#272 Peter Ungar: The Evolution Of Teeth, And Our Diet
RECORDED ON OCTOBER 11th, 2019.
Dr. Peter S. Ungar is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Director of Environmental Dynamics at the University of Arkansas. His research focuses on paleoecology and teeth. He’s the author of books like Mammal Teeth, Evolution’s Bite, and of textbooks like Human Diet: Its Origin and Evolution.
In this episode, we focus on the evolution of teeth. We discuss how anthropologists study teeth and how they are used. We address the important distinction between what an animal can eat and the types of foods it has available. We talk a little bit about the evolutionary origins of teeth. Dr. Ungar refers to the study of tartar, that began very recently. We also talk about how we can reconstruct diets and environments from teeth. We then refer to the evolutionary mismatch posed by our modern human diets, and the kinds of oral health problems that derive from that. In the end, we also talk about the problems with arguments coming from veganism and the paleo diet about our diets.
Time Links:
How anthropologists study teeth
What an animal can eat, and the foods it has available to eat
The evolutionary origins of teeth
Studying tartar
What comes first, teeth or diets?
Reconstructing environments through teeth and diet
Modern vs hunter-gatherer diets, and their effects
Hominin diets
Did teeth and digestive systems evolve in tandem?
The relationship between teeth and diet
Veganism, and the paleo diet
Follow Dr. Ungar’s work!
Follow Dr. Ungar’s work:
Faculty page: http://bit.ly/2Z2UBPp
Ungar Lab: http://bit.ly/2Z6V4vN
ResearchGate profile: http://bit.ly/2KCMrFu
Smithsonian National Museum of Human History: https://s.si.edu/2pgyF2J
Books on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2AZRnP3
Twitter handle: @PeterSUngar
Evolution’s Bite: A Story of Teeth, Diet, and Human Origins: https://amzn.to/2KNQUnn
The “True” Human Diet (Scientific American): http://bit.ly/2VyEKUi