Can diet be inferred from the biomechanical response to simulated biting in modern and pre-historic human mandibles?

Stansfield, Ekaterina; Evteev, Andrej; O’Higgins, Paul

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2018.07.019

Cited by 8 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Modern mandibles manifest a long and narrow ramus that is tilted posteriorly, a long and narrow coronoid process, a narrow mandibular notch, a triangular mandibular body, and a projected chin. Modifications in mandibular shape throughout the Holocene were also reported for other populations and were generally attributed to changes in dietary habits, i.e., the transition to a less abrasive subsistence 1–3,33 . The major shape changes reported previously included the narrowing and elongation of the ramus and coronoid, the more obtuse mandibular angle, a shortening of the condyle, and a more projecting chin.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…The assumption that the mandibular morphological changes observed by others and us are related to subsistence strategy is strengthened by five unrelated findings. First, biomechanical and finite element studies demonstrated that mandibular shape is affected by the masticatory forces’ orientation and magnitude 33,45–49 . When loadings on mandibles (or their surrogates) are greater, the mandibular angle becomes narrower, the ramus and coronoid process becomes wider and shorter, and the mandibular body develops a rectangular shape 45,46 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These developments in food preparation techniques resulted in a more processed and refined diet, which requires lower masticatory forces. According to the “masticatory-functional hypothesis” 25 , the reduction in mastication forces should be reflected in mandibular morphology 1,2,26–33 . Various studies have tried to follow changes in mandibular morphology using the time dimension and the changes in dietary habits that followed it.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, using Geometric morphometric methods may be a better way to examine the association between changes in dietary habits through time and changes in mandibular shape. This approach has already been proven effective in identifying mandibular shape differences between populations that varied in subsistence strategy 1–3,33,44 , and in determining the association between mandibular shape and muscle force 45,46 or biting performance 33 . The current study was aimed to identify mandibular shape changes in populations of the southern Levant during the last 15,000 years.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Changes in human mandibular shape during the Terminal Pleistocene-Holocene Levant

Pokhojaev

Avni

Tunis

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

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The transition to food production, exploitation of ‘secondary’ products (e.g., milk), and advances in cookware technology have affected all aspects of human life. The aim of the present study was to follow changes in mandibular form and shape throughout the terminal Pleistocene-Holocene Levant. The hemimandibles of four populations were included in this study: Natufian hunter-gatherers (n = 10), Pre-pottery Neolithic early farmers (n = 6), Chalcolithic farmers (n = 9), Roman-Byzantine (n = 16), and modern (n = 63) populations. A surface mesh of each mandible was reconstructed from CT or surface scans. Changes in mandibular form and shape were studied using the Procrustes-based geometric morphometrics method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to examine differences in size and shape between the studied populations. Our results reveal considerable temporal changes in mandibular shape throughout the Holocene Levant, mainly between the pre-agricultural population (the Natufian) and the succeeding ones, and between the post-industrial (the Modern) and the pre-industrial populations. A tendency for a reduction in mandibular size was identified between the pre-agricultural population and the farmers. Most regions of the mandible underwent shape changes. In conclusion, substantial changes in mandibular shape occurred throughout the Holocene Levant, especially following the agricultural revolution. These changes can be explained by the “masticatory-functional hypothesis”.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Changes in human mandibular shape during the Terminal Pleistocene-Holocene Levant

Pokhojaev

Avni

Tunis

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Moreover, according to several studies changes in diet across time as observed between hunter‐gatherer and agricultural populations have been linked to the gracilization of the masticatory apparatus (Deter, 2009; Gonzalez‐Jose et al, 2005; Noback & Harvati, 2015; Stynder, Ackermann, & Sealy, 2007; von Cramon‐Taubadel, 2011). Stansfield, Evteev, and O'Higgins (2018) suggested that a reduction of loadings during ontogeny explains morphological differences in the mandible between prehistoric and modern humans. Thus, in comparison to the rest of the skull, facial components may be more plastic being subjected to diverse sources of variation (Smith, 2009; von Cramon‐Taubadel, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intraspecific variability in human maxillary bone modeling patterns during ontogeny

Schuh

Gunz

Villa

et al. 2020

American J Phys Anthropol

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Objectives: This study compares the ontogenetic bone modeling patterns of the maxilla to the related morphological changes in three human populations to better understand how morphological variability within a species is established during ontogeny at both micro-and macroscopic levels. Materials and methods: The maxillary bones of an ontogenetic sample of 145 subadult and adult individuals from Greenland (Inuit), Western Europe (France, Germany, and Portugal), and South Africa (Khoekhoe and San) were analyzed. Bone formation and resorption were quantified using histological methods to visualize the bone modeling patterns. In parallel, semilandmark geometric morphometric techniques were used on 3D models of the same individuals to capture the morphological changes. Multivariate statistics were applied and shape differences between age groups were visualized through heat maps. Results: The three populations show differences in the degree of shape change acquired during ontogeny, leading to divergences in the developmental trajectories. Only subtle population differences in the bone modeling patterns were found, which were maintained throughout ontogeny. Bone resorption in adults mirrors the pattern found in subadults, but is expressed at lower intensities. Discussion: Our data demonstrate that maxillary morphological differences observed in three geographically distinct human populations are also reflected at the microscopic scale. However, we suggest that these differences are mostly driven by changes in rates and timings of the cellular activities, as only slight discrepancies in the location of bone resorption could be observed. The shared general bone modeling pattern is likely characteristic of all Homo sapiens, and can be observed throughout ontogeny.

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The changing shape of palaeopathology: The contribution of skeletal shape analyses to investigations of pathological conditions

Gilmour

Plomp

2022

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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Analyses of human skeletal shape and geometry are used to investigate questions related to habitual activities and physical lifeways, as well as biological distance and relatedness. Recently, these methods have been applied to research concerning human evolutionary predisposition for disease, as well as functional experiences of pathological conditions. The use of these methods to address palaeopathological questions are relatively new, but related questions and approaches are gaining momentum. This manuscript provides an in‐depth review of the current state of this palaeopathological research by undertaking a meta‐analysis of anthropological literature. From the results of the meta‐analysis, we observe an increase in the use of quantitative shape analyses in palaeopathology, and identify four key themes in this literature: (1) description and diagnosis, (2) shapes that increase pathological risk, (3) shape change that arises from pathology, and (4) shape used for social insight. As this area of study develops, we recommend adaptations to measurement and data collection; comparative examinations of remains at the individual, population, and species levels; and, when possible, representation of all human variation through the inclusion of pathological individuals in geometric analyses. Palaeopathologists are ideally suited to investigate the relationship between bone shape and health, which may prove essential to the continued understanding of disease in both past and contemporary contexts.

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Can diet be inferred from the biomechanical response to simulated biting in modern and pre-historic human mandibles?

Cited by 8 publications

References 53 publications

Changes in human mandibular shape during the Terminal Pleistocene-Holocene Levant

Changes in human mandibular shape during the Terminal Pleistocene-Holocene Levant

Intraspecific variability in human maxillary bone modeling patterns during ontogeny

The changing shape of palaeopathology: The contribution of skeletal shape analyses to investigations of pathological conditions

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