A new 3-d approach to determine functional morphology of cercopithecoid molars

Functional relationships between diet and tooth morphology form an integral part of primatological and paleontological research. Previously, mostly two-dimensional parameters have been used to compare and interpret the complex crown morphology of cercopithecine and colobine molars. However, as teeth are three-dimensional objects, any dimensional reduction in describing their morphology must result in loss of information. In the current study we use a high resolution optical topometric system to record crown morphology in different wear stages in order to extract three-dimensional (3-d) parameters from virtual 3-d models. Structural parameters such as relief index, occlusal surface area, enamel area and strike and dip of cusp slopes as well as wear facets can be calculated, reflecting the changing occlusal topography of molars due to attrition and abrasion. By comparing mostly fruit-eating cercopithecines and leaf-eating colobines, functional implications of tooth wear, occlusal jaw movement and resulting relief can be inferred. Our analyses show that the main differences in occlusal relief between these genera do not change with wear. Colobines maintain higher occlusal relief, whereas in cercopithecines all cusps wear flat quite rapidly. Detailed models of wear for cercopithecoid molars will be used to reconstruct diet and will enhance our knowledge of the paleoecology of Cercopithecoidea.