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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2018; 115(29); E6707-E6715; doi: 10.1073/pnas.1721189115

Origins of equine dentistry.

Abstract: From the American West to the steppes of Eurasia, the domestic horse transformed human societies, providing rapid transport, communication, and military power, and serving as an important subsistence animal. Because of the importance of oral equipment for horse riding, dentistry is an essential component of modern horse care. In the open grasslands of northeast Asia, horses remain the primary form of transport for many herders. Although free-range grazing on gritty forage mitigates many equine dental issues, contemporary Mongolian horsemen nonetheless practice some forms of dentistry, including the removal of problematic deciduous teeth and the vestigial first premolar ("wolf tooth"). Here, we present archaezoological data from equine skeletal remains spanning the past 3,200 y, indicating that nomadic dental practices have great antiquity. Anthropogenic modifications to malerupted deciduous central incisors in young horses from the Late Bronze Age demonstrate their attempted removal, coinciding with the local innovation or adoption of horseback riding and the florescence of Mongolian pastoral society. Horse specimens from this period show no evidence of first premolar removal, which we first identify in specimens dating to ca. 750 BCE. The onset of premolar extraction parallels the archaeological appearance of jointed bronze and iron bits, suggesting that this technological shift prompted innovations in dentistry that improved horse health and horse control. These discoveries provide the earliest directly dated evidence for veterinary dentistry, and suggest that innovations in equine care by nomadic peoples ca. 1150 BCE enabled the use of horses for increasingly sophisticated mounted riding and warfare.
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Publication Date: 2018-07-02 PubMed ID: 29967157PubMed Central: PMC6055167DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1721189115Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research paper investigates the origins of equine dentistry, noting its importance in the maintenance and advancement of societies that relied heavily on horses for transport and subsistence. The findings reveal evidence of basic dental practices in horses dating back to 3,200 years ago, suggesting that early veterinary dentistry may have allowed for more sophisticated horse riding and warfare strategies.

Importance of Equine Dentistry

  • Equine dentistry has been critical for societies relying on horses for transport, communication, military power, and subsistence.
  • Modern horse care largely involves dentistry, as dental health is vital for the functioning of oral equipment used in horse riding.

Mongolian Horse Care and Dentistry

  • In the grasslands of northeast Asia, horses remain crucial for many herders’ transportations, necessitating some form of dental care.
  • Practices include the removal of problematic deciduous teeth and the vestigial first premolar, often referred to as the “wolf tooth”.

Archeozoological Evidence of Ancient Equine Dentistry

  • Findings from equine skeletal remains provide evidence that dental practices among nomads date back to over 3,200 years ago.
  • Modifications to malerupted deciduous central incisors in young horses from the Late Bronze Age suggest an attempted removal, coinciding with the local innovation or adoption of horseback riding.
  • No evidence of first premolar removal was found in horse specimens from this period. The practice was first identified in specimens dating back to approximately 750 BCE.

The Correlation Between Veterinary Dentistry and Technological Advancements

  • The emergence of first premolar extraction coincides with the archaeological appearance of jointed bronze and iron bits, implying that this technological progression may have prompted innovations in equine dentistry.
  • Such dental care improvements would have been crucial in enhancing horse health and control, allowing for more advanced mounted riding and warfare techniques.
  • The study provides the earliest directly dated evidence for veterinary dentistry, reinforcing the idea that prescient equine care was essential for the advancement of societies that heavily relied on horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Taylor WTT, Bayarsaikhan J, Tuvshinjargal T, Bender S, Tromp M, Clark J, Lowry KB, Houle JL, Staszewski D, Whitworth J, Fitzhugh W, Boivin N. (2018). Origins of equine dentistry. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 115(29), E6707-E6715. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1721189115

Publication

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
ISSN: 1091-6490
NlmUniqueID: 7505876
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 115
Issue: 29
Pages: E6707-E6715

Researcher Affiliations

Taylor, William Timothy Treal
  • Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany; taylor@shh.mpg.de.
Bayarsaikhan, Jamsranjav
  • National Museum of Mongolia, 21046 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Tuvshinjargal, Tumurbaatar
  • National Museum of Mongolia, 21046 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Bender, Scott
  • Navajo Technical University, Crownpoint, NM 87313.
Tromp, Monica
  • Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany.
Clark, Julia
  • American Center for Mongolian Studies, 15160 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Lowry, K Bryce
  • Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637.
Houle, Jean-Luc
  • Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101.
Staszewski, Dimitri
  • Private address, Philadelphia, PA 19146.
Whitworth, Jocelyn
  • Clearview Animal Hospital, Colorado Springs, CO 80911.
Fitzhugh, William
  • Arctic Studies Center, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560.
Boivin, Nicole
  • Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Dentistry / veterinary
  • Domestication
  • History of Dentistry
  • History, Ancient
  • Horses
  • Humans

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
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