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Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Biological and Physical Anthropology
Indentation As A Technique To Assess The Mechanical Properties Of Fallback Foods, Peter W. Lucas, Paul J. Constantino, Janine Chalk, Charles Ziscovici, Barth W. Wright, Dorothy M. Fragaszy, David A. Hill, James Jin-Wu Lee, Herzl Chai, Brian W. Darvell, Tony D.B. Yuen
Indentation As A Technique To Assess The Mechanical Properties Of Fallback Foods, Peter W. Lucas, Paul J. Constantino, Janine Chalk, Charles Ziscovici, Barth W. Wright, Dorothy M. Fragaszy, David A. Hill, James Jin-Wu Lee, Herzl Chai, Brian W. Darvell, Tony D.B. Yuen
Biological Sciences Faculty Research
A number of living primates feed partyear on seemingly hard food objects as a fallback. We ask here how hardness can be quantified and how this can help understand primate feeding ecology. We report a simple indentation methodology for quantifying hardness, elastic modulus, and toughness in the sense that materials scientists would define them. Suggested categories of fallback foods—nuts, seeds, and root vegetables— were tested, with accuracy checked on standard materials with known properties by the same means. Results were generally consistent, but the moduli of root vegetables were overestimated here. All these properties are important components of what fieldworkers …
The Influence Of Fallback Foods On Great Ape Tooth Enamel, Paul J. Constantino, Peter W. Lucas, James J.-W. Lee, Brian R. Lawn
The Influence Of Fallback Foods On Great Ape Tooth Enamel, Paul J. Constantino, Peter W. Lucas, James J.-W. Lee, Brian R. Lawn
Biological Sciences Faculty Research
Lucas and colleagues recently proposed a model based on fracture and deformation concepts to describe how mammalian tooth enamel may be adapted to the mechanical demands of diet (Lucas et al.: Bioessays 30[2008] 374-385). Here we review the applicability of that model by examining existing data on the food mechanical properties and enamel morphology of great apes (Pan, Pongo, and Gorilla). Particular attention is paid to whether the consumption of fallback foods is likely to play a key role in influencing great ape enamel morphology. Our results suggest that this is indeed the case. We also consider the implications of …