1
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Mihlbachler MC, Rusnack F, Beatty BL. Experimental approaches to assess the effect of composition of abrasives in the cause of dental microwear. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211549. [PMID: 35706657 PMCID: PMC9174714 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Dental microwear is used to investigate feeding ecology. Animals ingest geological material in addition to food. The full effect of geological abrasives on tooth wear is unknown. To evaluate mineralogical abrasives as tooth wear agents, rats were fed food manufactured with quartz silt, diatomaceous earth, and calcium carbonate. Rats were assigned to treatments and fed for 15 days. Molars were scanned with a Sensofar Plu Neox confocal microscope and evaluated using ISO-25178-2 parameters and traditional microwear variables using light microscopy. Using a pellet-diet as the control, all treatments had influence on microwear and discriminant function analyses indicated that unique surface textures had been produced. ISO variables with high discriminatory values were correlated to scratch and pit frequencies, but more ISO parameters identified changes associated with numbers of scratches than changes associated with pits. The microwear changes associated with the abrasive inclusions were co-dependent on the type of diet that the abrasives had been added to. The abrasives had less effect with pellets but produced more modified and more differentiated microwear when added to the transgenic dough. Although abrasives produce distinctive surface textures, some knowledge of the properties of food with the abrasives is needed to identify the abrasive agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C. Mihlbachler
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY, USA
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Frances Rusnack
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY, USA
| | - Brian Lee Beatty
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY, USA
- United States National Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
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2
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Contreras-Díaz RG, Falconi M, Osorio-Olvera L, Cobos ME, Soberón J, Townsend Peterson A, Lira-Noriega A, Álvarez-Loayza P, Luis Gonçalves A, Hurtado-Astaiza J, Gonzáles RDPR, Zubileta IS, Spironello WR, Vásquez-Martínez R. On the relationship between environmental suitability and habitat use for three neotropical mammals. J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Recent studies have used occupancy models (OM) and ecological niche models (ENM) to provide a better understanding of species’ distributions at different scales. One of the main ideas underlying the theoretical foundations of both OM and ENM is that they are positively related to abundance: higher occupancy implies higher density and more suitable areas are likely to have more abundant populations. Here, we analyze the relationship between habitat use measured in terms of occupancy probabilities from OM and environmental suitability derived from ENM in three different Neotropical mammal species: Leopardus wiedii, Cuniculus paca, and Dasypus novemcinctus. For ENM, we used climatic and vegetation cover variables and implemented a model calibration and selection protocol to select the most competitive models. For OM, we used a single-species, single-season model with site covariates for camera-trap data from six different sites throughout the Neotropical realm. Covariates included vegetation percentage, normalized difference vegetation index, normalized difference water index, and elevation. For each site, we fit OM using all possible combinations of variables and selected the most competitive (ΔAICc < 2) to build an average OM. We explored relationships between estimated suitability and occupancy values using Spearman correlation analysis. Relationships between ENM and OM tended to be positive for the three Neotropical mammals, but the strength varied among sites, which could be explained by local factors such as site characteristics and conservation status of areas. We conjecture that ENM are suitable to understand spatial patterns at coarser geographic scales because the concept of the niche is about the species as a whole, whereas OM are more relevant to explain the distribution locally, likely reflecting transient dynamics of populations resulting from many local factors such as community composition and biotic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rusby G Contreras-Díaz
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio A, 1° Piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
- Departamento de Matemáticas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Manuel Falconi
- Departamento de Matemáticas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luis Osorio-Olvera
- Departamento de Ecología de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito exterior s/n anexo al Jardín Botánico, 04500 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Marlon E Cobos
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Dyche Hall, 1345 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Jorge Soberón
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Dyche Hall, 1345 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - A Townsend Peterson
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Dyche Hall, 1345 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Andrés Lira-Noriega
- CONACyT Research Fellow, Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, 91073, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Patricia Álvarez-Loayza
- Center for Tropical Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
- Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring Network, Science and Knowledge Division, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, VA 22202, USA
| | - André Luis Gonçalves
- Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring Network, Science and Knowledge Division, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, VA 22202, USA
- Grupo de Pesquisa de Mamíferos Amazônicos, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Av. André Araújo 2936, Petrópolis, CEP 69067-375, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Johanna Hurtado-Astaiza
- Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring Network, Science and Knowledge Division, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, VA 22202, USA
| | - Rocío del Pilar Rojas Gonzáles
- Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring Network, Science and Knowledge Division, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, VA 22202, USA
- Estación Biológica del Jardín Botánico de Missouri c/o Herbario HOXA, Prolongación Bolognesi Mz. E-6, Oxapampa 19230, Pasco, Peru
| | - Ingrid Serrano Zubileta
- Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring Network, Science and Knowledge Division, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, VA 22202, USA
| | - Wilson Roberto Spironello
- Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring Network, Science and Knowledge Division, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, VA 22202, USA
- Grupo de Pesquisa de Mamíferos Amazônicos, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Av. André Araújo 2936, Petrópolis, CEP 69067-375, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Rodolfo Vásquez-Martínez
- Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring Network, Science and Knowledge Division, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, VA 22202, USA
- Estación Biológica del Jardín Botánico de Missouri c/o Herbario HOXA, Prolongación Bolognesi Mz. E-6, Oxapampa 19230, Pasco, Peru
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3
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Bestwick J, Unwin DM, Henderson DM, Purnell MA. Dental microwear texture analysis along reptile tooth rows: complex variation with non-dietary variables. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201754. [PMID: 33972864 PMCID: PMC8074666 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) is a powerful technique for reconstructing the diets of extant and extinct taxa. Few studies have investigated intraspecific microwear differences along with tooth rows and the influence of endogenous non-dietary variables on texture characteristics. Sampling teeth that are minimally affected by non-dietary variables is vital for robust dietary reconstructions, especially for taxa with non-occlusal (non-chewing) dentitions as no standardized sampling strategies currently exist. Here, we apply DMTA to 13 species of extant reptile (crocodilians and monitor lizards) to investigate intraspecific microwear differences along with tooth rows and to explore the influence of three non-dietary variables on exhibited differences: (i) tooth position, (ii) mechanical advantage, and (iii) tooth aspect ratio. Five species exhibited intraspecific microwear differences. In several crocodilians, the distally positioned teeth exhibited the 'roughest' textures, and texture characteristics correlated with all non-dietary variables. By contrast, the mesial teeth of the roughneck monitor (Varanus rudicollis) exhibited the 'roughest' textures, and texture characteristics did not correlate with aspect ratio. These results are somewhat consistent with how reptiles preferentially use their teeth during feeding. We argue that DMTA has the potential to track mechanical and behavioural differences in tooth use which should be taken into consideration in future dietary reconstructions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Bestwick
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- Centre for Palaeobiology Research, School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - David M. Unwin
- Centre for Palaeobiology Research, School of Museum Studies, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RF, UK
| | | | - Mark A. Purnell
- Centre for Palaeobiology Research, School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
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4
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Clarifying relationships between cranial form and function in tapirs, with implications for the dietary ecology of early hominins. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8809. [PMID: 32483196 PMCID: PMC7264299 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65586-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Paleontologists and paleoanthropologists have long debated relationships between cranial morphology and diet in a broad diversity of organisms. While the presence of larger temporalis muscle attachment area (via the presence of sagittal crests) in carnivorans is correlated with durophagy (i.e. hard-object feeding), many primates with similar morphologies consume an array of tough and hard foods—complicating dietary inferences of early hominins. We posit that tapirs, large herbivorous mammals showing variable sagittal crest development across species, are ideal models for examining correlations between textural properties of food and sagittal crest morphology. Here, we integrate dietary data, dental microwear texture analysis, and finite element analysis to clarify the functional significance of the sagittal crest in tapirs. Most notably, pronounced sagittal crests are negatively correlated with hard-object feeding in extant, and several extinct, tapirs and can actually increase stress and strain energy. Collectively, these data suggest that musculature associated with pronounced sagittal crests—and accompanied increases in muscle volume—assists with the processing of tough food items in tapirs and may yield similar benefits in other mammals including early hominins.
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5
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Scholtz EJ, DeSantis LRG. Invasive species, not environmental changes, restrict the population and geographical range of the quokka (
Setonix brachyurus
). J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. J. Scholtz
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Vanderbilt University Nashville TN USA
| | - L. R. G. DeSantis
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Vanderbilt University Nashville TN USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Vanderbilt University Nashville TN USA
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6
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Arman SD, Prowse TAA, Couzens AMC, Ungar PS, Prideaux GJ. Incorporating intraspecific variation into dental microwear texture analysis. J R Soc Interface 2020; 16:20180957. [PMID: 30940029 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) quantifies microscopic scar or wear patterns left on teeth by different foods or extraneous ingested items such as grit. It can be a powerful tool for deducing the diets of extinct mammals. Here we investigate how intraspecific variation in the dental microwear of macropodids (kangaroos and their close relatives) can be used to maximize the dietary signal inferable from an inherently limited fossil record. We demonstrate significant intraspecific variation for every factor considered here for both scale-sensitive fractal analysis and International Organization for Standardization surface texture analysis variables. Intraspecific factors were then incorporated into interspecific (dietary) analyses through the use of Linear Mixed Effects modelling, incorporating Akaike's Information Criterion to compare models, and testing models through independent cross-validation. This revealed that for each DMTA variable only a small number of intraspecific factors need to be included to improve differentiation between species. Including specimen as a random factor accounted for stochastic inter-individual variation, and facet, incorporated effects of sampling location. Intraspecific effects of ecoregion, microscope, tooth position and wear were often but not universally important. We conclude that models of microwear data that include intraspecific variation can improve the resolution of dietary reconstructions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel D Arman
- 1 College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University , Bedford Park, South Australia 5042 , Australia.,2 Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory , PO Box 831, Alice Springs, Northern Territory 0871 , Australia
| | - Thomas A A Prowse
- 3 School of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide, South Australia 5005 , Australia
| | - Aidan M C Couzens
- 1 College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University , Bedford Park, South Australia 5042 , Australia.,4 Naturalis Biodiversity Center , Postbus 9517, 2300 Leiden, RA , The Netherlands
| | - Peter S Ungar
- 5 Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas , Old Main 330, 72701 Fayetteville, AR , USA
| | - Gavin J Prideaux
- 1 College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University , Bedford Park, South Australia 5042 , Australia
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7
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Fraser D, Haupt RJ, Andrew Barr W. Phylogenetic signal in tooth wear dietary niche proxies: What it means for those in the field. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:11363-11367. [PMID: 30519449 PMCID: PMC6262738 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In response to DeSantis et al., we describe that the presence of phylogenetic signal in tooth wear dietary niche proxies is likely a result of the evolutionary process. We also address their concerns regarding enforcement of the use of phylogenetic comparative methods by editors of ecology and evolution journals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Fraser
- Canadian Museum of NaturePalaeobiologyOttawaONCanada
- Department of PaleobiologySmithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural HistoryDistrict of ColumbiaWashington
| | - Ryan J. Haupt
- Department of PaleobiologySmithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural HistoryDistrict of ColumbiaWashington
- Department of Geology and GeophysicsUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyoming
| | - W. Andrew Barr
- Department of PaleobiologySmithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural HistoryDistrict of ColumbiaWashington
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of AnthropologyGeorge Washington UniversityDistrict of ColumbiaWashington
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8
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Xia J, Tian ZR, Hua L, Chen L, Zhou Z, Qian L, Ungar PS. Enamel crystallite strength and wear: nanoscale responses of teeth to chewing loads. J R Soc Interface 2018; 14:rsif.2017.0456. [PMID: 29070592 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2017.0456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The nanoscale responses of teeth to chewing loads are poorly understood. This has contributed to debate concerning the aetiology of enamel wear and resistance to fracture. Here we develop a new model for reactions of individual hydroxyapatite nanofibres to varying loads and directions of force. Hydroxyapatite nanofibres, or crystallites, composed of chains of bonded nanospheres, are the fundamental building blocks of enamel. This study indicates that these nanofibres respond to contact pressure in three distinct ways depending on force magnitude and direction: (i) plucking (nanosphere loss when the strength of the bonding protein 'glue' is exceeded), (ii) plastic deformation (compression to gradually bend nanofibres and squeeze the protein layer), and (iii) fragmentation (nanofibres fracture when the strength of H-bonds that bind smaller nanoparticles into nanospheres is exceeded). Critical contact pressure to initiate plucking is the lowest, followed by plastic deformation, and then fragmentation. Further, lower contact pressures are required for a response with shear forces applied perpendicular to the long axes of crystallites than with crushing forces parallel to them alone. These nanoscale responses are explained as a function of the interfacial nanochemical bonding between and within individual crystallites. In other words, nanochemistry plays a critical role in the responses of enamel to varying chewing loads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xia
- Tribology Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education of China, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, People's Republic of China
| | - Z Ryan Tian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.,Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Licheng Hua
- Tribology Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education of China, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, People's Republic of China.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.,Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Lei Chen
- Tribology Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education of China, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongrong Zhou
- Tribology Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education of China, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, People's Republic of China
| | - Linmao Qian
- Tribology Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education of China, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, People's Republic of China
| | - Peter S Ungar
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
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9
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Fraser D, Haupt RJ, Barr WA. Phylogenetic signal in tooth wear dietary niche proxies. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:5355-5368. [PMID: 29938058 PMCID: PMC6010706 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In the absence of independent observational data, ecologists and paleoecologists use proxies for the Eltonian niches of species (i.e., the resource or dietary axes of the niche). Some dietary proxies exploit the fact that mammalian teeth experience wear during mastication, due to both tooth-on-tooth and food-on-tooth interactions. The distribution and types of wear detectible at micro- and macroscales are highly correlated with the resource preferences of individuals and, in turn, species. Because methods that quantify the distribution of tooth wear (i.e., analytical tooth wear methods) do so by direct observation of facets and marks on the teeth of individual animals, dietary inferences derived from them are thought to be independent of the clade to which individuals belong. However, an assumption of clade or phylogenetic independence when making species-level dietary inferences may be misleading if phylogenetic niche conservatism is widespread among mammals. Herein, we test for phylogenetic signal in data from numerous analytical tooth wear studies, incorporating macrowear (i.e., mesowear) and microwear (i.e., low-magnification microwear and dental microwear texture analysis). Using two measures of phylogenetic signal, heritability (H2) and Pagel's λ, we find that analytical tooth wear data are not independent of phylogeny and failing to account for such nonindependence leads to overestimation of discriminability among species with different dietary preferences. We suggest that morphological traits inherited from ancestral clades (e.g., tooth shape) influence the ways in which the teeth wear during mastication and constrain the foods individuals of a species can effectively exploit. We do not suggest that tooth wear is simply phylogeny in disguise; the tooth wear of individuals and species likely varies within some range that is set by morphological constraints. We therefore recommend the use of phylogenetic comparative methods in studies of mammalian tooth wear, whenever possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Fraser
- PalaeobiologyCanadian Museum of NatureOttawaONCanada
- Department of PaleobiologySmithsonian InstitutionNational Museum of Natural HistoryWashingtonDistrict of Columbia
| | - Ryan J. Haupt
- Department of PaleobiologySmithsonian InstitutionNational Museum of Natural HistoryWashingtonDistrict of Columbia
- Department of Geology and GeophysicsUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyoming
| | - W. Andrew Barr
- Department of PaleobiologySmithsonian InstitutionNational Museum of Natural HistoryWashingtonDistrict of Columbia
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human PaleobiologyDepartment of AnthropologyGeorge Washington UniversityWashingtonDistrict of Columbia
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10
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Peterson A, Abella EF, Grine FE, Teaford MF, Ungar PS. Microwear textures of Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus molars in relation to paleoenvironment and diet. J Hum Evol 2018; 119:42-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 02/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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11
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Stynder DD, DeSantis LRG, Donohue SL, Schubert BW, Ungar PS. A Dental Microwear Texture Analysis of the Early Pliocene African Ursid Agriotherium africanum (Mammalia, Carnivora, Ursidae). J MAMM EVOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-018-9436-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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12
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Using Dental Mesowear and Microwear for Dietary Inference: A Review of Current Techniques and Applications. VERTEBRATE PALEOBIOLOGY AND PALEOANTHROPOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-94265-0_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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13
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Kubo MO, Yamada E, Kubo T, Kohno N. Dental microwear texture analysis of extant sika deer with considerations on inter-microscope variability and surface preparation protocols. BIOSURFACE AND BIOTRIBOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bsbt.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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14
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15
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Feeding Ecology in Oligocene Mylodontoid Sloths (Mammalia, Xenarthra) as Revealed by Orthodentine Microwear Analysis. J MAMM EVOL 2017; 25:551-564. [PMID: 30443148 PMCID: PMC6209052 DOI: 10.1007/s10914-017-9405-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Recently, dental microwear analysis has been successfully employed to xenarthran teeth. Here, we present new data on use wear features on 16 molariforms of Orophodon hapaloides and Octodontotherium grande. These taxa count among the earliest sloths and are known from the Deseadan SALMA (late Oligocene). Modern phylogenetic analyses classify Octodontotherium and Orophodon within Mylodontoidea with whom they share lobate cheek teeth with an outer layer of cementum and a thick layer of orthodentine. Similar target areas of 100μm2 were analyzed on the orthodentine surface of each tooth by stereomicroscopic microwear and by SEM microwear. Results were unlike those of extant sloths (stereomicroscopic microwear: Bradypus, Choloepus) and published data from fossil sloths (SEM microwear: Acratocnus, Megalonyx, Megatherium, Thinobadistes); thus, both approaches independently indicate a different feeding ecology for the Oligocene taxa. The unique microwear results suggest that both taxa fed on plant material with low to moderate intrinsic toughness (foliage, twigs) but also proposes intake of tougher food items (e.g., seeds). Frequent gouging of the tooth surfaces can be explained by exogenous influence on microwear, such as possible intake of abrasive grit. We suggest an unspecialized herbivorous diet for Octodontotherium and Orophodon utilizing diverse food resources of their habitat. These interpretations support the reconstruction of (1) Deseadan environments as open habitats with spreading savannas/grasslands and (2) both taxa as wide-muzzled bulk feeders at ground level.
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16
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Ungar PS, Abella EF, Burgman JHE, Lazagabaster IA, Scott JR, Delezene LK, Manthi FK, Plavcan JM, Ward CV. Dental microwear and Pliocene paleocommunity ecology of bovids, primates, rodents, and suids at Kanapoi. J Hum Evol 2017; 140:102315. [PMID: 28499698 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Reconstructions of habitat at sites like Kanapoi are key to understanding the environmental circumstances in which hominins evolved during the early Pliocene. While Australopithecus anamensis shows evidence of terrestrial bipedality traditionally associated with a more open setting, its enamel has low δ13C values consistent with consumption of C3 foods, which predominate in wooded areas of tropical Africa. Habitat proxies, ranging from paleosols and their carbonates to associated herbivore fauna and their carbon isotope ratios, suggest a heterogeneous setting with both grass and woody plant components, though the proportions of each have been difficult to pin down. Here we bring dental microwear texture analysis of herbivorous fauna to bear on the issue. We present texture data for fossil bovids, primates, rodents, and suids (n = 107 individuals in total) from the hominin bearing deposits at Kanapoi, and interpret these in the light of closely related extant mammals with known differences in diet. The Kanapoi bovid results, for example, are similar to those for extant variable grazers or graze-browse intermediate taxa. The Kanapoi suid data vary by taxon, with one similar to the pattern of extant grazers and the other more closely resembling mixed feeders. The Kanapoi primates and rodents are more difficult to associate with a specific environment, though it seems that grass was likely a component in the diets of both. All taxa evince microwear texture patterns consistent with a mosaic of discrete microhabitats or a heterogeneous setting including both tree and grass components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter S Ungar
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA; Environmental Dynamics Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
| | - Elicia F Abella
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Jenny H E Burgman
- Environmental Dynamics Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | | | - Jessica R Scott
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Lucas K Delezene
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Fredrick K Manthi
- Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - J Michael Plavcan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Carol V Ward
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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Burgman JHE, Leichliter J, Avenant NL, Ungar PS. Dental microwear of sympatric rodent species sampled across habitats in southern Africa: Implications for environmental influence. Integr Zool 2016; 11:111-27. [PMID: 26748948 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Dental microwear textures have proven to be a valuable tool for reconstructing the diets of a wide assortment of fossil vertebrates. Nevertheless, some studies have recently questioned the efficacy of this approach, suggesting that aspects of habitat unrelated to food preference, especially environmental grit load, might have a confounding effect on microwear patterning that obscures the diet signal. Here we evaluate this hypothesis by examining microwear textures of 3 extant sympatric rodent species that vary in diet breadth and are found in a variety of habitat types: Mastomys coucha, Micaelamys namaquensis and Rhabdomys pumilio. We sample each of these species from 3 distinct environmental settings in southern Africa that differ in rainfall and vegetative cover: Nama-Karoo shrublands (semi-desert) and Dry Highveld grasslands in the Free State Province of South Africa, and Afromontane (wet) grasslands in the highlands of Lesotho. While differences between habitat types are evident for some of the species, inconsistency in the pattern suggests that the microwear signal is driven by variation in foods eaten rather than grit-level per se. It is clear that, at least for species and habitats sampled in the current study, environmental grit load does not swamp diet-related microwear signatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny H E Burgman
- Environmental Dynamics Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Jennifer Leichliter
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Nico L Avenant
- National Museum and University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Peter S Ungar
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
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Hedberg C, DeSantis LRG. Dental microwear texture analysis of extant koalas: clarifying causal agents of microwear. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Hedberg
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Vanderbilt University Nashville TN USA
| | - L. R. G. DeSantis
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Vanderbilt University Nashville TN USA
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Ramdarshan A, Blondel C, Brunetière N, Francisco A, Gautier D, Surault J, Merceron G. Seeds, browse, and tooth wear: a sheep perspective. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:5559-69. [PMID: 27547337 PMCID: PMC4983574 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
While grazing as a selective factor towards hypsodont dentition on mammals has gained a lot of attention, the importance of fruits and seeds as fallback resources for many browsing ungulates has caught much less attention. Controlled‐food experiments, by reducing the dietary range, allow for a direct quantification of the effect of each type of items separately on enamel abrasion. We present the results of a dental microwear texture analysis on 40 ewes clustered into four different controlled diets: clover alone, and then three diets composed of clover together with either barley, corn, or chestnuts. Among the seed‐eating groups, only the barley one shows higher complexity than the seed‐free group. Canonical discriminant analysis is successful at correctly classifying the majority of clover‐ and seed‐fed ewes. Although this study focuses on diets which all fall within a single dietary category (browse), the groups show variations in dental microwear textures in relation with the presence and the type of seeds. More than a matter of seed size and hardness, a high amount of kernels ingested per day is found to be correlated with high complexity on enamel molar facets. This highlights the high variability of the physical properties of the foods falling under the browsing umbrella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anusha Ramdarshan
- iPHEP UMR 7262 (CNRS & Université de Poitiers) 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9 France
| | - Cécile Blondel
- iPHEP UMR 7262 (CNRS & Université de Poitiers) 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9 France
| | - Noël Brunetière
- Institut P'prime UPR 3346 (CNRS ENSMA & Université de Poitiers) 86962 Futuroscope Chasseneuil Cedex France
| | - Arthur Francisco
- Institut P'prime UPR 3346 (CNRS ENSMA & Université de Poitiers) 86962 Futuroscope Chasseneuil Cedex France
| | - Denis Gautier
- Ferme Expérimentale du Mourier Institut de l'Elevage 87800 St Priest Ligoure France; Centre Interrégional d'Information et de Recherche en Production Ovine Ferme Expérimentale du Mourier 87800 Saint Priest Ligoure France
| | - Jérôme Surault
- iPHEP UMR 7262 (CNRS & Université de Poitiers) 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9 France
| | - Gildas Merceron
- iPHEP UMR 7262 (CNRS & Université de Poitiers) 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9 France
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20
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Davis M, Pineda Munoz S. The temporal scale of diet and dietary proxies. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:1883-97. [PMID: 27087936 PMCID: PMC4801961 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Diets estimated from different proxies such as stable isotopes, stomach contents, and dental microwear often disagree, leading to nominally well-supported but greatly differing estimates of diet for both extinct and extant species that complicate our understanding of ecology. We show that these perceived incongruences can be caused by proxies recording diet over vastly different timescales. Field observations reveal a diet averaged over minutes or hours, whereas dental morphology may reflect the diet of a lineage over millions of years of evolution. Failing to explicitly consider the scale of proxies and the potentially large temporal variability in diet can cause erroneous predictions in any downstream analyses such as conservation planning or paleohabitat reconstructions. We propose a cross-scale framework for conceptualizing diet suitable for both modern ecologists and paleontologists and provide recommendations for any studies involving dietary data. Treating diet in this temporally explicit framework and matching the scale of our questions with the scale of our data will lead to a much richer and clearer understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Davis
- Department of Geology and Geophysics Yale University New Haven Connecticut 06520; Department of Paleobiology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia 20004
| | - Silvia Pineda Munoz
- Department of Paleobiology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia 20004
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21
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Calandra
- GEGENAA - EA 3795; Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne; CREA - 2 esplanade Roland Garros 51100 Reims France
| | - Gildas Merceron
- iPHEP UMR 7262; CNRS & Université de Poitiers; Bat. B35 - TSA-51106, 6 rue M. Brunet 86073 Poitiers France
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22
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Finite Element Analysis of the Cingulata Jaw: An Ecomorphological Approach to Armadillo's Diets. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0120653. [PMID: 25919313 PMCID: PMC4412537 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Finite element analyses (FEA) were applied to assess the lower jaw biomechanics of cingulate xenarthrans: 14 species of armadillos as well as one Pleistocene pampathere (11 extant taxa and the extinct forms Vassallia, Eutatus and Macroeuphractus). The principal goal of this work is to comparatively assess the biomechanical capabilities of the mandible based on FEA and to relate the obtained stress patterns with diet preferences and variability, in extant and extinct species through an ecomorphology approach. The results of FEA showed that omnivorous species have stronger mandibles than insectivorous species. Moreover, this latter group of species showed high variability, including some similar biomechanical features of the insectivorous Tolypeutes matacus and Chlamyphorus truncatus to those of omnivorous species, in agreement with reported diets that include items other than insects. It remains unclear the reasons behind the stronger than expected lower jaw of Dasypus kappleri. On the other hand, the very strong mandible of the fossil taxon Vassallia maxima agrees well with the proposed herbivorous diet. Moreover, Eutatus seguini yielded a stress pattern similar to Vassalia in the posterior part of the lower jaw, but resembling that of the stoutly built Macroeuphractus outesi in the anterior part. The results highlight the need for more detailed studies on the natural history of extant armadillos. FEA proved a powerful tool for biomechanical studies in a comparative framework.
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23
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Green JL, Kalthoff DC. Xenarthran dental microstructure and dental microwear analyses, with new data forMegatherium americanum(Megatheriidae). J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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25
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McAfee RK, Green JL. The role of bite force in the formation of orthodentine microwear in tree sloths (Mammalia: Xenarthra: Folivora): Implications for feeding ecology. Arch Oral Biol 2014; 60:181-92. [PMID: 25455133 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2014.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Revised: 09/27/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this investigation was to explore the role and interplay that bite force has on the formation of microwear features upon the dentition of two- and three-fingered tree sloths (Choloepus and Bradypus, respectively), with the hypothesis that increasing relative bite force would correlate with an increase in frequency of microwear features. DESIGN Microwear patterns were assessed by counting features (e.g. scratches, pits) seen within a standardized field of view on the mesio-labial facets casts of upper molariform series from sloth specimens using Scanning Electron Microscopy. Relative bite force was estimated using a geometric model to quantify the muscular inputs of the temporalis and masseter muscles with respect to the mandible at the centre of each lower tooth. RESULTS Although relative bite force increases posteriorly along the toothrow, there is not a significant increase in frequency of scratches or pits in either sloth. Scratch width increases significantly as bite force increases in Choloepus. CONCLUSIONS We reject the hypothesis that higher magnitude of bite force is correlated with an increased number of microwear features in tree sloths. Results here suggest that other endogenous variables (such as chewing direction, manipulation of food during mastication, amount of food ingested) play a more significant role in the formation of microwear in sloths than orthal closure force. This further supports the formation of microwear on teeth as an intricate process that has multiple influences beyond the texture of food particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K McAfee
- Ohio Northern University, Department of Biological & Allied Health Sciences, 525 S. Main Street, Ada, OH 45810, USA.
| | - Jeremy L Green
- Kent State University at Tuscarawas, Department of Geology, 330 University Drive NE, New Philadelphia, OH 44663, USA.
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26
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Desantis LRG, Haupt RJ. Cougars' key to survival through the Late Pleistocene extinction: insights from dental microwear texture analysis. Biol Lett 2014; 10:20140203. [PMID: 24759373 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cougars (Puma concolor) are one of only two large cats in North America to have survived the Late Pleistocene extinction (LPE), yet the specific key(s) to their relative success remains unknown. Here, we compare the dental microwear textures of Pleistocene cougars with sympatric felids from the La Brea Tar Pits in southern California that went extinct at the LPE (Panthera atrox and Smilodon fatalis), to clarify potential dietary factors that led to the cougar's persistence through the LPE. We further assess whether the physical properties of food consumed have changed over time when compared with modern cougars in southern California. Using dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA), which quantifies surface features in three dimensions, we find that modern and Pleistocene cougars are not significantly different from modern African lions in any DMTA attributes, suggesting moderate durophagy (i.e. bone processing). Pleistocene cougars from La Brea have significantly greater complexity and textural fill volume than Panthera atrox (inferred to have primarily consumed flesh from fresh kills) and significantly greater variance in complexity values than S. fatalis. Ultimately, these results suggest that cougars already used or adopted a more generalized dietary strategy during the Pleistocene that may have been key to their subsequent success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa R G Desantis
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vanderbilt University, , Nashville, TN 37240, USA
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27
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Was the giant short-faced bear a hyper-scavenger? A new approach to the dietary study of ursids using dental microwear textures. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77531. [PMID: 24204860 PMCID: PMC3813673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Dramatic environmental changes associated with global cooling since the late Miocene, and the onset of glacial-interglacial cycles in the Pleistocene served as a backdrop to the evolutionary radiation of modern bears (family Ursidae). These environmental changes likely prompted changes in food availability, and triggered dietary adaptations that served as motive forces in ursid evolution. Here, we assess correspondence of dental microwear textures of first and second lower molars with diet in extant ursids. We use the resulting baseline data to evaluate the hypothesis that the Pleistocene giant short-faced bear, Arctodus simus, was a bone consumer and hyper-scavenger at Rancho La Brea, California, USA. Significant variation along the tooth row is consistent with functional differentiation, with the second molar serving as a better dietary recorder than the first. Results evince significant variation among species: carnivorous and omnivorous ursids (Ursus maritimus, U. americanus) have significantly higher and more variable complexity (Asfc) than more herbivorous ones (Ailuropoda melanoleuca, Tremarctos ornatus, U. malayanus), and A. melanoleuca is differentiated from U. maritimus and U. americanus by significantly higher and more variable anisotropy (epLsar) values. Arctodus simus from Rancho La Brea exhibits wear attributes most comparable to its closest living relative (T. ornatus), which is inconsistent with hard-object (e.g., bone) consumption, and the hypothesis that short-faced bears were bone consuming hyper-scavengers across their range.
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28
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Direct comparisons of 2D and 3D dental microwear proxies in extant herbivorous and carnivorous mammals. PLoS One 2013; 8:e71428. [PMID: 23936506 PMCID: PMC3735535 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2012] [Accepted: 06/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The analysis of dental microwear is commonly used by paleontologists and anthropologists to clarify the diets of extinct species, including herbivorous and carnivorous mammals. Currently, there are numerous methods employed to quantify dental microwear, varying in the types of microscopes used, magnifications, and the characterization of wear in both two dimensions and three dimensions. Results from dental microwear studies utilizing different methods are not directly comparable and human quantification of wear features (e.g., pits and scratches) introduces interobserver error, with higher error being produced by less experienced individuals. Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA), which analyzes microwear features in three dimensions, alleviates some of the problems surrounding two-dimensional microwear methods by reducing observer bias. Here, we assess the accuracy and comparability within and between 2D and 3D dental microwear analyses in herbivorous and carnivorous mammals at the same magnification. Specifically, we compare observer-generated 2D microwear data from photosimulations of the identical scanned areas of DMTA in extant African bovids and carnivorans using a scanning white light confocal microscope at 100x magnification. Using this magnification, dental microwear features quantified in 2D were able to separate grazing and frugivorous bovids using scratch frequency; however, DMTA variables were better able to discriminate between disparate dietary niches in both carnivorous and herbivorous mammals. Further, results demonstrate significant interobserver differences in 2D microwear data, with the microwear index remaining the least variable between experienced observers, consistent with prior research. Overall, our results highlight the importance of reducing observer error and analyzing dental microwear in three dimensions in order to consistently interpret diets accurately.
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