C. Lalueza et al., DIETARY INFERENCES THROUGH BUCCAL MICROWEAR ANALYSIS OF MIDDLE AND UPPER PLEISTOCENE HUMAN FOSSILS, American journal of physical anthropology, 100(3), 1996, pp. 367-387
Buccal microwear has been studied in a sample of 153 molar teeth from
different modern hunter-gatherer, pastoralist, and agriculturalist gro
ups, with different diets (Inuit, Fueguians, Bushmen, Australian abori
gines, Andamanese, Indians from Vancouver, Veddahs, Tasmanians, Lapps,
and Hindus), preserved at museum collections. Molds of an area of the
buccal surface have been obtained and observed at 100x magnification
in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The length and orientation of
each striation have been determined with a semiautomatic program of a
n image analyzer system (IBAS). Results show that intergroup variabili
ty is significantly higher than the intragroup variability. There exis
ts a tendency toward fewer striations and a higher proportion of verti
cal striations in the carnivorous groups than in the vegetarian ones.
This microwear pattern is concordant with biomechanics (predominantly
vertical mandible movements in meat eaters) and phytolith content in p
lants (more abrasive particles in vegetarian diets). The variability f
ound has been used in a multivariate analysis as a base to compare the
microwear pattern of a sample of 20 Middle and Upper Pleistocene foss
ils, mainly from Europe, analyzed with the same methodology. The sampl
e includes specimens usually classified as archaic H. sapiens (Broken
Hill, Banyoles, Montmaurin, La Chaise-Suard, La Chaise-Bourgeios et De
launay), Neanderthal (La Quina V, Gibraltar 2, Tabun 1 and 2, Amud 1,
Malarnaud, St. Cesaire, Marillac), and anatomically modern H. sapiens
(Skhul 4, Qafzeh 9, Cro-Magnon 4, Abri-Pataud, Veyrier, La Madelaine,
Rond-du-Barry). Results indicate that some of the Neanderthal specimen
s have a microwear pattern close to that of the carnivorous groups (su
ch as Inuit and Fueguians), suggesting that these individuals follow a
hunter strategy. In contrast, archaic H. sapiens and H. sapiens sapie
ns seem to have a more abrasive diet, probably more depending on veget
able materials, than the Neanderthals. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.