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An analysis of canine size and jaw shape in some Old and New World non-human primates |
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| Authors: | P W Lucas |
| Institution: | Unit of Anatomy in relation to Dentistry, Guy's Hospital Medical School, London |
| Abstract: | An analysis of the relationship between the height of canine teeth, the length of the jaw and the height of the jaw joint above the occlusal plane was undertaken in catarrhine primates and some cebids. An inverse relationship was found in males between the angle the jaw must be opened to clear the canine teeth and the height of the jaw joint above the occlusal plane, divided by the length of the lower jaw. A theoretical model is presented which can account for this phenomenon and which presumes selection pressure for alignment of the canine teeth when in use. In females, the angle the jaw must be opened to clear the canine teeth was in most cases very small though in certain species elongated canines were found. |
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