Abstract
Dental microwear observed on the incisors and the canine/premolar complex of Australopithecus afarensis is described. Comparisons are made with three groups of extant African primates: Pan troglodytes troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla gorilla, and Papio hamadryas. Additional comparisons are made with a prehistoric Eskimo dental sample recovered from Point Hope, Alaska. Six distinct types of incisal dental microwear are found in these groups. These include fine wear striae, polish, small pits, large pits, gouges, and microflakes. These microwear types are related to suggested dietary conditions, feeding behaviors, and dental functions. It is shown that each species exhibits a different set of microwear types. Results of this study show that incisal dental microwear in A. afarensis is most similar to that observed in Gorilla, and to a lesser extent, in Papio. It is suggested that the incisors of A. afarensis were used to strip leaves and to chew hard foods such as roots, seeds, and rhizomes. Dental microwear observed on the canine/premolar complex of A. afarensis indicates that these teeth did not serve a shearing/slicing function as they do in modern apes or in baboons. Rather, it appears that the canine/premolar complex of A. afarensis was used primarily to puncture-crush food.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 235-268 |
| Number of pages | 34 |
| Journal | Journal of Human Evolution |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1989 |
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Keywords
- Australopithecus afrensis
- dental function
- dental microwear
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Cite this
Anterior dental microwear in Australopithecus afarensis : comparisons with human and nonhuman primates. / Ryan, Alan S.; Johanson, Donald.
In: Journal of Human Evolution, Vol. 18, No. 3, 1989, p. 235-268.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Anterior dental microwear in Australopithecus afarensis
T2 - comparisons with human and nonhuman primates
AU - Ryan, Alan S.
AU - Johanson, Donald
PY - 1989
Y1 - 1989
N2 - Dental microwear observed on the incisors and the canine/premolar complex of Australopithecus afarensis is described. Comparisons are made with three groups of extant African primates: Pan troglodytes troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla gorilla, and Papio hamadryas. Additional comparisons are made with a prehistoric Eskimo dental sample recovered from Point Hope, Alaska. Six distinct types of incisal dental microwear are found in these groups. These include fine wear striae, polish, small pits, large pits, gouges, and microflakes. These microwear types are related to suggested dietary conditions, feeding behaviors, and dental functions. It is shown that each species exhibits a different set of microwear types. Results of this study show that incisal dental microwear in A. afarensis is most similar to that observed in Gorilla, and to a lesser extent, in Papio. It is suggested that the incisors of A. afarensis were used to strip leaves and to chew hard foods such as roots, seeds, and rhizomes. Dental microwear observed on the canine/premolar complex of A. afarensis indicates that these teeth did not serve a shearing/slicing function as they do in modern apes or in baboons. Rather, it appears that the canine/premolar complex of A. afarensis was used primarily to puncture-crush food.
AB - Dental microwear observed on the incisors and the canine/premolar complex of Australopithecus afarensis is described. Comparisons are made with three groups of extant African primates: Pan troglodytes troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla gorilla, and Papio hamadryas. Additional comparisons are made with a prehistoric Eskimo dental sample recovered from Point Hope, Alaska. Six distinct types of incisal dental microwear are found in these groups. These include fine wear striae, polish, small pits, large pits, gouges, and microflakes. These microwear types are related to suggested dietary conditions, feeding behaviors, and dental functions. It is shown that each species exhibits a different set of microwear types. Results of this study show that incisal dental microwear in A. afarensis is most similar to that observed in Gorilla, and to a lesser extent, in Papio. It is suggested that the incisors of A. afarensis were used to strip leaves and to chew hard foods such as roots, seeds, and rhizomes. Dental microwear observed on the canine/premolar complex of A. afarensis indicates that these teeth did not serve a shearing/slicing function as they do in modern apes or in baboons. Rather, it appears that the canine/premolar complex of A. afarensis was used primarily to puncture-crush food.
KW - Australopithecus afrensis
KW - dental function
KW - dental microwear
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0001169676&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0001169676&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0047-2484(89)90051-1
DO - 10.1016/0047-2484(89)90051-1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0001169676
VL - 18
SP - 235
EP - 268
JO - Journal of Human Evolution
JF - Journal of Human Evolution
SN - 0047-2484
IS - 3
ER -