Ceboid models for the evolution of hominoid dentition

Platyrrhine and catarrhine Primates have independently evolved such features of the teeth and jaws as U-shaped dental arches, reduced cingula on molars and premolars, and modifications for small tough-object feeding. The presence of specialization for tough-object feeding in arboreal cebids such as Cebus apella and Callicebus indicates that hominids may have acquired such a specialization in an arboreal habitat before becoming terrestrial.