Analysis of ancient dental plaque from a hominin fossil revealed traces of conifer pollen, insect parts, and spores, which suggest the individual lived in or near a forested environment.
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
When this ancient hominin ate or breathed in a forest, tiny bits of pollen, bugs, and fungi got stuck in the sticky film on their teeth. Over time, that film turned to stone, trapping the particles inside and preserving them for over a million years.
Most probable mechanism
When a person eats food or breathes in air from a forested area, tiny bits like pollen, insect parts, and fungal spores get caught in the sticky plaque on their teeth. Over time, this plaque hardens into calculus, locking those particles inside and preserving them for thousands of years.
Environmental particles such as pollen, insect fragments, and fungal spores are ingested or inhaled during feeding or respiration in a forested habitat.
These particles become trapped in dental plaque, a biofilm that forms on tooth surfaces from saliva, food residues, and oral microbes.
Mineral salts from saliva precipitate into the plaque, causing it to calcify into dental calculus, which physically encases and preserves the embedded particles.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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