Maxillary canine/third premolar transposition in a prehistoric population from Santa Cruz Island, California

Abstract

Canine/premolar transposition is rare in both historic and prehistoric Homo sapiens with a known occurrence of less than 0.10%. This report describes a prehistoric population sample from one site (SCrI-3) on Santa Cruz Island, California in which the rate of C/P3 transposition is greater than eight percent, based on nine of 106 adult crania which exhibit the anomaly either uni- or bilaterally. As a means of investigating the etiology of this anomaly, the location of the canine root in adult crania was studied. Root location should indicate tooth bud origin, a factor likely to be under genetic control. In crania with normally erupted canines, the superior portion of the root averages 4.43 mm from alare, while this distance is 8.96 mm for anomalous roots. This difference suggests that during ontogeny the tooth buds for the canine and premolar arose in the wrong (or reversed) places, causing the teeth to erupt anomalously. It is suggested that inbreeding in a small island community resulted in a short-lived appearance of this anomaly at a high frequency.

Maxillary canine‐first premolar transposition in two Native American skeletal samples from New Mexico

“…Individuals with Mx.C.P1 transposition and caries between transposed teeth are known in both living individuals described in clinical literature (Shapira and Kuftinec, 1989) as well as prehistoric skeletal remains (Lukacs, 1998;Nelson, 1992; this study). Aside from caries, there is evidence suggesting that Mx.C.P1 transposition may have posed further problems for prehistoric Native Americans.…”

“…Mx.C.P1 transposition can be manifested in a variety of ways, as there is often inadequate space for the transposed canine if the premolars have previously erupted (Nelson, 1992). As a result, the canine may be impacted or displaced buccally between the first and second premolar, although it may also erupt buccal to the first premolar.…”

“…The most common type is Mx.C.P1 transposition, in which the maxillary canine erupts between the first and second maxillary premolars (Peck et al, 1993;Pindborg, 1970; but see Chattopadhyay and Srinivas, 1996). Increasingly, Mx.C.P1 transposition is thought to have a genetic component (Nelson, 1992;Peck et al, 1993;Peck and Peck, 1995), although interference from retained deciduous canines and canine migration, each possibly under genetic control, is also frequently suggested (e.g., Joshi and Bhatt, 1971;Mader and Konzelman, 1979). Transposition is found along familial lines in some pedigrees (Allen, 1967;Feichtinger et al, 1977;Newman, 1977;Payne, 1969;Peck et al, 1993, Pindborg, 1970Van Reenen, 1964).…”

“…Transposition of teeth resulting in atypical tooth order is a rare anomaly that has received much attention in the recent dental literature (Chattopadhyay and Srinivas, 1996;Lukacs, 1998;Nelson, 1992;Peck et al, 1993;Peck and Peck, 1995;Shapira and Kuftinec, 1989). The most common type is Mx.C.P1 transposition, in which the maxillary canine erupts between the first and second maxillary premolars (Peck et al, 1993;Pindborg, 1970; but see Chattopadhyay and Srinivas, 1996).…”

Transpositions of maxillary canines. Periodontal aspects and orthodontic therapy

“…Nelson 45 in 1992 and Lukacs 37 in 1998 showed transpositions on crania that were more than 5000 years old ( fig. 2).…”