The interalar width of the nose and the intercanine distance were measured in 266 Malay subjects (111 males and 155 females) randomly selected from the students of the School of Medical Sciences. University Sains Malaysia in Kota Bharu, Malaysia. The mean interalar width of the nose in male subjects was 39.8 +/- 2.3 mm (range 34-45 mm) and in female subjects 36.2 mm +/- 2.2 mm (range 30-41 mm). There is a statistically significant difference (t = 12.9: p < 0.05) in the nasal width between male and female Malay subjects. This agrees with the findings of other similar studies that males have wider noses than females. The mean maxillary intercanine distance in male subjects was 36.7 = 2.6 mm (range 30-42 mm) and in female subjects 36.2 = 2.3 mm (range 30-42 mm). The anterior maxillary arch is significantly wider in Malay subjects compared to Chinese from Singapore (Keng 1986) as p < 0.05 and to Caucasians (Sawiris 1977) as p < 0.05. There is a significant correlation (r = 0.312; p < 0.05) between the nasal width and the intercanine distance in female subjects but not in male subjects.
The uniquely enlarged noses of male proboscis monkeys are prominent adornments, and a sexually selected male trait. A recent study showed significant correlations among nose, body, and testis sizes and clear associations between nose size and the number of females in a male's harem. However, to date, the analyses of other common male traits, i.e., canines, are lacking. Whereas male nose size had a positive correlation with body size, we unexpectedly found a negative correlation between body and canine sizes. We explain this by an interaction between sexual and natural selection. Larger noses in males may interfere with the use of canines, thereby reducing their effectiveness as weapons. Additionally, longer canines are opposed by natural selection because the larger gape it imposes upon its bearer reduces foraging efficiency, particularly in folivores. This unique case of decoupling of body and canine size reveals that large canines carry an ecological cost.
In the absence of pre-extraction records, investigators have used various methods to aid in the selection and placement of artificial teeth for complete dentures. Natural tooth position and size provide the dentist with an optimal guide. A study was conducted on a group of ethnic Chinese subjects where direct measurements were made of the arch size and width of the maxillary central incisor on stone casts. The anterior arch width represented by the inter-canine cusp tip distance was 35.74 +/- 2.17mm. The mesiodistal diameter of the maxillary central incisor was 8.85 +/- 0.59mm with a range of 7.60mm to 11.20mm. The results of this study was discussed against other findings on the Caucasian, Nigerian and Malay groups. The significance of artificial tooth selection for dentures was highlighted in relation to the results obtained from the study for the group of Chinese and other races.