Tasks

Dental microtexture analysis is a highly precise tool for gaining insights into the dietary strategies and lifestyles of both fossil and recent vertebrates. By analysing the microscopic surface structures of tooth surfaces - especially tooth enamel - traces of wear can be identified that are directly related to the type of food ingested. The method makes it possible to quantify subtle differences in tooth wear, which allows decisive conclusions to be drawn about the dietary habits and ecological context of the individuals studied.

A central component of dental microtexture analysis is the use of high-resolution confocal 3D microscopy. Systems such as Sensofar's SNeox provide detailed 3D data of tooth surfaces by capturing optical sections at different depths. To derive 3D texture parameters, we analyse the data generated by confocal microscopes and extract quantitative parameters such as roughness, surface structure and height distributions. By statistically analysing these parameters, researchers can identify patterns which, as a direct habitat interface, allow conclusions to be drawn about habitats, food and climatic conditions.

Abrasive particles such as quartz or other mineral particles lead to specific abrasion patterns on the tooth surfaces, which serve as a reference data set. The reference data obtained play a decisive role when it comes to reconstructing the dietary strategy of fossilised mammals and humans. This allows hypotheses to be made about lifestyle, the availability of food resources and even seasonal feeding cycles. In addition, this method contributes to a better understanding of evolutionary adaptation processes by shedding light on the relationship between tooth morphology and environmental conditions.

The DMTA laboratory at the LIB is unique in Germany and makes a significant contribution to the comprehensive reconstruction of both the ecological dynamics of past habitats and the evolutionary adaptation processes of vertebrates, including humans.

Technology

A central component of dental microtexture analysis is the use of high-resolution confocal 3D microscopy. Systems such as the µsurf custom from Nanofocus and the S neox from Sensofar provide detailed 3D data of tooth surfaces by capturing optical sections at different depths. To derive 3D texture parameters, we analyse the data generated by confocal microscopes and extract quantitative parameters such as roughness, surface structure and height distributions ( MountainsMap Premium software from DigitalSurf). By statistically analysing these parameters, researchers can identify patterns that allow conclusions to be drawn about habitats, food and climatic conditions as a direct habitat interface.

Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry is a technique for capturing three-dimensional objects using photographs. Images of an object are taken from different angles and then analysed using special software to create a high-resolution 3D model. The method is based on the principles of geometry and optics: by capturing the positions of prominent points on several images and analysing them mathematically, a detailed digital model of the object can be calculated.

Photogrammetry allows collection objects to be digitised and archived as 3D models. This has several advantages:

1. The digital models serve as high-resolution copies that are preserved even after the original has decayed.
2. Researchers worldwide can access the models via digital archives without having to travel or physically handle the fragile originals.
3. High-precision 3D models enable the direct comparison of anatomical features and the inclusion of objects in modelling approaches and AI-driven meta-analyses.

Photogrammetry is also increasingly being used in evolutionary research to analyse changes in morphology over long periods of time. Fossils are often incompletely preserved or deformed. Missing structures can be reconstructed using 3D scans and anatomical comparisons can then be made. In biomechanical research, photogrammetry helps to capture shapes in order to subsequently simulate mechanical properties, especially of skeletal elements and hard tissues. 3D models can also be converted into motion sequences and loads can be simulated in biological structures in a realistic way. Digital models then serve as the basis for finite element analyses (FEA), which can be used to investigate the effects of forces on bones, teeth or exoskeletons, for example.