Behavioral strategies of prehistoric and historic children from dental microwear texture analysis

Introduction Reconstructing the dietary and behavioral strategies of our hominin ancestors is crucial to understanding their evolution, adaptation, overall way life. Teeth in general, dental microwear specifically, provide a means examine these strategies, with posterior teeth well positioned tell us about diet, anterior helping non-dietary tooth-use behaviors. Past research predominantly focused on adult individuals, leaving wonder role children may have played community at large. Here we begin address this by analyzing prehistoric historic through texture analysis deciduous teeth. Materials Methods Four sample groups were used: Neandertals ( N = 8), early modern humans 14), Egyptians from Amarna 19) high-Arctic Inuit Point Hope, Alaska 6). Anterior carefully cleaned, molded, cast high-resolution materials. Labial surfaces scanned for textures using two white-light confocal microscopes University Arkansas, soft filter applied facilitate data comparisons. Results Discussion show that successfully differentiated samples all variables examined (anisotropy, complexity, scale maximum variants heterogeneity). Interestingly, Neandertal Hope had similar mean values across variables, both significantly different Amarna, Egyptian children. These differences suggest diversity abrasive load exposure participation Further analyses an expanded size will help strengthen presented here, but results some took part behaviors as counterparts.