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Morphological integration in the hominin dentition: evolutionary, developmental, and functional factors
Aida Gómez-Robles1, P David Polly
1Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Altenberg, Austria. aida.gomez-robles@kli.ac.at
Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|April 11, 2012
Summary
Dental evolution in hominins is constrained by how teeth develop and function together. Stronger integration in jaw teeth, especially first molars, leads to stasis, while less integrated teeth evolve directionally.
Area of Science:
- Paleoanthropology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Dental Morphology
Background:
- Teeth are crucial for understanding hominin evolution due to their preservation.
- Previous evolutionary analyses often neglect developmental and functional constraints on dental traits.
- Morphological integration, the interdependence of traits, can limit evolutionary pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate morphological integration within the hominin dentition.
- To assess the impact of integration on dental evolution in Plio- and Pleistocene hominins.
- To reevaluate evolutionary hypotheses considering these constraints.
Main Methods:
- Utilized geometric morphometrics to analyze tooth shape.
- Applied phylogenetic comparative methods to an extensive sample of hominin teeth.
- Examined covariation among premolars, molars, and antagonist teeth.
Main Results:
- Significant covariation observed between premolars and molars.
- Mandibular dentition shows stronger integration than maxillary dentition.
- First molars exhibit strong integration due to functional occlusion.
- Stasis observed in highly integrated teeth (e.g., first molars); directional evolution in less integrated teeth.
Conclusions:
- Morphological integration significantly influences hominin dental evolution.
- Strongly integrated teeth experience stasis, while less integrated teeth show directional change.
- Hominin evolutionary hypotheses based on dental characters require reevaluation due to complex integration patterns.
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