Dust affects tooth wear and chewing efficiency in chimpanzees

In a new study, Leipzig researchers collected feces from chimpanzees living at Taï National Park, Ivory Coast, and analyzed chewing efficiency during dry and rainy periods. They found that increased dust loads during dry periods result in decreased chewing efficiency. Moreover, dust affects tooth wear (surface texture) of the chimpanzees. The researchers found that consumption of dust-covered foods created micrometer-scale surface texture features (e.g. fine furrows and dales) on cheek teeth, while at the same time, chewing was less intensive, resulting in a lower number of chews per quantity ingested, and subsequently in larger mean fecal particle sizes.

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