Comparing dietary proclivities in Pleistocene fossil primates from Swartkrans cave, South Africa using dental microwear.

The diets and behaviors of extinct primate taxa from the Pleistocene Swartkrans cave site in South Africa are examined using stereomicroscopy of dental microwear. The frequencies of specific microwear features on the casts of the extinct primate species are compared to those of extant primates that represent known dietary niches. This comparative model allows for further inference of factors affecting microwear signatures including presence of grit and hard objects as well as distinct masticatory behaviors. These datum provide a more complete reconstruction of the paleoenvironment in which these animals lived as well as the distinct dietary proclivities of the individual species.