Enamel microstructure determination in hominoid and cercopithecoid primates.

Enamel structure was determined in primate teeth by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the important organisational features of this tissue can be determined solely from the examination of developing material and that significant differences in internal structure of the mature tissue are reflected in differences in the surface (cell-matrix interface) of the developing tissue. Several very conservative, relatively non-destructive techniques can be used to acquire information from fully formed teeth, whereas the examination of small areas of heavily etched mature tissue samples may be inadequate or provide biased or misleading information. Pattern 3 prism packing occurs predominantly in Hominoidea, Pattern 2 in Cercopithecoidea. Pattern 1 was found in the one callitricid and the one lemur specimen studied.