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Masticatory form and function in the African apes.

Andrea B Taylor1

  • 1Departments of Community and Family Medicine/Division of Physical Therapy and Biological Anthropology and Anatomy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. taylo140@mc.duke.edu

American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|January 30, 2002
PubMed
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African apes

Area of Science:

  • Primate morphology
  • Comparative anatomy
  • Paleoanthropology

Background:

  • African apes exhibit dietary variations, influencing masticatory demands.
  • Gorillas consume more fibrous vegetation, while chimpanzees are primarily frugivores.
  • Debate exists on dietary differences between bonobos (Pan paniscus) and common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate masticatory morphology variations in African apes based on diet.
  • To test the hypothesis that folivorous apes possess enhanced load-resistance and force production capabilities.
  • To compare jaw and skull dimensions across different African ape subspecies.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of jaw and skull dimensions in ontogenetic series of Gorilla gorilla beringei, Gorilla gorilla gorilla, Pan troglodytes, and Pan paniscus.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Statistical control for allometry to isolate dietary influences on morphology.
  • Examination of specific mandibular features related to chewing efficiency and force.

    • Main Results:

    • Gorillas display masticatory features suggesting improved efficiency compared to chimpanzees and bonobos.
    • Eastern mountain gorillas (G. g. beringei) show a wider mandibular corpus and symphysis, larger masseter muscle area, and higher mandibular ramus.
    • Morphological variations are not entirely consistent with dietary predictions, indicating other influencing factors.

    Conclusions:

    • Diet plays a role in some masticatory morphological variations among African apes, but it's not the sole determinant.
    • Allometric constraints and dental development also contribute to morphological differentiation.
    • No clear dietary-linked morphological differentiation was found between bonobos and chimpanzees.