Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Anterior dental microwear and its relationship to diet and feeding behavior in three african primates (Pan troglodytes troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla gorilla andPapio hamadryas)

  • Published:
Primates Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Anterior dental microwear is shown to be related to diet and to feeding habits in three groups of extant African primates includingPan troglodytes troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla gorilla andPapio hamadryas. Five distinct types of incisal microwear are found in these groups. These include: fine wear striae, polish, small pits, large pits and microflakes. It is demonstrated that each species exhibits a different set of microwear types. Chimpanzees exhibit extensive pitting, mesiodistally oriented fine wear striae and small areas of polish, features of microwear that are probably related to the husking of hard fruit skins and the occasional stripping of leaves. Gorillas show large areas of polish, small pits and labiolingually oriented wear striae, a combination of features that may be associated with the stripping of leaves and pith. Baboons show extensive edge damage involving clusters of large pits and microflakes; this set of microwear types may be related to the initial chewing of gravel-laden seeds, roots and rhizomes. Microwear found on the canine/premolar complex of all three groups corresponds to the puncture-crushing and to the slicing of food.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahlgren, J., 1966. Mechanisms of mastication.Acta Odontol. Scand. Suppl., 44: 1–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altmann, S. A. &J. Altmann, 1970.Baboon Ecology. S. Karger, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boucher, C. O., 1963.Current Clinical Dental Terminology. C. V. Mosby Co., St. Louis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butler, P. M. &J. R. E. Mills, 1959. A contribution to the odontology ofOreopithecus.Bull. Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. (Geology), 4: 3–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Covert, H. H. &R. E. Kay, 1981. Dental microwear and diet: Implications for Determining the feeding behaviors of extinct primates, with a comment on the dietary pattern ofSivapithecus.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 55: 331–336.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crompton, A. W. &K. M. Hiiemae, 1970. Molar occlusion and mandibular movements during occlusion in the American opossum,Didelphis marsupialis. Zool. J. Linn. Soc., 49: 21–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crook, J. H. &P. Aldrich-Blake, 1968. Ecological and behavioural contrasts between sympatric ground dwelling primates in Ethiopia.Folia Primatol., 8: 192–227.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DeVore, I. &S. L. Washburn, 1963. Baboon ecology and human evolution. In:African Ecology and Human Evolution,F. C. Howell &F. Bourlière (eds.), Viking Fund, Chicago, pp. 335–367.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunbar, R. I. M., 1976. Australopithecine diet based on a baboon analogy.J. Human Evol., 5: 161–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodall, J., 1963. Feeding behaviour of wild chimpanzees. In:Primates,J. Napier &N. A. Barnicot (eds.), Academic Press, New York, pp. 39–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1965. Chimpanzees of the Gombe Stream Reserve. In:Primate Behavior,I. DeVore (ed.), Holt, Rinehart & Winston, New York, pp. 425–473.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1968. The behaviour of free-living chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream Reserve.Anim. Behav. Monog., 1: 161–311.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hiiemae, K. M. &A. W. Crompton, 1971. A cinefluorographic study of feeding in the American opossum,Didelphis marsupialis. In:Dental Morphology and Evolution,A. A. Dahlberg (ed.), Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp. 299–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, C. &J. Sabater Pí, 1971.Comparative Ecology of Gorilla gorilla (Savage and Wyman)and Pan troglodytes (Blumenbach)in Rio Muni, West Africa. Bibliotheca Primatologica, No. 13, S. Karger, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kay, R. F., 1973. Mastication, molar tooth structure and diet in primates. Ph.D. dissertation, Yale Univ., New Haven, Connecticut.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1975. The functional adaptations of primate molar teeth.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 43: 195–215.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1977. The evolution of molar occlusion in the Cercopithecidae and early Catarrhines.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 46: 327–352.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ———— &K. M. Hiiemae, 1974a. Jaw movements and tooth use in recent and fossil primates.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 40: 227–256.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ———— &K. M. Hiiemae, 1974b. Mastication inGalago crassicaudatus, a cinefluorographic and occlusal study. In:Prosimian Biology,R. D. Martin,G. A. Doyle &A. C. Walker (eds.), Duckworth, London, pp. 501–530.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kortland, A., 1962. Observing chimpanzees in the wild.Sci. Amer., 206: 128–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kummer, H., 1957. Soziales verhalten einer mantelpavin.Gruppe Schweizzeitsch. Psychol., No. 33.

  • ————, 1968.Social Organization of Hamadryas Baboons. Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1971.Primate Societies: Group Techniques of Ecological Adaptation. Aldine, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merfield, F. G. &H. Miller, 1956.Gorilla Hunter. Farra, Straus & Cudahy, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mills, J. R. E., 1955. Ideal dental occlusion in the primates.Dent. Practner., 6: 47–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nishida, T. &S. Uehara, 1980. Chimpanzees, tools and termites: Another example from Tanzania.Cur. Anthropol., 21: 671–672.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, V., 1965.Budongo, an African Forest and Its Chimpanzees. Natural History Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1967.The Apes: The Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Orangutan and Gibbon. E. P. Dutton, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———— &F. Reynolds, 1965. Chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest. In:Primate Behavior,I. DeVore (ed.), Holt, Rinehart & Winston, New York, pp. 368–424.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, A. S., 1979a. A preliminary scanning electron microscope examination of wear striation direction on primate teeth.J. Dent. Res., 58: 525–530.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1979b. Wear striation direction on primate teeth: A scanning electron microscope examination.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 50: 155–168.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1979c. Tooth sharpening in primates.Cur. Anthropol., 20: 121–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1980. Anterior dental microwear in hominoid evolution: Comparisons with human and nonhuman primates. Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sabater Pi, J., 1966a. Rapport préliminaire sur l'alimentation dans la nature gorilles du Rio Muni (Ouest Africain).Mammalia, 30: 235–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1966b. Gorilla attacks against humans in Rio Muni, West Africa.J. Mammal., 47: 123–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaller, G. B., 1976.The Mountain Gorilla: Ecology and Behavior. The Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • St. Hoyme, L. E. &R. T. Koritzer, 1971. Significance of canine wear in pongid evolution.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 35: 145–148.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki, A., 1969. An ecological study of chimpanzees in a savanna woodland.Primates, 10: 103–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swindler, D. R., 1976.Dentition of Living Primates. Academic Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teleki, G., 1974. Chimpanzee subsistence technology: Materials and skills.J. Human Evol., 3: 575–594.

    Google Scholar 

  • ————, 1975. Primate subsistence patterns: Collector-predators and gatherer-hunters.J. Human Evol., 4: 125–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, A., 1979. SEM analysis of microwear and its correlation with dietary patterns.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 50: 489. (Abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, P. L., 1976. Wear striations on the incisors of Cercopithecid monkeys as an index of diet and habitat preference.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 45: 299–307.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Washburn, S. L. &R. L. Ciochon, 1974. Canine teeth: Notes on controversies in the study of human evolution.Amer. Anthropol., 76: 765–784.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weier, T. E., C. R. Stocking &M. G. Barbour, 1970.Botany: An Introduction to Plant Biology. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wrangham, R. W., 1975. The behavioural ecology of chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. of Cambridge, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zingeser, M. R., 1969. Cercopithecoid canine tooth honing mechanisms.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 31: 205–214.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zuckerman, S., 1932.Social Life of Monkeys and Apes. Harcourt & Brace, New York.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Human Growth and Development, The University of Michigan, 1111 E Catherine, 48109, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.

    Alan S. Ryan

Authors
  1. Alan S. Ryan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

About this article

Cite this article

Ryan, A.S. Anterior dental microwear and its relationship to diet and feeding behavior in three african primates (Pan troglodytes troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla gorilla andPapio hamadryas). Primates 22, 533–550 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02381245

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02381245

Keywords

Search

Navigation