Mammalian dental function and wear: A review

• Mammalian teeth are guides for chewing and tools for fracturing food items.
• Wear can sculpt occlusal morphology to maintain or improve functional efficiency.
• Mammals have different but predictable patterns of dental microwear related to diet.

This paper presents a brief synopsis of work on relationships between mammalian tooth form and function, and considers the role of dental wear in studies of mammal teeth. Mammalian teeth function both as guides for chewing and as tools for initiating and propagating cracks through food items. They tend to vary in form and structure with the mechanical properties of foods a species has evolved to eat; and we can learn a lot about relationships between teeth and diet by comparing species. One area of special interest is tooth wear. Dental structure and chemistry combine in ways that lead wear to sculpt occlusal surfaces so a tooth can develop or maintain its functional efficiency. Dental wear, especially that on microscopic scales, can also serve as a proxy for diet in fossil species, as specific types of food leave distinctive patterns.