Objectives

We aimed to investigate molar enamel development in fossil orangutans from Guangxi and shed light on the evolution of Asian great apes.

Materials and methods

We collected 32 fossil orangutan molars, most of which were from Guangxi apothecaries and the Guangxi Daxin Heidong cave, and prepared histological sections of each molar. We then characterized aspects of dental development, including long period line periodicity, number of Retzius lines and lateral enamel formation time, cuspal enamel thickness, and enamel formation time.

Results

The long period line periodicity in fossil orangutans ranged from 9 to 10？days (mean, 9.09？days). The molar lateral enamel formation time ranged from 1.48 to 3.17？years (540–1,152？days). Cuspal enamel thickness in fossil orangutan molars ranged from 949 to 2,535？μm, and cuspal enamel formation time ranged from 0.64 to 1.87？years. Molar enamel formation time of fossil orangutans ranged from 2.47 to 4.67？years.

Discussion

Long-period line periodicity of fossil orangutans from Guangxi was within the variation range of extant orangutans, and the average long period line periodicity (9.09？days) of fossil orangutans from Guangxi in this study was lower than the values for extant orangutans (9.5？days) and fossil orangutans (10.9？days) from Sumatra and Vietnam. Orangutan enamel thickness may have gradually decreased from the Middle Pleistocene to Holocene. Crown formation time of fossil orangutans was slightly longer than that of extant orangutans, and the M1 emergence age of fossil orangutans from Guangxi was about 4–6？years. These findings might indicate the regional difference or evolutionary changes in orangutans since Pleistocene. Dental development of the Guangxi fossil orangutans were more similar to that of Asian Miocene apes, suggesting the closer evolutionary relationship of orangutans to Miocene Asian fossil apes.