DIACHRONIC AND SYNCHRONIC DENTAL TRAIT AFFINITIES OF LATE AND POSTPLEISTOCENE PEOPLES FROM NORTH-AFRICA

In several previous studies (e.g. IRISH 1993a, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997) the biological affinities of Sub-Saharan and North African dental sam ples were estimated based on comparative analyses of morphological tra its. A significant dichotomy between samples from the two geographic r egions was revealed. However, intra-region trait homogeneity was obser ved, particularly within North Africa. Further analyses of the North A fricans resulted in two additional findings. First, this homogeneity s pans both space - from the Canary Islands to Egypt, and time - from re cent Arabs and Berbers to West Asian-derived Carthaginians (751?-146 B C), 18th Dynasty (1575-1380 BC) Pharonic Nubians, and 12th Dynasty (19 91-1783 BC) Egyptians. A small Capsian sample (ca. 8,500-5,000 BP) fro m Algeria and Tunisia also exhibits many trait similarities. Late Plei stocene Nubians (14,500-12,500 BP), however, are significantly differe nt. Second, the post-Pleistocene North Africans are similar to Europea ns in that they possess numerous dental features involving morphologic al simplification. Any North African deviations away from this pattern are in the direction of mass-additive Sub-Saharan traits. This findin g supports the results of prior genetic-based studies that link North Africans to Europeans and western Asians, yet record several Sub-Sahar an tendencies. Together, the two findings suggest that a morphological ly simple dental pattern is shared by the indigenous peoples of North Africa, as well as Europe and perhaps western Asia, and this pattern h as existed for the past 4,000 to perhaps 8,500+/- years.