A three-dimensional analysis of tooth-root morphology in living bears and implications for feeding behaviour in the extinct cave bear

• Main Authors: Pérez-Ramos, Alejandro, Kupczik, Kornelius, Heteren, Anneke H. Van, Rabeder, Gernot, Grandal-D’Anglade, Aurora, J., Francisco, Serrano, Francisco J., Figueirido, Borja
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Taylor & Francis 2018
• Subjects: Evolutionary Biology; FOS Biological sciences; 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified; FOS Earth and related environmental sciences; Ecology; 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified; Inorganic Chemistry; FOS Chemical sciences; Science Policy; Ursus arctos; Ursus maritimus
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7195937; 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

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.