Abstract
Over the past. 30 years a series of morphological and experimental analyses have attempted to address questions about the functional and evolutionary significance of mandibular symphyseal fusion or complete ossification of the joint between the two dentaries (Scapino, 1965, 1981; Hylander, 1975a, 1977, 1979a,b, 1984, 1985; Beecher, 1977, 1979, 1983; Hirschfeld et al., 1977; Dessein, 1985; Hylander et al., 1987; Greaves, 1988, 1993; Ravosa, 1991; M. J. Ravosa, unpublished data; Ravosa and Hylander, 1993; Hylander and Johnson, 1994; Ravosa and Simons, 1994). This work has increased our understanding of the functional morphology of the mammalian masticatory apparatus, in part by highlighting the interaction of jaw mechanics, diet and allometry on symphyseal form. Many of these studies have also influenced adaptive explanations for the evolution of anthropoid craniodental morphology and impact directly on hypotheses regarding phylogenetic affinities among certain Eocene and Oligocene primates (Hiiemae and Kay, 1972, 1973; Gingerich, 1977, 1979; Beecher, 1977, 1979; Cachel, 1979a,b; Hylander, 1979a,b; Szalay and Delson, 1979; Rosenberger, 1981, 1986; Rosenberger et al., 1985; Rasmussen, 1986, 1990; Greaves, 1988, 1993; Simons, 1989, 1990, 1992; Ravosa, 1991; M. J. Ravosa, unpublished data; Rasmussen and Simons, 1992; Ravosa and Hylander, 1993; Ravosa and Simons, 1994).
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Ravosa, M.J., Hylander, W.L. (1994). Function and Fusion of the Mandibular Symphysis in Primates. In: Fleagle, J.G., Kay, R.F. (eds) Anthropoid Origins. Advances in Primatology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9197-6_14
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