Premium
Playing 'possum: A microwear experiment
Author(s) -
Gordon Kathleen D.,
Walker Alan C.
Publication year - 1983
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.1330600115
Subject(s) - reliability (semiconductor) , natural (archaeology) , yield (engineering) , computer science , test (biology) , geology , paleontology , materials science , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
A recent experiment to evaluate the reliability of dental microwear as an indicator of diet seems to show that differences in diets fed to laboratory animals are not reflected by their tooth wear. We feel that these results are misleading, and reflect not so much the limits of microwear analysis per se, but rather result from the problems of design and execution inherent in any experimental simulation of natural feeding behavior. The experiment in question was flawed in several respects, and we think that changes in the methods and assumptions of the study are necessary before the experimental approach can yield meaningful results with which to test hypotheses about microwear analyses.