Fangs for the memories
New Zealand Listener|February 18-24 2023
Compared with other species, humans have childhoods that are unusually long and demanding - especially for parents. And they are getting even longer.
PAUL LITTLE
Fangs for the memories

You can find Brenna Hassett described variously online as a bio-archaeologist, biological anthropologist, or an osteo-archaeologist.

"I study the human remains part of the human past," explains Hassett, a researcher at University College London. "The skeletons and particularly the teeth. That falls under something called biological anthropology, but I also do the digging, which is the archaeology." So, a sort of dental amalgam.

Her book Growing Up Human is a millennium-spanning, multifaceted account of how and why we have evolved to have a childhood that is unique among species. And it all comes from looking at old teeth.

"Teeth are essentially a fossil in your mouth," explains Hassett. "A tooth forms once, so it has a series of incredible regular structures, which means we can tell daily episodes of growth while your teeth are forming, which is, of course, childhood."

Fortunately for her research, which clearly runs on molar power, teeth tend to stay around even after other human remains have disappeared. "They capture the chemistry of the growing environment; they capture the stresses and the diseases that kids pick up. They are a brilliant record."

Over the course of human evolution, teeth have changed as what we eat has changed.

"When your teeth come into your mouth is linked to different life history goalposts. When most primates stop breastfeeding, they get that first molar, because they're going to chew food now and they need that to happen. Your second molar comes when you're able to eat all the foods all by yourself. And then you get that third molar[wisdom teeth], the one that gives us humans so much trouble, at sexual maturity."

Drilling down, as it were, Hassett can work out the daily schedule of how animals were growing. It is possible, for instance, to deduce that a two-and-a-half-million-year-old fossil that looks like a 6-year-old's teeth is actually from a 3-year-old.

この記事は New Zealand Listener の February 18-24 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は New Zealand Listener の February 18-24 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

NEW ZEALAND LISTENERのその他の記事すべて表示
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 分  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 分  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 分  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 分  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 分  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 分  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 分  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 分  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 分  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 分  |
September 9, 2024