In‐vitro puncture experiment using alligator teeth tracks the formation of dental microwear and its association with hardness of the diet

The Anatomical Record, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 14, 2025

Abstract With the development of dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA), there has been an increasing application DMTA for dietary estimation in extant and fossil reptiles, including dinosaurs. While numerous feeding experiments exist herbivorous mammals, knowledge remains limited carnivorous reptiles. This study aimed to qualitatively quantitatively evaluate formation through repeated puncture different types food using isolated teeth from American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis ) in‐vitro experiment. Eleven were mounted on a force gauge, each tooth sample was repeatedly punctured 200 times into sardines (tooth size, N = 6) crayfish 5). The surfaces scanned confocal laser microscope before, during, after experiment track changes surface. Additionally, maximum during measured with gauge. Examination surface roughness parameters before revealed significant increase at apexes both food. Furthermore, trials increased depth density more than sardine trials. There positive correlation between total experienced by trials, indicating that greater results wear. findings this are as they complement existing comparative studies wild species diets, demonstrate effectiveness experimental approaches understanding mechanisms microwear.

Language: Английский

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Mandible microwear texture analysis of crickets raised on diets of different abrasiveness reveals universality of diet-induced wear

Interface Focus, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(2)

Published: April 11, 2024

Animals have evolved diverse comminuting tools. While vertebrates possess mineralized teeth, insect mandibles often bear metal-inclusion-hardened serrated cusps. Microscopic dental enamel wear (microwear) is known to be caused by contact with ingesta. To test if mandible microwear also diet-dependent, we kept newly moulted adult two-spotted crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) for four weeks on alfalfa-based rodent pellets and without added mineral abrasives (loess, quartz, volcanic ash). Six per diet were examined after 1, 3, 7, 14, 21 28 days. All diets induced progressive wear, affecting specific locations along the distal tooth cusps differently. The depth of furrows increased most abrasive-containing until day 21, while mark complexity from 1 3 14 21. After days, these parameter values large ash quartz significantly exceeded those control diet. These results are comparable observations guinea pig feeding experiments same diets. Cricket was affected all abrasives. Notably, deepest, complex lesions, akin in pigs. This suggests a universal process, supporting that analyses suitable inferring invertebrate

Language: Английский

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Calcium and strontium isotopes in extant diapsid reptiles reflect dietary tendencies—a reference frame for diet reconstructions in the fossil record

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 292(2038)

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Dietary preferences of extant reptiles can be directly observed, whereas diet reconstruction extinct species typically relies on morphological or dental features. More specific information about the ingested is contained in chemistry hard tissues. Stable isotopes calcium and strontium show systematic fractionations between skeletal bioapatite, which applied for trophic-level reconstructions vertebrate species. Here, we present first comprehensive analysis stable bones teeth from 28 reptiles, including lepidosaurs archosaurs (crocodilians) with distinct herbivorous to faunivorous feeding behaviour, establishing a dietary reference frame. Both exhibit offsets groups, insectivores having highest, herbivores intermediate carnivores lowest isotope values. Although isotopic effect similar mammals, absolute values are more positive each category. Combining data microwear texture enables refined understanding reptile ecology identification durophagous diets. This toolbox opens new possibilities improved taxa, such as dinosaurs other non-mammalian fossil record.

Language: Английский

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Dental microwear texture analysis reveals a likely dietary shift within Late Cretaceous ornithopod dinosaurs

Palaeontology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 66(6)

Published: Nov. 1, 2023

Abstract Dinosaurs were the dominant megaherbivores during Cretaceous when angiosperms, flowering plants, emerged and diversified. How herbivorous dinosaurs responded to increasing diversity of angiosperms is largely unknown due lack methods that can reconstruct diet directly from body fossils. We applied dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA), an approach quantifies microtopography diet‐induced wear marks on tooth surfaces, ornithopods, dinosaur clade includes taxa with most sophisticated masticatory system. found Late ornithopods have significantly rougher (DMT) compared pre‐Late DMT variation increased in hadrosaurids, a derived ornithopod clade. These changes indicate likely temporal dietary shift towards more abrasive foodstuffs within probably ingestion phytoliths (amorphous silica bodies plants). Phytoliths are main source rough modern herbivores, along exogenous dust grit, generally concentrated than other major plant groups. Our results show DMTA occlusal enamel surface be used diets dinosaurs, resolution superior conventional methods.

Language: Английский

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Introducing ‘trident’: a graphical interface for discriminating groups using dental microwear texture analysis

Peer Community Journal, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 4

Published: Sept. 18, 2024

Language: Английский

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First application of dental microwear texture analysis to infer theropod feeding ecology

Palaeontology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 65(6)

Published: Nov. 1, 2022

Abstract Theropods were the dominating apex predators in most Jurassic and Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems. Their feeding ecology has always been of great interest, new computational methods have yielded more detailed reconstructions differences theropod behaviour. Many approaches, however, rely on well‐preserved skulls. Dental microwear texture (DMT) analysis is potentially applicable to isolated teeth, here employed for first time investigate dietary theropods. In particular, we test whether tyrannosaurids show DMT associated with hard‐object than compared Allosaurus ; this would be a sign higher levels osteophagy, as often suggested. We find no significant difference complexity roughness enamel surfaces between tyrannosaurids, which conflicts inferences frequent osteophagic behaviour Tyrannosaurus other Orientation wear features reveals pronounced bi‐directional puncture‐and‐pull mode tyrannosaurids. Our results further indicate ontogenetic niche shift theropods crocodylians, based significantly larger height parameters juvenile might scavenging, resulting bone–tooth contact during feeding. Overall, found very similar extant large, broad‐snouted crocodylians shows similarity throughout Cretaceous.

Language: Английский

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Functional morphology of the Triassic apex predator Saurosuchus galilei (Pseudosuchia: Loricata) and convergence with a post‐Triassic theropod dinosaur

The Anatomical Record, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 307(3), P. 549 - 565

Published: Aug. 16, 2023

Abstract Pseudosuchian archosaurs, reptiles more closely related to crocodylians than birds, exhibited high morphological diversity during the Triassic and are thus associated with hypotheses of ecological this time. One example involves basal loricatans which non‐crocodylomorph pseudosuchians traditionally known as “rauisuchians.” Their large size (5–8+ m long) similarities post‐Triassic theropod dinosaurs, including dorsoventrally deep skulls serrated dentitions, suggest were apex predators. However, hypothesis does not consider functional behaviors that can influence refined roles predators in their environment, for example, degree carcass utilization. Here, we apply finite element analysis a juvenile but three‐dimensionally well‐preserved cranium loricatan Saurosuchus galilei investigate its morphology compare stress distributions from Allosaurus fragilis assess degrees convergence between carnivores. We find similar magnitudes two study taxa under same simulations, indicating had somewhat strong skull some theropods. also weak bite an animal (1015–1885 N) is broadly equivalent force modern gharials ( Gavialis gangeticus ). infer potentially avoided tooth–bone interactions consumed softer parts carcasses, unlike theropods other loricatans. This deduced feeding mode increases highlights differences

Language: Английский

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Comparative analysis of confocal microscopy objective magnifications on dental microwear texture Analysis. Implications for dietary reconstruction in caprines

Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 58, P. 104716 - 104716

Published: Aug. 24, 2024

Language: Английский

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Tooth eruption status and bite force determine dental microwear texture gradients in albino rats (Rattus norvegicus forma domestica)

The Anatomical Record, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Oct. 27, 2024

Abstract Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) is widely applied for inferring diet in vertebrates. Besides and ingesta properties, factors like wear stage bite force may affect formation, potentially leading to tooth position‐specific patterns. We investigated DMTA consistency along the upper cheek row young adult female rats at different growth stages, but with erupted dentitions. Bite forces each molar (M) position were determined using muscle cross‐sectional areas lever arm mechanics. Rats categorized into three size classes based on increasing skull length. Maximum increased size, while across all classes, M3 was almost 1.4 times higher than M1 force. In class 1, M2 showed values complexity, height, volume parameters, 3, had lowest values. Comparing same between revealed opposing trends: showed, most decreasing roughness complexity from 1–3, displayed opposite trend, 1 showing lowest, either 2 or 3 highest This suggests that as age fully occludes, it becomes more utilized during mastication. DMTA, being a short‐term proxy, influenced by eruption occlusion status changes. Our findings emphasize importance of ontogenetic when interpreting patterns advise select teeth full reconstruction.

Language: Английский

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