Dental Microwear and Diet: the Role of Geographic and Cultural Contexts in Human Evolution

International audienceA two-day symposium explored new research and evidence which suggests that at some stage during the last few million years, our human ancestors were exposed to periods of semiaquatic evolution which led to the acquisition of unique and primordial human characteristics. This specific anthropological research identifies the functions of teeth by closely examining their surface damage characteristics. We have observed the dental micro wear striation on a variety of populations, that range from being almost carnivorous to largely vegetarian, to improve our knowledge of Prehistoric man diet. The method interprets the food movements in mouth by the form of striae present on the buccal enamel of the back teeth