Relative tooth size at birth in primates: Life history correlates.
Timothy D SmithMagdalena N MuchlinskiWade R BucherChristopher J VinyardChristopher J BonarSian EvansLawrence E WilliamsValerie B DeLeonPublished in: American journal of physical anthropology (2017)
Our results indicate a broad trend that primates with the shortest RGLs precociously develop deciduous teeth; in strepsirrhines, the opposite trend is seen for permanent molars. Anthropoids delay growth of permanent teeth, while strepsirrhines with short RGLs are growing replacement teeth concurrently. A comparison of neonatal volumes with existing information on extent of cusp mineralization indicates that growth of tooth germs and cusp mineralization may be selected for independently.