Langston & BoneWhisper
BoneWhisper
Hey Langston, I've been looking at a Neanderthal molar from the Upper Paleolithic layers of that site—mind if we discuss its cultural implications?
Langston
Sure, I’d be happy to discuss it. Let’s start by looking at what the molar can tell us about diet and daily life. Where would you like to focus first?
BoneWhisper
Great, let’s start with enamel thickness. That’s the first tell of a heavy chewing diet, like wild game or plant matter. Then we can look at the microwear scratches—those give us a window into what it was chewing for a few months before it died. And finally, the stratigraphic context—knowing the exact layer helps us tie it to the cultural period and compare it to contemporaneous sites. Which of those catches your eye first?
Langston
I’m drawn first to the enamel thickness; it’s a clear signal of the type of food that was processed regularly. It lets us see how the diet may have shaped the skull’s evolution. Once we have that, the microwear can refine what we know about specific foods. The layer placement then confirms the time frame for all of that. Which one would you like to examine in more detail?
BoneWhisper
Alright, let’s zero in on enamel thickness first. I’ll measure the crown from the outer enamel to the dentino-enamel junction—this gives us the total enamel height. Then we compare it to modern human and other hominin samples. The higher the enamel, the more stress from tough, gritty foods. Once we have that measurement, we can see if it matches the heavy diet we suspect. Ready to grab the micrometer?