Tooth root and craniomandibular morphological integration in the common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes): alternative developmental models for the determinants of root length.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings support previous conclusions that tooth roots demonstrate plasticity during their development. A correlation between root length variation along the tooth row and facial height rather than length can be interpreted in the context of previous findings of maxillary and mandibular rotation and compensatory remodeling during development. It is therefore proposed that the observed root length plasticity is due to variation in the eruptive distance associated with compensatory jaw rotation during development. PMID: 19828982 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Source: Frontiers of Oral Biology - Category: ENT & OMF Tags: Front Oral Biol Source Type: research