New fossil evidence suggests that mammals have been caries for a very, very long time, and we can blame it on our timeless love for sugary foods.
Dental cavities have been detected in more than 7% of the fossils belonging to Microsyops latidens, a primate that lived during the early Eocene about 54 million years ago, according to the new research published today in Scientific Reports. Scientists, led by Keegan Selig of the University of Toronto Scarborough, say the cavities were probably caused by the consumption of sweet fruits and sugary foods, which is totally related.
One interesting thing about the new study is that scientists were able to track the prevalence of caries, sometimes called caries, among M. latidens over time, which allows them to infer dietary changes over the same period of time. In addition, the methods used in the study can now be used to track similar dental problems and dietary habits / changes in other extinct species.
Not much is known M. latidens (they have no living offspring), but they probably lived in the trees and ate a combination of fruits and insects. Unlike the primates that live today, this animal “He probably relied on his nose to detect the world compared to how much he relied on his vision,” Selig wrote in an email. The anthropologist undertook this study to find out what types of foods M. latidens he ate and thought dental caries might offer some ideas.
Caries, already formed 54 million years ago or yesterday, is caused by oral bacteria that eat sugars bound to the teeth. Bacteria throw a highly acidic by-product, which eats dental tissue, forming a hole or cavity.
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“We cannot be 100% sure that the fruit caused these cavities M. latidens. Oother factors such as the pH and biochemistry of the mouth can also produce cavities, “Selig explained.” But fruit, and specifically sugar, are the main culprits in the production of cavities, just like in our current mouth. “
The study’s fossil evidence came from the southern Bighorn Basin in Wyoming. The researchers gathered a sample of 1,030 individual dental fossils, such as sections of teeth and jaws, spanning approximately 544,000 years from the early Eocene. It is now the “largest sample of fossil caries to date in a single extinct mammal species“And the ‘oldest known sample of dental caries in an extinct mammal,” the researchers wrote in their study.it is believed to be a millennial fossil of another extinct primate previous holder of the oldest known mammal cavity record.
Selig, along with anthropologist Mary Silcox, also of the University of Toronto Scarborough, visually analyzed each of the 1,030 fossils, finding 77 with cavities. It is 7.48% of the samples.
“The most amazing thing was the number of people in our sample who had cavities,” Selig said. “Compared to live primates, M. latidens it had more cavities than we could expect. “
In terms of gravity, cavities range from much smaller to cavities that occupied almost half the surface of a tooth. Selig said it’s hard to know what effect it had on his health, “but having cavities, especially large ones, can cause a lot of health problems,” such as the loss of a tooth, an infection, or discomfort while chewing. “None of these problems would be great for an animal,” he added.
Interestingly, the oldest and youngest fossils exhibited the fewest number of cavities compared to the rest. This probably means that “this species underwent a change in its diet to include more foods rich in fruits or other sugars over a short period of time,” according to the study. “Our analysis, therefore, suggests that the diet of M. latidens it fluctuated over time. ”The reason for this probably had to do with climate change during the Early Eocene, which resulted in different vegetation and, consequently, variable access to food.
Similar fossil sets could give similar insights. Selig hopes his team’s findings “will cause other researchers to check for cavities on the fossils they study,” as these dental ailments “can provide very useful information about an animal’s diet.”
A very cool study, but suddenly I have an overwhelming urge to brush my teeth.
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