Premium
Significance of canine wear in pongid evolution
Author(s) -
St. Hoyme Lucile E.,
Koritzer Richard T.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330350118
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , tooth wear , molar , dentistry , function (biology) , orthodontics , anatomy , biology , evolutionary biology , medicine , paleontology
Pongid canines, as frequently claimed, do not prevent chewing motions which lead to the flattened “human” pattern of molar and canine wear. Teeth are worn flat in contemporary pongids as the results of physiologic function. It would therefore seem improper to use wear pattern in fossils such as Gigantopithecus for taxonomic purposes out of the physiological context.