This characterization placed the tooth within the range of morphological variation documented for the relevant tooth type across the human species, and allowed comparison with other ancient and modern specimens in ways that can potentially contribute to understanding population relationships independently of the genetic evidence.

Metric analysis — the measurement of the tooth’s dimensions — is another standard component of dental anthropological study.

Tooth size varies across human populations and across time, and the measurements of an ancient tooth can be compared to reference databases to assess where the specimen falls within the range of human variation.

The dental morphology analysis of the Trail Creek tooth was complementary to the genetic analysis rather than redundant with it.

The two approaches address similar questions — population affiliation, health, developmental history — through different types of evidence.