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Cited by 211Morphological variations and asymmetryForensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology StudiesOrthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

Global human mandibular variation reflects differences in agricultural and hunter-gatherer subsistence strategies

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von Cramon-Taubadel, Noreen·2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.1113050108PMC PMC3241821
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Abstract

Variation in the masticatory behavior of hunter-gatherer and agricultural populations is hypothesized to be one of the major forces affecting the form of the human mandible. However, this has yet to be analyzed at a global level. Here, the relationship between global mandibular shape variation and subsistence economy is tested, while controlling for the potentially confounding effects of shared population history, geography, and climate. The results demonstrate that the mandible, in contrast to the cranium, significantly reflects subsistence strategy rather than neutral genetic patterns, with hunter-gatherers having consistently longer and narrower mandibles than agriculturalists. These results support notions that a decrease in masticatory stress among agriculturalists causes the mandible to grow and develop differently. This developmental argument also explains why there is often a mismatch between the size of the lower face and the dentition, which, in turn, leads to increased prevalence of dental crowding and malocclusions in modern postindustrial populations. Therefore, these results have important implications for our understanding of human masticatory adaptation.

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  • The main mode of subsistence in modern human populations is recognized as playing an important role in shaping the face, with masticatory stress particularly affecting the mandible and lower face.

    “The main mode of subsistence in modern human populations (i.e.agricultural vs non-agricultural diet; plant-based vs meat-based diet) is recognized as playing an important role in shaping the face, with masticatory stress particularly affecting the mandible and lower face 6,69,70”

    From The evolutionary history of the human face (2019) · cites this paper as [69]

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Authors
von Cramon-Taubadel, N.
Affiliations
Department of Anthropology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NR, United Kingdom
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
2011-11-21
Volume
108
Issue
49
Pages
19546-19551
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.1113050108
PMC
PMC3241821
OpenAlex
W2118550539
Cited by
211
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 12
FWCI
13.34
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Geometry and Topology › Morphological variations and asymmetry
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Orthodontics › Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
Keywords
hunter-gatherers, agricultural population, subsistence strategies, masticatory stress, dental crowding, malocclusion
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Physiological, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Diet, Biological Evolution, Female, Humans, Life Style, Male, Mandible, Models, Anatomic, Sex Factors, Skull, Stomatognathic System, Time Factors

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