American journal of physical anthropology
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Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. · Mar 1989
The anterior buccal mandibular depressions: ontogeny and phylogeny.
The frequency of an anterior buccal depression in the mandible (ABMD), or a mental fossa, is reported on 970 human mandibles of various groups and different ages, as well as in 38 mandibles of nonhuman primates. The ontogenetic and phylogenetic significance of the results relevant to development of a chin in Homo sapiens is discussed. The ABMD is also compared with the occurrence of a lingual mandibular depression.