New Study Ties Tooth Wear in Fossils to Diet, Validating Decades of Research

A team of researchers has validated data and found a new model for paleontologists to use to track the diet of our ancient ancestors and animals by analyzing the wear on their teeth. Dental wear is among the top techniques scientists use to reconstruct and analyze dietary patterns of human ancestors and animals. Researchers recently questioned the validity of tooth-wear analysis, however, stating that environmental elements such as grit on food was likely responsible for wear. This challenge has led paleontologists to question decades of results. This study validates the use of tooth wear for understanding diet of fossil animals.

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