Comparative laboratory sliding wear tests on extracted human molar teeth in artificial saliva with third-body particulates demonstrate that phytoliths can be as effective as silica grit in the abrasion of enamel. A pin-on-disc wear testing configuration is employed, with an extracted molar cusp as a pin on a hard disc antagonist, under loading conditions representative of normal chewing forces. Concentrations and sizes of phytoliths in the wear test media match those of silica particles. Cusp geometries and ensuing abrasion volumes are measured by digital profilometry. The wear data are considered in relation to a debate by evolutionary biologists concerning the relative capacities of intrinsic mineral bodies within plant tissue and exogenous grit in the atmosphere to act as agents of tooth wear in various animal species.

中文翻译：

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植硅体会导致牙齿磨损

对含有第三体颗粒的人工唾液中提取的人类磨牙进行的实验室比较滑动磨损测试表明，植硅体在牙釉质磨损方面与硅砂一样有效。在代表正常咀嚼力的负载条件下，采用销对盘磨损测试配置，将提取的磨牙尖作为硬盘拮抗剂上的销。磨损试验介质中植硅体的浓度和尺寸与二氧化硅颗粒相匹配。尖端几何形状和随后的磨损量通过数字轮廓测量法进行测量。磨损数据被考虑与进化生物学家关于植物组织内固有矿物体和大气中外源砂砾作为各种动物物种牙齿磨损剂的相对能力的辩论有关。