Phytoliths can cause tooth wear
Journal of The Royal Society Interface, vol. 17, pp. 20200613
Abstract
Comparative laboratory sliding wear tests on extracted human molar teeth in artificial saliva with third-body particulates demonstrate that phytoliths can be as effective as silica grit in the abrasion of enamel. A pin-on-disc wear testing configuration is employed, with an extracted molar cusp as a pin on a hard disc antagonist, under loading conditions representative of normal chewing forces. Concentrations and sizes of phytoliths in the wear test media match those of silica particles. Cusp geometries and ensuing abrasion volumes are measured by digital profilometry. The wear data are considered in relation to a debate by evolutionary biologists concerning the relative capacities of intrinsic mineral bodies within plant tissue and exogenous grit in the atmosphere to act as agents of tooth wear in various animal species.
Authors 5
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Affiliation as printed
Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales, Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
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Affiliation as printed
Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales, Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
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Paul J. Constantino corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biology, Saint Michael's College, Colchester, VT 05439, USA
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Amanda G. Henry Aachen Department of Archaeological Sciences Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Archaeological Sciences, Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, 2333CC Leiden, The Netherlands
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National Institute of Standards and Technology · Material Measurement Laboratory
Affiliation as printed
Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
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