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Full-Text Articles in Biological and Physical Anthropology
Dental Enamel As A Dietary Indicator In Mammals, Peter Lucas, Paul Constantino, Bernard Wood, Brian Lawn
Dental Enamel As A Dietary Indicator In Mammals, Peter Lucas, Paul Constantino, Bernard Wood, Brian Lawn
Paul J. Constantino
The considerable variation in shape, size, structure and properties of the enamel cap covering mammalian teeth is a topic of great evolutionary interest. No existing theories explain how such variations might be fit for the purpose of breaking food particles down. Borrowing from engineering materials science, we use principles of fracture and deformation of solids to provide a quantitative account ofhowmammalian enamelmay be adapted to diet. Particular attention is paid to mammals that feed on ‘hard objects’ such as seeds and dry fruits, the outer casings of which appear to have evolved structures with properties similar to those of enamel. …
Fracture Susceptibility Of Worn Teeth, Amanda Keown, Mark Bush, James Lee, Chris Ford, Paul Constantino, Brian Lawn
Fracture Susceptibility Of Worn Teeth, Amanda Keown, Mark Bush, James Lee, Chris Ford, Paul Constantino, Brian Lawn
Paul J. Constantino
An experimental simulation study is made to determine the effects of occlusal wear on the capacity of teeth to resist fracture. Tests are carried out on model dome structures, using glass shells to represent enamel and epoxy filler to represent dentin. The top of the domes are ground and polished to produce flat surfaces of prescribed depths relative to shell thickness. The worn surfaces are then loaded axially with a hard sphere, or a hard or soft flat indenter, to represent extremes of food contacts. The loads required to drive longitudinal cracks around the side walls of the enamel to …
Properties Of Tooth Enamel In Great Apes, Paul Constantino, Brian Lawn, James Lee, Peter Lucas, Dylan Morris, Tanya Smith
Properties Of Tooth Enamel In Great Apes, Paul Constantino, Brian Lawn, James Lee, Peter Lucas, Dylan Morris, Tanya Smith
Paul J. Constantino
A comparative study has been made of human and great ape molar tooth enamel. Nanoindentation techniques are used to map profiles of elastic modulus and hardness across sections from the enamel–dentin junction to the outer tooth surface. The measured data profiles overlap between species, suggesting a degree of commonality in material properties. Using established deformation and fracture relations, critical loads to produce function-threatening damage in the enamel of each species are calculated for characteristic tooth sizes and enamel thicknesses. The results suggest that differences in load-bearing capacity of molar teeth in primates are less a function of underlying material properties …