Tooth chipping patterns and dental caries suggest a soft fruit diet in early anthropoids.
Ian TowleMatthew R BorthsCarolina LochPublished in: American journal of biological anthropology (2023)
The chipping prevalence is low when compared to extant anthropoids (range from 4% to 40%) and is consistent with a predominantly soft fruit diet, but not with habitual hard food mastication. The presence of caries supports consumption of soft, sugary fruits, at least in Propliopithecidae. Our results add support for low dietary diversity in early anthropoids, with soft fruits as likely dominant food sources.