Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Genetic and environmental influences on bilateral dental asymmetry in Northwest Indian twins

  • Published:
International Journal of Anthropology

Abstract

The role of genetic and environmental factors on dental asymmetry (in maximum crown dimensions) was examined using 58 pairs of twins (23 MZ and 35 DZ) from Chandigarh, India. The t'-test for equality of means by zygosity showed only one variable significantly different among 56: this is ascribable to Type 1 error. Heterogeneity of MZ-DZ total variance was observed in 42.9% of traits of the two types (fluctuating and directional) of bilateral asymmetry. In general, MZ twins showed higher total variance than DZ pairs. MZ twins also showed stronger environmental covariance for a majority of the traits. Dental asymmetry measures thus yielded consistently low genetic variance ratios and indicated predominantly complex environmental determinism. Since fluctuating asymmetry is widely believed to be an environmental stress indicator, this data set allows confirmation of methods for detecting unequal environmental influences on the zygosities which bias estimates of genetic variance and heritability.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams M.S. and Niswander J.D. 1967.Developmental «noise» & a congenital malformation. Genetic Research, 10: 313–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bader R.S. 1965.Fluctuating asymmetry in the dentition of the house mouse. Growth, 29: 291–300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailit H. 1966.Tooth size, variability, inbreeding & evolution. Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 134: 616–623.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailit H.L. and Sung B. 1968.Maternal effects on the developing dentition. Archives of Oral Biology, 13: 155–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bailit H.L., Workman P.L., Niswander, J.D. and Maclean C.J. 1970.Dental asymmetry as an indicator of genetic and environmental stress in human populations. Human Biology, 42: 626–638.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biggerstaff R. H. 1970.Morphological variations for the permanent mandibular first molars in human monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Archives of Oral Biology, 15: 721–730.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boklage C.E., Elston R.C. and Potter R.H. 1979.Cellular origins of functional asymmetries: Evidence from schizophrenia, handedness, fetel membrane and teeth in twins. In: J. Gruzelier & P. Flor-Henry (eds.):Hemisphere Asymmetry of Function and Psychopathology. New York: Elsevier, pp. 79–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christian J.C. 1978.The use of twin registers in the study of birth defects. Birth Defects, 14: 167–178.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christian J.C. 1979.Testing twin means and estimating genetic variance: basic methodology for the analysis of quantitative twin data. Acta Geneticae Medicae et Gemellologiae, 28: 35–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christian J.C., Feinleib M. and Norton J.A. 1975.Statistical analysis of genetic variance in twins. American Journal of Human Genetics, 27: 807.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christian J.C., Kang K.W. and Norton J.A. 1974.Choice of an estimate of genetic variance from twin data. American Journal of Human Genetics, 26: 154–161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christian J.C. and Norton J.A. 1977.A proposed test of the differences between the means of monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Acta Geneticae Medicae et Gemellologiae, 26: 49–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corrucini R.S. and Potter R.H.Y. 1981.Developmental correlates of crown component asymmetry and occlusal discrepancy. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 55: 21–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corruccini R.S., Sharma K. and Potter R.H.Y. 1987.Comparative genetic variance of dental size and asymmetry in U.S. and Northwest Indian twins. Proceedings of the National Museum of Natural History, Paris, VII International Symposium on Dental Morphology.

  • Dibennardo R. and Bailit H.L. 1978.Stress and dental asymmetry in a population of Japanese Children. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 48: 89–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doyle W.J. and Johnston O. 1977.On the meaning of increased fluctuating dental asymmetry: a cross populational study. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 46: 127–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doyle W.J., Kelley C. and Siegel M.I. 1977.The effect of audiogenic stress on the growth of long bones in the laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus). Growth, 41: 183–189.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haseman J.C. and Elston R.C. 1970.The estimation of genetic variance from twin data. Behavioral Genetics, 1: 111–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kang K.W., Corey L.A., Evans M.M., Christian J.C. and Norton J.A. 1977.Dominance and environmental variances: their effect on heritabilities estimated from twin data. Human Heredity, 27: 9–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kempthorne O. and Osborne R.H. 1961.The interpretation of twin data. American Journal of Human Genetics, 13: 320–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kraus B.S. and Jordan R.E. 1965The Human Dentition Before Birth. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lundstrom A. 1963.Tooth morphology as a basis for distinguishing monozygotic and dizygotic twins. American Journal of Human Genetics, 15: 34–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mather K. 1953.Genetical control of stability in development. Heredity, 7: 397–436.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nery E.B., Kraus D.S. and Croup M. 1975.Dental organ formation: a chronologic and topographic sequence. Journal of Dentistry of Children, 42: 467–473.

    Google Scholar 

  • Niswander J.D. and Chung C.S. 1965.The effects of inbreeding on tooth size in Japanese children. American Journal of Human Genetics, 17: 390–398.

    Google Scholar 

  • Potter R.H.Y., and Nance W.E. 1976.A twin study of dental dimension: I. Discordance, asymmetry, and mirror imagery. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 44: 391–396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sciulli P.W., Doyle W.J., Kelley C., Siegel P. and Siegel M.I. 1979.The interaction of stressors in the induction of increased levels of fluctuating asymmetry in the laboratory rat. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 50: 279–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma J.C. 1978.Genetic contribution to adolescent growth spurt in some anthropometric characters: A study based on longitudinal growth data on twins. In: Twin Research: Clinical Studies, W.E. Nance, G. Allen and P. Parisi, Eds. New York: Liss, pp. 223–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma J.C. and Vasishta P. 1976.Hereditary basis of morphological variations — A study based on younger twins. Indian Journal of Physical Anthropology and Human Genetics, 2: 27–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma K. 1980a.Susceptibility to motion sickness. Acta Geneticae Medicae et Gemellologiae, 29: 157–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma K. 1980b.Seasonal variation in twinning in India. Man in India, 60: 254–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma K. 1980c.A demographic study of Indian Twins. Indian Journal of Physical Anthropology and Human Genetics, 6: 137–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma K. 1981.Parental age, parity and sibship size of North Indian twins. Anthropos, 76: 237–239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma K. 1982.Genetic Contribution to Body Morphology: A Study Based on Human Twins and Pedigree Data. Ph.D. Thesis, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma K. and Corruccini R.S. 1986.Genetic basis of dental occlusal variations in Northwest Indian Twins. European Journal of Orthodontics, 8: 91–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma K., Corruccini R.S. and Henderson A.M. 1985.Genetic variance in dental dimensions of Punjabi Twins. Journal of Dental Research, 64: 1389–1391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegel M.I. and Doyle W.J. 1975.The effects of cold stress on fluctuating asymmetry in the dentition of the mouse. Journal of Experimental Zoology, 193: 385–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siegel P., Siegel M.I., Krimmer E.C., Doyle W.J. and Barry H. 1977.Fluctuating dental asymmetry as an indicator of the stressful prenatal effects of 9 TH in the laboratory rat. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 42: 339–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smookler H.H., Goebel K.H., Siegel M.I. and Clarke D.E. 1973.Hypertensive effects of prolonged auditory, visual and motion stimulation. Federation Proceedings, 32: 2105–2110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Staley R.N. and Green L.J. 1971.Bilateral asymmetry in tooth cusp occurrence in human monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins and nontwins. Journal of Dental Research, 50: 83–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suarez B.T. 1974.Neandertal dental asymmetry and the probable mutation effect. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 41: 411–416.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Valen L. 1962.A study of fluctuating asymmetry. Evolution, 16: 125–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waddington, C.H. 1957.The Strategy of the Genes. London: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, 160014, Chandigarh, India

    K. Sharma

  2. Department of Anthropology, Southern Illinois University, 62901, Carbondale, Illinois, U.S.A.

    R. S. Corruccini

  3. Dental School, Indiana University, 46202, Indianapolis, U.S.A.

    R. H. Y. Potter

Authors
  1. K. Sharma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. S. Corruccini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. H. Y. Potter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sharma, K., Corruccini, R.S. & Potter, R.H.Y. Genetic and environmental influences on bilateral dental asymmetry in Northwest Indian twins. Int. J. Anthropol. 1, 349–359 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02442064

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02442064

Key words

Search

Navigation