Uniform, Circular and Shallow (UCS) enamel pitting in hominins: Prevalence, morphological associations, and potential taxonomic significance

This dataset accompanies a study investigating a distinct form of enamel pitting in hominin teeth, termed Uniform, Circular, and Shallow (UCS) pitting. The data derive from fossil specimens spanning ca. 3.4 to 1.1 million years ago from eastern and southern Africa, including representatives of Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and Homo. The dataset includes five CSV files that document the presence or absence of UCS pitting alongside detailed measurements of tooth dimensions (mesiodistal and buccolingual), enamel thickness (relative enamel thickness), cusp proportions, pit diameters, and pit depths. It can be reused for comparative analyses of enamel defects across hominin taxa, studies on dental tissue development, or assessments of enamel pathologies in fossil and extant species. There are no legal restrictions associated with this dataset. All data were collected from original fossil specimens or high-quality dental casts. , Standard caliper-based techniques and digital imaging software were used to record linear measurements and cusp areas, while enamel thickness and pit depth/size data were obtained from micro-CT scans., # Uniform, Circular and Shallow (UCS) enamel pitting in hominins: Prevalence, morphological associations, and potential taxonomic significance

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.69p8cz9f9](10.5061/dryad.69p8cz9f9)

## Description of the data and file structure

**First Data Sheet (CSV file 1)**: Mesial-distal (MD) and buccal-lingual (BL) measurements for each upper first molar (UM1) studied. All belonging to *Paranthropus robustus*.

**Second Data Sheet (CSV file 2)**: Specimens studied in the Relative Enamel Thickness (RET) analysis. All belonging to *Paranthropus robustus*.

**Third Data Sheet (CSV file 3)**: Cusp size (mm2) for each lower third molar cusp, for Omo specimens assigned to *Paranthropus* and non-*Paranthropus* hominins.

**Fourth Data Sheet (CSV file 4)**: Enamel pit diameter (mm) readings for 11 specimens from Omo and DMQ. In each case 10 of the most distinct pits were measured for diameter.

**Fifth Data Sheet (CSV file 5)**: Pit depth measurements (mm) for one specimen per ...,