A three-dimensional analysis of tooth-root morphology in living bears and implications for feeding behaviour in the extinct cave bear
The morphology of both crowns and tooth-roots reflects dietary specialisation in mammalian carnivores. In this article, we analyse the tooth-root morphology of maxillary teeth from CT scans of living bears ( Ursus arctos, Ursus americanus, Ursus maritimus, Ursus thibetanus, Melursus ursinus, Helarct...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | unknown |
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Taylor & Francis
2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7195937.v1 https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/A_three-dimensional_analysis_of_tooth-root_morphology_in_living_bears_and_implications_for_feeding_behaviour_in_the_extinct_cave_bear/7195937/1 |
| Summary: | The morphology of both crowns and tooth-roots reflects dietary specialisation in mammalian carnivores. In this article, we analyse the tooth-root morphology of maxillary teeth from CT scans of living bears ( Ursus arctos, Ursus americanus, Ursus maritimus, Ursus thibetanus, Melursus ursinus, Helarctos malayanus, Tremarctos ornatus and Ailuropoda melanoleuca ) in order to make inferences about the diet and feeding behaviour of the extinct cave bear ( Ursus spelaeus sensu lato ). Specifically, we investigate two major mitochondrial clades of extinct cave bears recognized by previous authors: Ursus ingressus and Ursus spelaeus ( U. spelaeus spelaeus, U. spelaeus ladinicus, U. spelaeus eremus ). Our results indicate a close association between tooth-root surface area and feeding behaviour in all living bear species. Tooth-root surface area values of cave bears suggest that they relied more on vegetative matter than living brown bears ( Ursus arctos ) but subtle differences between these species/subspecies could also indicate different feeding strategies among the members of cave bear complex. |
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