Research Institute Senckenberg,
Dept. of Paleoanthropology and Quarternary Paleontology

http://www.senckenberg.de
Phone: + 49 - 69 - 7542364
Fax: + 49 - 69-7542-558

The Research Institute Senckenberg has a long tradition in natural sciences based on one of the largest natural history collections in Germany. The Dept. of Paleoanthropology&Quaternary Paleontology is devoted to the reconstruction of evolutionary development of mammals and the interpretation of the dependency of biomechanical types of construction on environmental influences. Beside the intensive field work at African, Asian and European sites, the unit focuses on modern techniques for digital data acquisition, processing, analysis, and publication. In the 2-D/3-D-morphometrics laboratory at RISE, high resolution optical three-dimensional surface measuring is used for studies of comparative constructional morphology of hard tissues. Focusing on the mastication system, the research unit cooperates with dentists, dental technicians, paleoanthropologists, palaeontologists and computer scientists to develop models of occlusion for natural and functional reconstruction in dental prosthetics. In order to understand the wear pattern on teeth of fossil hominids, jaw movement analyses and relief quantification are undertaken. RISE controls a large collection of digital surface data of modern cercopithecine, gibbon, gorilla, chimpanzee, orang-utan, human and fossil hominid lower/upper jaws and dentitions and others access to important original fossil hominids from Indonesia, China, Germany and Africa.

Scientific staff:

(a)

Dr. Ottmar KULLMER

Head of Tertiary Mammals Section

Scientist in charge for EVAN

Human evolution, paleoenvironments, biomechanics masticatory system, dental wear pattern analysis, 3D-topometry & morphometry

(b)

Prof. Dr. Friedemann SCHRENK

professor for paleobiology

Human evolution, paleoenvironments

(c)

Ulrike MENZ

Dental functional morphology, wear pattern analysis, 3D-topometry & morphometry of asian Homo and Pongo molars

(d)

Lilian ULHAAS

M.A.

Dental functional morphology of Cercopithecines, enamel thickness, forensic osteology

(e)

Mandy Teichmann

Dipl. Biol.

Dental funct ional morphology, wear pattern analysis, 3D-topometry & morphometry of Homo sapiens molars

(f)

Heike SCHERF

Dipl. Geol.

Primate locomotion, quantitative µ-CT analysis of trabecular bone structures

Publications:

1.

Ulhaas L., Kullmer O., Schrenk F., Henke W. (2004) A new 3-d approach to determine functional morphology of cercopithecoid molars. Ann Anat 186:487-493.

2.

Dean C., Leakey M.G., Reid D., Schrenk F., Schwartz G., Stringer C.&Walker A. (2001) Growth processes of teeth distinguish modern humans from Homo erect us and earlier hominins. Nature 44:628-63.3.

3.

Kullmer O., Sandrock O., Abel R., Schrenk F., Bromage T.G.&Juwayeyi Y.M. (1999) The first Paranthropus from the Malawi Rift. J Hum Evol 37:2-27.

Resources:

Portable topometry system (OptoTop) for high resolution surface scanning, digital binocular camera for surface photographing (Leica MZ2), opto-electronic jaw movement analyser (Condylocomp), variable beam micro x-ray, specialised software for 3D-data processing (Optocat, Polyworks, VGStudio max, Rhinoceros 3D), extensive primate specimen and digital collections including hominid fossils (Indonesia), preparation and laboratory facilities, including digital x-ray and SEM, advanced lecture, conference and public exhibition halls.