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Chai H. Edge chipping patterns in posterior teeth of hominins and apes. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2024; 156:106582. [PMID: 38781774 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2024.106582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Chip scars in fossil teeth are a lasting evidence that bears on human evolution. Chip dimensions in posterior teeth of hominins, apes and white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) are measured from published occlusal images. The results are plotted as D/Dm vs. h/Dm, where h, D and Dm denote indent distance, chip width and mean tooth crown diameter. The hominin species follow a similar pattern where D/Dm monotonically increases up to h/Dm ≈ 0.3. The behavior for the apes is characterized by two phases. In the first, h/Dm monotonically increases up to h/Dm ≈ 0.26 while in the second (h/Dm ≈ 0.26 to 0.42), D/Dm experiences a drastic change in behavior. The interpretation of chip morphology is assisted by results from controlled spherical indentation tests on extracted human molars. This study shows that in addition to the commonly recognized chipping due to cusp loading, a chip may also initiate from the inner wall of the tooth's central fossa. Accordingly, it is suggested that the chipping in hominins generally initiates from a (worn) cusp while that in apes involves cusp loading up to h/Dm ≈ 0.26 and fossa loading thereafter. The behavior for T. pecari is much similar to that of the apes. The fossa chipping is facilitated by a consumption of hard, large-size diet (e.g., plants, roots, barks and nuts) and presence of broad central fossa, conditions that are met in apes. Finally, a simple expression for the critical chipping force Pch due to fossa loading is developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herzl Chai
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
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2
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Norwood AL, Wang B, Kingston JD. Linking African herbivore community enamel isotopes and environments: challenges, opportunities, and paleoecological implications. Oecologia 2024; 204:467-489. [PMID: 38517529 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05532-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Paleoenvironmental reconstructions of fossil sites based on isotopic analyses of enamel typically rely on data from multiple herbivore taxa, with the assumption that this dietary spectrum represents the community's isotopic range and provides insights into local or regional vegetation patterns. However, it remains unclear how representative the sampled taxa are of the broader herbivore community and how well these data correspond to specific ecosystems. Verifying these underlying assumptions is essential to refining the utility of enamel isotopic values for paleoenvironmental reconstructions. This study explores potential links between modern herbivore community carbon isotopic enamel spectra, biome types, and climate in sub-Saharan Africa. This region is one of the most comprehensively isotopically sampled areas globally and is of particular relevance to hominin evolution. Our extensive data compilation reveals that published enamel isotopic data from sub-Saharan Africa typically sample only a small percentage of the taxa documented at most localities and that some biome types (e.g., subtropical savannas) are dramatically overrepresented relative to others (e.g., forests) in these modern data sets. Multiple statistical analyses, including linear models and cluster analyses, revealed weak relationships of associated mammalian herbivore enamel isotopic values, biome type, and climate parameters. These results confound any simple assumptions about how community isotopic profiles map onto specific environments, highlighting the need for more precise strategic approaches in extending isotopic frameworks into the past for paleoecological reconstructions. Developing more refined modern analogs will ultimately allow us to more accurately characterize the isotopic spectra of paleo-communities and link isotopic dietary signatures to specific ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - John D Kingston
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
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3
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Yang Y, Zhao Y, Stidham TA, Liu X, Zhu X, Li B, Zhang L, Ni X, Si X. Uncovering widespread Anthropocene dietary shifts in Chinese large mammalian herbivores. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14343. [PMID: 38069561 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
The Anthropocene's human-dominated habitat expansion endangers global biodiversity. However, large mammalian herbivores experienced few extinctions during the 20th century, hinting at potentially overlooked ecological responses of a group sensitive to global change. Using dental microwear as a proxy, we studied large herbivore dietary niches over a century across mainland China before (1880s-1910s) and after (1970s-1990s) the human population explosion. We uncovered widespread and significant shifts (interspecific microwear differences increased and intraspecific microwear dispersion expanded) within dietary niches linked to geographical areas with rapid industrialization and population growth in eastern China. By contrast, in western China, where human population growth was slower, we found no indications of shifts in herbivore dietary niches. Further regression analysis links the intensity of microwear changes to human land-use expansion. These analyses highlight dietary adjustments of large herbivores as a likely key factor in their adaptation across a century of large-scale human-driven changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangheshan Yang
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhao Zhao
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Thomas A Stidham
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangxu Liu
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xichao Zhu
- National Animal Collection Resource Center, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bicheng Li
- Shanghai Natural History Museum (Branch of Shanghai Science & Technology Museum), Shanghai, China
| | - Lixun Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Yuzhong Mountain Ecosystems Observation and Research Station, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xijun Ni
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xingfeng Si
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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4
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Plastiras CA, Thiery G, Guy F, Alba DM, Nishimura T, Kostopoulos DS, Merceron G. Investigating the dietary niches of fossil Plio-Pleistocene European macaques: The case of Macaca majori Azzaroli, 1946 from Sardinia. J Hum Evol 2023; 185:103454. [PMID: 37977021 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The genus Macaca includes medium- to large-bodied monkeys and represents one of the most diverse primate genera, also having a very large geographic range. Nowadays, wild macaque populations are found in Asia and Africa, inhabiting a wide array of habitats. Fossil macaques were also present in Europe from the Late Miocene until the Late Pleistocene. Macaques are considered ecologically flexible monkeys that exhibit highly opportunistic dietary strategies, which may have been critical to their evolutionary success. Nevertheless, available ecological information regarding fossil European species is very sparse, limiting our knowledge of their evolutionary history in this geographic area. To further our understanding of fossil European macaque ecology, we investigated the dietary ecology of Macaca majori, an insular endemic species from Sardinia. In particular, we characterized the dental capabilities and potential dietary adaptations of M. majori through dental topographic and enamel thickness analyses of two M2s from the Early Pleistocene site of Capo Figari (1.8 Ma). We also assessed its diet through dental microwear texture analysis, while the microwear texture of M. majori was also compared with microwear textures from other European fossil macaques from mainland Europe. The dental topographic and enamel thickness analyses suggest that M. majori frequently consumes hard/mechanically challenging and/or abrasive foods. The results of the dental microwear analysis are consistent with this interpretation and further suggest that M. majori probably exhibited more durophagous dietary habits than mainland Plio-Pleistocene macaques. Overall, our results indicate that M. majori probably occupied a different dietary niche compared to its mainland fossil relatives, which suggests that they may have inhabited different paleoenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Alexandros Plastiras
- Laboratory of Geology and Palaeontology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54 124 Thessaloniki, Greece; PALEVOPRIM - UMR 7262 CNRS-INEE, Université de Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers Cedex, France.
| | - Ghislain Thiery
- PALEVOPRIM - UMR 7262 CNRS-INEE, Université de Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers Cedex, France
| | - Franck Guy
- PALEVOPRIM - UMR 7262 CNRS-INEE, Université de Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers Cedex, France
| | - David M Alba
- Insitut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Auntònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Takeshi Nishimura
- Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Dimitris S Kostopoulos
- Laboratory of Geology and Palaeontology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54 124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Gildas Merceron
- PALEVOPRIM - UMR 7262 CNRS-INEE, Université de Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers Cedex, France
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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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6
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Calhoun GV, Guatelli-Steinberg D, Lagan EM, McGraw WS. Dental macrowear, diet, and anterior tooth use in Colobus polykomos and Piliocolobus badius. J Hum Evol 2022; 163:103123. [PMID: 34999336 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103123] [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: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Two similarly-sized colobine species living sympatrically in the Ivory Coast's Taï Forest that differ in both diet and oral processing behavior provide an opportunity to explore the strength of associations between feeding behavior and dental wear patterns. Here we test the hypothesis that vigorous processing of tough, hard Pentaclethra macrophylla pods by Colobus polykomos manifests in greater anterior tooth wear relative to that observed in Piliocolobus badius, which does not exploit this resource. We assessed levels of anterior tooth wear in a sample of 160 upper incisors and 131 lower incisors from 18 adult Colobus polykomos and 62 adult Piliocolobus badius naturally deceased individuals from Taï National Park. We operationalized tooth wear by dividing the area of exposed dentin by total occlusal crown area. To assess relative degrees of incisor wear, we regressed incisor wear against molar wear (sample = 105 upper molars, 135 lower molars) for the pooled Colobus polykomos and Piliocolobus badius wear data and compared the number of individuals from each species that fell above and below the pooled regression curve for each model using Chi-square tests of independence and odds ratios. Under our hypothesis, we would expect more Colobus polykomos points above the pooled regression curve than Piliocolobus badius, indicating higher incisor wear relative to molar wear in Colobus polykomos. Nine of sixteen interspecific comparisons demonstrated this predicted pattern; however, none of the Chi-square tests or odds ratios were significant, indicating no difference between Colobus polykomos and Piliocolobusbadius incisor wear relative to molar wear. The absence of significant differences in incisor wear relative to molar wear highlights the challenge of identifying idiosyncratic feeding behavior in fossil taxa and the necessity for continued exploration of the relationship between diet and macrowear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace V Calhoun
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-7305, USA.
| | | | - Emma M Lagan
- Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210-1106, USA
| | - W Scott McGraw
- Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210-1106, USA
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Miller CV, Pittman M. The diet of early birds based on modern and fossil evidence and a new framework for its reconstruction. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2058-2112. [PMID: 34240530 PMCID: PMC8519158 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Birds are some of the most diverse organisms on Earth, with species inhabiting a wide variety of niches across every major biome. As such, birds are vital to our understanding of modern ecosystems. Unfortunately, our understanding of the evolutionary history of modern ecosystems is hampered by knowledge gaps in the origin of modern bird diversity and ecosystem ecology. A crucial part of addressing these shortcomings is improving our understanding of the earliest birds, the non-avian avialans (i.e. non-crown birds), particularly of their diet. The diet of non-avian avialans has been a matter of debate, in large part because of the ambiguous qualitative approaches that have been used to reconstruct it. Here we review methods for determining diet in modern and fossil avians (i.e. crown birds) as well as non-avian theropods, and comment on their usefulness when applied to non-avian avialans. We use this to propose a set of comparable, quantitative approaches to ascertain fossil bird diet and on this basis provide a consensus of what we currently know about fossil bird diet. While no single approach can precisely predict diet in birds, each can exclude some diets and narrow the dietary possibilities. We recommend combining (i) dental microwear, (ii) landmark-based muscular reconstruction, (iii) stable isotope geochemistry, (iv) body mass estimations, (v) traditional and/or geometric morphometric analysis, (vi) lever modelling, and (vii) finite element analysis to reconstruct fossil bird diet accurately. Our review provides specific methodologies to implement each approach and discusses complications future researchers should keep in mind. We note that current forms of assessment of dental mesowear, skull traditional morphometrics, geometric morphometrics, and certain stable isotope systems have yet to be proven effective at discerning fossil bird diet. On this basis we report the current state of knowledge of non-avian avialan diet which remains very incomplete. The ancestral dietary condition in non-avian avialans remains unclear due to scarce data and contradictory evidence in Archaeopteryx. Among early non-avian pygostylians, Confuciusornis has finite element analysis and mechanical advantage evidence pointing to herbivory, whilst Sapeornis only has mechanical advantage evidence indicating granivory, agreeing with fossilised ingested material known for this taxon. The enantiornithine ornithothoracine Shenqiornis has mechanical advantage and pedal morphometric evidence pointing to carnivory. In the hongshanornithid ornithuromorph Hongshanornis only mechanical advantage evidence indicates granivory, but this agrees with evidence of gastrolith ingestion in this taxon. Mechanical advantage and ingested fish support carnivory in the songlingornithid ornithuromorph Yanornis. Due to the sparsity of robust dietary assignments, no clear trends in non-avian avialan dietary evolution have yet emerged. Dietary diversity seems to increase through time, but this is a preservational bias associated with a predominance of data from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Lagerstätte. With this new framework and our synthesis of the current knowledge of non-avian avialan diet, we expect dietary knowledge and evolutionary trends to become much clearer in the coming years, especially as fossils from other locations and climates are found. This will allow for a deeper and more robust understanding of the role birds played in Mesozoic ecosystems and how this developed into their pivotal role in modern ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Case Vincent Miller
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Research Division for Earth and Planetary ScienceThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong SARChina
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Research Division for Earth and Planetary ScienceThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong SARChina
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Paranthropus robustus tooth chipping patterns do not support regular hard food mastication. J Hum Evol 2021; 158:103044. [PMID: 34303928 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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9
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Winkler DE, Clauss M, Rölle M, Schulz-Kornas E, Codron D, Kaiser TM, Tütken T. Dental microwear texture gradients in guinea pigs reveal that material properties of the diet affect chewing behaviour. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:269143. [PMID: 34124765 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) is widely used for diet inferences in extant and extinct vertebrates. Often, a reference tooth position is analysed in extant specimens, while isolated teeth are lumped together in fossil datasets. It is therefore important to test whether dental microwear texture (DMT) is tooth position specific and, if so, what causes the differences in wear. Here, we present results from controlled feeding experiments with 72 guinea pigs, which received either fresh or dried natural plant diets of different phytolith content (lucerne, grass, bamboo) or pelleted diets with and without mineral abrasives (frequently encountered by herbivorous mammals in natural habitats). We tested for gradients in dental microwear texture along the upper cheek tooth row. Regardless of abrasive content, guinea pigs on pelleted diets displayed an increase in surface roughness along the tooth row, indicating that posterior tooth positions experience more wear compared with anterior teeth. Guinea pigs feedings on plants of low phytolith content and low abrasiveness (fresh and dry lucerne, fresh grass) showed almost no DMT differences between tooth positions, while individuals feeding on more abrasive plants (dry grass, fresh and dry bamboo) showed a gradient of decreasing surface roughness along the tooth row. We suggest that plant feeding involves continuous intake and comminution by grinding, resulting in posterior tooth positions mainly processing food already partly comminuted and moistened. Pelleted diets require crushing, which exerts higher loads, especially on posterior tooth positions, where bite forces are highest. These differences in chewing behaviour result in opposing wear gradients for plant versus pelleted diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela E Winkler
- Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, J.-J.-Becher-Weg 21, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Department of Natural Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563, Japan.,Center of Natural History, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maximilian Rölle
- Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, J.-J.-Becher-Weg 21, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Ellen Schulz-Kornas
- Center of Natural History, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Cariology, Endodontology and Periodontology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daryl Codron
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
| | - Thomas M Kaiser
- Center of Natural History, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Tütken
- Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, J.-J.-Becher-Weg 21, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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Pontzer H, Wood BM. Effects of Evolution, Ecology, and Economy on Human Diet: Insights from Hunter-Gatherers and Other Small-Scale Societies. Annu Rev Nutr 2021; 41:363-385. [PMID: 34138633 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-111120-105520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We review the evolutionary origins of the human diet and the effects of ecology economy on the dietary proportion of plants and animals. Humans eat more meat than other apes, a consequence of hunting and gathering, which arose ∼2.5 Mya with the genus Homo. Paleolithic diets likely included a balance of plant and animal foods and would have been remarkably variable across time and space. A plant/animal food balance of 40-60% prevails among contemporary warm-climate hunter-gatherers, but these proportions vary widely. Societies in cold climates, and those that depend more on fishing or pastoralism, tend to eat more meat. Warm-climate foragers, and groups that engage in some farming, tend to eat more plants. We present a case study of the wild food diet of the Hadza, a community of hunter-gatherers in northern Tanzania, whose diet is high in fiber, adequate in protein, and remarkably variable over monthly timescales. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Nutrition, Volume 41 is September 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herman Pontzer
- Evolutionary Anthropology and Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA;
| | - Brian M Wood
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.,Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany 604103
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Hara AT, Elkington-Stauss D, Ungar PS, Lippert F, Eckert GJ, Zero DT. Three-Dimensional Surface Texture Characterization of In Situ Simulated Erosive Tooth Wear. J Dent Res 2021; 100:1236-1242. [PMID: 33853413 DOI: 10.1177/00220345211005678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This in situ erosive tooth wear (ETW) study tested enamel 3-dimensional (3D) surface texture outcomes for the detection and differentiation of ETW lesions simulated in clinically relevant conditions. Twenty participants enrolled in this 3-arm crossover intraoral ETW simulation and wore their own partial denture for 14 d holding 2 human enamel specimens (per arm). In each arm, participants were assigned to 1 of 3 different dental erosion protocols: severe (lemon juice/pH 2.5), moderate (grapefruit juice/pH 3.5), and no erosion (bottled drinking water, control). Enamel specimens were evaluated by white-light scanning confocal profilometry for 3D surface texture and surface loss (ETW model validation). Individual point clouds were analyzed using standard dental microwear texture characterization protocols for surface roughness and anisotropy. Fractal complexity (Asfc), texture aspect ratio (Str), and arithmetical mean height (Sa) values were generated at baseline, 7 d, and 14 d. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance models suitable for the crossover design with repeated measurements, and correlation coefficients were used to examine the relationship between outcomes. Asfc and Sa differentiated ETW severity (no erosion < moderate < severe, P < 0.001) at days 7 and 14. Asfc and Sa were lower at baseline compared to days 7 and 14 (P < 0.001) for moderate and severe challenges. Asfc increased from day 7 to 14 (P = 0.042) for the severe challenge. For Str, ETW severity did not have a significant effect overall (P = 0.15). Asfc and Sa were highly positively correlated (r = 0.89, P < 0.001), while Asfc and Sa were not correlated overall with Str (r < 0.1, P ≥ 0.25). Enamel surface loss increased with ETW severity (no erosion < moderate < severe, P < 0.001) at days 7 and 14, validating the ETW simulation model. Complexity (Asfc) and roughness (Sa) outcomes were able to detect and differentiate ETW levels, with Asfc being able to monitor the progression of severe lesions. No clear characterization of ETW lesions could be provided by the anisotropy (Str) parameter.
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Affiliation(s)
- A T Hara
- Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - D Elkington-Stauss
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - P S Ungar
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - F Lippert
- Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - G J Eckert
- Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - D T Zero
- Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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12
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Martin LF, Winkler D, Tütken T, Codron D, De Cuyper A, Hatt JM, Clauss M. The way wear goes: phytolith-based wear on the dentine-enamel system in guinea pigs ( Cavia porcellus). Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191921. [PMID: 31594498 PMCID: PMC6790768 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect of phytoliths on tooth wear and function has been contested in studies of animal-plant interactions. For herbivores whose occlusal chewing surface consists of enamel ridges and dentine tissue, the phytoliths might particularly erode the softer dentine, exposing the enamel ridges to different occlusal forces and thus contributing to enamel wear. To test this hypothesis, we fed guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus; n = 36 in six groups) for three weeks exclusively on dry or fresh forage of low (lucerne), moderate (fresh timothy grass) or very high (bamboo leaves) silica content representing corresponding levels of phytoliths. We quantified the effect of these treatments with measurements from micro-computed tomography scans. Tooth height indicated extreme wear due to the bamboo diet that apparently brought maxillary incisors and molars close to the minimum required for functionality. There were negative relationships between a cheek tooth's height and the depth of its dentine basin, corroborating the hypothesis that dentine erosion plays an important role in herbivore tooth wear. In spite of lower body mass, bamboo-fed animals paradoxically had longer cheek tooth rows and larger occlusal surfaces. Because ever-growing teeth can only change in shape from the base upwards, this is a strong indication that failure to compensate for wear by dental height-growth additionally triggered general expansive growth of the tooth bases. The results suggest that enamel wear may intensify after enamel has been exposed due to a faster wear of the surrounding dentine tissue (and not the other way around), and illustrate a surprising plasticity in the reactivity of this rodent's system that adjusts tooth growth to wear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise F. Martin
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Daniela Winkler
- Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz 55128, Germany
| | - Thomas Tütken
- Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz 55128, Germany
| | - Daryl Codron
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
| | - Annelies De Cuyper
- Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium
| | - Jean-Michel Hatt
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
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