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Book Reviews |
Professor and Assistant Dean of Research Office of Discovery, Innovation, and Graduate Studies, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State St., Jackson, MS 39216-4505; cstreckfus{at}sod.umsmed.edu.
This book is a text directed to those individuals interested in the function and evolution of mammalian teeth, with a special emphasis on factors involved in food selection particularly among the varying primates species. The purpose of the book is to provide information and current hypotheses on the evolution of human dentition and the craniofacial complex.
The book provides an innovative, in-depth alternative to the perception that the human dentition merely crushes, cuts, shears, or grinds food. It provides striking evidence to demonstrate how teeth adapt to diet. Using physiological and mathematical modeling, the book provides the reader with an analysis of dental activity based on an understanding of how food particles are masticated according to their overall physical characteristics. It also proposes several hypotheses concerning the evolution of dental morphology from the earliest mammals to modern-day humans. These notions are presented using very basic considerations about the fracture properties of diet and the underlying influence these properties have on the production of mechanical defense mechanisms, which protect and eventually dictate the morphology of the dentition.
The text also outlines and elucidates the theoretical basis concerning the factors governing tooth shape and size. The author provides an allometric analysis using these factors to describe the evolution of the human face and the impact of cooked foods on our dentition. This approach is striking as it suggests a global or interactive relationship between the dentition and craniofacial development. Overall, this is an important sourcebook for physical anthropologists, dental and food scientists, paleontologists, and those interested in feeding ecology.
The book is well written, highly organized, and holds the reader’s interest with numerous high-quality illustrations. In addition, the basis of the mechanics behind the fracture of different types of food and methods of measurement are provided to the reader in an easy-to-use appendix. I personally enjoyed the statistical mathematical modeling, which is frequently presented throughout the text; however, as the author points out in the preface, this biophysical approach may not be enjoyable to the entire reading audience.
In summary, the book is an excellent addition to the library of those interested in the evolution of the human dentition and its corresponding effect on the evolution of the craniofacial complex. The book is unique in that the author employs a global perspective integrating the dentition as a functional part of the oral cavity and the entire craniofacial complex. The author suggests that not only our dental morphology, but our modern facial features as well have evolved as a result of our ever-changing dietary habits.
The book is also a valuable resource for those interested in the feeding ecology or the general dental practitioner who is willing to take the time to learn new technical terms and revisit his or her biomaterials textbook. The only drawback that I found with the book is its price; at $130.00, it is expensive. However, given the high quality of the product and the plethora of information provided within its binder, the book is well worth the purchase price.
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