Tooth chipping patterns in Archaeolemur provide insight into diet and behavior

Area of Science:

• Paleontology
• Primate Anatomy
• Paleoecology

Background:

• Archaeolemur, an extinct lemur genus, exhibits derived dentition resembling some Old World monkeys.
• Previous studies suggest an omnivorous diet for Archaeolemur, including mechanically challenging foods, based on morphology, coprolites, isotopes, and enamel structure.
• Microwear analysis of posterior teeth has not fully supported this dietary hypothesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate dental chipping patterns in Archaeolemur to infer dietary habits.
• To compare chipping frequencies across the dentition of Archaeolemur.
• To compare Archaeolemur's chipping patterns with those of other primate species.

Main Methods:

• Macroscopic analysis of dental chipping on permanent teeth from 53 Archaeolemur individuals (447 teeth).
• Recording and quantifying enamel chipping prevalence on anterior and posterior teeth.
• Comparative analysis of chipping patterns across different tooth types (incisors, caniniforms, premolars, molars).

Main Results:

• Enamel chipping was significantly more prevalent on anterior teeth (38.9%) than posterior teeth (9%) in Archaeolemur.
• Chipping frequency decreased distally: incisors (50%), caniniform teeth (30%), premolars (9.5%), and molars (8.5%).
• High anterior tooth chipping rates were observed, uncommon in primates except hominins.

Conclusions:

• The high prevalence of chipping on anterior teeth supports the hypothesis of extensive food processing in Archaeolemur.
• This suggests Archaeolemur utilized its incisors and caniniform teeth for manipulating and processing mechanically challenging food items.
• The findings indicate a varied omnivorous diet for Archaeolemur, with a unique pattern of anterior dental use compared to most other primates.