The Evolution of Primate Enamel Microstructure

灵长类动物牙釉质微观结构的进化

• 批准号: 9507674
• 负责人: Mary Maas
• 金额: $ 5.46万
• 依托单位: Duke University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1996
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1996-03-15 至 1997-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9507674&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Evolution; Primate; Enamel; Microstructure

The teeth of primates, both living and fossil, represent the most complete evidence of the evolution, ecology, life history, and taxonomy of this important group. The microscopic structure of tooth enamel, a previously neglected aspect of tooth morphology, holds great promise for increasing our understanding of primate dental function and phylogenetic relationships. This research will document enamel variation in a broad taxonomic sample of living and fossil primates, and use these data to test specific functional hypotheses and to assess the phylogenetic utility of enamel characters. It represents an important step forward in the comprehensive study of these rare biological and fossil specimens. The research design consists of two components: 1) analysis of intraspecific and interspecific variation in enamel in a broad sample of living primates and 2) analysis of enamel evolution, based on comprehensive sampling of molar tooth enamel of fossil primates. Analyses will be based on scanning electron microscopy of histological specimens of mature enamel. The objectives of the study are: 1) To test the hypothesis that differences in occlusal enamel among functionally distinct areas of molar teeth are linked to differential resistance to wear. 2) To test the hypothesis of linkage between some enamel features and body size. 3) To test hypotheses of functional constraints on enamel structure among developmentally and functionally distinct parts of the dentition (e.g., incisors, canines, premolars, molars). 4) To explore the links between enamel structure and diet using comparative study of closely related primates that differ in diet, and statistical methods of matrix correlation analysis. 5) To assess the phyletic utility of enamel characters among living primates, and, using phylogenetically reliable enamel characters, to test hypotheses of relationships among fossil primates. This research will be the most comprehensive study of primate enamel structure to date. By study of mechanically important enamel characters it will contribute to a broader understanding of dental function and evolution in Primates. Moreover, it will go a long way towards establishing how enamel structure can and cannot be used to resolve questions of phylogeny and systematics.

灵长类动物的牙齿，无论是活体还是化石，代表了这一重要类群的进化、生态、生活史和分类学的最完整证据。 牙釉质的微观结构是牙齿形态学中以前被忽视的一个方面，它为增进我们对灵长类动物牙齿功能和系统发育关系的理解带来了巨大的希望。 这项研究将记录活体灵长类动物和化石灵长类动物的广泛分类样本中的牙釉质变异，并使用这些数据来测试特定的功能假设并评估牙釉质特征的系统发育效用。 它代表着对这些稀有生物和化石标本的综合研究向前迈出了重要一步。 该研究设计由两个部分组成：1）分析大量现存灵长类动物牙釉质的种内和种间变异；2）基于化石灵长类动物臼齿牙釉质的全面采样分析牙釉质进化。 分析将基于成熟牙釉质组织学标本的扫描电子显微镜。 该研究的目的是： 1) 检验以下假设：磨牙不同功能区域的咬合釉质差异与不同的耐磨性有关。 2）检验一些牙釉质特征与身体尺寸之间联系的假设。 3) 测试牙列发育和功能不同部分（例如门牙、犬齿、前磨牙、臼齿）牙釉质结构功能限制的假设。 4）通过饮食差异密切的灵长类动物的比较研究，以及矩阵相关分析的统计方法，探讨牙釉质结构与饮食之间的联系。 5）评估现存灵长类动物牙釉质特征的系统学效用，并使用系统发育上可靠的牙釉质特征来测试化石灵长类动物之间关系的假设。 这项研究将是迄今为止对灵长类动物牙釉质结构最全面的研究。 通过研究机械上重要的牙釉质特征，它将有助于更广泛地了解灵长类动物的牙齿功能和进化。 此外，这对于确定牙釉质结构如何能够或不能用于解决系统发育和系统学问题将大有帮助。