Research report 2009 - Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

The Ravages of Time: Latest Results from Analyzing Dental Structures in Fossil Humans

Authors
Kupczik, Kornelius
Departments
Abteilung für Humanevolution am Max-Planck-Institut für evolutionäre Anthropologie
Summary
Due to their mineralized content, teeth are by far the most commonly preserved remains in the human fossil record. The structure of the basic modules of teeth provides clues about the development and diet of humans and their fossil ancestors as well as their relation to the environment. Scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology make use of this biological source of information to find out in which ways modern humans differ from other primates and when and how the fossil ancestors of modern humans passed the threshold to anatomical and cultural modernity.

For the full text, see the German version.

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