Although many people are concerned about their dental braces looking good in photos, But most do not consider the shape of each tooth. You should—because it was probably determined in part by your Neanderthal ancestors.
An international team of researchers led by Kaustubh Adhikari from University College London (UCL) has discovered differences in teeth between ethnic groups. Including appearance determined by genes inherited from Neanderthals. their research published On December 12, 2018 current biologyIt could one day help diagnose and treat genetic dental conditions.
Researchers, including experts from Fudan University in China, used 3D scans of dental casts to analyze the dental measurements of 882 volunteers of European descent. Native American and African. They then compared these dimensions with the volunteers' genetic data. and identified 18 genome regions associated with various tooth sizes and shapes. In particular, 17 of these regions were identified as being connected to the tooth dimensions for the first time.
“Teeth can tell us a lot about human evolution. This is because well-preserved ancient teeth are of great importance to archaeologists. It sheds light on important milestones, such as when we switched to cooked food. And the size of human teeth began to shrink. But little is known about the genetic basis of variation within modern human populations in tooth size and shape. This is partly due to challenges in measuring teeth,” Adhikari said at UCL. statement– “We have now identified many genes that affect the development of our teeth. This is partially responsible for differences between ethnic groups.”
Interestingly, scientists suggest that one of the genes identified is of Neanderthal origin. which ancient humans interbred with during our brief prehistoric coexistence. Genetic variant found only in subjects of European descent It is related to thinner teeth. The researchers also noted that individuals with this variation tended to have smaller teeth overall. The team also found that the EDAR gene, which had previously been linked to body shape, of the front teeth of East Asian people It affects the width of every tooth as well.
However, “our findings do not clarify whether genes that determine tooth shape have been selected in evolution.” This is due to its specific advantages for dental health. It is therefore possible that the genes were selected because of their influence in other areas as well. Differences in tooth shape result in side effects,” said Andrés Ruiz-Linares from UCL and Aix-Marseille University, who co-led the study. This study explains: Simply put, researchers aren't sure why genes evolved to affect tooth shape in this way.
“Some genes are responsible for normal variation in tooth size in healthy people. It also contributes to changes that cause disease, such as teeth being unable to grow. or other dental health conditions,” Qing Li from Fudan University co-founder of Fudan University said in the study. Pathogenic variants are genetic differences that increase an individual's chance of developing a disease or genetic disorder. In other words Genes that determine dental measurements may also determine health problems.
For this reason, “We hope our findings will be of clinical benefit. People with specific dental problems can undergo genetic testing to help with diagnosis. Or if certain dental abnormalities could one day be treated with gene therapy,” Li added.
It remains to be seen how this research might lead to practical medical applications. In the meantime, Neanderthal teeth had other properties. There are many things we may have inherited from our long-lost relatives, including pain tolerance and nose shape–