Molar biomechanical function in South African hominins
Journal article
Berthaume, M. and Kupczik, K. (2021). Molar biomechanical function in South African hominins . Interface Focus. 11 (5), p. 20200085. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2020.0085
Authors | Berthaume, M. and Kupczik, K. |
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Abstract | Diet is a driving force in human evolution. Two species of Plio-Pleistocene hominins, and , have derived craniomandibular and dental morphologies which are often interpreted as having a more biomechanically challenging diet. While dietary reconstructions based on dental microwear generally support this, they show extensive dietary overlap between species, and craniomandibular and dental biomechanical analyses can yield contradictory results. Using methods from anthropology and engineering (i.e. anthroengineering), we quantified the molar biomechanical performance of these hominins to investigate possible dietary differences between them. Thirty-one lower second molars were 3D printed and used to fracture gelatine blocks, and Bayesian generalized linear models were used to investigate the relationship between species and tooth wear, size and shape, and biomechanical performance. Our results demonstrate that required more force and energy to fracture blocks but had a higher force transmission rate. Considering previous dietary reconstructions, we propose three evolutionary scenarios concerning the dietary ecologies of these hominins. These evolutionary scenarios cannot be reached by investigating morphological differences in isolation, but require combining several lines of evidence. This highlights the need for a holistic approach to reconstructing hominin dietary ecology. [Abstract copyright: © 2021 The Author(s).] |
Keywords | hominin evolution; Australopithecus africanus; dental biomechanics; three-dimensional printing; Paranthropus robustus |
Year | 2021 |
Journal | Interface Focus |
Journal citation | 11 (5), p. 20200085 |
Publisher | The Royal Society |
ISSN | 2042-8898 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2020.0085 |
https://doi.org/rsfs20200085 | |
Funder/Client | Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie |
Publication dates | |
06 Oct 2021 | |
Online | 13 Aug 2021 |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 23 Sep 2021 |
Accepted | 15 Jun 2021 |
Accepted author manuscript | License File Access Level Open |
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