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Tooth Mineral Density in Primates: Effects of Developmental Strategies and Dietary Preference
Author(s) -
Paddock Kelsey A,
Zeigler Larissa Marie,
Harvey Brianna M,
Millen Michelle E,
Vinyard Christopher,
Muchlinski Magdalena M,
DeLeon Valerie B,
Smith Tim D
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.578.9
Subject(s) - lemur , cheek teeth , deciduous , biology , dentistry , molar , deciduous teeth , anatomy , zoology , orthodontics , medicine , primate , ecology
Tooth size of newborn primates negatively correlates with gestational length, and also varies with diet. In this study, we examine the effects of these variables on hydroxyapatite (HA) density of the mandibular teeth in newborn primates. Forty‐eight newborn primates (24 species) were microCT scanned at 70 kVp/114 μA at a resolution of 20.5 μm. From the scans, grayscale intensity was converted to hydroxyapatite (HA) density (mg HA/cm 3 ) using a linear conversion of grayscale values to calibration standards of known HA density (R 2 =0.99). Voxels representing teeth were segmented from the volume using Amira software. Mean HA densities were calculated for deciduous and permanent postcanine teeth, and the influence of diet tested using a one‐way ANOVA. Pearson correlation tests were used to assess the relationship of HA density to gestational length. Preliminary results indicate HA density is negatively correlated with gestational length, but only for deciduous teeth, suggesting different factors affect mineralization of permanent molars. No significant differences in HA density are observed based on dietary specialization among the primates sampled. However, peak HA density appears especially high in small bodied strepsirrhines (e.g., dwarf lemurs, galagos and lorises). Thus further study is needed to understand phylogenetic and body size influences on peak HA density Support or Funding Information Funded by the National Science Foundation; Grant numbers: BCS‐1231350, BCS‐1231717, BCS‐0959438.