A study of microwear on chimpanzee molars

Implications for dental microwear analysis

Datos Bibliográficos

ID8312986
AutoresKathleen D Gordon (Johns Hopkins University, autor de correspondencia)
Año1982
Volumen59
Número2
Páginas195-215
Fecha de publicación1982-10-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.1330590208
PMID7149017
OpenAlexW1972531122
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas112
Referencias citadas45

Recent investigations of dental microwear have shown that such analyses may ultimately provide valuable information about the diets of fossil species. However, no background information about intraspecific variability of microwear patterns has been available until now. This study presents the results of an SEM survey of microwear patterns found on occlusal enamel of chimpanzee molars. Methods of pattern analysis are described. Selected sites on the occlusal surface included shearing, grinding, and puncture‐crushing surfaces formed by both phases of the power stroke of mastication. The microwear patterns found in this sample of chimpanzees showed a high degree of regularity. However, certain parameters such as relative pit‐to‐striation frequencies, feature density, striation length, and pit diameter were significantly affected by facet type and molar position. Sex and age of individuals also influenced some microwear parameters, but due to the small sample size these findings are considered to be preliminary. These results show that microwear within a single species may vary because of factors that are due more to biomechanics than to diet. The study also supplies some metrical estimates of “normal” pattern variability due to functional and morphological influences. These estimates should provide a useful baseline for assessing the significance of microwear pattern differences that may be found between species of differing diets

Biology · Enamel paint · Evolutionary biology · Extant taxon · Intraspecific competition · Molar · Striation · Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior · Dentistry · Ecology · Marine animal studies overview · Medicine · Paleontology · Primate Behavior and Ecology