Craniofacial morphological diversity of North, Central, and South America: Implications for discussions about oral biology and health

Craniofacial morphology plays an important role in many aspects of the masticatory function and the oral health of individuals, and as such should be considered a baseline for studies that aim to integrate anthropological and dentistry practices that can improve oral health, dental hygiene, and care practices in populations from different biological and cultural backgrounds. This article presents a synthesis of our current understanding of the craniofacial and dental variation among native populations of North, Central, and South America, as part of the special volume on “Anthropology meets Dentistry in Central America: Research and education in oral biology”. The article presents an overview of the history of the human occupation of the American continents, with special focus on how early and recent past events have contributed to the craniofacial morphological diversity observed in these continents. However, there is limited information about native Central American populations, and current inferences about them depend largely on extrapolating from what is known about North and South America. Given the current state of knowledge, this article argues that modern Central Americans share a facial morphological pattern distinct from other populations worldwide, which means that applying models developed for other groups may not be appropriate in this context. Therefore, understanding regional variation in craniofacial morphological patterns is an important priority of study, which must consider the different cumulative factors (genetics, developmental, cultural, and historical) that have differently influenced the biological and cultural history of the populations in the region.