Age at death estimates for the protohistoric Arikara using molar attrition rates: A new quantification method

Abstract Dental attrition is positively related to ageing and has often been used to determine age at death of animals and prehistoric/historic humans. A newly designed molar‐attrition‐scoring standard was applied to a protohistoric skeletal sample, the Arikara (N = 143) from the North American Plains. Several criteria are used in producing a molar tooth crown wear (MTCW) score. These include: (i) the size of enamel wear facets, (ii) the amount of dentine and secondary dentine exposure, (iii) the height of the tooth, (iv) the enamel rim thickness, and (v) the amount of pulp‐cavity exposure in the advanced stages. Age‐at‐death estimates were generated from ordinary least‐squares (OLS) analysis, with estimated age regressed independently on the total molar attrition score (TMAS), mean molar‐1 tooth crown wear (ȲM1TCW), mean molar‐2 tooth crown wear (ȲM2TCW), and mean molar‐3 tooth crown wear (ȲM3TCW). In all analyses (with the exception of the third molar), the coefficient of determination ( r 2 ) revealed a strong relationship between molar attrition and age. Multiple‐regression analysis revealed a significant sex difference in molar‐attrition rates. Besides intercept and slope differences, the female scatter showed greater molar attrition variation than the male scatter. There was no statistical difference between mean upper molar attrition score (UMAS) and lower molar attrition score (LMAS). There was no significant difference in molar attrition rates by side, and side by molar tooth.