Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/14833
Title: | The craniomandibular mechanics of being human | Contributor(s): | Wroe, Stephen (author) ; Ferrara, Toni L (author); McHenry, Colin R (author); Curnoe, Darren (author); Chamoli, Uphar (author) | Publication Date: | 2010 | DOI: | 10.1098/rspb.2010.0509 | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/14833 | Abstract: | Diminished bite force has been considered a defining feature of modern 'Homo sapiens', an interpretation inferred from the application of two-dimensional lever mechanics and the relative gracility of the human masticatory musculature and skull. This conclusion has various implications with regard to the evolution of human feeding behaviour. However, human dental anatomy suggests a capacity to withstand high loads and two-dimensional lever models greatly simplify muscle architecture, yielding less accurate results than three-dimensional modelling using multiple lines of action. Here, to our knowledge, in the most comprehensive three-dimensional finite element analysis performed to date for any taxon, we ask whether the traditional view that the bite of 'H. sapiens' is weak and the skull too gracile to sustain high bite forces is supported. We further introduce a new method for reconstructing incomplete fossil material. Our findings show that the human masticatory apparatus is highly efficient, capable of producing a relatively powerful bite using low muscle forces. Thus, relative to other members of the superfamily Hominoidea, humans can achieve relatively high bite forces, while overall stresses are reduced. Our findings resolve apparently discordant lines of evidence, i.e. the presence of teeth well adapted to sustain high loads within a lightweight cranium and mandible. | Publication Type: | Journal Article | Source of Publication: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, v.277, p. 3579-3586 | Publisher: | The Royal Society Publishing | Place of Publication: | United Kingdom | ISSN: | 1471-2954 0962-8452 |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 060807 Animal Structure and Function 040308 Palaeontology (incl Palynology) |
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 970104 Expanding Knowledge in the Earth Sciences 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences |
Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal |
---|---|
Appears in Collections: | Journal Article School of Environmental and Rural Science |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format |
---|
SCOPUSTM
Citations
118
checked on Oct 12, 2024
Page view(s)
1,398
checked on Dec 3, 2023
Items in Research UNE are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.