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Canine role in dental wear patterns: Macaca nemestrina
Author(s) -
Butler Ronald J.,
Bernstein Irwin S.
Publication year - 1974
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.1330400311
Subject(s) - molar , sexual dimorphism , cusp (singularity) , enamel paint , tooth wear , dentistry , mastication , canine tooth , orthodontics , biology , medicine , mathematics , zoology , geometry
A study of variables and patterns in dental wear among 30 individuals in a colony of Macaca nemestrina shows that consideration of age and sex are crucial for understanding differential wear degrees on molar occlusal planes. With advanced age, this species of non‐human primate undergoes obliteration of initial morphological characteristics through the gradual erosion of enamel. Wear gradients are differential from PM1‐M3 in both sexes. It appears that there is a functional relationship between degrees of occlusal plane wear and the degree of wear on the canines, and that females show a greater degree of wear changes relative to males of equivalent age because of initial differences in canine length and robusticity due to sexual dimorphism. It appears that there is a direct relationship between occlusal wear plane changes and the degree of wear on the canines, with advanced differential wear showing up in individuals in whom years of maxillary canine honing, canine damage, and the normal wear of mastication has reduced dimensions of unworn permanent canines. Other considerations included in this study are the honing functions of the deciduous first mandibular molars and molar cusp height relative to canine function.