Bilateral asymmetry in cranial suture closure has the potential to hinder age at death estimation for unidentified human remains. The objective of this research was to determine whether there was a relationship between asymmetrical antemortem tooth loss and asymmetrical suture closure in a modern human sample. 101 crania from the historical Hamann-Todd Collection and the modern Bass Collection were examined. The variables degree of suture asymmetry and points of dental asymmetry (PDA) were designed to measure asymmetry in cranial suture closure at 13 sites and asymmetry in antemortem molar and premolar loss. The variables age at death, sex, ancestry, and skeletal collection of origin were also examined. This study did not produce any evidence of a relationship between PDA and degree of suture asymmetry. Further research is needed, however, because the variable PDA may not be truly representative of asymmetry in antemortem tooth loss. The significant interaction effect between suture site and age indicates that there is a relationship between suture asymmetry and age at some sites or in some age categories, but not others. There was no evidence of sexual dimorphism in suture asymmetry. The mean degree of suture asymmetry in those of African ancestry was significantly higher than in those of European ancestry. Age and ancestry should be included in future studies. The Bass and Hamann-Todd subsamples differed significantly in terms of degree of suture asymmetry, but this may be a result of bias introduced by the differing distribution of the subsamples according to age, sex, and ancestry. Alternatively, it could be evidence of secular change.
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