%0 Journal Article
%A Lozano Ruiz, Marina
%A Bermúdez de Castro, José María
%A Carbonell i Roura, Eudald
%A Arsuaga Ferreras, Juan Luis
%T Non-masticatory uses of anterior teeth of Sima de los Huesos individuals(Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain)
%D 2008
%@ 0047-2484
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/49559
%X In this study we examine the labial and occlusal surfaces of incisors and canines of hominins recoveredfrom the Sima de los Huesos (SH), middle Pleistocene site, in order to establish the possible extramasticatoryuse of anterior teeth.We have compared the microwear of these fossils with microwear fromthe anterior teeth of Australian Aborigines, a population characterized by ethnographic evidence of theuse of their teeth as a third hand. These two samples of teeth were microscopically analyzed usingScanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Our results support the ‘‘cultural’’ origin of microwear observed onfossil teeth: we conclude that the SH hominins used their anterior teeth as a ‘‘third hand’’ for para- orextra-masticatory activities.
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