Uniform, Circular and Shallow (UCS) enamel pitting in hominins: Prevalence, morphological associations, and potential taxonomic significance

This dataset accompanies a study investigating a distinct form of enamel pitting in hominin teeth, termed Uniform, Circular, and Shallow (UCS) pitting. The data derive from fossil specimens spanning ca. 3.4 to 1.1 million years ago from eastern and southern Africa, including representatives of Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and Homo. The dataset includes five CSV files that document the presence or absence of UCS pitting alongside detailed measurements of tooth dimensions (mesiodistal and buccolingual), enamel thickness (relative enamel thickness), cusp proportions, pit diameters, and pit depths. It can be reused for comparative analyses of enamel defects across hominin taxa, studies on dental tissue development, or assessments of enamel pathologies in fossil and extant species. There are no legal restrictions associated with this dataset. All data were collected from original fossil specimens or high-quality dental casts.  Standard caliper-based techniques and digital imaging software were used to record linear measurements and cusp areas, while enamel thickness and pit depth/size data were obtained from micro-CT scans. # Uniform, Circular and Shallow (UCS) enamel pitting in hominins: Prevalence, morphological associations, and potential taxonomic significance Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.69p8cz9f9](10.5061/dryad.69p8cz9f9) ## Description of the data and file structure **First Data Sheet (CSV file 1)**: Mesial-distal (MD) and buccal-lingual (BL) measurements for each upper first molar (UM1) studied. All belonging to *Paranthropus robustus*. **Second Data Sheet (CSV file 2)**: Specimens studied in the Relative Enamel Thickness (RET) analysis. All belonging to *Paranthropus robustus*. **Third Data Sheet (CSV file 3)**: Cusp size (mm2) for each lower third molar cusp, for Omo specimens assigned to *Paranthropus* and non-*Paranthropus* hominins. **Fourth Data Sheet (CSV file 4)**: Enamel pit diameter (mm) readings for 11 specimens from Omo and DMQ. In each case 10 of the most distinct pits were measured for diameter. **Fifth Data Sheet (CSV file 5)**: Pit depth measurements (mm) for one specimen per site. See Materials and Methods section for details on how enamel thickness and pit depth was calculated. **Data are from this publication:** Towle, I, et al. Uniform, circular and shallow (UCS) enamel pitting in hominins: Prevalence, morphological associations, and potential taxonomic significance. *Journal of Human Evolution *(accepted for publication in 2025) **Other References** Leece, A. B., Martin, J. M., Baker, S., Wilson, C., Strait, D. S., Schwartz, G. T., & Herries, A. I. R. (2023). New hominin dental remains from the∼ 2.04–1.95 Ma Drimolen Main Quarry, South Africa. *Annals of Human Biology*, 50(1), 407-427. Martin, J.M., Leece, A.B., Neubauer, S., Baker, S.E., Mongle, C.S., Boschian, G., Schwartz, G.T., Smith, A.L., Ledogar, J.A., Strait, D.S., Herries, A.I.R. 2021. Drimolen cranium DNH 155 documents microevolution in an early hominin species. *Nature Ecology and Evolution *5, 38-45.  [doi.org](doi.org)  Moggi-Cecchi, J., Menter, C., Boccone, S., & Keyser, A. (2010). Early hominin dental remains from the Plio-Pleistocene site of Drimolen, South Africa. *Journal of Human Evolution*, 58(5), 374-405. Wood, B. (1991). Koobi Fora Research Project. Volume 4, Hominid cranial remains. New York: Oxford University Press. ## Description of files and variables The dataset provides: 1\)    Basic tooth dimensions and pitting presence for *Paranthropus robustus* upper first molars in millimetres (mm) 2\)    Relative enamel thickness for first and second upper and lower molars of *Paranthropus robustus* (Relative Enamel Thickness does not have a unit) 3\)    Absolute cusp area measurements and taxonomic assignments for samples from Omo in eastern Africa in square millimetres (mm²) 4\)    Individual enamel pit diameters across multiple molars for both eastern and southern African samples in millimetres (mm) 5\)    Enamel pit depth measurements from selected hominin specimens (eastern and southern African sites) in millimetres (mm) File: CSV_file_1_BD_and_BL_measurements.csv Description: Variables •     Enamel pitting?: Presence or absence of enamel pitting •     Tooth: Tooth type (all teeth are upper first molars) •     Specimen: specimen site code and number •     MD: mesial-distal measurement in mm •     BL: buccal-lingual measurement in mm •     Data from: Citation for data origin File: CSV_file_2_RET.csv Description: Variables •     Enamel pitting: Presence or absence of enamel pitting •     Tooth: tooth type (U = upper; L = lower; M = molar; 1 = fist molar; 2 = second molar) •     Specimen: specimen site code and number •     RET: Relative enamel thickness •     Data from: Citation for data origin File: CSV_file_3_Cusp_size.csv Description: Variables •     Specimen number: specimen site code and number •     Dental Elements: Lt: left; rt: right; m3 = third molar •     Stratigraphic Level: Omo Stratigraphic Level •     Non-robust or Paranthropus?: Belonging to Paranthropus or Non-robust •     Pitting: Presence or absence of enamel pitting •     Protoconid: Lower molar cusp area in mm² •     Metaconid: Lower molar cusp area in mm² •     Hypoconid: Lower molar cusp area in mm² •     Entoconid: Lower molar cusp area in mm² •     Hypoconulid : Lower molar cusp area in mm² •     Entoconulid : Lower molar cusp area in mm² •     Metaconulid: Lower molar cusp area in mm² File: CSV_file_4_Enamel_pit_diameter.csv Description: Variables •     Specimen: readings for each tooth •     Omo18_1799: specimen site code and number •     L26_1G: specimen site code and number •     L795_1: specimen site code and number •     L1_nn_10010a: specimen site code and number •     L2_89: specimen site code and number •     L64_2: specimen site code and number •     Omo222_2744 (dm1): specimen site code and number •     Omo222_2744 (dm2): specimen site code and number •     L704_2: specimen site code and number •     DNH 30: specimen site code and number •     DNH36: specimen site code and number File: CSV_file_5_Pit_depth.csv Description: Variables •     Pit: pit number •     Variable: Pit depth in mm, Enamel thickness in mm, and Pit depth % •     SK 64: specimen site code and number •     DNH 30: specimen site code and number •     L1_nn_10010a: specimen site code and number