Dental topographic proxies for ecological characteristics in carnivoran mammals

• Published in: Journal of anatomy Vol. 242; no. 4; pp. 627 - 641
• Main Authors: Waldman, Emily, Gonzalez, Yoly, Flynn, John J., Tseng, Z. Jack
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.04.2023; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Adaptation; Animals; Biological Evolution; Carnivora; dental topography; Developmental biology; Diet; diet breadth; Dirichlet Normal Energy; Ecosystem; Mammals; Molar - anatomy & histology; Orientation Patch Count Rotated; Original; Phylogeny; Relief Index; teeth; terrestriality; Topography; trophic level; Carnivora; trophic level; Relief Index; terrestriality; Orientation Patch Count Rotated; teeth; diet breadth; Dirichlet Normal Energy; dental topography
• ISSN: 0021-8782; 1469-7580
• DOI: 10.1111/joa.13806

Form‐function relationships in mammalian feeding systems are active topics of research in evolutionary biology. This is due principally to their fundamental importance for understanding dietary adaptations in extinct taxa and macro‐evolutionary patterns of morphological transformations through changing environments. We hypothesize that three‐dimensional dental topographic metrics represent stronger predictors for dietary and other ecological variables than do linear measurements. To test this hypothesis, we measured three dental topographic metrics: Relief Index (RFI), Dirichlet Normal Energy (DNE), and Orientation Patch Count Rotated (OPCR) in 57 extant carnivoran species. Premolar and molar dental topographic indices were regressed against activity, diet breadth, habitat breadth, terrestriality, and trophic level variables within a phylogenetic framework. The results of this study showed significant correlations between RFI and the ecological variables diet breadth and trophic level. Weaker correlations are documented between OPCR and activity and between DNE and trophic level. Our results suggest that cusp height is strongly reflective of dietary ecology in carnivorans as a whole, and represents a proxy mainly for different degrees of hypercarnivory observed within this group of predatory mammals. Dental topographic metrics represent stronger predictors for dietary and other ecological variables than do linear measurements. We measured three dental topographic metrics: Relief Index (RFI), Dirichlet Normal Energy (DNE), and Orientation Patch Count Rotated (OPCR) in 57 extant carnivoran species. Our results suggest that cusp height is strongly reflective of dietary ecology in carnivorans as a whole, and represents a proxy mainly for different degrees of hypercarnivory observed within this group of predatory mammals.