Relief index of second mandibular molars is a correlate of diet among prosimian primates and other euarchontan mammals.

摘要: This study describes and tests a new method of calculating shape metric known as the relief index (RFI) on lower second molars extant euarchontan mammals, including scandentians (treeshrews), dermopterans (flying lemurs), prosimian primates (strepsirhines tarsiers). RFI is ratio tooth crown three-dimensional area to two-dimensional planar area. It essentially expresses hypsodonty complexity shape. Like other measurements complexity, ignores taxon-specific features, such certain cusps crests, which are usually considered in more traditional studies function. Traditional statistical analyses sample show that distinguishes taxa with differing amounts structural carbohydrates their diets, frugivore/gramnivores being significantly than omnivores, insectivores/folivores higher two. Information absolute size, or body mass, needed reliably parse out insectivores folivores; however, if limited Primates, alone many folivores (lower) from (higher). Finally, phylogenetically independent contrasts dietary preference strongly correlated one another, indicating variance better explained by diversity phylogenetic affinity this sample. Because accuracy insensitivity among Euarchonta, can be applied fossil stem-primates (plesiadapiforms) used elucidate compare preferences. Such comparisons important for developing detailed view primate evolution.