Fig 1.
Example of an expectorated quid found in La Cueva de los Muertos Chiquitos, Durango Mexico.
Based on the composition, it is easy to see how quid chewing (and swallowing) contributed to prehistoric high fiber diets and large amounts of phytoliths in the diet.
Fig 2.
This shows phytoliths recovered from a quid.
The upper picture shows a single fiber within an Agave quid. The parallel lines of reflective structures are rows of phytoliths. The lower picture shows raphid and rhomboid phytoliths recovered from an Agave quid. Although the percentage weight of phytoliths in quids is difficult to quantify, we observed phytoliths in every Agave quid.
Fig 3.
Map of La Cueva de los Muertos Chiquitos, Durango, Mexico.
Map adapted from Brooks et al. [26].
Fig 4.
This picture shows Labstone casts separating from a quid after the dental wax was removed.
In this case, partial casts of the upper and lower dentition were made.
Fig 5.
Despite the fibrous nature of quids, casts of recognizable teeth could be recovered.
In the case of 5a, a cast of two molars was made but the fiber has marred the resolution of one molar. In contrast, the cast of 5b shows good resolution of both molars. This is due to a better separation of the Labstone in 5b relative to 5a. Some Labstone can be seen adhering to the 5a quid but not the 5b quid.
Fig 6.
In some cases, good casts were recovered from quids that appeared to be worthless for dental analysis.
In this case, the quid shows an apparent imperfect dental impression. However, the cast recovered from this quid shows a recognizable molar cusp pattern.
Table 1.
Summary of observations for 15 apparent subadult individuals.
Identification of subadult dentitions was made on the relative size of the dental arcade, retention of deciduous teeth, and/or evidence of unerupted molars.
Table 2.
Observations of teeth present in 36 adult casts.
In general, there is a tendency for adults to chew quids with the posterior dentition.
Fig 7.
Children’s dentition was cast from some quids.
Fig 7a shows a subadult molar; 7b is the cast of four incisors. Scales are in centimeters.
Fig 8.
This shows the adult dental casts from three quids.
Casts 8a and 8b show recognizable teeth with no apparent dental wear. 8c shows two casts made from the upper and lower sides of a single quid. This is the partial cast of the upper and lower dentition of a single individual. Scale is in centimeters and is for a and b only.
Fig 9.
The arrow in 9a points to a molar cast that has three ridges around the margins of the occlusal surface. It is very likely that this represent dental wear of the softer dentin in the center of the tooth with a raised ridge of harder enamel around the margins of the surface. Fig 9b shows flat wear of molars from one quid. Cusps are not visible.
Fig 10.
This is the cast of an anterior adult mandible or maxilla in the incisor region.
No incisors are evident in this cast. Therefore, we interpret that this cast is from an individual who was at least partially edentulous. Edentulous conditions are normal after 30 years of age among populations who subsist on desert succulents (Anderson 1967; Marks et al 1988; Danielson and Reinhard 1998).
Fig 11.
Some casts are more difficult to interpret than others.
The arrow in 11a points to a molar that is apparently erupting in the cast of a subadult individual. The arrow in 11b points to an object that could be a crowded tooth or a tooth in the process of erupting.