Primate dental topographic and geometric morphology

Cuny Brooklyn College, Brooklyn NY

Investigators

Abstract

Understanding the morphology of the teeth is vital for paleontologists analyzing mammalian evolution, both for the identification of species and for assessing relationships between different species and groups. Additionally, as teeth function primarily to process food, the dentition provides information on diet in fossil primates. The goals of the project are to gain a better understanding of the relative contribution of dietary specialization, phylogenetic history and body size to primate dental morphology, and to test hypotheses concerning best practice in the use of dental morphology to reconstruct diet and phylogenetic history. This will be accomplished through the compilation, measurement, and analysis of a large sample of three dimensional (3D) digital images of dental morphology from all major groupings of extant primates, and fossil species from key periods in primate evolution. This research contributes to building scientific infrastructure through the creation of a database of digital images, which will be made available to other researchers and students for teaching and research purposes. When requested by museums providing access to specimens, high quality dental casts and digital images will also be archived with these institutions. The project also will provide training for undergraduate students in the creation of anatomical images from computed tomography, a technique that is employed extensively in medical practice, and similar digital images also are used in the fields of architecture, art, and engineering. This work will be carried out at Brooklyn College, and will promote undergraduate participation in scientific research through providing opportunities for employment as research assistants, and through associated exercises that will form part of the coursework in classes taught by the principal investigators.