Knowra Dental microwear Dental microwear Dental microwear consists of microscopic scratches, pits, and other surface changes produced on teeth during chewing. Its patterns can preserve evidence of diet and material properties.
Tooth enamel : The hard, mineralized outer covering of a tooth crown. Microwear forms on enamel where chewing contacts abrade the tooth surface.
Paleoanthropology : The study of human evolution through fossils, archaeology, and related evidence. Researchers use hominin tooth wear to reconstruct changing diets and behaviors.
Tooth microstructure : The organization of enamel, dentine, and other tissues at microscopic scales. Tissue structure affects how tooth surfaces fracture and retain wear features.
Dental mesowear : A method that classifies tooth cusp shape and relief to estimate long-term dietary abrasion. Mesowear averages wear over longer periods than the short-lived microwear record.
Dental microwear texture analysis : A method that quantifies three-dimensional surface textures on teeth to infer dietary properties. It measures complexity, roughness, and directionality rather than relying only on visible scratches.
Paleodiet : The foods consumed by organisms in the past, inferred from biological and archaeological evidence. Microwear provides evidence about foods consumed shortly before an animal died.
Dental macrowear : Large-scale loss and reshaping of tooth surfaces caused by wear over time. Macrowear records cumulative change, unlike the fine surface features of microwear.
Dental microwear anisotropy analysis : An approach that measures the orientation and alignment of microscopic tooth-surface features. It emphasizes directional patterning, whereas texture analysis summarizes three-dimensional surface properties.
Dental microwear scars : Microscopic pits, scratches, and related marks left on tooth surfaces by contact and abrasion. These are the individual surface features whose patterns constitute microwear.
Stable isotope analysis : The measurement of isotope ratios in materials to investigate biological and environmental processes. Isotopes indicate dietary sources over longer periods, complementing microwear's shorter window.
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