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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Cursorial ecomorphology and temporal patterns in theropod dinosaur evolution during the mid-Cretaceous

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 12(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Coelurosauria, including modern birds, represents a successful group of theropod dinosaurs that established high taxonomic diversity and significant morphological modifications. In the evolutionary history this group, specialized foot morphology, arctometatarsus, evolved independently in several lineages has been considered an adaptation for cursoriality. While its functional significance extensively studied, temporal pattern parallel evolution, as well origin influencing factors, remains largely unresolved. Here, we show evolution cursorial traits, arctometatarsus hind limb proportions. Our study reveals proportional elongation distal segments preceded ornithomimosaurs oviraptorosaurs. contrast, tyrannosauroids, alvarezsaurs troodontids, tibia metatarsals occurred with acquisition arctometatarsus. The further highlights presence phylogenetic constraint outside specialization is restricted to members group. Finally, our date estimation, based on compiled patterns, demonstrates these traits emerged during mid-Cretaceous (93–120 Ma), suggesting selection locomotor performance throughout interval.

Language: Английский

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Inter‐microscope comparability of dental microwear texture data obtained from different optical profilometers: Part II Deriving instrument‐specific correction equations for meta‐analyses using published data

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

Published: April 30, 2025

Abstract Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) has emerged as a valuable method for investigating the feeding ecology of vertebrates. Over past decade, three‐dimensional topographic data from microscopic regions tooth surfaces have been collected, and surface parameters published both extant fossil species. However, different types measurement instruments processing used by respective laboratories conducting DMTA limited potential comparison. In this study, we propose correction formulae produced to facilitate intercomparison. We six confocal five scan standard samples with strictly defined areas. found significant differences in parameter values among machines, despite scanning exact same spots. The degree discrepancy varied considerably, manufacturer similar models showing less variation. Some exhibited high correlations between instruments, enabling development regression equations formulae. Using these formulae, adjusted conducted meta‐analysis herbivores examine effects internal external abrasives. Our findings indicate overall positive abrasives on DMTA, varying responses ruminant non‐ruminant herbivores. supports hypothesis that ruminants effectively “wash ingesta” their rumens, mitigating impact reducing dental wear.

Language: Английский

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Inter‐microscope comparability of dental microwear texture data obtained from different optical profilometers: Part I Reproducibility of diet inference using different instruments

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

Published: May 10, 2025

Abstract Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) has become a well‐established method for dietary inference and reconstruction in both extant extinct mammals other tetrapods. As the volume of available data continues to grow, researchers could benefit from combining published various studies perform meta‐analyses. However, different optical profilometers used capture three‐dimensional surface scans DMTA are known produce variation even when measuring same surface. In this study, we compare 36 guinea pigs that received diets controlled feeding experiment, measured using five instruments: three confocal‐scanning microscopes two confocal laser‐scanning microscopes. Each dataset is filtered according in‐house standards respective laboratories. Our findings reveal inter‐microscope differences majority 40 parameters analyzed. Height were most consistent across instruments, whereas density complexity exhibited pronounced differences. We thus propose stable regardless microscope. Despite these variations, overall results all instruments consistently show differentiation among pig groups, supporting suitability reproducible objective inferences. To enhance exchange, inter‐lab comparability, collaboration future, roadmap includes introduction device‐specific correction equations.

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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Trophic evolution in ornithopod dinosaurs revealed by dental wear

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: Aug. 26, 2024

Ornithopod dinosaurs evolved numerous craniodental innovations related to herbivory. Nonetheless, the relationship between occlusion, tooth wear rate, and replacement rate has been neglected. Here, we reconstruct rates by measuring volumes, document their dental microwear. We demonstrate that total volume of increased steadily during ornithopod evolution, with deeply-nested taxa wearing up 3360 mm

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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