Torus Mandibularis: Etiology and Bioarcheological Utility
Torus mandibularis is a non-metric traitcommonly recorded in bioarcheological investigationand often included in the battery of non-metric traitsused to analyse biological distance among populations.However, there is considerable debate regarding theetiology of the trait, with genetic and environmentalfactors both having been posited as the primary factorin torus development. This study of 498 individuals,drawn from eight archeological samples, investigatesthe variation in torus frequency in different groups asdefined by sample, age, sex, and measures of functionalstress. Frequencies varied significantly among bothsamples and dental attrition categories, supportingthe idea that mandibular tori are a threshold trait,influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.Results of this study suggest the utility of mandibulartori in bioarchaeology may lie outside of biodistanceanalyses that rely on the high heritability quotient ofnon-metric traits to establish population distances.