Kay R F
Am J Phys Anthropol. 1975 Sep;43(2):195-216. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330430207.
Measurements were taken on the upper and lower molars of 37 species of primates and one tupaiid to assess the relative importance of shearing, crushing and grinding features. Significant correlations were found between pairs of allometrically standardized dimensions which measure the same molar function (shearing, crushing, or grinding). Correlations between pairs of dimensions which do not measure the same function are not significant. Second molar adaptations for shearing, crushing, and grinding, as well as the length of the second lower molar, and the total surface of the post-canine dentition are negatively allometric with respect to metabolic rate. Species which take different proportions of fruit, leaves, and insects in their diets have different molar structure. Frugivores have small teeth for their adult body size with poorly developed shearing, crushing, and grinding features on their molars. By contrast, leaf-eating species tend to have large teeth for their adult body size with well developed shearing, crushing, and grinding. The second molars of insectivorous species were found to parallel closely those of leaf-eating species. The two groups are clearly distinguishable from the former on the basis of body size alone: the smallest living primate leaf-eater is on order of magnitude larger than the largest living primate insectivore.
对37种灵长类动物和1种树鼩的上下臼齿进行了测量，以评估剪切、挤压和研磨特征的相对重要性。在测量相同臼齿功能（剪切、挤压或研磨）的异速生长标准化尺寸对之间发现了显著的相关性。不测量相同功能的尺寸对之间的相关性不显著。第二臼齿在剪切、挤压和研磨方面的适应性，以及第二下臼齿的长度和犬齿后齿列的总面积相对于代谢率呈负异速生长。在饮食中摄入不同比例水果、树叶和昆虫的物种具有不同的臼齿结构。食果动物相对于其成年体型而言牙齿较小，臼齿上的剪切、挤压和研磨特征发育不良。相比之下，食叶物种相对于其成年体型往往牙齿较大，剪切、挤压和研磨功能发达。食虫物种的第二臼齿被发现与食叶物种的第二臼齿非常相似。这两组仅根据体型就明显可与前者区分开来：现存最小的食叶灵长类动物比现存最大的食虫灵长类动物大一个数量级。
