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Scott JE. Functional and phylogenetic variation in anthropoid incisor size. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 176:390-401. [PMID: 34297357 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Previous studies have shown that frugivorous anthropoids have wider incisors than folivores relative to body mass, and that catarrhines have relatively wider incisors than platyrrhines. This study reexamines these contrasts using mandibular length as a biomechanical standard to quantify relative incisor width. MATERIALS AND METHODS Dental, mandibular, and body-mass data for 86 anthropoid species were taken from the literature. Incisor width was size-adjusted using shape ratios, with mandibular length and body mass as the denominators. Dietary and phylogenetic effects were examined using phylogenetic generalized least squares. RESULTS Mandible-based ratios provide a signal that is very similar to the one derived from ratios computed using body mass. Frugivores have relatively wider incisors than folivores, as expected. There is limited support for a stronger dietary effect in platyrrhines when mandible-based ratios are used, but neither type of ratio indicates an overall difference between platyrrhines and catarrhines. DISCUSSION Although both ratios support a link between incisor size and diet, there is some evidence indicating that mandible-based ratios are more sensitive to dietary variation at smaller phylogenetic scales. Understanding why the signals from the two ratios diverge at such scales may help clarify the functional significance of variation in incisor width. The results of this study undermine the view that platyrrhines, as a group, tend to have narrower incisors than catarrhines, regardless of diet. Instead, the difference between the two clades noted in previous studies can be explained by greater incisor functional diversity in platyrrhines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah E Scott
- Department of Medical Anatomical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
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Stephenson T, Lee K, Griffith JE, McLelland DJ, Wilkes A, Bird PS, Trott DJ, Speight KN, Hemmatzadeh F, Woolford L. Pulmonary Actinomycosis in South Australian Koalas ( Phascolarctos cinereus). Vet Pathol 2021; 58:416-422. [PMID: 33461422 DOI: 10.1177/0300985820973459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Pneumonia has been reported in both free-ranging and captive koalas and a number of causative agents have been described. Between 2016 and 2019, 16 free-ranging and 1 captive koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) from the Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia were identified with pyogranulomatous lobar pneumonia, which involved the left caudal lobe in 14/17 (82%) cases. Within lesions, numerous gram-positive or gram-variable, non-acid-fast filamentous bacteria were observed in association with Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon. Culture yielded growth of anaerobic bacteria, which were unidentifiable by MALDI-TOF-MS (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry) analysis in 5/5 cases. Sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene identified a novel Actinomyces species in 4 samples, confirming a diagnosis of pulmonary actinomycosis. Concurrent examination of resin lung casts from healthy koalas suggested greater laminar flow of air to the left caudal lung lobe in koalas. Actinomyces spp. have been reported as commensals of the oral microbiome in other species, and an association with similar pulmonary lesions in other species. Considering the predilection for involvement of the left caudal lung lobe, aspiration is suggested as the likely cause in some cases of pulmonary actinomycosis in koalas. Pulmonary actinomycosis has not been previously described in koalas and further work needs to be undertaken in order to classify this organism within the Actinomyces genus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ken Lee
- University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - David J McLelland
- University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Adelaide Zoo, ZoosSA, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Anthony Wilkes
- University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Philip S Bird
- The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Darren J Trott
- University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | | | - Lucy Woolford
- University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Vendl C, Munn A, Leggett K, Clauss M. Merycism in western grey (Macropus fuliginosus) and red kangaroos (Macropus rufus). Mamm Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Böhmer C, Böhmer E. Shape Variation in the Craniomandibular System and Prevalence of Dental Problems in Domestic Rabbits: A Case Study in Evolutionary Veterinary Science. Vet Sci 2017; 4:vetsci4010005. [PMID: 29056664 PMCID: PMC5606619 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci4010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to wild lagomorphs, pet rabbits exhibit a noticeably high frequency of dental problems. Although dietary habits are considered as a major factor contributing to acquired malocclusions, the exact causes and interrelationships are still under debate. In this regard, an important aspect that has not been considered thoroughly to date is the effect of diet-induced phenotypic plasticity in skull morphology. Therefore, we conducted a geometric morphometric analysis on skull radiological images of wild and pet rabbits in order to quantify intraspecific variation in craniomandibular morphology. The statistical analyses reveal a significant morphological differentiation of the craniomandibular system between both groups. Furthermore, the analysis of covariance shows that the force-generating modules (cranium and mandible) vary independently from the force-receiving module (hypselodont teeth) in pet rabbits, which is in contrast to their wild relatives. Our findings suggest that the phenotypic changes in domestic rabbits impact mastication performance and, consequently, oral health. An adequate close-to-nature nutrition throughout the whole life and especially beginning early parallel to weaning (phase of increased phenotypic plasticity) is necessary to ensure a normal strain on the teeth by promoting physiological lateral gliding movements and avoiding direct axial loads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Böhmer
- UMR 7179 CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CP 55, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
| | - Estella Böhmer
- Chirurgische und Gynäkologische Kleintierklinik ,Tierärztliche Fakultät, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Veterinärstr 13, München 80539, Germany.
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Abstract
Insects and mammals cut their food up into small pieces to facilitate ingestion and chemical digestion. Teeth and jaws act as cutting tools, but, unlike engineering tools designed for a specific purpose, must generally cope with substantial variation in food properties and work at many scales. Knowing how teeth and jaws work effectively requires an understanding of the cutting on the edges and the mechanisms that remove cut material. Variability and heterogeneity of diet properties are not well known, and, for example, may be higher and overlap more in the browsing and grazing categories of plant diets. A reinterpretation of tooth function in large mammal browsers and grazers is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon Sanson
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
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Cuozzo FP, Head BR, Sauther ML, Ungar PS, O'Mara MT. Sources of tooth wear variation early in life among known-aged wild ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) at the Bezà Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar. Am J Primatol 2014; 76:1037-48. [PMID: 24953664 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Revised: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) at the Bezà Mahafaly Special Reserve (BMSR), Madagascar display a high frequency of individuals with notable and sometimes extreme tooth wear. Adult lemurs display a range of tooth wear even among individuals of the same age, but we do not know at what age this variation first appears. This study's goal was to determine whether wear variation occurs in younger wild lemurs. Based on the decade-long study of ring-tailed lemur feeding and dental ecology at BMSR, we hypothesized that younger, natal lemurs (under 5 years of age), would display variation in their degree of tooth wear that would correspond to microhabitat differences, given differences in food availability in different troops' home ranges. We also hypothesized that wear would differ between sexes at this young age, given differences in feeding between males and females in this population. Hypotheses were tested using dental topographic analyses using dental impressions collected from known-aged lemurs across 10 years at BMSR. Results illustrate significant differences in wear-related tooth topography (i.e., relief and slope, presented here as "occlusal lift") for microhabitat, sex and troop affiliation among lemurs under 5 years of age in this population. Although, all lemurs in this population consume mechanically challenging tamarind fruit, those in more disturbed habitats eat additional introduced foods, some of which are also mechanically challenging. Thus, dietary variation is the likely cause of variation in tooth wear. The wear variation we show at a young age suggests caution when assigning age based on tooth wear in living and fossil primates. These wear-related tooth shape changes early in life, which reflects sex, habitat variation and levels of anthropogenic disturbance, may potentially impact reproductive fitness later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank P Cuozzo
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota; Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
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Ellis W, Attard R, Johnston S, Theileman P, McKinnon A, Booth D. Faecal particle size and tooth wear of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1071/am13033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We used computer-aided image analysis of leaf fragment particles found in faecal pellets of 45 koalas, representing the range of tooth wear in this species, to investigate how tooth wear in the koala influences faecal particle sizes. Although the range of sizes of particles produced did not vary between koalas across different tooth wear classes, with all koalas producing small, medium and large particles, koalas with advanced tooth wear produced a greater proportion of larger particles. This observation may prove useful for demographic population analyses based on scat surveys since the broad age class of individual koalas can be estimated from faecal pellet analysis. Older koalas produced faecal pellets containing a higher proportion of the largest-sized particle sizes (those greater than 0.59 mm2) than either young or mature koalas but there was no difference detected between mature and young koalas.
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Marsh KJ, Moore BD, Wallis IR, Foley WJ. Continuous monitoring of feeding by koalas highlights diurnal differences in tree preferences. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2013. [DOI: 10.1071/wr13104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
It is difficult to measure feeding rates for most wild nocturnal mammalian herbivores. Thus, although koalas are a popular species to study, we have a poor understanding of their activity patterns and feeding ecology. Researchers often assume that the trees that koalas occupy during the day indicate feeding preferences, but they may better reflect preferred resting sites.
Aims
We recorded the activities of koalas, with an emphasis on their feeding, particularly when they fed, the trees that they fed from, the number of meals they consumed and the variability in these measurements.
Methods
We continuously monitored eight koalas by audio- and radio-telemetry for 14 consecutive 24-h periods each. We followed two koalas at a time and recorded the trees they visited, when, where and how long they fed, and the size and nutritional composition of the trees in the landscape.
Key results
Individual koalas varied in how many trees they visited, how many meals they ate and how long they spent feeding during each 24-h period. They preferred Eucalyptus globulus trees during the day, but fed mainly at night, with a preference for E. viminalis. The trees that koalas visited during the day were larger than those that they visited at night.
Conclusions
The trees that koalas occupied during the day were poor indicators of their diet preferences, whereas the daily feeding activities of individual koalas varied widely.
Implications
Predicting a koala’s diet from the trees it occupies during the day is fraught with error. Although the trees that koalas rest in are important in the species ecology for reasons other than feeding, we should refrain from using them to predict an animal’s diet. Because feeding activity is difficult to measure, it is probably best done indirectly by analysing leaf-cuticle fragments or waxes in faeces. The substantial day-to-day variation in koala activities also indicates that behavioural and physiological studies of koalas require long monitoring periods – a week or longer.
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The impact of dental impairment on ring-tailed lemur food processing performance. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 148:238-48. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Keown AJ, Bush MB, Ford C, Lee JJW, Constantino PJ, Lawn BR. Fracture susceptibility of worn teeth. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2012; 5:247-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2011.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2011] [Revised: 08/17/2011] [Accepted: 08/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Hummel J, Findeisen E, Südekum KH, Ruf I, Kaiser TM, Bucher M, Clauss M, Codron D. Another one bites the dust: faecal silica levels in large herbivores correlate with high-crowned teeth. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 278:1742-7. [PMID: 21068036 PMCID: PMC3081769 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.1939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2010] [Accepted: 10/20/2010] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The circumstances of the evolution of hypsodonty (= high-crowned teeth) are a bone of contention. Hypsodonty is usually linked to diet abrasiveness, either from siliceous phytoliths (monocotyledons) or from grit (dusty environments). However, any empirical quantitative approach testing the relation of ingested silica and hypsodonty is lacking. In this study, faecal silica content was quantified as acid detergent insoluble ash and used as proxy for silica ingested by large African herbivores of different digestive types, feeding strategies and hypsodonty levels. Separate sample sets were used for the dry (n = 15 species) and wet (n = 13 species) season. Average faecal silica contents were 17-46 g kg(-1) dry matter (DM) for browsing and 52-163 g kg(-1) DM for grazing herbivores. No difference was detected between the wet (97.5 ± 14.4 g kg(-1) DM) and dry season (93.5 ± 13.7 g kg(-1) DM) faecal silica. In a phylogenetically controlled analysis, a strong positive correlation (dry season r = 0.80, p < 0.0005; wet season r = 0.74, p < 0.005) was found between hypsodonty index and faecal silica levels. While surprisingly our results do not indicate major seasonal changes in silica ingested, the correlation of faecal silica and hypsodonty supports a scenario of a dominant role of abrasive silica in the evolution of high-crowned teeth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Hummel
- Institut für Tierwissenschaften, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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Lee JJW, Constantino PJ, Lucas PW, Lawn BR. Fracture in teeth: a diagnostic for inferring bite force and tooth function. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2011; 86:959-74. [PMID: 21507194 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2011.00181.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Teeth are brittle and highly susceptible to cracking. We propose that observations of such cracking can be used as a diagnostic tool for predicting bite force and inferring tooth function in living and fossil mammals. Laboratory tests on model tooth structures and extracted human teeth in simulated biting identify the principal fracture modes in enamel. Examination of museum specimens reveals the presence of similar fractures in a wide range of vertebrates, suggesting that cracks extended during ingestion or mastication. The use of 'fracture mechanics' from materials engineering provides elegant relations for quantifying critical bite forces in terms of characteristic tooth size and enamel thickness. The role of enamel microstructure in determining how cracks initiate and propagate within the enamel (and beyond) is discussed. The picture emerges of teeth as damage-tolerant structures, full of internal weaknesses and defects and yet able to contain the expansion of seemingly precarious cracks and fissures within the enamel shell. How the findings impact on dietary pressures forms an undercurrent of the study.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J-W Lee
- Ceramics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA.
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Lee EF, Varanasi S, Pettett LM, Bird PS, Symons AL. Loss of tooth-supporting bone in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) with age. AUST J ZOOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1071/zo10047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated changes in alveolar bone height in free-ranging koalas of different age groups. Twenty-seven free-ranging Queensland koalas (15 female, 12 male), admitted to the Moggill Koala Hospital, Brisbane, were used in this study. Koalas were divided into three groups (young, adult, old) on the basis of tooth wear, each group containing nine animals. Defleshed jaws were examined for the presence of alveolar bone defects. The distance from the cemento-enamel junction and the interproximal crestal alveolar bone height was measured on the buccal aspects of the second and third molars. Jaws were photographed and radiographed. Bone defects (dehiscences and fenestrations) were observed in both jaws and were predominantly located on the buccal aspect of the alveolar process. The loss of height of crestal alveolar bone, relative to the cemento-enamel junction, increased with age, with 25 koalas showing moderate to severe bone loss and only two koalas having none/mild loss levels at all measurement sites. Female koalas had higher frequency of ‘none/mild’ cases of bone loss than did males. There was no variation in levels of alveolar bone loss between the upper and lower jaws or the corresponding right and left arches.
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Millette JB, Sauther ML, Cuozzo FP. Behavioral responses to tooth loss in wild ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2009; 140:120-34. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Veiberg V, Mysterud A, Irvine RJ, Sørmo W, Langvatn R. Increased mass of reticulo-rumen tissue and contents with advancing age in Svalbard reindeer. J Zool (1987) 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2008.00538.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Irregular Tooth Wear and Longevity in Captive Wild Ruminants: A Pilot Survey of Necropsy Reports. J Zoo Wildl Med 2008; 39:69-75. [DOI: 10.1638/06-064.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Matthews A, Lunney D, Gresser S, Maitz W. Tree use by koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) after fire in remnant coastal forest. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2007. [DOI: 10.1071/wr06075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of fire on resource use by a population of koalas in remnant coastal forest. Fifty-five koalas were monitored regularly by radio-tracking for up to 35 months. The attributes of each tree in which the koala was sighted were recorded, giving a total of 8390 records. Analyses were undertaken on a range of ecological information. Regeneration of the forest began immediately following the fires and within three months koalas were seen among the epicormic growth. From a total 4631 trees used by koalas, 3247 (70%) were burnt. Observations of koalas feeding included 53% in burnt trees. Koalas changed trees frequently; individual trees were used once only on 3555 occasions (42% of all observations). Of all the trees used, 95% were used by only one collared koala; no trees were used by more than three koalas. Swamp mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta) was the tree species most frequently used by koalas, particularly at night and by breeding females. Koalas preferred trees of larger diameter (>30 cm) and used significantly taller trees during summer. This study has shown that resource depletion from intense wildfire is short-term for koalas because they utilise burnt trees within months of the fire for both food and shelter.
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King SJ, Arrigo-Nelson SJ, Pochron ST, Semprebon GM, Godfrey LR, Wright PC, Jernvall J. Dental senescence in a long-lived primate links infant survival to rainfall. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2005; 102:16579-83. [PMID: 16260727 PMCID: PMC1283847 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0508377102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2005] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Primates tend to be long-lived, and, except for humans, most primate females are able to reproduce into old age. Although aging in most mammals is accompanied by dental senescence due to advanced wear, primates have low-crowned teeth that wear down before old age. Because tooth wear alters crown features gradually, testing whether early dental senescence causes reproductive senescence has been difficult. To identify whether and when low-crowned teeth compromise reproductive success, we used a 20-year field study of Propithecus edwardsi, a rainforest lemur from Madagascar with a maximum lifespan of >27 years. We analyzed tooth wear in three dimensions with dental topographic analysis by using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology. We report that tooth wear exposes compensatory shearing blades that maintain dental function for 18 years. Beyond this age, female fertility remains high; however infants survive only if lactation seasons have elevated rainfall. Therefore, low-crowned teeth accommodate wear to a point, after which reproductive success closely tracks environmental fluctuations. These results suggest a tooth wear-determined, but rainfall-mediated, onset of reproductive senescence. Additionally, our study indicates that even subtle changes in climate may affect reproductive success of rainforest species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J King
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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