A probable genetic origin for pit defects on the molars of Paranthropus robustus

Abstract

We report the frequencies of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) and, specifically, pitting enamel hypoplasia (PEH) defects in the teeth of Paranthropus robustus, for comparison with four other South African hominin species and three extant nonhuman primate species. Unlike LEH, the lesser known PEH is characterized by multiple circular depression defects across a tooth crown and is often difficult to interpret in terms of developmental timing and etiology. Teeth in all samples were examined macroscopically with type, position and number of defects recorded. Frequencies of teeth with LEH vary among hominin species, but the differences in PEH are considerable. That is, P. robustus has much higher rates of pitting defects, with 47% of deciduous teeth and 14% of permanent teeth affected, relative to 6.7% and 4.3%, respectively, for all other hominin teeth combined; none of the extant primate samples evidence comparable rates. The defects on P. robustus molars are unlike those in other species, with entire crowns often covered in small circular depressions. The PEH is most consistent with modern human examples of amelogenesis imperfecta. Additionally, the defects are: 1) not found on anterior teeth, 2) uniform in shape and size, and 3) similar in appearance/severity on all molars. A possible reason for this form of PEH is as a side effect of selection on another phenotype that shares the same coding gene(s), i.e., a genetic origin. Recent research on the ENAM gene provides one such possibility. Paranthropus likely underwent rapid evolution in the ENAM loci, with changes in this gene contributing to larger posterior teeth and thicker enamel. This same gene is associated with amelogenesis imperfecta; therefore, pleiotropy effects, relating to high selection on this gene during Paranthropus evolution, could have yielded this unique condition.