There's a silent epidemic in western civilization, and it is right under our noses. Our jaws are getting smaller and our teeth crooked and crowded, creating not only aesthetic challenges but also difficulties with breathing. Modern orthodontics has persuaded us that braces and oral devices can correct these problems. While teeth can certainly be straightened, what about the underlying causes of this rapid shift in oral evolution and the health risks posed by obstructed airways? Sandra Kahn and Paul R. Ehrlich, a pioneering orthodontist and a world-renowned evolutionist, respectively, present the biological, dietary, and cultural changes that have driven us toward this major health challenge. They propose simple adjustments that can alleviate this developing crisis, as well as a major alternative to orthodontics that promises more significant long-term relief. Jaws will change your life. Every parent should read this book.
It is generally accepted that the earliest human ancestors grew more like apes than like humans today. If they did so, and we are now different, when, how and why did our modern growth patterns evolve? This book focuses on species within the genus Homo to investigate the evolutionary origins of characteristic human patterns and rates of craniofacial and postcranial growth and development, and to explore unique ontogenetic patterns within each fossil species. Experts examine growth patterns found within available Plio-Pleistocene hominid samples, and analyse variation in ontogenetic patterns and rates of development in recent modern humans in order to provide a comparative context for fossil hominid studies. Presenting studies of some of the newer juvenile fossil specimens and information on Homo antecessor, this book will provide a rich data source with which anthropologists and evolutionary biologists can address the questions posed above.
Developmental Approaches to Human Evolution encapsulates the current state of evolutionary developmental anthropology. This emerging scientific field applies tools and approaches from modern developmental biology to understand the role of genetic and developmental processes in driving morphological and cognitive evolution in humans, non-human primates and in the laboratory organisms used to model these changes. Featuring contributions from well-established pioneers and emerging leaders, this volume is designed to build research momentum and catalyze future innovation in this burgeoning field. The book’s broad research scope encompasses soft and hard tissues of the head and body, including the skeleton, special senses and the brain. Developmental Approaches to Human Evolution is an invaluable resource on the mechanisms of primate and vertebrate evolution for scholars across a wide array of intersecting disciplines, including primatology, paleoanthropology, vertebrate morphology, evolutionary developmental biology and health sciences.
The Teeth of Non-Mammalian Vertebrates is the first comprehensive publication devoted to the teeth and dentitions of living fishes, amphibians and reptiles. The book presents a comprehensive survey of the amazing variety of tooth forms among non-mammalian vertebrates, based on descriptions of approximately 400 species belonging to about 160 families. The text is lavishly illustrated with more than 600 high-quality color and monochrome photographs of specimens gathered from top museums and research workers from around the world, supplemented by radiographs and micro-CT images. This stimulating work discusses the functional morphology of feeding, the attachment of teeth, and the relationship of tooth form to function, with each chapter accompanied by a comprehensive, up-to-date reference list. Following the descriptions of the teeth and dentitions in each class, four chapters review current topics with considerable research activity: tooth development; tooth replacement; and the structure, formation and evolution of the dental hard tissues. This timely book, authored by internationally recognized teachers and researchers in the field, also reflects the resurgence of interest in the dentitions of non-mammalian vertebrates as experimental systems to help understand genetic changes in evolution of teeth and jaws. - Features more than 600 images, including numerous high-quality photographs from internationally-recognized researchers and world class collections - Offers guidance on tooth morphology for classification and evolution of vertebrates - Provides detailed coverage of the dentition of all living groups of non-mammalian vertebrates
This volume attempts to provide accessible accounts of these advances in developmental biology for the non-expert, together with contributions from hominid palaeontologists, which aim to bring this developmental perspective to bear on interpretation of the skeletal record of human evolution. This combined approach is, as yet, in its infancy but it is likely that it will impact significantly on palaeoanthropology and palaeontolgy in general.
What human teeth can tell us about our evolution, development, and behavior . . . This fascinating, accessible study will “put a smile on your face with its weird facts about primate dentistry and the shrinking grins of modern-day humans” (Washington Post). Our teeth have intriguing stories to tell. These sophisticated time machines record growth, diet, and evolutionary history as clearly as tree rings map a redwood's lifespan. Each day of childhood is etched into tooth crowns and roots—capturing birth, nursing history, environmental clues, and illnesses. The study of ancient, fossilized teeth sheds light on how our ancestors grew up, how we evolved, and how prehistoric cultural transitions continue to affect humans today. In The Tales Teeth Tell, biological anthropologist Tanya Smith offers an engaging and surprising look at what teeth tell us about the evolution of primates—including our own uniqueness. Humans’ impressive set of varied teeth provides a multipurpose toolkit honed by the diet choices of our mammalian ancestors. Fossil teeth, highly resilient because of their substantial mineral content, are all that is left of some long-extinct species. Smith explains how researchers employ painstaking techniques to coax microscopic secrets from these enigmatic remains. Counting tiny daily lines provides a way to estimate age that is more powerful than any other forensic technique. Dental plaque—so carefully removed by dental hygienists today—records our ancestors' behavior and health in the form of fossilized food particles and bacteria, including their DNA. Smith also traces the grisly origins of dentistry, reveals that the urge to pick one’s teeth is not unique to humans, and illuminates the age-old pursuit of “dental art.” The book is generously illustrated with original photographs, many in color.
Applying dental anatomy to the practice of dentistry, Wheeler's Dental Anatomy, Physiology, and Occlusion, 10th Edition provides illustrated coverage of dentitions, pulp formation, the sequence of eruptions, and clinical considerations. The market leader, this text is used as a reference in creating examination questions for the dental anatomy and occlusion section of the NBDE Part I. This edition expands its focus on clinical applications and includes dozens of online 360-degree and 3-D tooth animations. Written by expert educator and lecturer Dr. Stanley Nelson, Wheeler's Dental Anatomy provides a solid foundation in this core subject for the practice of dentistry. - Over 900 full-color images include detailed, well-labeled anatomical illustrations as well as clinical photographs - Practical appendices include Review of Tooth Morphology with a concise review of tooth development from in utero to adolescence to adulthood, and Tooth Traits of the Permanent Dentition with tables for each tooth providing detailed information such as tooth notation, dimensions, position of proximal contacts, heights, and curvatures. - 360-degree virtual reality animations on the Evolve companion website demonstrate 26 tooth views from multiple directions, while 27 3-D animations demonstrate dental structure and mandibular movement, helping you refine your skills in tooth identification and examination. - 64 detachable flash cards show tooth traits and many illustrations from the book, making it easy to prepare for tests as well as for the NBDE and NBDHE. - 32 labeling exercises on Evolve challenge you to identify tooth structures and facial anatomy with drag-and-drop labels. - NEW Clinical Applications of Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion chapter includes practical applications and case studies, including instructions on root planing and scaling, extraction techniques and forces, relationship of fillings to pulp form and enamel form, and occlusal adjustment of premature occlusal contacts and arch form in relationship to bite splint designs, all preparing you for the NBDE's new focus on clinical applications. - NEW photos, illustrations, and research keep you up to date with the latest dental information. - Three NEW animations on the Evolve companion website demonstrate occlusal adjustments.
