A student examining a plaster cast of a tooth row under the microscope. A GIS image of a molar is pictured on the computer screen to her right.

The morphological structure of a tooth or set of teeth can provide insight into the diet, age, and life history of an individual. Recent advances in technology have allowed researchers at the morphometrics laboratory to examine the morphology of teeth in greater detail. A 3-Dimensional scanner, which captures the X, Y, and Z coordinates of an object, and GIS software are employed to produce 3-D images of teeth (see image below). Using these digital images, measures such as crest lengths, crest heights, and overall tooth area can be obtained with great accuracy.