現生ヒトと類人猿の大臼歯エナメル質分布 : 咬合面窩対歯冠側面の比較を通じて

概要

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Enamel thickness and distribution of the molar crown are important in the study of hominoid and hominid evolution. This is because the 3-dimensional distribution pattern of enamel within the molar crown has been recognized to have significant functional, developmental, and phylogenetic information. In order to analyze aspects of enamel distribution patterns, we quantified average enamel thicknesses separately in the occlusal basin and lateral molar crown, and compared extant great ape and modern human patterns. Interspecific comparisons show that, among modern apes and humans, chimpanzees and bonobos share a unique pattern of molar enamel distribution, in which the occlusal basin enamel is unexpectedly thin. Other taxa share a common enamel distribution pattern, greater occlusal than lateral crown average thicknesses, despite the wide range of absolute and relative whole-crown thicknesses. We hypothesize that thin occlusal enamel is a shared derived feature of the genus Pan, possibly an adaptation to relatively soft-fruit frugivory.
国立科学博物館の論文