Incisors & Canines

The presence of shovel-shaped incisors, among many dental characteristics, is used in forensic dentistry to identify an individual's ancestry, since this trait occurs predominantly in Asian and Native American populations.

Shovel shape of upper incisors is a common characteristic in Asian and Native American populations but is rare or absent in African and European populations.

Carnivores, the meat eaters of the animal world, have very defined canine teeth for tearing at meat, combined with a sometimes limited number of molars. Omnivores, because they eat both meat and plants, have a combination of sharp front teeth and molars for grinding.