Abstract: The morphological and metrical features of seven late Pleistocene human teeth found in Huanglong Cave, Yunxi County, Hubei Province, were compared with relevant fossil and recent human samples. Our work indicates that most of the dental features of the Huanglong Cave teeth resemble those of modern humans, with a few features also identified in the late Pleistocene humans. The occurrence of shoveling and double shoveling on the upper incisors , and enamel extension on the upper molar from the Huanglong Cave suggest that these humans already had typical dental morphological features of East Asian populations. This study also found a greater size and more pronounced robustness in the Huanglong Cave anterior teeth as compared to modern humans. Obvious damage and chipping caused by non-masticatory utilization of teeth was also recognized.

Key words: Huanglong Cave; Human teeth; Late Pleistocene; Modern human origins