Project Details
Projekt
FOR 771: Function and Performance Enhancement in the Mammalian Dentition - Phylogenetic and Ontogenetic Impact on the Masticatory Apparatus
Subject Area
Geosciences
Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine
Biology
Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine
Biology
Term
from 2007 to 2016
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 25905019
The Reseach Unit is united by the common interest in the function and evolution of mammalian dentitions. The great morphological diversity of fossil and extant mammalian dentitions has been described by many authors, but the knowledge of the functional aspect is still very limited. The classical description of the jaw movement as orthal, propalinal or lateral is in many cases inadequate. Starting with the striae on occlusal surfaces of teeth the jaw movement shall be reconstructed. This approach is chosen, because this excellent source of information is available in teeth of extant as well as fossil mammals. One important aim of the Reseach Unit is to understand how the jaw movement and tooth morphology were changed during phylogeny and ontogeny.
The efficiency of specific tooth shapes for destroying plant material can be tested under the aspects of biomechanics and energy when selected living herbivorous mammals are fed with standardised plant material. The mechanical destruction of the plants in the mouth cavity can be regarded as a measurement for the yield of energy. Thus a new approach for the interpretation of evolutionary changes in the mammalian dentition is provided. For major topics will be studied:
(1) construction material of teeth (dentine, enamel and organic material),
(2) jaw movement,
(3) destruction of plant material and yield of energy,
(4) evolutionary changes in dental morphology.
Besides traditional techniques for the investigations of the Reseach Unit three-dimensional scanning and imaging techniques will be applied in order to understand the interaction of the complex contact areas between upper and lower dentitions. The virtual simulation of the chewing cycle will yield fundamental new insights into the origin of attrition facets and the understanding of the function of mammalian dentitions.
The efficiency of specific tooth shapes for destroying plant material can be tested under the aspects of biomechanics and energy when selected living herbivorous mammals are fed with standardised plant material. The mechanical destruction of the plants in the mouth cavity can be regarded as a measurement for the yield of energy. Thus a new approach for the interpretation of evolutionary changes in the mammalian dentition is provided. For major topics will be studied:
(1) construction material of teeth (dentine, enamel and organic material),
(2) jaw movement,
(3) destruction of plant material and yield of energy,
(4) evolutionary changes in dental morphology.
Besides traditional techniques for the investigations of the Reseach Unit three-dimensional scanning and imaging techniques will be applied in order to understand the interaction of the complex contact areas between upper and lower dentitions. The virtual simulation of the chewing cycle will yield fundamental new insights into the origin of attrition facets and the understanding of the function of mammalian dentitions.
DFG Programme
Research Units
International Connection
Sweden
Projects
- Biomechanik der Occlusionsfläche (Applicants Kaiser, Thomas M. ; Kalinka, Gerhard )
- Die Evolution und Funktionsvariabilität von bunodonten Molaren bei Primaten (Applicant Kullmer, Ottmar )
- Die Funktionsweise der Gebisse ursprünglicher Tribosphenida (Applicant Martin, Thomas )
- Einfluss der Nahrungszerkleinerung auf den Energiegewinn (Applicant Südekum, Karl-Heinz )
- Evolutive Veränderung im Kauzyklus bei Artiodactyla und Perissodactyla (Applicant von Koenigswald, Wighart )
- Funktion und Leistungssteigerung in den Bezahnungen der Säugetiere - phylogenetische und ontogenetische Einflüsse auf den Kauapparat (Applicant Martin, Thomas )
- Funktionelle Analoga zu tribosphenischen Bezahnungen (Applicant Martin, Thomas )
- Hydrodynamik der Mastikation (Applicant Kaiser, Thomas M. )
- Jaw movements, paleodiet and mode of life in herbivorous mammal-like reptiles from the Gondwanean Triassic (Applicant Kalthoff, Daniela )
- Kaubewegungen, Paläodiät und Lebensweise pflanzenfressender säugetierähnlicher Reptilien der gondwanischen Trias (Applicant Martin, Thomas )
- Kaufunktion bei Mammaliamorpha mit nagerähnlichen Bezahnungen (Applicant Martin, Thomas )
- Kauleistung der Dentinzähne fossiler Faul- und Gürteltiere: Wie funktionieren Säugetiere ohne Zahnschmelz? (Applicant Kalthoff, Daniela )
- Kauleistung der Dentinzähne fossiler Faul- und Gürteltiere Wie funktionieren Säugetierzähne ohne Zahnschmelz (Applicant Kalthoff, Daniela )
- Kauvorgang Wiederkäuer (Applicant Südekum, Karl-Heinz )
- Konstruktionsmorphologie und Kauflächen hypsodonter Zähne bei Herbivoren (Applicants Kaiser, Thomas M. ; Ruf, Irina )
- Ontogenetische Veränderungen im Kauvorgang (Applicants von Koenigswald, Wighart ; Südekum, Karl-Heinz )
- Strategien der Nahrungszerkleinerung (Applicant Hummel, Jürgen )
- Wechselbeziehungen zwischen Zahnoberflächen und biogenen Filmen (Applicant Südekum, Karl-Heinz )
Spokesperson
Professor Dr. Thomas Martin
