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Platyrrhine incisors and diet
1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, MN 224 UK Medical Center, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA. andrew.deane@uky.edu
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|May 22, 2012
Summary
Anthropoid incisor crown curvature, particularly in platyrrhines, is strongly linked to diet. Increased incisor curvature correlates with a higher proportion of fruit in the diet, suggesting diet is a key factor in shaping these teeth.
Area of Science:
- Primatology
- Paleontology
- Dental Anthropology
Background:
- Anthropoid incisor morphology, shape, and curvature are crucial for food processing but remain understudied.
- Previous research on incisor curvature and diet focused mainly on hominoids, limiting understanding of broader anthropoid evolutionary patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional relationship between maxillary and mandibular incisor crown curvature and diet in a diverse sample of platyrrhine primates.
- To determine if diet or phylogeny is the primary driver of incisor crown curvature in anthropoids.
Main Methods:
- Quantified mesiodistal and cervicoincisal curvature of incisors using high-resolution polynomial curve fitting.
- Analyzed a taxonomically diverse platyrrhine sample (133 individuals, 18 taxa) with documented dietary behaviors.
Main Results:
- Identified a significant positive correlation between incisor crown curvature and frugivory in platyrrhines.
- Results align with previous findings in hominoids, reinforcing the link between curvature and diet.
Conclusions:
- Dietary function, specifically frugivory, is the primary factor influencing anthropoid incisor crown curvature.
- This study provides independent confirmation and expands on prior research regarding incisor morphology and diet in primates.
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