J. D. Irish

Tooth chipping patterns in Paranthropus do not support regular hard food mastication

This study analyzes tooth chipping patterns in Paranthropus species and finds they have lower fracture prevalence compared to other hominins and durophagous primates, suggesting they were not habitual hard food eaters.

Dental caries in wild primates: interproximal cavities on anterior teeth

This study examines dental caries in wild primates, identifying interproximal cavities on anterior teeth as carious lesions and linking their prevalence to dietary and behavioral factors.

Tooth size apportionment, Bayesian inference, and the phylogeny of Homo naledi

This study uses Bayesian inference on corrected tooth size data to clarify the phylogeny of Homo naledi, placing it as a sister taxon to H. habilis within australopith and early Homo clade.

Root caries on a Paranthropus robustus third molar from Drimolen

The paper describes a root caries lesion on a Paranthropus robustus third molar, suggesting root caries in fossil hominins and potential factors like age and microbiome changes.

Dental caries in human evolution: frequency of carious lesions in South African fossil hominins

This study examines caries frequency in South African fossil hominins, finding 16 lesions across six individuals, with no caries on deciduous or A. africanus teeth, suggesting dietary differences in hominin species.

Dental abscesses on the maxilla of a two million-year-old early Homo specimen

This study identifies the earliest known dental abscess in a hominin fossil, found in an early Homo specimen, indicating extensive tooth use and survival despite multiple abscesses.

A probable genetic origin for pit defects on the molars of Paranthropus robustus

This study examines pitting enamel hypoplasia (PEH) in Paranthropus robustus teeth, finding higher rates compared to other hominins and primates, suggesting a genetic origin linked to the ENAM gene.