Advances in the dental search for Native American origins

Abstract

The Sinodont dental morphology pattern of NE Asia is today more complex and was so by 20,000 years ago, than the simplified Sundadonty of SE Asia-Oceania, and the very simplified pattern that evolved greater than 20,000 B.P. All Native Americans are Sinodonts. Intra--and inter-hemispheric statistical analyses of 28 dental traits in greater than 6000 N & S American and greater than 1100 NE Asian crania reveal three temporally stable American sub-patterns, suggesting prior evolution in Sino-Siberia. The hypothesized biocultural associations and migration episodes are: (1) "Upper Cave" Sinodonts with the generalized Chinese Microlithic Tradition reach the Arctic steppe via the Lena basin to become Paleo--and most later Indians. (2) Smaller-game-hunting Siberian Diuktaians cross to Alaska at forest-forming terminal land bridge times to become Paleo-Arctic and subsequent Na-Dene-speaking NW forest Indians. (3) Lower Amur basin-N Japan blade-makingfolk evolve a coastal culture on the way to the land bridge's SE terminus at Anangula-Umnak where the oldest skeletons of the dentally distinctive but variable Aleut-Eskimos have been found.