequency of shovel-shaped incisors in Hungarians. - Annls hist.-nat. Mus, natn. hung. 1990, 82: 241-247. Abstract - A comparative analysis of one odontomorphologic patterns by different subcontinental ethnic groups is given. With 4 tables and 2 figures. Introduction- The ethnical odontology has been developed step by step in general anthropology making possible the outlining as well as the comparative analysis of the main areal and subcontinental microregional groups of Mankind and certain populations by the following founders: HRDLICKA, DAHLBERG, SELMER-OLSEN, PEDERSEN, HANIHARA, ZUBOV. Attention must be drawn to the diagnostic value of the shovel-shapedness (HRDLICKA 1920). In the last decades the investigations concerning the shovel-shaped incisors were reviewed in the universal references, too (CARBONELL 1963, ZUBOV 1968, 1973). MATERIAL AND METHODS It was the first occasion between 1969 and 1971 that the lingual surfaces of the medial and lateral incisors of adult males from a number of ethnogeographical groups of the Hungarian people were analyzed. For the grouping of this surface peculiarity the conventional four degrees were used (HANIHARA 1963, 1966; ZUBOV 1968) applying a dentistic speculum. Data have been sampled from 3310 men (aged between 20 and 60) living in 28 localities of Hungary: Űriszentpéter, Szalafö, 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 Palócság and Matyós), Himód, Kisfalud (from Rábaköz). Thus in the contingent included the southwestern, north-western, central, northern and north-eastern groups of Hungarians inhabiting the Transdanubian as well as the Middle- and Upper-Tisza regions (Fig. 1). In the near past we estimated the expressivity of shovel-shapedness according to the above-mentioned local groups (TÓTH 1981). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION It was found that in the local groups the first two forms (0 and 1) of the lingual surface of the upper medial incisors were in predominant majority This paper was presented at the Vlllth International Symposium on Dental Morphology held in Jerusalem on the 11th May, 1989.