High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Tracing Evolution Through Teeth: Dental Morphology of the Lagoa Santa Fossil Population

Tracing Evolution Through Teeth: Dental Morphology of the Lagoa Santa Fossil Population

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  • Download Lagoa Santa Project Poster - Kelsey Aaron (3).pptx (1.6 MB)

Course Code

ANT

Course Number

4591

Faculty/Instructor

Sarah Freidline

Faculty/Instructor Email

sarah.freidline@ucf.edu

About the Author

My name is Kelsey Aaron and I am currently in my senior year at UCF earning my bachelors in Anthropology. My focus is on forensic/biological archaeology which makes Dr. Freidline the perfect instructor for helping me with this project.

Abstract, Summary, or Creative Statement

This study examines dental morphological variation among early South American populations, focusing on individuals from the Lagoa Santa region and coastal shellmound (sambaqui) populations in Brazil. Dental nonmetric traits were recorded using the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS), a standardized method for assessing crown and root morphology across populations (Qaqa et al., 2026). These traits are highly heritable and largely unaffected by environmental pressures, making them valuable for reconstructing population history, gene flow, and ancestry (Tinoco et al., 2016). Comparative analysis incorporates global dental variation and reference patterns associated with archaic hominins, including Neanderthals. Traits such as increased expression of Cusp 6, complex groove patterns, and accessory cusp development are more frequently observed in archaic populations and are often used to distinguish them from modern humans (Scott et al., 2018). By evaluating the frequency and distribution of these traits in Lagoa Santa and sambaqui samples, this study assesses whether early South American populations fall entirely within modern human variation or exhibit overlap with archaic morphological patterns.

Statistical analyses were conducted in RStudio to evaluate differences in trait frequencies across populations and to test for patterns of association. Results indicate that while both Lagoa Santa and sambaqui populations align broadly with modern human variation, they exhibit distinct trait distributions consistent with regional differentiation. These findings contribute to discussions of early human migration into the Americas and support the hypothesis that Lagoa Santa populations may reflect a distinct migration event with unique morphological signatures.

Keywords

rASUDAS; Dental Morphology; Lagoa Santa

Tracing Evolution Through Teeth: Dental Morphology of the Lagoa Santa Fossil Population


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