The Evolution of Primate Enamel Microstructure

灵长类动物的牙齿，无论是活的还是化石，都是这个重要群体进化、生态、生活史和分类学的最完整证据。 牙釉质的微观结构，牙齿形态学的一个以前被忽视的方面，为增加我们对灵长类动物牙齿功能和系统发育关系的理解提供了很大的希望。 这项研究将记录釉质的变化，在一个广泛的分类样本的生活和化石灵长类动物，并使用这些数据来测试特定的功能假说，并评估系统发育的实用性釉质字符。 这是对这些稀有生物和化石标本进行全面研究的重要一步。 研究设计包括两个部分：1）分析生活灵长类动物的广泛样本中釉质的种内和种间变异; 2）基于化石灵长类动物臼齿釉质的全面采样分析釉质进化。 分析将基于成熟釉质组织学标本的扫描电子显微镜。 本研究的目的是：1）验证磨牙不同功能区的釉质差异与不同的耐磨性有关的假设。 2)目的：验证牙釉质特征与体型大小相关的假说。 3)为了检验牙列发育和功能不同部分（例如，门齿、犬齿、前臼齿、臼齿）。 5)评估现存灵长类动物中釉质特征的系统学效用，并使用遗传学上可靠的釉质特征来检验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。 通过对牙釉质重要机械特征的研究，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，它将长期致力于建立如何釉质结构可以和不可以用来解决问题的胚胎发育和系统学。

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). 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 al long way towards establishing how enamel structure can and cannot be used to resolve questions of phylogeny and systematics.