title: The role of tooth enamel mechanical properties in primate dietary adaptation.
abstract: Primate teeth adapt to the physical properties of foods in a variety of ways including changes in occlusal morphology, enamel thickness, and overall size. We conducted a comparative study of extant primates to examine whether their teeth also adapt to foods through variation in the mechanical properties of the enamel. Nanoindentation techniques were used to map profiles of elastic modulus and hardness across tooth sections from the enamel-dentin junction to the outer enamel surface in a broad sample of primates including apes, Old World monkeys, New World monkeys, and lemurs. The measured data profiles feature considerable overlap among species, indicating a high degree of commonality in mechanical properties. These results suggest that differences in the load-bearing capacity of primate molar teeth are more a function of morphology-particularly tooth size and enamel thickness-than of underlying mechanical properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA. paulconstantino@gmail.com
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Constantino
authors.forename: James J-W
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gerbig
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hartstone-Rose
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Talebi
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Lawn
authors.forename: Peter W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Lucas
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D006244:Hardness; D006801:Humans; D011323:Primates / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*