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Feeding ecology of the last European colobine monkey, Dolichopithecus ruscinensis. J Hum Evol 2022; 168:103199. [PMID: 35667203 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Currently, very little is known about the ecology of extinct Eurasian cercopithecids. Dietary information is crucial in understanding the ecological adaptations and diversity of extinct cercopithecids and the evolution of this family. For example, the colobine genus Dolichopithecus is represented by multiple large-bodied species that inhabited Eurasia during the Pliocene-Early Pleistocene. The available evidence, though limited, suggests semiterrestrial locomotion, which contrasts with most extant African and Asian colobines that exhibit morphological and physiological adaptations for arboreality and folivory. These differences raise questions regarding the dietary specialization of early colobine taxa and how/if that influenced their dispersion out of Africa and into Eurasia. To further our understanding of the ecology of Plio-Pleistocene cercopithecids, we characterized the dental capabilities and potential dietary adaptations of Dolichopithecus ruscinensis through dental topographic and enamel thickness analyses on an M1 from the locality of Serrat d'en Vacquer, Perpignan (France). We also assessed the feeding behavior of D. ruscinensis through dental microwear texture analysis on a broad sample of fossil molars from fossil sites in France, Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania. Dental topographic and enamel thickness analyses suggest that D. ruscinensis could efficiently process a wide range of foods. Results of the dental microwear texture analysis suggest that its diet ranged from folivory to the consumption of more mechanically challenging foods. Collectively, this suggests a more opportunistic feeding behavior for Dolichopithecus than characteristic of most extant colobines.
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Berthaume MA, Kramer PA. Anthroengineering: an independent interdisciplinary field. Interface Focus 2021; 11:20200056. [PMID: 34938428 PMCID: PMC8361575 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2020.0056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, funding agencies, institutes and professional bodies have recognized the profound benefits of transdisciplinarity in tackling targeted research questions. However, once questions are answered, the previously abundant support often dissolves. As such, the long-term benefits of these transdisciplinary approaches are never fully achieved. Over the last several decades, the integration of anthropology and engineering through inter- and multidisciplinary work has led to advances in fields such as design, human evolution and medical technologies. The lack of formal recognition, however, of this transdisciplinary approach as a unique entity rather than a useful tool or a subfield makes it difficult for researchers to establish laboratories, secure permanent jobs, fund long-term research programmes and train students in this approach. To facilitate the growth and development and witness the long-term benefits of this approach, we propose the integration of anthropology and engineering be recognized as a new, independent field known as anthroengineering. We present a working definition for anthroengineering and examples of how anthroengineering has been used. We discuss the necessity of recognizing anthroengineering as a unique field and explore potential novel applications. Finally, we discuss the future of anthroengineering, highlighting avenues for moving the field forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Berthaume
- Division of Mechanical Engineering and Design, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK
| | - Patricia Ann Kramer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-3100, USA.,Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-3100, 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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Shape, size, and quantity of ingested external abrasives influence dental microwear texture formation in guinea pigs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:22264-22273. [PMID: 32839331 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2008149117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Food processing wears down teeth, thus affecting tooth functionality and evolutionary success. Other than intrinsic silica phytoliths, extrinsic mineral dust/grit adhering to plants causes tooth wear in mammalian herbivores. Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) is widely applied to infer diet from microscopic dental wear traces. The relationship between external abrasives and dental microwear texture (DMT) formation remains elusive. Feeding experiments with sheep have shown negligible effects of dust-laden grass and browse, suggesting that intrinsic properties of plants are more important. Here, we explore the effect of clay- to sand-sized mineral abrasives (quartz, volcanic ash, loess, kaolin) on DMT in a controlled feeding experiment with guinea pigs. By adding 1, 4, 5, or 8% mineral abrasives to a pelleted base diet, we test for the effect of particle size, shape, and amount on DMT. Wear by fine-grained quartz (>5/<50 µm), loess, and kaolin is not significantly different from the abrasive-free control diet. Fine silt-sized quartz (∼5 µm) results in higher surface anisotropy and lower roughness (polishing effect). Coarse-grained volcanic ash leads to significantly higher complexity, while fine sands (130 to 166 µm) result in significantly higher roughness. Complexity and roughness values exceed those from feeding experiments with guinea pigs who received plants with different phytolith content. Our results highlight that large (>95-µm) external silicate abrasives lead to distinct microscopic wear with higher roughness and complexity than caused by mineral abrasive-free herbivorous diets. Hence, high loads of mineral dust and grit in natural diets might be identified by DMTA, also in the fossil record.
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Teaford MF, Ungar PS, Taylor AB, Ross CF, Vinyard CJ. The dental microwear of hard-object feeding in laboratory Sapajus apella and its implications for dental microwear formation. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 171:439-455. [PMID: 31922261 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study seeks to determine if (a) consumption of hard food items or a mixture of food items leads to the formation of premolar or molar microwear in laboratory capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) in one feeding session and (b) rates of microwear formation are associated with the number of food items consumed. MATERIALS AND METHODS Five adult male capuchins were used in two experiments, one where they were fed unshelled Brazil nuts, and the other where they were fed a mixture of food items. Dental impressions were taken before and after each feeding session. Epoxy casts made from those impressions then were used in SEM analyses of rates of microwear formation. Upper and lower premolars and molars were analyzed. Qualitative comparisons were made and Spearman's rank-order correlations used to examine the relationship between rates of microwear formation and number of Brazil nuts consumed. RESULTS Premolars and molars generally showed new microwear in the form of pits and scratches. However, the incidence of those features was low (0-6%). Rates of microwear formation were highest during the consumption of Brazil nuts. DISCUSSION Variations in the rate of microwear formation on the premolars likely reflected patterns of ingestion whereas consistency in the rate of microwear on the molars likely reflected patterns of chewing. While dental microwear formation seemed to be correlated with the number of hard objects consumed, rates did differ between individuals. Differences in results between the two experiments demonstrate some of the limitations in our knowledge of dental microwear formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark F Teaford
- Department of Basic Science, Touro University, Vallejo, California
| | - Peter S Ungar
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
| | - Andrea B Taylor
- Department of Basic Science, Touro University, Vallejo, California
| | - Callum F Ross
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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van Casteren A, Lucas PW, Strait DS, Michael S, Bierwisch N, Schwarzer N, Al-Fadhalah KJ, Almusallam AS, Thai LA, Saji S, Shekeban A, Swain MV. Metallic proxies remain unsuitable for assessing the mechanics of microwear formation: reply to comment on van Casteren et al. (2018). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190572. [PMID: 31417752 PMCID: PMC6689649 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam van Casteren
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St Louis, Campus Box 1114, One Brookings Drive, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Peter W. Lucas
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Luis Clement Avenue, Building 401 Tupper Balboa Ancon, Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - David S. Strait
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St Louis, Campus Box 1114, One Brookings Drive, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Shaji Michael
- Department of Bioclinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Kuwait University, PO Box 24923, Safat 11310, Kuwait
| | - Nick Bierwisch
- Saxonian Institute of Surface Mechanics SIO, Tankow 2, 18569 Ummanz/Rügen, Germany
| | - Norbert Schwarzer
- Saxonian Institute of Surface Mechanics SIO, Tankow 2, 18569 Ummanz/Rügen, Germany
| | - Khaled J. Al-Fadhalah
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Petroleum, Kuwait University, PO Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait
| | - Abdulwahab S. Almusallam
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering and Petroleum, Kuwait University, PO Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait
| | - Lidia A. Thai
- Nanotechnology Research Facility, College of Engineering and Petroleum, Kuwait University, PO Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait
| | - Sreeja Saji
- Department of Bioclinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Kuwait University, PO Box 24923, Safat 11310, Kuwait
| | - Ali Shekeban
- Nanotechnology Research Facility, College of Engineering and Petroleum, Kuwait University, PO Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait
| | - Michael V. Swain
- Department of Bioengineering, Don State Technical University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
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