Dean M C, Beynon A D
Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London.
Z Morphol Anthropol. 1991;78(3):425-40.
The aim of this review is to bring together data that link tooth morphology with tooth function and tooth growth: We aim to show how the microanatomy of hominoid teeth is providing evidence about rates of tooth growth that are likely to be a consequence of both masticatory strategy and social behaviour. First, we present data about incisor and molar tooth wear in wild short chimpanzees that demonstrate how crown heights are likely to be related to relative tooth use in a broad sense. Following this we review recent studies that describe the microanatomy of hominoid tooth enamel and show how these studies are providing evidence about tooth crown formation times in hominoids, as well as improving estimates for the age at death of certain juvenile fossil hominids. Next, we outline what is known about the mechanisms of tooth growth in the sexually dimorphic canine teeth of chimpanzees and compare these patterns of growth with tooth growth patterns in the canines of three fossil hominids from Laetoli, Tanzania. Finally, we discuss how selection pressures that operate to increase or reduce the size of anterior teeth interact with jaw size. We argue that the space available to grow developing teeth in the mandibles of juvenile hominoids is determined by the growth patterns of the mandibles, which in turn reflect masticatory strategy. The consequences of selection pressure to grow large or small anterior teeth are likely to be reflected in the times at which these teeth are able to emerge into occlusion.
我们旨在展示类人猿牙齿的微观解剖结构如何为牙齿生长速率提供证据，而牙齿生长速率可能是咀嚼策略和社会行为共同作用的结果。首先，我们展示野生矮黑猩猩门齿和臼齿磨损的数据，这些数据表明从广义上来说牙冠高度可能与相对牙齿使用情况相关。在此之后，我们回顾近期描述类人猿牙釉质微观解剖结构的研究，并展示这些研究如何为类人猿牙冠形成时间提供证据，以及如何改进对某些幼年化石原始人类死亡年龄的估计。接下来，我们概述对黑猩猩两性异形犬齿牙齿生长机制的已知情况，并将这些生长模式与来自坦桑尼亚莱托利的三种化石原始人类犬齿的生长模式进行比较。最后，我们讨论影响前牙大小增减的选择压力如何与颌骨大小相互作用。我们认为，幼年类人猿下颌中发育中牙齿生长的可用空间由下颌的生长模式决定，而这又反过来反映了咀嚼策略。选择压力导致前牙变大或变小的结果可能会体现在这些牙齿能够萌出并进入咬合的时间上。
