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Estimates of absolute crown strength and bite force in the lower postcanine dentition of Gigantopithecus blacki. J Hum Evol 2023; 175:103313. [PMID: 36709569 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Gigantopithecus blacki is hypothesized to have been capable of processing mechanically challenging foods, which likely required this species to have high dental resistance to fracture and/or large bite force. To test this hypothesis, we used two recently developed approaches to estimate absolute crown strength and bite force of the lower postcanine dentition. Sixteen Gigantopithecus mandibular permanent cheek teeth were scanned by micro-computed tomography. From virtual mesial cross-sections, we measured average enamel thickness and bi-cervical diameter to estimate absolute crown strength, and cuspal enamel thickness and dentine horn angle to estimate bite force. We compared G. blacki with a sample of extant great apes (Pan, Pongo, and Gorilla) and australopiths (Australopithecus anamensis, Australopithecus afarensis, Australopithecus africanus, Paranthropus robustus, and Paranthropus boisei). We also evaluated statistical differences in absolute crown strength and bite force between the premolars and molars for G. blacki. Results reveal that molar crown strength is absolutely greater, and molar bite force absolutely higher, in G. blacki than all other taxa except P. boisei, suggesting that G. blacki molars have exceptionally high resistance to fracture and the ability to generate exceptionally high bite force. In addition, G. blacki premolars have comparable absolute crown strength and larger bite force capabilities compared with its molars, implying possible functional specializations in premolars. The dental specialization of G. blacki could thus represent an adaptation to further facilitate the processing of mechanically challenging foods. While it is currently not possible to determine which types of foods were actually consumed by G. blacki through this study, direct evidence (e.g. dental chipping and microwear) left by the foods eaten by G. blacki could potentially lead to greater insights into its dietary ecology.
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Winkler DE, Clauss M, Kubo MO, Schulz-Kornas E, Kaiser TM, Tschudin A, De Cuyper A, Kubo T, Tütken T. Microwear textures associated with experimental near-natural diets suggest that seeds and hard insect body parts cause high enamel surface complexity in small mammals. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.957427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, complex dental microwear textures (DMT) representing differently sized and shaped enamel lesions overlaying each other have traditionally been associated with the seeds and kernels in frugivorous diets, as well as with sclerotized insect cuticles. Recently, this notion has been challenged by field observations as well as in vitro experimental data. It remains unclear to what extent each food item contributes to the complexity level and is reflected by the surface texture of the respective tooth position along the molar tooth row. To clarify the potential of seeds and other abrasive dietary items to cause complex microwear textures, we conducted a controlled feeding experiment with rats. Six individual rats each received either a vegetable mix, a fruit mix, a seed mix, whole crickets, whole black soldier fly larvae, or whole day-old-chicks. These diets were subjected to material testing to obtain mechanical properties, such as Young’s modulus, yield strength, and food hardness (as indicated by texture profile analysis [TPA] tests). Seeds and crickets caused the highest surface complexity. The fruit mix, seed mix, and crickets caused the deepest wear features. Moreover, several diets resulted in an increasing wear gradient from the first to the second molar, suggesting that increasing bite force along the tooth row affects dental wear in rats on these diets. Mechanical properties of the diets showed different correlations with DMT obtained for the first and second molars. The first molar wear was mostly correlated with maximum TPA hardness, while the second molar wear was strongly correlated with maximum yield stress, mean TPA hardness, and maximum TPA hardness. This indicates a complex relationship between chewing mechanics, food mechanical properties, and observed DMT. Our results show that, in rats, seeds are the main cause of complex microwear textures but that hard insect body parts can also cause high complexity. However, the similarity in parameter values of surface textures resulting from seed and cricket consumption did not allow differentiation between these two diets in our experimental approach.
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Brand CM, Colbran LL, Capra JA. Predicting Archaic Hominin Phenotypes from Genomic Data. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2022; 23:591-612. [PMID: 35440148 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-111521-121903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Ancient DNA provides a powerful window into the biology of extant and extinct species, including humans' closest relatives: Denisovans and Neanderthals. Here, we review what is known about archaic hominin phenotypes from genomic data and how those inferences have been made. We contend that understanding the influence of variants on lower-level molecular phenotypes-such as gene expression and protein function-is a promising approach to using ancient DNA to learn about archaic hominin traits. Molecular phenotypes have simpler genetic architectures than organism-level complex phenotypes, and this approach enables moving beyond association studies by proposing hypotheses about the effects of archaic variants that are testable in model systems. The major challenge to understanding archaic hominin phenotypes is broadening our ability to accurately map genotypes to phenotypes, but ongoing advances ensure that there will be much more to learn about archaic hominin phenotypes from their genomes. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics, Volume 23 is October 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin M Brand
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; , .,Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Laura L Colbran
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John A Capra
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; , .,Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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Krueger KL, Chwa E, Peterson AS, Willman JC, Fok A, van Heel B, Heo Y, Weston M, DeLong R. Technical note: Artificial Resynthesis Technology for the experimental formation of dental microwear textures. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 176:703-712. [PMID: 34405887 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Dental microwear formation on the posterior dentition is largely attributed to an organism's diet. However, some have suggested that dietary and environmental abrasives contribute more to the formation process than food, calling into question the applicability of dental microwear to the reconstruction of diet in the fossil record. Creating microwear under controlled conditions would benefit this debate, but requires accurately replicating the oral environment. This study tests the applicability of Artificial Resynthesis Technology (ART 5) to create microwear textures while mitigating the challenges of past research. ART 5 is a simulator that replicates the chewing cycle, responds to changes in food texture, and simulates the actions of the oral cavity. Surgically extracted, occluding pairs of third molars (n = 2 pairs) were used in two chewing experiments: one with dried beef and another with sand added to the dried beef. High-resolution molds were taken at 0, 50, 100, 2500, and 5000 simulated chewing cycles, which equates to approximately 1 week of chewing. Preliminary results show that ART 5 produces microwear textures. Meat alone may produce enamel prism rod exposure at 5000 cycles, although attrition cannot be ruled out. Meat with sand accelerates the wear formation process, with enamel prism rods quickly obliterated and "pit-and-scratch" microwear forming at approximately 2500 cycles. Future work with ART 5 will incorporate a more thorough experimental protocol with improved controls, pH of the simulated oral environment, and grit measurements; however, these results indicate the potential of ART 5 in untangling the complex variables of dental microwear formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin L Krueger
- Department of Anthropology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Evan Chwa
- College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - John C Willman
- Centro de Investigação em Antropologia (CIAS), Universidad de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Alex Fok
- Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Bonita van Heel
- Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Young Heo
- Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Michael Weston
- Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ralph DeLong
- Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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5
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Integrating buccal and occlusal dental microwear with isotope analyses for a complete paleodietary reconstruction of Holocene populations from Hungary. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7034. [PMID: 33782444 PMCID: PMC8007593 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86369-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Dietary reconstruction is used to make inferences about the subsistence strategies of ancient human populations, but it may also serve as a proxy to characterise their diverse cultural and technological manifestations. Dental microwear and stable isotope analyses have been shown to be successful techniques for paleodietary reconstruction of ancient populations but, despite yielding complementary dietary information, these techniques have rarely been combined within the same study. Here we present for the first time a comprehensive approach to interpreting ancient lifeways through the results of buccal and occlusal microwear, and δ13C and δ15N isotope analyses applied to the same individuals of prehistoric populations of Hungary from the Middle Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age periods. This study aimed to (a) assess if the combination of techniques yields a more precise assessment of past dietary and subsistence practices, and (b) contribute to our understanding of the dietary patterns of the prehistoric Hungarian populations. Overall, no correlations between microwear and δ13C and δ15N isotope variables were observed, except for a relationship between nitrogen and the vertical and horizontal index. However, we found that diachronic differences are influenced by the variation within the period. Particularly, we found differences in microwear and isotope variables between Middle Neolithic sites, indicating that there were different dietary practices among those populations. Additionally, microwear results suggest no changes in the abrasiveness of the diet, neither food processing methods, despite higher C4 plant resource consumption shown by carbon isotopic signal. Thus, we demonstrate that the integration of dental microwear and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope methodologies can provide complementary information for making inferences about paleodietary habits.
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Ungar P. Inference of Diets of Early Hominins from Primate Molar Form and Microwear. J Dent Res 2019; 98:398-405. [DOI: 10.1177/0022034518822981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Paleontologists use fossil teeth to reconstruct the diets of early hominins and other extinct species. Some evidence is adaptive: nature selects for tooth size, shape, and structure best suited to specific food types. Other evidence includes traces left by actual foods eaten, such as microscopic tooth wear. This critical review considers how molars work, how they are used, and how occlusal topography and dental microwear can be used to infer diet and food preferences in the past, particularly for hominins of the Pliocene and early Pleistocene. Understanding that cheek teeth function as guides for chewing and tools for fracturing allows us to characterize aspects of occlusal form that reflect mechanical properties of foods to which a species is adapted. Living primates that often eat leaves, for example, have longer crests and more sloping occlusal surfaces than those that prefer hard foods. Studies of feeding ecology have shown, however, that tooth shape does not always correspond to preferred food items. It often follows mechanically challenging foods whether eaten often or rarely. Other lines of evidence that reflect actual tooth use are required to work out food preferences. Microwear textures, for example, reflect foods eaten by individuals in the past such that hard seeds and bone tend to leave complex, pitted surface textures, whereas tough leaves and meat more often leave anisotropic ones covered in long, parallel scratches. The study of fossil hominin molars shows how these various attributes are combined to infer diet and food preference in the past. A trend in occlusal morphology suggests decreased dietary specialization from Australopithecus to early Homo, and increasing dispersion in microwear complexity values is consistent with this. On the other hand, occlusal morphology may suggest dietary specialization in Paranthropus, although different species of this genus have different microwear texture patterns despite similar craniodental adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- P.S. Ungar
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
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8
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Pampush JD, Scott JE, Robinson CA, Delezene LK. Oblique human symphyseal angle is associated with an evolutionary rate-shift early in the hominin clade. J Hum Evol 2018; 123:84-95. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Constantino PJ, Borrero‐Lopez O, Lawn BR. Mechanisms of tooth damage and
Paranthropus
dietary reconstruction. BIOSURFACE AND BIOTRIBOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1049/bsbt.2018.0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Oscar Borrero‐Lopez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los MaterialesUniversidad de Extremadura06006BadajozSpain
| | - Brian R. Lawn
- Materials Measurement LaboratoryNational Institute of Standards and TechnologyGaithersburgMD20899USA
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10
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Scott JE, Campbell RM, Baj LM, Burns MC, Price MS, Sykes JD, Vinyard CJ. Dietary signals in the premolar dentition of primates. J Hum Evol 2018; 121:221-234. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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Grunstra NDS, Mitteroecker P, Foley RA. A multivariate ecogeographic analysis of macaque craniodental variation. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:386-400. [PMID: 29446460 PMCID: PMC6492120 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To infer the ecogeographic conditions that underlie the evolutionary diversification of macaques, we investigated the within- and between-species relationships of craniodental dimensions, geography, and environment in extant macaque species. We studied evolutionary processes by contrasting macroevolutionary patterns, phylogeny, and within-species associations. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty-three linear measurements of the permanent dentition and skull along with data about climate, ecology (environment), and spatial geography were collected for 711 specimens of 12 macaque species and analyzed by a multivariate approach. Phylogenetic two-block partial least squares was used to identify patterns of covariance between craniodental and environmental variation. Phylogenetic reduced rank regression was employed to analyze spatial clines in morphological variation. RESULTS Between-species associations consisted of two distinct multivariate patterns. The first represents overall craniodental size and is negatively associated with temperature and habitat, but positively with latitude. The second pattern shows an antero-posterior tooth size contrast related to diet, rainfall, and habitat productivity. After controlling for phylogeny, however, the latter dimension was diminished. Within-species analyses neither revealed significant association between morphology, environment, and geography, nor evidence of isolation by distance. DISCUSSION We found evidence for environmental adaptation in macaque body and craniodental size, primarily driven by selection for thermoregulation. This pattern cannot be explained by the within-species pattern, indicating an evolved genetic basis for the between-species relationship. The dietary signal in relative tooth size, by contrast, can largely be explained by phylogeny. This cautions against adaptive interpretations of phenotype-environment associations when phylogeny is not explicitly modelled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole D. S. Grunstra
- Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, Department of Archaeology and AnthropologyUniversity of Cambridge, The Henry Wellcome BuildingCambridge CB2 1QHUnited Kingdom
- Department of Theoretical BiologyUniversity of ViennaVienna, 1090Austria
| | | | - Robert A. Foley
- Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, Department of Archaeology and AnthropologyUniversity of Cambridge, The Henry Wellcome BuildingCambridge CB2 1QHUnited Kingdom
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12
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Guatelli-Steinberg D. Dental anthropology in the AJPA: Its roots and heights. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 165:879-892. [PMID: 29574842 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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13
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Berthaume MA, Schroer K. Extant ape dental topography and its implications for reconstructing the emergence of early Homo. J Hum Evol 2017; 112:15-29. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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14
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Estalrrich A, El Zaatari S, Rosas A. Dietary reconstruction of the El Sidrón Neandertal familial group (Spain) in the context of other Neandertal and modern hunter-gatherer groups. A molar microwear texture analysis. J Hum Evol 2017; 104:13-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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15
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Edmonds H. Zygomatic Arch Cortical Area and Diet in Haplorhines. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2016; 299:1789-1800. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hallie Edmonds
- Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University; Arizona
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16
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Berthaume MA. Food mechanical properties and dietary ecology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 159:S79-104. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Revised: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. Berthaume
- Max Planck Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Deutscher Platz 6 Leipzig 04103 Germany
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17
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Elucidating the evolution of hominid dentition in the age of phenomics, modularity, and quantitative genetics. Ann Anat 2016; 203:3-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2014] [Revised: 05/17/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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18
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Ziscovici C, Lucas PW, Constantino PJ, Bromage TG, van Casteren A. Sea otter dental enamel is highly resistant to chipping due to its microstructure. Biol Lett 2015; 10:20140484. [PMID: 25319817 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dental enamel is prone to damage by chipping with large hard objects at forces that depend on chip size and enamel toughness. Experiments on modern human teeth have suggested that some ante-mortem chips on fossil hominin enamel were produced by bite forces near physiological maxima. Here, we show that equivalent chips in sea otter enamel require even higher forces than human enamel. Increased fracture resistance correlates with more intense enamel prism decussation, often seen also in some fossil hominins. It is possible therefore that enamel chips in such hominins may have formed at even greater forces than currently envisaged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Ziscovici
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Peter W Lucas
- Department of Bioclinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Kuwait University, PO BOX 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait
| | - Paul J Constantino
- Department of Biology, Saint Michael's College, Colchester, VT 05439, USA
| | - Timothy G Bromage
- Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics, New York University College of Dentistry, 345 East 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, 345 East 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Adam van Casteren
- Department of Bioclinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Kuwait University, PO BOX 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait Max Planck Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig 04103, Germany
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19
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Carlson BA, Kingston JD. Chimpanzee isotopic ecology: a closed canopy C3 template for hominin dietary reconstruction. J Hum Evol 2014; 76:107-15. [PMID: 24993419 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Revised: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The most significant hominin adaptations, including features used to distinguish and/or classify taxa, are critically tied to the dietary environment. Stable isotopic analyses of tooth enamel from hominin fossils have provided intriguing evidence for significant C4/CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) resource consumption in a number of Plio-Pleistocene hominin taxa. Relating isotopic tooth signatures to specific dietary items or proportions of C3 versus C4/CAM plants, however, remains difficult as there is an ongoing need to document and quantify isotopic variability in modern ecosystems. This study investigates the ecological variables responsible for carbon isotopic discrimination and variability within the C3-dominated dietary niche of a closed canopy East African hominoid, Pan troglodytes, from Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. δ(13)C values among C3 resources utilized by Ngogo chimpanzees were highly variable, ranging over 13‰. Infrequent foraging on papyrus (the only C4 plant consumed by chimpanzees at the site) further extended this isotopic range. Variation was ultimately most attributable to mode of photosynthesis (C3 versus C4), food type, and elevation, which together accounted for approximately 78% of the total sample variation. Among C3 food types, bulk carbon values ranged from -24.2‰ to -31.1‰ with intra-plant variability up to 12.1‰. Pith and sapling leaves were statistically more (13)C depleted than pulp, seeds, flowers, cambium, roots, leaf buds, and leaves from mature trees. The effect of elevation on carbon variation was highly significant and equivalent to an approximately 1‰ increase in δ(13)C for every 150 m of elevation gain, likely reflecting habitat variability associated with topography. These results indicate significant δ(13)C variation attributable to food type and elevation among C3 resources and provide important data for hominin dietary interpretations based on carbon isotopic analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryce A Carlson
- Department of Anthropology, Purdue University, 700 W State St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
| | - John D Kingston
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, 1085 S University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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20
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Zanolli C, Bondioli L, Coppa A, Dean CM, Bayle P, Candilio F, Capuani S, Dreossi D, Fiore I, Frayer DW, Libsekal Y, Mancini L, Rook L, Medin Tekle T, Tuniz C, Macchiarelli R. The late Early Pleistocene human dental remains from Uadi Aalad and Mulhuli-Amo (Buia), Eritrean Danakil: macromorphology and microstructure. J Hum Evol 2014; 74:96-113. [PMID: 24852385 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2013] [Revised: 04/19/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Fieldwork performed during the last 15 years in various Early Pleistocene East African sites has significantly enlarged the fossil record of Homo erectus sensu lato (s.l.). Additional evidence comes from the Danakil Depression of Eritrea, where over 200 late Early to early Middle Pleistocene sites have been identified within a ∼1000 m-thick sedimentary succession outcropping in the Dandiero Rift Basin, near Buia. Along with an adult cranium (UA 31), which displays a blend of H. erectus-like and derived morpho-architectural features and three pelvic remains, two isolated permanent incisors (UA 222 and UA 369) have also been recovered from the 1 Ma (millions of years ago) Homo-bearing outcrop of Uadi Aalad. Since 2010, our surveys have expanded to the nearby (4.7 km) site of Mulhuli-Amo (MA). This is a fossiliferous area that has been preliminarily surveyed because of its exceptional concentration of Acheulean stone tools. So far, the site has yielded 10 human remains, including the unworn crown of a lower permanent molar (MA 93). Using diverse analytical tools (including high resolution μCT and μMRI), we analysed the external and internal macromorphology and microstructure of the three specimens, and whenever possible compared the results with similar evidence from early Homo, H. erectus s.l., H. antecessor, H. heidelbergensis (from North Africa), Neanderthals and modern humans. We also assessed the UA 369 lower incisor from Uadi Aalad for root completion timing and showed that it compares well with data for root apex closure in modern human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Zanolli
- Multidisciplinary Laboratory, The 'Abdus Salam' International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Luca Bondioli
- Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico 'Luigi Pigorini', Rome, Italy
| | - Alfredo Coppa
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Università di Roma 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy
| | - Christopher M Dean
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, UK
| | | | - Francesca Candilio
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Università di Roma 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Capuani
- CNR-IPCF, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Dreossi
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., SYRMEP Group, Basovizza, Italy
| | - Ivana Fiore
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Università di Roma 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy
| | - David W Frayer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA
| | | | - Lucia Mancini
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., SYRMEP Group, Basovizza, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Rook
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, Italy
| | - Tsegai Medin Tekle
- National Museum of Eritrea, Asmara, Eritrea; Institut Catala de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Claudio Tuniz
- Multidisciplinary Laboratory, The 'Abdus Salam' International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Università di Roma 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy; Centre for Archaeological Science, University of Wollongong, Australia
| | - Roberto Macchiarelli
- Département de Préhistoire, UMR 7194, MNHN, Paris, France; Département Géosciences, Université de Poitiers, France
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Premolar microwear and tooth use in Australopithecus afarensis. J Hum Evol 2013; 65:282-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2013] [Revised: 05/20/2013] [Accepted: 06/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Daegling DJ, Judex S, Ozcivici E, Ravosa MJ, Taylor AB, Grine FE, Teaford MF, Ungar PS. Viewpoints: Feeding mechanics, diet, and dietary adaptations in early hominins. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 151:356-71. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2012] [Accepted: 03/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David J. Daegling
- Department of Anthropology; University of Florida; Gainesville; FL; 32605
| | - Stefan Judex
- Department of Biomedical Engineering; Stony Brook University; Stony Brook; NY; 11794-5281
| | - Engin Ozcivici
- Department of Mechanical Engineering; Izmir Institute of Technology; Urla; Izmir; 35430; Turkey
| | | | | | | | - Mark F. Teaford
- Department of Physical Therapy; High Point University; High Point; NC; 27262-3598
| | - Peter S. Ungar
- Department of Anthropology; University of Arkansas; Fayetteville; AR; 72701
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Hlusko LJ, Carlson JP, Guatelli-Steinberg D, Krueger KL, Mersey B, Ungar PS, Defleur A. Neanderthal teeth from moula-guercy, Ardèche, France. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 151:477-91. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2012] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Leslea J. Hlusko
- Human Evolution Research Center; University of California Berkeley; 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building; Berkeley; CA; 94720
| | - Joshua P. Carlson
- Human Evolution Research Center; University of California Berkeley; 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building; Berkeley; CA; 94720
| | - Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg
- Department of Anthropology; 4034 Smith Laboratory, The Ohio State University; 174 West 18th Columbus; OH; 43210-1106
| | - Kristin L. Krueger
- Department of Anthropology; Loyola University Chicago; Chicago; IL; 60660
| | - Ben Mersey
- Human Evolution Research Center; University of California Berkeley; 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building; Berkeley; CA; 94720
| | - Peter S. Ungar
- Department of Anthropology; University of Arkansas; Fayetteville; AR; 72701
| | - Alban Defleur
- CNRS UMR 5276; Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon; 46, Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon; Cedex; 07; France
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Irish JD, Guatelli-Steinberg D, Legge SS, de Ruiter DJ, Berger LR. Dental Morphology and the Phylogenetic “Place” of
Australopithecus sediba. Science 2013; 340:1233062. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1233062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joel D. Irish
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
| | - Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg
- Department of Anthropology, and Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Scott S. Legge
- Department of Anthropology, Macalester College, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA
| | - Darryl J. de Ruiter
- Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa
| | - Lee R. Berger
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa
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Morse PE, Daegling DJ, McGraw WS, Pampush JD. Dental wear among cercopithecid monkeys of the Taï forest, Côte d'Ivoire. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 150:655-65. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 01/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul E. Morse
- Department of Anthropology; University of Florida; Gainesville; FL
| | | | - W. Scott McGraw
- Department of Anthropology; The Ohio State University; Columbus; OH
| | - James D. Pampush
- Department of Anthropology; University of Florida; Gainesville; FL
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27
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Molar size and diet in the Strepsirrhini: Implications for size-adjustment in studies of primate dental adaptation. J Hum Evol 2012; 63:796-804. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2011] [Revised: 07/01/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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