Dietary signals in the premolar dentition of primates

Scott, Jeremiah E.; Campbell, Ryan M.; Baj, Luisa M.; Burns, Maegan C.; Price, Mia S.; Sykes, Jaime D.; Vinyard, Christopher J.

doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.04.006

Cited by 12 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…While variation in dietary strategies within clades is statistically independent of changes in relative postcanine dental proportions (suggesting that dental proportions contribute less to dietary adaptations than do other cranial and dental phenotypes), individual tooth length measurements relative to adult body mass are significantly correlated with diet. This is consistent with previous studies that found significant allometric relationships between tooth length and body mass, and significant associations between diet and individual tooth lengths (Asahara & Takai, ; Copes & Schwartz, ; Scott, ; Scott et al, ). This significant relationship is also likely influenced by ancestral dietary “bauplans” of different clades, where individual teeth have evolved unique morphologies as functional adaptations to processing particular foods (Hunter & Jernvall, ; Kay, , ; Lucas, ; Ungar, ; Ungar et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Evidence of strong stabilizing effects on the evolution of boreoeutherian (Mammalia) dental proportions

Monson

Boisserie

Brasil

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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The dentition is an extremely important organ in mammals with variation in timing and sequence of eruption, crown morphology, and tooth size enabling a range of behavioral, dietary, and functional adaptations across the class. Within this suite of variable mammalian dental phenotypes, relative sizes of teeth reflect variation in the underlying genetic and developmental mechanisms. Two ratios of postcanine tooth lengths capture the relative size of premolars to molars (premolar–molar module, PMM), and among the three molars (molar module component, MMC), and are known to be heritable, independent of body size, and to vary significantly across primates. Here, we explore how these dental traits vary across mammals more broadly, focusing on terrestrial taxa in the clade of Boreoeutheria (Euarchontoglires and Laurasiatheria). We measured the postcanine teeth of N = 1,523 boreoeutherian mammals spanning six orders, 14 families, 36 genera, and 49 species to test hypotheses about associations between dental proportions and phylogenetic relatedness, diet, and life history in mammals. Boreoeutherian postcanine dental proportions sampled in this study carry conserved phylogenetic signal and are not associated with variation in diet. The incorporation of paleontological data provides further evidence that dental proportions may be slower to change than is dietary specialization. These results have implications for our understanding of dental variation and dietary adaptation in mammals.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Evidence of strong stabilizing effects on the evolution of boreoeutherian (Mammalia) dental proportions

Monson

Boisserie

Brasil

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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“…The present results indicate interspecific behavioral and dietary differences do not affect the overall relationship between nonfunctional cusps and enamel chipping, to suggest a strong phylogenetic (morphological or masticatory) influence. For example, the proportion of hard (e.g., seeds), tough (e.g., leaves) and soft (e.g., some fruit) foods consumed by extant primates in this study varies substantially (Hadi et al, 2012;Scott et al, 2018;Whitten, 1982), yet nonfunctional cusps have several times more chips than their functional counterparts in all cases.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Chipping and wear patterns in extant primate and fossil hominin molars: ‘Functional’ cusps are associated with extensive wear but low levels of fracture

Towle

Loch

Irish

et al. 2021

Journal of Human Evolution

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“…Chipping prevalence (%) for all permanent teeth split by broad diet category. Blue = folivores; Yellow = frugivores; Green = hard object specialists (diet categories from DeCasien et al, 2017; Scott et al, 2018; Davies and Bennett, 1988). Black = hominins.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tooth chipping patterns in Paranthropus do not support regular hard food mastication

Towle

et al. 2021

Preprint

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The paranthropines, including Paranthropus boisei and Paranthropus robustus, have often been considered hard-food specialists. The large post-canine teeth, thick enamel, and robust craniofacial features are often suggested to have evolved to cope with habitual mastication of hard foods. Yet, direct evidence for Paranthropus feeding behaviour often challenges these morphological interpretations. The main exception being antemortem tooth chipping which is still regularly used as evidence of habitual mastication of hard foods in this genus. In this study, data were compiled from the literature for six hominin species (including P. boisei and P. robustus) and 17 extant primate species, to analyse Paranthropus chipping patterns in a broad comparative framework. Severity of fractures, position on the dentition, and overall prevalence were compared among species. The results indicate that both Paranthropus species had a lower prevalence of tooth fractures compared to other fossil hominin species (P. boisei: 4%; P. robustus: 11%; Homo naledi: 37%; Australopithecus africanus: 17%; Homo neanderthalensis: 45%; Epipalaeolithic Homo sapiens: 29%); instead, their frequencies are similar to apes that masticate hard items in a non-regular frequency, including chimpanzees, gibbons, and gorillas (4%, 7% and 9% respectively). The prevalence is several times lower than in extant primates known to habitually consume hard items, such as sakis, mandrills, and sooty mangabeys (ranging from 28% to 48%). Comparative chipping analysis suggests that both Paranthropus species were unlikely habitual hard object eaters, at least compared to living durophage analogues.

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Dietary signals in the premolar dentition of primates

Cited by 12 publications

References 75 publications

Evidence of strong stabilizing effects on the evolution of boreoeutherian (Mammalia) dental proportions

Evidence of strong stabilizing effects on the evolution of boreoeutherian (Mammalia) dental proportions

Chipping and wear patterns in extant primate and fossil hominin molars: ‘Functional’ cusps are associated with extensive wear but low levels of fracture

Tooth chipping patterns in Paranthropus do not support regular hard food mastication

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