Review
"It is not often that a body of research can be called 'revolutionary', but Peter Lucas' work is just that. He has changed, in a most fundamental way, how we perceive the form-function relationship between teeth and food. ...Dental Functional Morphology codifies a quarter century of research by one of the field's best and brightest...a must read." Peter Ungar, University of Arkansas
"Professor Lucas has written a very personal book on a subject about which he clearly feels quite passionate. It is a very well written text and covers a great deal of ground. The book is not really aimed at the practising dentist, but at anyone who may have an interest in the function of teeth. It gives a well researched, but personal, view of the evolution of teeth relative to function. The author's style is very chatty and his sense of humour pervades the whole text making the book very readable." British Dental Journal
"Dental Functional Morphology presents an original and comprehensive overview of its field, and it provides a rich source of fresh ideas." Science Magazine
Book Description
This book offers an innovative alternative to the assumption that teeth merely crush, cut, shear or grind food, and demonstrates how teeth adapt to diet. Peter Lucas reveals how tooth form from the earliest mammals to humans can be understood using basic considerations about how different foods fracture. He outlines his theory step-by-step, providing an allometric analysis explaining the factors governing tooth shape and size. An easy-to-use appendix also provides basic mechanics, and methods of measurement. This volume will be essential reading for physical anthropologists and dental and food scientists.
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