Canine Tooth Strength Provides Clues To Early Human Ancestors

The researchers at  Johns Hopkins School of Medicine reported on an initial examination of the function of the shape of canine teeth in primates.This is the first published comparative analysis of canine strength for primates.”Understanding more about the function of canine teeth can lead to new models for understanding human evolution” said Michael Plavcan,who has been studying primate teeth and skulls for 24 years and spent four years collecting dental data for this analysis.

Among anthropoid primates, it is well known that the canine teeth of males are up to four times as long as those of females. Hominids – the primate family that produced humans – retain body mass sexual dimorphism; that is, males typically have a greater body mass size than females. At the same time, the difference in size in canine teeth between males and females is lost.“This goes back to the earliest hominids,” Plavcan said. “In fact, one of the few diagnostic characteristics of hominid evolution is reduction in canine size dimorphism while maintaining strong body mass dimorphism.”

Sounds like a subject to sink your teeth into (If you pardon the Pun) 🙂

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2 Responses to Canine Tooth Strength Provides Clues To Early Human Ancestors

  1. Wolfhound says:

    WHY ARE THERE STILL MONKEYS?!!!!1111!!!

  2. Ivorygirl says:

    As a person who works in the dental field,I find this subject very interesting.Wisdom teeth are also remnants from detailing in our common ancestry.Some people are now being born without wisdom teeth so … maybe we’re witnessing evolution in action?

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