Odontometric Variation and Sexual Dimorphism in Indian Populations: A Critical Review of Evidence and Implications for Biological Anthropology

Abstract

Dental morphology of human teeth affords insights into interindividual variation in human biology, sexual dimorphism, and interpopulation variation. Variability of human dentition, thus, has relevance for the studies of biological anthropology as well as for human identification in the forensic sciences. The importance of studies on odontometric variation in Indian populations has, therefore, to be emphasized, and in this review the findings regarding interpopulation as well as inter-tooth variation of mesiodistal and buccolingual crown measurements, inter-tooth differences, and methods of sex determination of human skulls are critically evaluated. All possible factors - genetic, morphogenetic, and environmental as well as methodological - have been considered, and stress has been laid on the aspects of sampling, age distribution, reproducibility of the measurement, statistics, and validation of the models predicting sex of an individual from his or her dental attributes. The review attempts to make a crucial distinction between the average values for tooth dimensions of different populations and their accuracy for the purpose of individual classification. Conventional indices, multivariate analysis, and machine-learning approach have been assessed for their population-specificity as well as for generalizability to other populations. The studies conducted in various parts of the country have been examined and critiqued within the frame work of demography of the region as well as methodology adopted in the respective investigations. Therefore, the issues pertaining to standardization of the measurements, representative sampling, adequate reporting, and cross-validation have been identified, and all these aspects need to be resolved to develop and strengthen the scientific basis of odontometry. The review would, thus, provide a preliminary basis for interpreting the intersubject variation of human dental attributes for the purpose of the studies in biological anthropology as well as for the identification of human remains of unknown identity in the criminal investigations.

Keywords: Odontometry; Sexual Dimorphism; Indian Populations; Dental Anthropology; Forensic Sex Estimation

Citation

Chatterjee S, Mukherjee A, Ghosh A, Goswami D, Dey B, Chatterjee D. Odontometric Variation and Sexual Dimorphism in Indian Populations: A Critical Review of Evidence and Implications for Biological Anthropology. WebLog J Forensic Sci Criminol. wjfsc.2026.j2905. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23912809