Dental microwear analysis: historicalperspectives and new approaches

摘要

Diet is widely recognized as the single most important parameter underlyingbehavioral and ecological differences among living animals. Bioarchaeologistsand paleontologists reconstruct diets of past peoples and extinct animals forwhat they can teach us about matters ranging from the health status of indi-viduals to adaptations and evolution of species. Dental microwear analysis isamong the most effective ways of inferring diets of past peoples and fossilspecies. This approach involves the study of microscopic patterns of use-wearon teeth and is applicable to a broad range of species, giving a direct record ofwhat an individual ate during its lifetime.