Electron-optical microscopic study of incipient dental microdamage from experimental seed and bone crushing

Abstract

No living analogue exists for the hypothetical early hominid hard/tough‐seed, coarse‐root‐eating, and bone‐crushing masticatory adaptation. To investigate possible microdamage/microwear to dental enamel caused by such usage, puncture‐crushing experiments were carried out on single human teeth, using an Instron compression apparatus on the following six test materials: Makapansgat Limeworks chert (e.g., taphonomy), fresh steer longbone, mongongo nuts, Grewia berries, Carob beans, and wild‐onion bulbs. Pairs of extracted unworn third molars were utilized, with one tooth acting as the control. The teeth were mounted, ultrasonically cleaned, and two‐stage replicas made with a vinyl polysiloxane elastomer and araldite epoxy resin. After Instron loading and materials failure (1.2–395.0 kg) the test items and the crowns were prepared for comparison with scanning electron microscopy and dispersive x‐ray elemental analysis and mapping. The results revealed that although grit adhering to food item surfaces caused microscratches (0.1–1.0 μm wide) similar in appearance to those caused by opal phytoliths in grasses, the dicotyledonous seed coats per se were unable to score enamel. This suggests microscratch morphology alone may not provide a reliable indication of food type. In some cases puncture‐crushing of bone and hard legumes produced a localized microfracture pattern (crazing with cracks less than or equal to 0.1–1.0 μm wide) that was readily distinguishable from the simulated taphonomic damage caused by chert fragments, suggesting analysis of enamel microfracture patterns may provide clues as to early hominid dietary adaptations.