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The Masticatory Apparatus of Humans (Homo sapiens): Evolution and Comparative Functional Morphology

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Feeding in Vertebrates

Part of the book series: Fascinating Life Sciences ((FLS))

Abstract

Feeding and diet played key roles in human evolution. It is well known that modern humans have a small masticatory apparatus for their body size among primates. However, identifying gracility does not necessarily tell us about the relative functional capacities of the human masticatory system beyond the obvious size-related consequences. We consider the functional consequences of gracilization and functional relationships within the human masticatory apparatus using nonhuman primates for comparison. Human jaws are short for their size, particularly the anterior portion, among primates. When considered relative to masticatory apparatus size, the shortened jaw compares more similarly to other apes. Because jaw length acts as a load arm, humans have improved leverage for biting, but smaller relative gapes. Human biting ability is not particularly improved by their favorable leverage because humans have relatively small muscles and because of a size-related decrease in bite force across primates. Humans have relatively reduced load resistance abilities in the jaw compared to other apes, but abilities that are still intermediate among primates. Human postcanine teeth are small for their size, but average-sized for their masticatory apparatus. Finally, an initial look at jaw-muscle activation patterns during chewing suggests that humans recruit their jaw muscles like similar-sized anthropoids. We conclude that any performance deficits in the human masticatory apparatus are primarily related to gracilization. Humans possess a relative masticatory apparatus configuration that compares similarly to many other primates suggesting the evolution of humans has not unraveled the basic functional relationships within the masticatory apparatus that characterize most primates.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the following institutions and individuals for providing access to the primate skulls studied here: Field Museum of Natural History (L. Heaney, B. Patterson, and W. Stanley); National Museum of Natural History (L. Gordon and R. Thorington); American Museum of Natural History (R. MacPhee); Natural History Museum, London (P. Jenkins); Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (J. Cuisin); and Naturhistorisches Museum Basel (M. Sutermeister and F. Weidenmayer). We very much thank Dr. Vincent Bels for the invitation to participate in this volume and his unending patience with this submission. Funding: NSF (SBR-9701425, BCS-0552285).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, 4209 St. Rt. 44, Box 95, Rootstown, OH, 44272, USA

    Christopher J. Vinyard

  2. Department of Basic Science, Touro University, Vallejo, CA, 94592, USA

    Mark F. Teaford & Andrea B. Taylor

  3. Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA

    Christine E. Wall

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  1. Christopher J. Vinyard
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Correspondence to Christopher J. Vinyard .

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  1. Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité – UMR 7205 CNRS/MNHN/Sorbonne Université/EPHE/UA, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France

    Vincent Bels

  2. Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada

    Ian Q. Whishaw

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Vinyard, C.J., Teaford, M.F., Wall, C.E., Taylor, A.B. (2019). The Masticatory Apparatus of Humans (Homo sapiens): Evolution and Comparative Functional Morphology. In: Bels, V., Whishaw, I. (eds) Feeding in Vertebrates. Fascinating Life Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13739-7_21

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