In this project, we investigate if the different diet in Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, Neolithic farmers and modern people affected the anatomy and biomechanics of their jaws.
It is known that
- Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic hunter-gatherers tend to have better dental health than agriculturalists;
- Hunter-gatherers tend to be more robust than agriculturalists;
- Modern humans are losing their third molars: due to a less tough diet.
Using Finite Element Analysis, an engineering method that is also applied in sport and medicine, we investigate if jaws of hunter-gatherers are adapted to higher masticatory loads than jaws of Neolithic farmers and recent people.
BIOMAN 