Wear striations on the incisors of ceropithecid monkeys as an index of diet and habitat preference

Abstract

Wear striations on the incisors of Old World monkeys were examined in order to determine associations between the distributions of striations, diet, and habitat preference. Significant differences exist between the Cercopithe-cinae and the Colobinae in respect to the orientation of incisor wear striations. In the Colobinae striations are oriented in a predominantly mesiodistal direction. In the Cercopithecinae striations usually have a labiolingual orientation. Comparisons of terrestrial and arboreal genera indicate that significant differences exist between the two groups in respect to the density of striations on the oc-clusal wear facets of maxillary central incisors. Arboreal and terrestrial monkeys also differ in the frequency of individual incisor wear facets completely devoid of wear striations.