Ungar P S, Teaford M F, Glander K E, Pastor R F
Department of Antropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 72701, USA.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 1995 Jun;97(2):93-9. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330970202.
Dental microwear researchers consider exogenous grit or dust to be an important cause of microscopic wear on primate teeth. No study to date has examined the accumulation of such abrasives on foods eaten by primates in the forest. This investigation introduces a method to collect dust at various heights in the canopy. Results from dust collection studies conducted at the primate research stations at Ketambe in Indonesia, and Hacienda La Pacifica in Costa Rica indicate that 1) grit collects throughout the canopy in both open country and tropical rain forest environments; and 2) the sizes and concentrations of dust particles accumulated over a fixed period of time differ depending on site location and season of investigation. These results may hold important implications for the interpretation of microwear on primate teeth.
牙齿微磨损研究人员认为，外部沙砾或灰尘是灵长类动物牙齿微观磨损的一个重要原因。迄今为止，尚无研究考察过此类磨蚀物在森林中灵长类动物所食用食物上的累积情况。本调查引入了一种在树冠层不同高度收集灰尘的方法。在印度尼西亚凯坦贝和哥斯达黎加拉帕西菲卡庄园的灵长类动物研究站进行的灰尘收集研究结果表明：1）在开阔地带和热带雨林环境中，树冠层各处都会收集到沙砾；2）在固定时间段内累积的尘埃颗粒大小和浓度因调查地点和季节而异。这些结果可能对解读灵长类动物牙齿的微磨损具有重要意义。
