Gradients of occlusal wear in hunter‐gatherers and agriculturalists

Abstract

Occlusal wear was recorded in maxillary teeth from three North American late Archaic (3385 +/- 365 cal BC) hunter-gatherer sites (n = 306) and late Anasazi-early Zuni agricultural sites ( approximately 1300 AD) (n = 87). Comparisons were undertaken using descriptive and inferential statistics to determine differences between these groups, and along the maxillary tooth row. The hunter-gatherers had a significantly greater percentage of occlusal wear than the agriculturalists. For both hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists, occlusal wear was greatest on the central incisors and first molars. The third molars had the least amount of wear. It was inferred from these results that the hunter-gatherers had a more abrasive diet, and different daily task activities compared to the agriculturalists. One further finding was that wear patterns on anterior and posterior teeth are influenced by the order that teeth erupt into the jaw, as well as diet and behavior.

First molar size and wear within and among modern hunter-gatherers and agricultural populations

“…Variation in dental wear between hunter-gatherers and agricultural populations has been widely reported (Deter, 2009;Eshed et al, 2006;Hinton, 1982). Surprisingly, our results for both dental size and dental wear are not consistent with this idea.…”

“…In general, the Inuit, Batéké-Balali, and Navajo were characterized by higher values of dental wear than the Agta group. This result is somewhat surprising, as we would have expected hunter-gatherers to present more pronounced dental wear than agricultural groups, as was reported elsewhere (Deter, 2009;Eshed et al, 2006;Hinton, 1982). Agta are the indigenous inhabitants of the Philippine islands and are typical representatives of the hunting-gathering lifestyle, with a diet based on hunted meat and gathered wild fruits and other plants (Estiko-Griffin and Griffin, 1981;Minter, 2010).…”

“…Eshed et al (2006) analyzed mandibular dental wear between the Natufian hunter-gatherers from southern Levant (10500-8300 BCE) and Neolithic populations (8300-5500 BCE) and found higher rates of dental wear, for all tooth types, in the forager groups. Finally, Deter (2009), analyzing maxillary teeth, found higher percentages of dentin exposure for all tooth types in North American hunter-gatherers (3,385±365 BCE) than in more recent agricultural groups (~1300 CE). The reduction of dental wear in societies with prevalent food production was generally associated with a decrease in diet abrasiveness.…”

“…These features have been used extensively to infer dietary habits, subsistence strategies, food preparation techniques, and cultural practices among ancient human populations (Deter, 2009;Hillson, 1996;Rose and Ungar, 1998;Smith, 1984). The abrasive properties of food have a direct impact on enamel loss and on the rates of tooth wear during an individual's life span (Kieser et al, 2001); that is, tough, fibrous, and abrasive diets require high biting forces during chewing and cause severe dental wear (Kiliaridis et al, 1995).…”

“…The transition from forager to agro-pastoral lifestyles implied significant changes in dietary habits and food-processing techniques that decreased the abrasiveness of consumed foods (Deter, 2009;Eshed et al, 2006;Hinton, 1982;Smith, 1984). Smith (1984) reported an increase in the inclination of wear surfaces of lower molars in agricultural populations compared to hunter-gatherers, as a result of a reduction in food toughness with the adoption of agriculture.…”