关键词: 智人洞; 晚更新世; 古病理; 牙齿; 下颌骨

Abstract: Between 2007 and 2008, three human fossils were found in Zhirendong, Chongzuo, Guangxi. Zhiren I is a small piece of alveolar bone around the second or third right mandibular molar. Zhiren II is a single right mandibular third or second molar. Zhiren III is the anterior portion of a mandible with 8 full alveoli present. They are dated by U-series to 100±ka BP. The Zhiren fossils are the earliest modern humans in East Asia and present a suite of dentoalveolar abnormalities. Zhiren I shows strong bone resorption around the apices of the roots, which are largely exposed. The Zhiren I individual was suffering from serious periodontitis. The Zhiren II molar has a severe carious and large lesion on the distal surface, which extends from the root of the tooth over the cement-enamel junction to the occlusal surface, and the pulp chamber is exposed. It is likely that there was pulpal infection and necrosis. Around the roots of the Zhiren II, ?there ?is ? a ?large ?area ?of ?white ?calcification,? probably ?from ?inflammation? of? periodontal? disease.? The Zhiren III mandible has dental crowding, bilateral I1 rotation (winging), and bilateral mesial premolar (P3) periapical lesions. Presumably, supernumerary cusps were situated at the occlusal surface of the bilateral premolars of the Zhiren III individual, and this elevation sooner or later became damaged or broke off during tooth use. The root canal opened, the pulp chamber became infected and caused the bilateral mesial premolar periapical lesions. Dental caries in Middle and Late Pleistocene are very rare. The Zhiren II dental caries is the earliest case found in China and East Asia. It supplies new evidence in understanding the origin and history of the caries.

Key words: Zhirendong; Late Pleistocene; Paleopathology; Tooth; Mandible