更新世中晚期猩猩第四乳前臼齿的三维釉质厚度
收稿日期: 2025-06-20
修回日期: 2025-10-13
网络出版日期: 2026-04-17
基金资助
国家自然科学基金(42202004);国家自然科学基金(42402008);国家自然科学基金(42472007);广西自然科学基金(2024GXNSFBA010310);八桂青年拔尖人才培养项目;国家社科基金重大项目(20&ZD246)
Three-dimensional enamel thickness of the fourth deciduous premolars in Middle-to-Late Pleistocene Pongo
Received date: 2025-06-20
Revised date: 2025-10-13
Online published: 2026-04-17
牙齿釉质厚度在灵长类系统演化和食性适应研究中具有重要指示意义。前人对大型猿类恒齿釉质厚度进行了较为系统的探讨，然而乳齿的釉质厚度研究相对匮乏。近期虽有研究报道了化石猩猩乳前臼齿的二维釉质厚度，但其三维釉质厚度特征仍有待阐明。本研究基于高精度显微CT数据，对广西更新世中晚期猩猩第四乳前臼齿的三维釉质厚度进行了定量分析，并与人类和现生猩猩进行了对比。统计分析结果显示，化石猩猩上颌三维釉质厚度显著大于下颌，这一发现与二维分析结果存在差异。此外，化石猩猩第四乳前臼齿的三维釉质厚度普遍小于人类，该发现与恒齿所揭示的规律基本一致。最后，更新世中晚期猩猩乳齿釉质可能厚于现生种，但该推论还需更多的现生猩猩数据加以佐证。本研究首次提供的数据有望为未来开展人科成员乳齿三维釉质厚度的对比研究奠定基础。
易智星 , 仇若萱 , 王伟 , 廖卫 , 梁华 , 田淳 , 米尔阿迪力·吐尔逊江 , 张一景 , 姚艳燕 . 更新世中晚期猩猩第四乳前臼齿的三维釉质厚度[J]. 人类学学报, 2026 , 45(02) : 248 -257 . DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0116
Enamel thickness holds significant implications for studies on primate phylogenetic evolution and dietary adaptations. Previous studies have systematically explored the enamel thickness of permanent teeth in great apes (e.g., Pongo, Gorilla, and Pan), whereas research on deciduous teeth enamel thickness remains relatively limited. Although a recent work has reported two-dimensional (2D) enamel thickness measurements of fossil Pongo deciduous premolars, their three-dimensional (3D) enamel thickness characteristics remain unclear. High-resolution micro-CT data (voxel size: 15.82~23.42 μm) was employed here to conduct a quantitative analysis of the 3D enamel thickness in 16 Middle-to-Late Pleistocene Pongo fourth deciduous premolars (dP4) from Guangxi, consisting of 7 dP4s and 9 dP4s. The enamel thickness results of fossil Pongo were compared with that of human taxa (Java Homo erectus, Middle Pleistocene hominin, Neanderthals, and modern humans) and extant Pongo. Results show that the three enamel thickness indices of dP4 are greater than those of dP4. Specifically, the mean values of 3DAET, 3DRET, and 3DRED for dP4 are 0.62 mm (0.54~0.78 mm), 9.74 (8.04~12.92), and 7.62 (7.11~8.35), respectively. The corresponding values for dP4 are 0.51 mm (0.44~0.65 mm), 7.94 (6.54~10.27), and 7.16 (6.68~7.95), respectively. Statistical analyses also reveal that fossil Pongo exhibits significantly thicker enamel in dP4 than in dP4 (p<0.05). This significant difference is primarily due to the significantly greater enamel volume in dP4 compared to dP4 (p=0.03), whereas it shows no significant correlation with the differences in the enamel-dentine junction area (p=0.92) or dentine volume (p=0.68). Furthermore, according to the 3DRET results, the fossil Pongo dP4 can be classified as having thin enamel, whereas the dP4 falls into the category of hyper-thin enamel. For comparison, the dP4 enamel thickness in human taxa can be classified into various categories, ranging from thin to intermediate thick. Therefore, the 3D enamel thickness of the fossil Pongo dP4 is generally thinner than that of human taxa, which is consistent with the findings in permanent teeth. Finally, the mean 3DAET and mean 3DRET of the extant Pongo dP4 are 0.41 mm and 7.51, respectively, both of which are lower than the corresponding values in fossil Pongo. While Middle-to-Late Pleistocene Pongo dP4s may exhibit thicker enamel than their extant counterparts, this hypothesis requires further validation with additional data from extant Pongo. The primary data provided in this study are expected to lay a foundation for future comparative researches on 3D enamel thickness in hominid deciduous teeth.
Key words： Fossil Pongo; deciduous premolars; 3D enamel thickness; South China
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