Why study Diet?Why study Diet?Utility for model building?

Food provides energy necessary to sustain life and allow for reproduction

Food provides energy necessary to sustain life and allow for reproduction

Main activity of most animals’ livesMain activity of most animals’ lives

Major component of natural selection: “obtain food and keep from becoming food”

Major component of natural selection: “obtain food and keep from becoming food”

Why study teeth?Why study teeth?Utility for model building?

Indicate foods consumed Indicate foods consumed

Indicate size & behavior Indicate size & behaviorWell preserved in the fossil recordWell preserved in the fossil record

Growth & development patternsGrowth & development patternsSexual dimorphism characteristicsSexual dimorphism characteristicsNon-dietary indicatorsNon-dietary indicators

Tooth

Typ

es

Tooth

Typ

es

Human Dentition

Tooth TypesTooth Types

Roles of the teethRoles of the teethDifferential use in heterodont dentition

Incisors & canines -- ingestion, get the food into the mouth seizing, stripping, squashing, puncturing

Incisors & canines -- ingestion, get the food into the mouth seizing, stripping, squashing, puncturing

Premolars & molars -- preparation of food for digestion food is chopped up to increase surface area molars are a series of cutting blades and crushing

basin

Premolars & molars -- preparation of food for digestion food is chopped up to increase surface area molars are a series of cutting blades and crushing

basin

Extant vs ExtinctExtant vs ExtinctData collection from the living primates

Diagnostic featuresDiagnostic features

Incisors & canines Incisors & canines

Features of the skull used to determine dietary category

Molars & premolarsMolars & premolars

Cusps & crestsCusps & crestsEnamel thicknessEnamel thicknessMassiter & temporalis musclesMassiter & temporalis musclesBody sizeBody size

Anterior Dentition

• Get food in the mouth• Grooming• Scraping~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Get food in the mouth• Grooming• Scraping~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Incisors & CaninesIncisors & Canines

• Large incisors indicate frugivore

• Small incisors = carnivore or insectivore

• Large incisors indicate frugivore

• Small incisors = carnivore or insectivore

Incisors

Can

ine

s

Premolars & MolarsPremolars & MolarsPosterior Dentition

•Folivores = low or high•Folivores = low or high

•Insectivores = tall, pointed

•Insectivores = tall, pointed

•Carnivores = tall, pointed•Carnivores = tall, pointed

•Frugivores = low, rounded

•Frugivores = low, rounded

•Omnivore = low, rounded•Omnivore = low, rounded

Premolars& MolarsPremolars& Molars

Premolars & MolarsPremolars & Molars

Premolars & MolarsPremolars & Molars

Cusps & CrestsCusps & CrestsMolar & premolar morphology

cusp

crest

Enamel thicknessEnamel thicknessThickness of the hard mineral surface covering the teeth

Dental AttritionDental AttritionEnamel wear

Muscles of masticationMuscles of mastication

Body sizeBody sizeDiet dictates primate body size

• Body-size tends to correlate w/ dietary regime

• Body-size tends to correlate w/ dietary regime

• Folivore = largest• Folivore = largest

• Insectivore = smallest• Insectivore = smallest

• Frugivore = medium to large

• Frugivore = medium to large

Dietary strategiesDietary strategies

Folivore - plants Folivore - plants

Categories of Diet for the Primates

Frugivore - fruit Frugivore - fruit Carnivore - meat Carnivore - meat Insectivore - insects Insectivore - insects Omnivore - mixed Omnivore - mixed

FolivoresFolivoresConsumes plant products; stems, leaves, shoots, roots

Low rounded cusps and crests Comparably sized incisors & canines Thin enamel Strong massiter muscles Larger body size Special adaptations -- multi-chamber stomach Requires supplementation -- dirt, feces, etc.

Low rounded cusps and crests Comparably sized incisors & canines Thin enamel Strong massiter muscles Larger body size Special adaptations -- multi-chamber stomach Requires supplementation -- dirt, feces, etc.

FolivoresFolivores

FolivoresFolivoresConsumes plant products; stems, leaves, shoots, roots

FrugivoresFrugivoresConsumes fruit, seeds, nuts

High percentage of fruit; rich carbs, low protein Large incisors Thin enamel Diet needs supplementation, leaves, soil, etc. Larger body size Canine size usually results from dimorphism

High percentage of fruit; rich carbs, low protein Large incisors Thin enamel Diet needs supplementation, leaves, soil, etc. Larger body size Canine size usually results from dimorphism

FrugivoresFrugivoresConsumes fruit, seeds, nuts

FrugivoresFrugivoresConsumes fruit, seeds, nuts

CarnivoresCarnivoresConsumes animal protein, requires little supplementation

Very high in protein Consumes little else to aide in digestion Plants/grasses Long canines; small incisors Sharp cusps & crests Thin enamel Large temporalis, small massiter

Very high in protein Consumes little else to aide in digestion Plants/grasses Long canines; small incisors Sharp cusps & crests Thin enamel Large temporalis, small massiter

CarnivoresCarnivoresConsumes animal protein, requires little supplementation

InsectivoresInsectivoresConsumes insects

Small sized primates High protein, but in small

packets Large canines Sharp cusps & crests Diet needs supplementation

Small sized primates High protein, but in small

packets Large canines Sharp cusps & crests Diet needs supplementation

InsectivoresInsectivoresConsumes insects

OmnivoresOmnivoresConsumes a variety of food resources

All teeth of similar size Moderate enamel thickness Low cusps, dull crests Comparably-sized temporalis & massiter Dental reduction Facial reduction

All teeth of similar size Moderate enamel thickness Low cusps, dull crests Comparably-sized temporalis & massiter Dental reduction Facial reduction

OmnivoresOmnivoresConsumes a variety of food resources

QuizQuizName the Dietary category for each skull