Evolution behind OSA

8. Our brains squeeze our teeth
A genetic mutation in our recent ancestors caused their descendants to have roomy skulls that accommodated larger brains. This may seem like pure success—brilliance, or its antecedent anyway. But the gene that made way for a larger brain did so by diverting bone away from our jaws, which caused them to become thinner and smaller. With smaller jaws, we could not eat tough food as easily as our thicker-jawed ancestors, but we could think our way out of that problem with the use of fire and stone tools. Yet because our teeth are roughly the same size as they have long been, our shrinking jaws don’t leave enough room for them in our mouths. Our wisdom teeth need to be pulled because our brains are too big.

BlackSpinner wrote:

Our wisdom teeth need to be pulled because our brains are too big.

The last teeth to develop and erupt into the jaws are called the third molars. Third molars usually erupt in the late teen years, which coincides with passage into adulthood and is referred to by some as the age of wisdom; hence "wisdom teeth". Unfortunately, the wisdom teeth are now usually trying to erupt into a jaw that is too small.

Wisdom teeth used to serve a useful purpose, but are now considered vestigial organs. A vestige is a degenerative or imperfectly formed organ or structure having little or no utility, but in the earlier stage of development of a species performed a useful function. The reasons that wisdom teeth are now "outdated" are many. Until quite recently, our diet included mostly very coarse food, as well as impurities such as dirt and sand. This coarseness would abrade teeth so significantly that they would take up less space in the jaw. Permanent teeth were also frequently lost at an early age, which would create more space in the jaw. Because the diet was so coarse and hard to chew, the jaw itself would develop into a larger bone because of this constant workout. All of these factors would create more space for the wisdom teeth when they came in.

The heavily processed diet of today does not produce the tooth abrasion or jaw development that we used to see. Modern dentistry has pretty much eliminated significant loss of permanent teeth at an early age. This leaves us with too many teeth and not enough jaw. The wisdom teeth still develop as they always have, but they have no where to go. When this happens, the teeth are considered "impacted," meaning that they are not in normal position and function.

http://www.oralsurgerycare.com/wisdomteeth.html

roster wrote:Eat dirt.

Until quite recently, our diet included mostly very coarse food, as well as impurities such as dirt and sand. This coarseness would abrade teeth so significantly that they would take up less space in the jaw. Permanent teeth were also frequently lost at an early age, which would create more space in the jaw. Because the diet was so coarse and hard to chew, the jaw itself would develop into a larger bone because of this constant workout.

chunkyfrog wrote:My dentist says I have never had wisdom teeth. What does that mean?

Until quite recently, our diet included mostly very coarse food, as well as impurities such as dirt and sand. This coarseness would abrade teeth so significantly that they would take up less space in the jaw. Permanent teeth were also frequently lost at an early age, which would create more space in the jaw. Because the diet was so coarse and hard to chew, the jaw itself would develop into a larger bone because of this constant workout.

This coarseness would abrade teeth so significantly that they would take up less space in the jaw.

Permanent teeth were also frequently lost at an early age, which would create more space in the jaw.

and hard to chew, the jaw itself would develop into a larger bone because of this constant workout.

BlackSpinner wrote:

roster wrote:Eat dirt.

Until quite recently, our diet included mostly very coarse food, as well as impurities such as dirt and sand. This coarseness would abrade teeth so significantly that they would take up less space in the jaw. Permanent teeth were also frequently lost at an early age, which would create more space in the jaw. Because the diet was so coarse and hard to chew, the jaw itself would develop into a larger bone because of this constant workout.

I would like to see comparison done forensically on older bones before I accept that over my quote. My wisdom teeth didn't seem to care that I had lost a molar earlier.
Also hard work does strengthen bone but where it attaches to muscles is where it gets stronger. So that would be up near the brow ridge which already shows more strength for males then females which mean that according to your theory more women would have OSA which is not true.

But the gene that made way for a larger brain did so by diverting bone away from our jaws, which caused them to become thinner and smaller.

Examples of excellent facial development: Note the broad middle portion of the face, well-developed lower jar and smoothness (lack of sags or circles) under the eyes. These individual (sic) illustrate the full expression of our genetic blueprint.

http://www.westonaprice.org/dentistry/2 ... ental.html

BlackSpinner wrote: Well the bone would be a bigger jaw bone in all directions but it wouldn't a wider jaw or have more space - it would just be fatter.

You don't have to look at forensic work on older bones. Dr. Price did work, including the taking of photographs, in the 1930s of societies with primitive diets/well-developed jaw structures and societies with refined diets/poorly-developed jaw structures. A great article and photographs is at http://www.westonaprice.org/dentistry/1 ... apnea.html . The photographs near the end of the article are very instructive.