Shovel-shaped incisors (or, more simply, shovel incisors) are incisors whose lingual surfaces are scooped as a consequence of lingual marginal ridges, crown curvature or basal tubercles, either alone or in combination.
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Shovel-shaped incisors are relatively more common in Asians, East Asians, "Alaskan Eskimos", "Siberian Eskimos" and Native Americans. In Europeans and Africans, shovel-shaped upper incisors are uncommon or not present. In some instances, incisors can present a more pronounced version of this called double shovel-shaped. The differences observed in tooth morphology is believed to be partly determined by genetics. When present, shovel-shaped incisors can indicate correlation among populations and are considered to be one of the non-metric traits in osteology. The characteristic could also be attributed to hormones, duration of development, and the capacity of the maxillary dental arch.
The shovel-shaped dental characteristic can also be traced back to Homo erectus and in Neanderthals. The morphology of Neanderthal's anterior teeth has been seen as an adaptation to the heavy use of their canines and incisors in processing and chewing food, and the use of their teeth for activities other than feeding.
History
The first description of shovel-shaped incisors was in 1870.
Racial diagnostic
Shovel-shaped incisors is a very noticeable trait that indicates a difference of race. A 1964 text said that many anthropologists at the time used the trait of shovel-shaped incisors as a diagnostic for race.