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Relationship between masticatory rhythm, body mass and mandibular morphology in primates
Yasuhiro Nagamine1, Yoshihide Satoh, Daisuke Shimizu
1Department of Orthodontics, The Nippon Dental University School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, 1-8 Hamaura-cho, Chuou-ku, Niigata, Japan.
Archives of Oral Biology
|March 23, 2013
Summary
Chewing rhythm in primates scales with body mass and mandible shape. This chewing cycle duration (CCD) is proportional to body mass, but at a slower rate than other bodily rhythms.
Area of Science:
- Primate biology
- Biomechanics
- Comparative anatomy
Background:
- Rhythmic movements like locomotion and respiration scale with body mass.
- Mastication involves rhythmic jaw movements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between masticatory rhythm and body mass in primates.
- To explore the correlation between masticatory rhythm and mandible morphology.
Main Methods:
- Measured chewing cycle duration (CCD) in primates.
- Analyzed mandibular morphology (length, height, width, condylar process to center of gravity distance).
- Utilized published data for primate body mass.
Main Results:
- Chewing cycle duration (CCD) is linked to mandible morphology.
- CCD was found to be proportional to body mass with a scaling exponent of 1/6.
Conclusions:
- Masticatory rhythm correlates with both body mass and mandibular morphology in primates.
- The scaling rate of masticatory rhythm relative to body mass is slower than observed for other physiological rhythms.
