Analysis of the emission of SO2, NOx,and suspended particles from the thermal power plants Kostolac (Serbia)

The environmental situation related to the thermal power basin of Kostolac for the most part represents the result of the influence of the thermal power plants (TPPs) of Kostolac A, Kostolac B, and the open-pit lignite mine. The quality of air is monitored by continuously measuring concentrations of the overall precipitation matters and gases such as CO₂, SO₂, NO_x, CO, and O₃. Values significantly exceeding the legal limits have been found for pollutants in the surroundings of the TPPs Kostolac A and B and in the direction of dominant winds. The paper analyzes the impact of different scenarios of emission of harmful matters from the blocks of TPPs Kostolac A and B on the quality of air in this part of Serbia. The Gaussian model has been used to evaluate dispersion of gas substances and suspended particulates as well as parameters related to the surroundings. Calculations have been made relating to ground-level concentrations of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and suspended particles at varying distances from the emission source.     

Tooth loss and tooth retention in a multitribal group of Bantu-speaking South African blacks: A study on 500 dry mandibles

Tooth loss and tooth retention in adult South African Bantu-speaking Negroes were studied from data derived from 500 dry mandibles. The tribe, sex, and stated age of the specimens were available. Mandibles were equally distributed over the third to seventh decade of life. The presence of dental units was recorded and analysed within and between decade age groups. The mandibles carried a total of 5,459 dental units. Between the third and fourth decades of life and between the sixth and seventh decades, the reduction of the frequency of dental units was mild and statistically not significant. It was, however, severe and significant between the fourth and fifth, and the fifth and sixth decades. In the third-decade group, most teeth were found in the anterior region with a tendency to diminish in number posteriorly. After the third decade there was a definite persistence of first premolars and canines with significant tendency toward loss of teeth anterior and posterior to them. Only the incisors and third molars showed significant reduction in number from the third to the fourth decade. The reduction of all teeth was statistically significant later, until the sixth decade of life. Although there was loss of teeth from the sixth to the seventh decade, it was not significant for any of the homologous dental units. There is a possibility that some dietary differences existed between the older subjects (50–70 years old) and the younger ones (20–49 years old) which may have had some influence on the results.     

Retrospective Estimate of the Individual History of Life in Population Studies on Mammals

Analysis of the recording structures in mammals, such as dentine, cementum, or bone tissue, makes it possible to estimate the parameters of individual history of life: age at the moment of death, seasons of death and birth, growth rate, age of sexual maturation, etc. Using the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) as an example, it has been shown what specific life features essential for population studies may be estimated when only mandibles with teeth are available.     

Retrospective estimate of the individual history of life in population studies on mammals]

Analysis of the recording structures in mammals, such as dentine, cementum, or bone tissue, makes it possible to estimate the parameters of individual history of life: age at the moment of death, seasons of death and birth, growth rate, age of sexual maturation, etc. Using the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) as an example, it has been shown what specific life features essential for population studies may be estimated when only mandibles with teeth are available.     

Tooth crown heights, tooth wear, sexual dimorphism and jaw growth in hominoids

The aim of this review is to bring together data that link tooth morphology with tooth function and tooth growth: We aim to show how the microanatomy of hominoid teeth is providing evidence about rates of tooth growth that are likely to be a consequence of both masticatory strategy and social behaviour. First, we present data about incisor and molar tooth wear in wild short chimpanzees that demonstrate how crown heights are likely to be related to relative tooth use in a broad sense. Following this we review recent studies that describe the microanatomy of hominoid tooth enamel and show how these studies are providing evidence about tooth crown formation times in hominoids, as well as improving estimates for the age at death of certain juvenile fossil hominids. Next, we outline what is known about the mechanisms of tooth growth in the sexually dimorphic canine teeth of chimpanzees and compare these patterns of growth with tooth growth patterns in the canines of three fossil hominids from Laetoli, Tanzania. Finally, we discuss how selection pressures that operate to increase or reduce the size of anterior teeth interact with jaw size. We argue that the space available to grow developing teeth in the mandibles of juvenile hominoids is determined by the growth patterns of the mandibles, which in turn reflect masticatory strategy. The consequences of selection pressure to grow large or small anterior teeth are likely to be reflected in the times at which these teeth are able to emerge into occlusion.     

Dental wear in the Libben population: Its functional pattern and role in the determination of adult skeletal age at death

Modal patterns of occlusal attrition are presented for the Libben population based on a sample of 332 adult dentitions. Maxillas and mandibles were reviewed independently by seriation prior to assessment of complete dentitions. The Spearman rank order coefficient for upper and lower dentitions was.96. Wear patterns are very similar to those reported by Murphy (1959a: Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 17:167–178) for Australian aborigines. There were no significant sexual differences in wear rate. Dental wear is concluded to be a highly reliable and important indicator of adult age at death for skeletal populations if seriation procedures are employed.     

Mountain reedbuck Redunca fulorufula growth and age determination using dentition

Lower jaws and measurements were obtained from 473 mountain reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula culled on two reserves in the north-eastern karoo of South Africa. All mandibles were allocated to subjective age classes that were based on tooth-eruption and tooth-wear. In a sample of 69 jaws. the molar and premolar cementum annuli were counted by examining bisected whole teeth under reflected light. One light line appeared to have been deposited per year, and a usable relationship between tooth-wear category and cementum line count was obtained. although indistinct and paired lines often confused the picture. Good correlations were also obtained between the number of cementum lines and the crown height of the first molar (r²= 0.68) and the second molar (r²= 0.77). Actual ages of immatures were estimated by comparing peaks in the distribution in the different age classes with the age since expected mean birth date in different culls. The age of transition to adult dentition (pL 30 months) was determined from two females that were earmarked when young and shot two years later. Von Bertalanffy (1957) growth curves were fitted to measurements of body mass, jaw length and horn length in males to aid field identification of immatures. Asymptotic body mass was reached at 30 months in females and 40 months in males, and asymptotic jaw length was reached at 30 months in both sexes. Horns in males only reached full length at about five years.     

The number of missing teeth in people of the Edo period in Japan in the 17th to 19th centuries

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2011.00511.x The number of missing teeth in people of the Edo period in Japan in the 17th to 19th centuries Objective: The aims of this study were to examine the number of missing teeth in the people of the Edo period (or number of remaining teeth) and to contribute to the 8020 movement proposed in Japan to help people retain 20 or more of their own teeth until the age of 80. Background: The study of dentition in ancient skeletal remains of our ancestors from multiple perspectives can yield information that can contribute to the study of physical anthropology and the leading edge of modern dental research. Materials and methods: The materials were 82 excavated individuals (52 males and 30 females) from 1603 to 1868 whose maxillas and mandibles were both examinable. The age and sex were estimated by anthropological methods, and the individuals were divided into five groups. The status of missing teeth was compared between groups, and a chi‐square test was used to test significant differences between groups. The rates of tooth loss were examined in the maxillas and mandibles. Results: In the people of the Edo period, many teeth remained in good condition until early to late middle age. There were more remaining teeth in these individuals than in modern‐day individuals. However, the Edo people clearly showed increased tooth loss with age. There were no differences in tooth loss by sex. The tooth type with a high rate of tooth loss was posterior teeth, but incisor loss also occurred with ageing. Mandibular canines were most likely to be remaining. Conclusion: The Edo people had more remaining teeth than modern‐day society. This finding was unexpected. The notion that “people of long past ages lost more teeth more quickly” does not seem to apply to people in the Edo period in Japan.     

Inventory of remains of Hominidae from Pliocene-Pleistocene formations of the lower Omo basin, Ethiopia (1967-1972)

Since its initiation in 1966 the Omo Research Expedition has recovered a series of hominid fossils, in association with many vertebrate taxa, from formations of Pliocene/Pleistocene age from the lower Omo basin, southern Ethiopia. These fossiliferous formations span a time range from over 4.2 m.y. to about 1.4 m. y. on the basis of K/A age determination. Hominid remains have been found so far to occur at two localities in the upper part of the Usno Formation (～ 2.9 m.y.) and in the Shungura Formation at 79 localities from successive Members B through levels postdating J, a time span between 3 m.y. and 1.4 m.y. The remains—inventoried here according to skeletal part, locality and stratigraphic level, age and situation—include numerous isolated and associated teeth, mandibles, partial maxillae, portions of crania, and elements of the postcranial skeleton.     

A Novel Objective Method of Estimating the Age of Mandibles from African Elephants (Loxodonta africana Africana)

The importance of assigning an accurate estimate of age and sex to elephant carcasses found in the wild has increased in recent years with the escalation in levels of poaching throughout Africa. Irregularities identified in current ageing techniques prompted the development of a new method to describe molar progression throughout life. Elephant mandibles (n = 323) were studied and a point near the distal dental alveolus was identified as being most useful in ranking each jaw according to molar progression. These ‘Age Reference Lines’ were then associated with an age scale based on previous studies and Zimbabwean mandibles of known age. The new ranking produced a single age scale that proved useful for both male and female mandibles up to the maximum lifespan age of 70–75 years. Methods to aid in molar identification and the sexing of found jaws were also identified.     

Development and metamorphosis of the feeding apparatus of the stone crab,Menippe mercenaria (brachyura,xanthidae)

Analysis of the feeding apparatus of the stone crab, Menippe mercenaria (Brachyura, Xanthidae), has demonstrated that substantial internal and external morphological alterations occur at metamorphosis and suggests that the mastication of food shifts from the mandibles to the gastric mill at that time. These changes correspond to the changes in environment and diet that take place at metamorphosis, when the previously planktotrophic larvae begin benthic life. A detailed account of the structure and development of the mandibles is presented. The mandibles of all zoeal stages are similar: The incisor process has a series of teeth and denticles and the prominent molar process appears to be well adapted for grinding food. Megalopal mandibles are transitional but have the form that is typical of all subsequent stages: The expanded incisor process is rounded and toothless and the molar process is less prominent and has lost its grinding denticles. The cardiac stomach of the zoeal stages has no gastric mill; the medial and lateral teeth of the mill first appear in the megalopa. A very simple procedure is described for preparing larval mandibles for scanning electron microscopy using the molted exoskeletons from larval rearing experiments.     

Dental wear and oral pathology: possible evidence and consequences of habitual use of teeth in a Swedish Neolithic sample

Atypical wear and oral lesions were studied in the dental remains from the Middle Neolithic Pitted Ware Culture site Ajvide on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. Teeth (n = 764) from 17 males and 11 females were examined microscopically to document unusual wear, assess wear patterns and oral lesions as evidence of habitual behavior, and determine their effect on the oral health of this population. Five atypical wear types were observed: occlusal facets, occlusal excessive load, labial vertical striae, labial horizontal striae, and interproximal striae. Three oral lesions were recorded: chipping, periapical lesions, and dental tilting. Results indicate that teeth were used in a habitual manner at Ajvide, based on the morphology and regularity of the patterns of atypical wear. Differences were observed between the sexes, indicating gender-related differences in the habitual use of teeth. Some wear categories showed a significant correlation with age, signifying increased or accumulated wear with age. Statistically significant positive correlations were found in the molars between occlusal excessive load wear and periapical lesions as well as tilting. Other apparent links were also observed between chipping and vertical striae as well as excessive load, although these were not significant. This suggests a relationship between dental wear and dental pathologies at this site, suggesting that habitual use of teeth indirectly affected the general oral health at the site. Wear patterns, furthermore, seem to mirror both frequent activities as well as single events.     

Foraging on sand particles: Coatings of soft radular teeth (Paludomidae,Gastropoda, Mollusca)

The radula is the ingesta-gathering structure in Mollusca. As interface, it has to perform various tasks without functional deterioration caused by wear. Wear prevention is well investigated in mollusks that forage on rocks and that generate high punctual pressure with their hard teeth, which contain high inorganic contents at their tips. In mollusks that forage on softer substrate, such as sand surfaces, and have relatively soft teeth, wear prevention has not been a focus of study before. Here, we studied the teeth of Limnotrochus thomsoni, which are used for raking algae from sand. For comparison, we investigated the soft outer teeth of Lavigeria grandis, which are used in gathering particles after the ingesta is loosed from the rock surface. SEM revealed scratches on all surfaces of the teeth and suggests that every tooth side interacts with abrasive particles during foraging. Analysis of stomach content revealed that sand particles of 10–20 μm diameter are ingested. By EDX/EDS, we studied the composition of the teeth and determined that high proportions of Ca are present on all surfaces, which could be an adaptation to reduce abrasion. Finally, we here present evidence for the existence of a canal within the teeth, which could potentially serve as delivery pathway of minerals during tooth maturation and has not been previously detected in Gastropoda.     

The Watinglo mandible: A second terminal Pleistocene Homo sapiens fossil from tropical Sahul with a test on existing models for the human settlement of the region

This paper analyses a fossil human mandible, dated to circa 10 ka, from Watinglo rockshelter on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. The fossil is metrically and morphologically similar to male mandibles of recent Melanesians and Australian Aborigines. It is distinguished from Kow Swamp and Coobool Creek male mandibles (Murray Valley, terminal Pleistocene) by being smaller and having different shape characteristics, as well as smaller teeth and a slower rate of tooth wear. It pairs with the Liang Lemdubu female (Late Glacial Maximum, Aru Islands) in suggesting that the morphology of the terminal Pleistocene inhabitants of tropical Sahul was gracile compared to their contemporaries within the southern Murray drainage. An explanatory scenario for this morphological contrast is developed in the context of the Homo sapiens early fossil record, Australasian mtDNA evidence, terminal Pleistocene climatic variation, and the possibility of multiple entry points into Sahul.     

New evidence of the genus homo from East Rudolf, Kenya (IV)

Four partial mandibles and three isolated teeth of Homo from East Rudolf, Kenya, are described. They represent only part of the 1972 fossil collection that has been assigned to Homo; results of detailed studies of this material will be published in a monograph.     

Additional mandibles of Rangwapithecus gordoni,an early Miocene catarrhine from the Tinderet localities of Western Kenya

Two catarrhine mandibles and five isolated teeth have been discovered from Early Miocene localities in Western Kenya. One mandible comes from the well‐known locality of Songhor whereas the other is from a newly discovered locality, Lower Kapurtay, located near Songhor. The mandibles both can clearly be assigned to the species Rangwapithecus gordoni based on molar morphology, which is unique among Early Miocene catarrhines. The isolated specimens can be assigned to Rangwapithecus based on their similarities in morphology to the homologues preserved in the two mandibles. These specimens provide important new information about the dentognathic morphology of Rangwapithecus, which is described in detail. The mandible from Songhor (KNM‐SO 22228) represents the first definitive female mandible of Rangwapithecus. The Lower Kapurtay mandible (KNM‐KT 31234) appears to be male but is much smaller than another recently described male mandible of this species (KNM‐SO 17500) and the type maxilla (KNM‐SO 700). These specimens enable a reassessment of the attributions of all other mandibles and isolated lower teeth of Rangwapithecus, and we present a complete hypodigm of the mandibular and lower dental material for the species. Finally, we provide some additions to the diagnosis of Rangwapithecus gordoni based on previously unknown morphology. Am J Phys Anthropol 153:341–352, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Changes in profiles of serum sex steroids of male buffaloes from birth to maturity

Age-related changes in testosterone, progesterone and estradiol 17-beta were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in the serum of 155 male buffalo calves of varying ages. The calves were classified into 17 age groups. The mean weight of calves increased from 33.6 +/- 9.6 kg at one week of age to 531 +/- 41.4 kg at 42 months. The testosterone levels were less than 100 pg/ml from birth until 15 months of age, followed by peak concentrations of 422 +/- 79 pg/ml at 24 to 30 months and 793 +/- 193 pg/ml at 42 to 48 months (corresponding to puberty and maturity, respectively). The progesterone levels were higher in newly born calves and mature bulls. Otherwise, the levels continued to be low throughout the period of growth and development. Estradiol 17-beta was significantly higher in postnatal calves up to two months of age. The testosterone revealed a positive correlation with weight and age while E2 17-beta showed a negative correlation with age. These results do not support a direct role of peripheral progesterone and estradiol 17-beta in the onset of puberty and sexual maturity of buffalo bulls.     

Early Pleistocene Dicerorhinus sumatrensis remains from the Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave, Guangxi, China

The Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave is very famous for its rich mammalian fauna and Gigantopithecus fossils. The Gigantopithecus Cave Fauna has been regarded as the typical Early Pleistocene fauna in South China. The majority of the fossils unearthed has been studied and published during the past decades. The only group remaining unpublished is the rhinoceros, which is studied in this paper. The rhino materials available today are only mandibles and lower cheek teeth. The dimensions of the tooth rows and the isolated teeth fall well within the range of the recent Dicerorhinus sumatrensis. Therefore, the rhino fossils from the Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave can be referred to this living species. The reduced lower incisors and the U-shaped lingual contour of the mandible also support this taxonomic determination. The rhino materials from the Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave represent the earliest known record of this species and the smallest Pleistocene rhinocerotid in China.     

Form and patterning of anterior tooth wear among aboriginal human groups

Form and severity of dental attrition was assessed in aboriginal human groups including hunter-gatherers (Eskimos, Australians) and those with dependence to a varying degree on food production (Southwest U.S. and Ohio American Indians). Wear on anterior teeth was both relatively and absolutely greater in the hunter-gatherers, as indicated by comparisons of wear on anterior and posterior teeth which come into occlusion at roughly the same time. Distinct differences in form of anterior wear were also apparent: The hunter-gatherers exhibited steadily increasing incidences of labially rounded wear with greater functional age, while the food-producing groups showed little or no rounding but instead high frequencies of heavily cupped wear (especially in those with premature loss of posterior teeth). These differences were attributed to nonmasticatory utilization of the front teeth in hunter-gatherers and to employment of the anterior teeth in masticatory (grinding) activities necessitated by large-scale molar loss in food producers.