Humans and apes

[Thomas Lammers]

At 09:58 AM 3/14/03 -0500, john Grehan wrote:

 >>In one cladogram the origin of thick dental enamel would have evolved
and been lost about three times on the way to humans.<<

Speaking as a botanist (i.e., I don't know much about mammals), I don't
find it surprising that a trait correlated with diet would seem so
labile.  Is it possible that enamel thins or thickens through evolutionary
time as different food sources are exploited??


Thomas G. Lammers, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor and Curator of the Herbarium (OSH)
Department of Biology and Microbiology
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901-8640 USA

e-mail:       lammers at uwosh.edu
phone:      920-424-1002
fax:           920-424-1101

Plant systematics; classification, nomenclature, evolution, and biogeography
of the Campanulaceae s. lat.

Webpages:
http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/biology/Lammers.htm
http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/biology/herbarium/herbarium.html
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Resort/7156/lammers.html
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