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Martin LF, Codron D, Winkler DE, Tütken T, Hatt JM, Clauss M. Macroscopic dental measures in guinea pigs ( Cavia porcellus) fed natural and pelleted diets of different abrasiveness: implications for wear and compensatory growth in a hypselodont species. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230012. [PMID: 37254702 PMCID: PMC10230326 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The drivers of dental wear and compensatory hypselodont tooth growth are of current research interest. Expanding previous macroscopic dental wear measurements based on microtomographic scans of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) fed natural diets, we added diet groups with different predicted drivers of dental wear and analysed how measured variables relate to each other. The teeth of guinea pigs fed either pelleted diets containing external abrasives of various shapes, sizes and percentages (n = 66) or natural whole-leaf diets (n = 36, low-phytolith lucerne or grass or high-phytolith bamboo) were evaluated. The bamboo-fed animals showed the lowest tooth height with deep dentine basins, similar to the pellet-fed animals. Deeper dentine basins generally correlated with higher occlusal surfaces, allowing the hypothesis that changes in the pressure signal due to lower basins could initiate compensatory growth and broadening of the whole tooth surface in hypselodont teeth. Macroscopic dental wear did not categorically differ between whole-leaf or pelleted diets or between diets with internal phytoliths or with external silicate abrasives. Supporting interpretations that tooth wear should be viewed as a response to the biomechanical properties of ingested feed which may or may not be aptly summarized by broad descriptors such as 'whole/pelleted' or 'natural/artificial'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Françoise Martin
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daryl Codron
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, PO Box 339, 9300 Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Daniela Eileen Winkler
- Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, J.-J.-Becher-Weg 21, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Zoology und Functional Morphology of Vertebrates, Zoological Institute, University Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 3–9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Thomas Tütken
- Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, J.-J.-Becher-Weg 21, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jean-Michel Hatt
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Clauss M, Codron D, Hummel J. Equid nutritional physiology and behavior: an evolutionary perspective. J Equine Vet Sci 2023; 124:104265. [PMID: 36893821 DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Like other members of the even-toed ungulates (the perissodactyls), equids once had a higher species diversity in the fossil record than they have today. This is generally explained in comparison to the enormous diversity of bovid ruminants. Theories on putative competitive disadvantages of equids include the use of a single toe as opposed to two toes per leg, the lack of a specific brain cooling (and hence water-saving) mechanism, longer gestation periods that delay reproductive output, and in particular digestive physiology. To date, there is no empirical support for the theory that equids fare better on low-quality forage than ruminants. In contrast to the traditional juxtaposition of hindgut and foregut fermenters, we suggest that it is more insightful to sketch the evolution of equid and ruminant digestive physiology as a case of convergence: both evolved a particularly high chewing efficacy in their respective groups, which facilitates comparatively high feed and hence energy intakes. But because the ruminant system, less based on tooth anatomy but more on a forestomach sorting mechanism, is more effective, equids depend more on high feed intakes than ruminants and may well be more susceptible to feed shortages. Arguably, the most under-emphasized characteristic of equids may be that in contrast to many other herbivores including ruminants and coprophageous hindgut fermenters, equids do not use the microbial biomass growing in their gastrointestinal tract. Equids display behavioral and morphophysiological adaptations to high feed intakes, and their cranial anatomy that facilitates the cropping of forage while performing grinding chewing at the same time might be unique. Rather than looking for explanations how equids are better adapted to their present niches than other organisms, considering them remnants of a different morphophysiological solution may be more appropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich; 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Daryl Codron
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State; Bloemfontein, South Africa.
| | - Jürgen Hummel
- Ruminant Nutrition, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen; 37077 Goettingen, Germany.
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3
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Martin LF, Ackermans NL, Richter H, Kircher P, Hummel J, Codron D, Clauss M, Hatt J. Macrowear effects of external quartz abrasives of different size and concentration in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2022; 338:586-597. [PMID: 34813148 PMCID: PMC9787991 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
External quartz abrasives are one of the driving forces of macrowear in herbivorous animals. We tested to what extent different sizes and concentrations influence their effect on tooth wear. We fed seven pelleted diets varying only in quartz concentration (0%, 4%, and 8%) and size (fine silt: ∼4 μm, coarse silt: ∼50 μm, fine sand: ∼130 μm) to rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus, n = 16) for 2 weeks each in a randomized serial experiment. Measurements to quantify wear and growth of incisors and the mandibular first cheek tooth, as well as heights of all other cheek teeth, were performed using calipers, endoscopic examination, and computed tomography scans before and after each feeding period. Tooth growth showed a compensatory correlation with wear. Absolute tooth height (ATH) and relative tooth height (RTH); relative to the 0% quartz "control" diet) was generally lower on the higher concentration and the larger size of abrasives. The effect was more pronounced on the maxillary teeth, on specific tooth positions and the right jaw side. When offered the choice between different sizes of abrasives, the rabbits favored the silt diets over the control and the fine sand diet; in a second choice experiment with different diets, they selected a pelleted diet with coarse-grained sand, however. This study confirms the dose- and size-dependent wear effects of external abrasives, and that hypselodont teeth show compensatory growth. The avoidance of wear did not seem a priority for animals with hypselodont teeth, since the rabbits did not avoid diets inducing a certain degree of wear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise F. Martin
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse FacultyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Nicole L. Ackermans
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse FacultyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland,Present address:
Nicole L. Ackermans, Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Center for Anatomy and Functional MorphologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Henning Richter
- Clinic for Diagnostic Imaging, Vetsuisse FacultyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Patrick Kircher
- Clinic for Diagnostic Imaging, Vetsuisse FacultyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Jürgen Hummel
- Divison of Ruminant Nutrition, Department of Animal SciencesUniversity of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Daryl Codron
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of the Free StateBloemfonteinSouth Africa
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse FacultyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Jean‐Michel Hatt
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse FacultyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
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Fischer VL, Winkler DE, Głogowski R, Attin T, Hatt JM, Clauss M, Wegehaupt F. Species-specific enamel differences in hardness and abrasion resistance between the permanent incisors of cattle (Bos primigenius taurus) and the ever-growing incisors of nutria (Myocastor coypus). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265237. [PMID: 35298510 PMCID: PMC8929658 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypselodont (ever-growing) teeth of lagomorphs or rodents have higher wear rates (of a magnitude of mm/week), with compensating growth rates, compared to the non-ever-growing teeth of ungulates (with a magnitude of mm/year). Whether this is due to a fundamental difference in enamel hardness has not been investigated so far. We prepared enamel samples (n = 120 per species) from incisors of cattle (Bos primigenius taurus) and nutria (Myocastor coypus, hypselodont incisors) taken at slaughterhouses, and submitted them to indentation hardness testing. Subsequently, samples were split into 4 groups per species (n = 24 per species and group) that were assessed for abrasion susceptibility by a standardized brush test with a control (no added abrasives) and three treatment groups (using fine silt at 4 ±1 μm particle size, volcanic ash at 96 ±9 μm, or fine sand at 166 ±15 μm as abrasives), in which enamel abrasion was quantified as height loss by before-and-after profilometry. The difference in enamel hardness between the species was highly significant, with nutria enamel achieving 78% of the hardness of cattle enamel. In the control and the fine sand group, no enamel height loss was evident, which was attributed to the in vitro system in the latter group, where the sand particles were brushed out of the test slurry by the brushes’ bristles. For fine silt and volcanic ash, nutria enamel significantly lost 3.65 and 3.52 times more height than cattle. These results suggest a relationship between enamel hardness and susceptibility to abrasion. However, neither the pattern within the species nor across the species indicated a monotonous relationship between hardness and height loss; rather, the difference was due to qualitative step related to species. Hence, additional factors not measured in this study must be responsible for the differences in the enamel’s susceptibility to abrasion. While the in vitro brush system cannot be used to rank abrasive test substances in terms of their abrasiveness, it can differentiate abrasion susceptibility in dental tissue of different animal species. The results caution against considering enamel wear as a similar process across mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin L. Fischer
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniela E. Winkler
- Department of Natural Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
- Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Robert Głogowski
- Institute of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Thomas Attin
- Division of Preventive Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, Centre of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Michel Hatt
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Florian Wegehaupt
- Division of Preventive Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, Centre of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Kropacheva YE, Zykov SV. An evaluation of individual seasonal changes in dental macro- and mesowear of wild-caught common vole (Microtus arvalis sensu lato) by the intravital impressions method. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00252-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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7
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Kropacheva YE, Smirnov NG, Zykov SV. Growth Rate of Cheek Teeth in Narrow-Skulled Vole (Lasiopodomys gregalis) Depending on Food Abrasiveness. RUSS J ECOL+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1067413621060072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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8
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Anti-Gnawing, Thermo-Mechanical and Rheological Properties of Polyvinyl Chloride: Effect of Capsicum Oleoresin and Denatonium Benzoate. JOURNAL OF COMPOSITES SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jcs6010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Anti-rodent polymer composites were prepared using non-toxic substances denatonium benzoate (DB) and capsicum oleroresin (CO) mixed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrix. DB is mixed in zinc stearate (ZnSt) called DB/ZnSt, and CO, providing burning sensation, is impregnated in mesoporous silica named SiCO. There are three sets of sample: Blank, composites Set I and Set II. Set I consists of DB/ZnSt at concentration of 1.96 wt% and SiCO at concentration of 12.16 wt%, 14.47 wt%, 18.75 wt% and 23.53 wt%. Set II comprises SiCO at the same amount of Set I. The anti-rodent composites studied are anti-gnawing, surface morphology, thermo-mechanical and rheological properties. Anti-rodent testing is analyzed by one-way blocked analysis of variance (ANOVA) and compared with Tukey test with a 95% level of significance, presenting good anti-gnawing efficiency. The best rat-proof sample is II.4, consisting of SiCO 23.53 wt%, which presents percentage of weight loss from gnawing at 1.68% compared to weight loss of neat PVC at 59.74%. The addition of SiCO at concentration ranging from 12.16 to 23.53 wt% reduces tensile strength around 25–50%, elongation at break strength around 2–23%, shear storage modulus (G′) around 30%, shear loss modulus (G″) shear viscosity (η) and glass transition (Tg) around 43% compared to Blank. The increase in SiCO concentration slightly improves the thermal stability of PVC composites around 3%, but the addition of DB/ZnSt at 1.96 wt% slightly reduces those properties.
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De Cuyper A, Winkler DE, Tütken T, Bosch G, Hummel J, Kreuzer M, Muñoz Saravia A, Janssens GPJ, Clauss M. Digestion of bamboo compared to grass and lucerne in a small hindgut fermenting herbivore, the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2021; 337:128-140. [PMID: 34411456 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Bamboo is an enigmatic forage, representing a niche food for pandas and bamboo lemurs. Bamboo might not represent a suitable forage for herbivores relying on fermentative digestion, potentially due to its low fermentability. To test this hypothesis, guinea pigs (n = 36) were used as model species and fed ad libitum with one of three forages (bamboo, lucerne, or timothy grass) in a fresh or dried state, with six individuals per group, for 3 weeks. The nutrient composition and in vitro fermentation profile of bamboo displayed low fermentation potential, i.e. high lignin and silica levels together with a gas production (Hohenheim gas test) at 12 h of only 36% of that of lucerne and grass. Although silica levels were more abundant in the leftovers of (almost) all groups, guinea pigs did not select against lignin on bamboo. Dry matter (DM) intake was highest and DM digestibility lowest on the bamboo forage. Total short-chain fatty acid levels in caecal content were highest for lucerne and lowest for grass and bamboo. Bamboo-fed guinea pigs had a lower body weight gain than the grass and lucerne group. The forage hydration state did not substantially affect digestion, but dry forage led to a numerically higher total wet gut fill. Although guinea pigs increased DM intake on the bamboo diet, the negative effects on fermentation of lignin and silica in bamboo seemed overriding. For herbivores that did not evolutionary adapt, bamboo as an exclusive food resource can be considered as inadequate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelies De Cuyper
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Daniela E Winkler
- Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.,Department of Natural Environmental Studies, Graduate School of 12 Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Thomas Tütken
- Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Guido Bosch
- Animal Nutrition Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jürgen Hummel
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Kreuzer
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Arturo Muñoz Saravia
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Geert P J Janssens
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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10
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Ackermans NL, Winkler DE, Schulz-Kornas E, Kaiser TM, Martin LF, Hatt JM, Clauss M. Dental wear proxy correlation in a long-term feeding experiment on sheep ( Ovis aries). J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210139. [PMID: 34283942 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary reconstruction in vertebrates often relies on dental wear-based proxies. Although these proxies are widely applied, the contributions of physical and mechanical processes leading to meso- and microwear are still unclear. We tested their correlation using sheep (Ovis aries, n = 39) fed diets of varying abrasiveness for 17 months as a model. Volumetric crown tissue loss, mesowear change and dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) were all applied to the same teeth. We hereby correlate: (i) 46 DMTA parameters with each other, for the maxillary molars (M1, M2, M3), and the second mandibular molar (m2); (ii) 10 mesowear variables to each other and to DMTA for M1, M2, M3 and m2; and (iii) volumetric crown tissue loss to mesowear and DMTA for M2. As expected, many DMTA parameters correlated strongly with each other, supporting the application of reduced parameter sets in future studies. Correlation results showed only few DMTA parameters correlated with volumetric tissue change and even less so with mesowear variables, with no correlation between mesowear and volumetric tissue change. These findings caution against interpreting DMTA and mesowear patterns in terms of actual tissue removal until these dental wear processes can be better understood at microscopic and macroscopic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Ackermans
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniela E Winkler
- Applied and Analytical Paleontology, Institute for Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany.,Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, Department of Natural Environmental Studies, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563, Japan.,Center of Natural History, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ellen Schulz-Kornas
- Department of Cariology, Endontology and Peridontology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas M Kaiser
- Center of Natural History, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Louise F Martin
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Michel Hatt
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,AgroVet Strickhof, Lindau Site, Eschikon 27, 8315 Lindau, Switzerland
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11
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Winkler DE, Clauss M, Rölle M, Schulz-Kornas E, Codron D, Kaiser TM, Tütken T. Dental microwear texture gradients in guinea pigs reveal that material properties of the diet affect chewing behaviour. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:269143. [PMID: 34124765 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) is widely used for diet inferences in extant and extinct vertebrates. Often, a reference tooth position is analysed in extant specimens, while isolated teeth are lumped together in fossil datasets. It is therefore important to test whether dental microwear texture (DMT) is tooth position specific and, if so, what causes the differences in wear. Here, we present results from controlled feeding experiments with 72 guinea pigs, which received either fresh or dried natural plant diets of different phytolith content (lucerne, grass, bamboo) or pelleted diets with and without mineral abrasives (frequently encountered by herbivorous mammals in natural habitats). We tested for gradients in dental microwear texture along the upper cheek tooth row. Regardless of abrasive content, guinea pigs on pelleted diets displayed an increase in surface roughness along the tooth row, indicating that posterior tooth positions experience more wear compared with anterior teeth. Guinea pigs feedings on plants of low phytolith content and low abrasiveness (fresh and dry lucerne, fresh grass) showed almost no DMT differences between tooth positions, while individuals feeding on more abrasive plants (dry grass, fresh and dry bamboo) showed a gradient of decreasing surface roughness along the tooth row. We suggest that plant feeding involves continuous intake and comminution by grinding, resulting in posterior tooth positions mainly processing food already partly comminuted and moistened. Pelleted diets require crushing, which exerts higher loads, especially on posterior tooth positions, where bite forces are highest. These differences in chewing behaviour result in opposing wear gradients for plant versus pelleted diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela E Winkler
- Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, J.-J.-Becher-Weg 21, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Department of Natural Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563, Japan.,Center of Natural History, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maximilian Rölle
- Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, J.-J.-Becher-Weg 21, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Ellen Schulz-Kornas
- Center of Natural History, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Cariology, Endodontology and Periodontology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daryl Codron
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
| | - Thomas M Kaiser
- Center of Natural History, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Tütken
- Applied and Analytical Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, J.-J.-Becher-Weg 21, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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12
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Martin LF, Ackermans NL, Tollefson TN, Kircher PR, Richter H, Hummel J, Codron D, Hatt JM, Clauss M. Tooth wear, growth and height in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) fed pelleted or extruded diets with or without added abrasives. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2021; 106:630-641. [PMID: 33982342 DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Among the different factors thought to affect dental wear, dietary consistency is possibly the least investigated. To understand tooth wear of herbivorous animals consuming different dietary consistencies with different abrasive potential, we fed 14 rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) exclusively with a timothy grassmeal-based diet in either pelleted or extruded form, or the same diets with an addition of 5% fine sand abrasives (mean size 130 µm). First, we offered the rabbits the pelleted and extruded diets as well as the pelleted control and pelleted abrasive diet in a two-stage preference experiment. Then, the rabbits received each diet for 2 weeks in a randomised serial feeding experiment, where each animal served as its own control. Tooth measurements for wear, growth and height were achieved using a manual calliper, endoscopic examination and CT scans. The analysis of the diets as fed showed almost identical mean particle size, but the extruded diet had a lower density (volume/mass) and softer consistency compared to the pelleted one and was favoured by most rabbits. The rabbits selected against the diet with sand during the preference experiment, possibly because it caused more tooth wear, especially on the teeth most exposed to wear along the upper tooth row (upper P4 and M1). The maxillary teeth also showed evidence of an increased chewing laterality by the end of the experiment. The extruded diet led to a significantly lower cheek teeth height than the pelleted diet, potentially due to the higher chewing effort needed for a similar dry matter intake. The results suggest that dietary hardness alone is a poor predictor of dental wear. The regrowth of the teeth matched wear consistently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise F Martin
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicole L Ackermans
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Troy N Tollefson
- Mazuri® Exotic Animal Nutrition, PMI Nutrition International LLC, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Patrick R Kircher
- Clinic for Diagnostic Imaging, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Henning Richter
- Clinic for Diagnostic Imaging, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jürgen Hummel
- Department of Animal Sciences, Ruminant Nutrition, Georg-August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daryl Codron
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Jean-Michel Hatt
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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13
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Assessing molar wear in narrow-headed voles as a proxy for diet and habitat in a changing Arctic. Mamm Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-020-00079-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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14
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Rodriguez-Rojas F, Borrero-Lopez O, Constantino PJ, Henry AG, Lawn BR. Phytoliths can cause tooth wear. J R Soc Interface 2020; 17:20200613. [PMID: 33143592 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparative laboratory sliding wear tests on extracted human molar teeth in artificial saliva with third-body particulates demonstrate that phytoliths can be as effective as silica grit in the abrasion of enamel. A pin-on-disc wear testing configuration is employed, with an extracted molar cusp as a pin on a hard disc antagonist, under loading conditions representative of normal chewing forces. Concentrations and sizes of phytoliths in the wear test media match those of silica particles. Cusp geometries and ensuing abrasion volumes are measured by digital profilometry. The wear data are considered in relation to a debate by evolutionary biologists concerning the relative capacities of intrinsic mineral bodies within plant tissue and exogenous grit in the atmosphere to act as agents of tooth wear in various animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Rodriguez-Rojas
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales, Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Oscar Borrero-Lopez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales, Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Paul J Constantino
- Department of Biology, Saint Michael's College, Colchester, VT 05439, USA
| | - Amanda G Henry
- Department of Archaeological Sciences, Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, 2333CC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Brian R Lawn
- Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
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15
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Shape, size, and quantity of ingested external abrasives influence dental microwear texture formation in guinea pigs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:22264-22273. [PMID: 32839331 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2008149117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Food processing wears down teeth, thus affecting tooth functionality and evolutionary success. Other than intrinsic silica phytoliths, extrinsic mineral dust/grit adhering to plants causes tooth wear in mammalian herbivores. Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) is widely applied to infer diet from microscopic dental wear traces. The relationship between external abrasives and dental microwear texture (DMT) formation remains elusive. Feeding experiments with sheep have shown negligible effects of dust-laden grass and browse, suggesting that intrinsic properties of plants are more important. Here, we explore the effect of clay- to sand-sized mineral abrasives (quartz, volcanic ash, loess, kaolin) on DMT in a controlled feeding experiment with guinea pigs. By adding 1, 4, 5, or 8% mineral abrasives to a pelleted base diet, we test for the effect of particle size, shape, and amount on DMT. Wear by fine-grained quartz (>5/<50 µm), loess, and kaolin is not significantly different from the abrasive-free control diet. Fine silt-sized quartz (∼5 µm) results in higher surface anisotropy and lower roughness (polishing effect). Coarse-grained volcanic ash leads to significantly higher complexity, while fine sands (130 to 166 µm) result in significantly higher roughness. Complexity and roughness values exceed those from feeding experiments with guinea pigs who received plants with different phytolith content. Our results highlight that large (>95-µm) external silicate abrasives lead to distinct microscopic wear with higher roughness and complexity than caused by mineral abrasive-free herbivorous diets. Hence, high loads of mineral dust and grit in natural diets might be identified by DMTA, also in the fossil record.
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16
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Ackermans NL, Martin LF, Codron D, Kircher PR, Richter H, Clauss M, Hatt JM. Confirmation of a wear-compensation mechanism in dental roots of ruminants. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 304:425-436. [PMID: 32314555 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Diet affects many factors of an animal's anatomy, but teeth are a specific focus of dietary research, as their durability lends them to record information on a large variety of scales. Abrasive diets like those of grazing herbivores are known to wear down teeth, but how that wear affects tooth growth and the relations between its different morphological components is rarely investigated. Seven pelleted diets varying in abrasive size and concentration were fed over a 17-month period to 49 sheep (Ovis aries), of which n = 39 qualified for morphology measurements. Using computed tomography, scans of the skulls were made over the course of the experiment, and the impact of diet-related wear was observed on tooth volume and morphology, including the position of dental burr marks, over time. Digital caliper measurements were applied to 3D renderings of the teeth, and the volume of crown and root segments were investigated separately. We aimed to detect a signal of root growth compensating for wear, and test if this mechanism would be affected by dietary abrasives. Crown-segment volume loss was correlated to root-segment volume gain. Height and burr mark measurements indicated a much higher experimental tooth wear than that previously reported for free-ranging animals. The reason for this is unclear. There was no relationship between tooth height and dentine basin depth. For all parameters, there was no effect of diet; hence, while the measurements corroborate general understanding of tooth wear and compensatory processes, these methods appear not suitable to assess subtle differences between feeding regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Ackermans
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Louise F Martin
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daryl Codron
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Partick R Kircher
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Henning Richter
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Michel Hatt
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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17
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De Cuyper A, Meloro C, Abraham AJ, Müller DWH, Codron D, Janssens GPJ, Clauss M. The uneven weight distribution between predators and prey: Comparing gut fill between terrestrial herbivores and carnivores. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 243:110683. [PMID: 32097716 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The general observation that secondary consumers ingest highly digestible food and have simple short guts and small abdominal cavities intuitively results in the assumption that mammalian carnivores carry less digesta in their gut compared to herbivores. Due to logistic constraints, this assumption has not been tested quantitatively so far. In this contribution, we estimated the dry matter gut contents (DMC) for 25 species of the order Carnivora (including two strictly herbivorous ones, the giant and the red panda) using the physical 'Occupancy Principle', based on a literature data collection on dry matter intake (DMI), apparent dry matter digestibility (aD DM) and retention time (RT), and compared the results to an existing collection for herbivores. Scaling exponents with body mass (BM) for both carnivores and herbivores were in the same range with DMI ~ BM0.75; aD DM ~ BM0; RT ~ BM0.11 and DMC ~ BM0.88. The trophic level (carnivore vs herbivore) significantly affected all digestive physiology parameters except for RT. Numerically, the carnivore DMI level reached 77%, the RT 32% and DMC only 29% of the corresponding herbivore values, whereas the herbivore aD DM only reached 82% of that of carnivores. Thus, we quantitatively show that carnivores carry less inert mass or gut content compared to herbivores, which putatively benefits them in predator-prey interactions and might have contributed to the evolution towards unguligradism in herbivores. As expected, the two panda species appeared as outliers in the dataset with low aD DM and RT for a herbivore but extremely high DMI values, resulting in DMC in the lower part of the herbivore range. Whereas the difference in DMI and DMC scaling in herbivores might allow larger herbivores to compensate for lower diet quality by ingesting more, this difference may allow larger carnivores not to go for less digestible prey parts, but mainly to increase meal intervals, i.e. not having to hunt on a daily basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelies De Cuyper
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Carlo Meloro
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, England, UK
| | - Andrew J Abraham
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, USA
| | | | - Daryl Codron
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Geert P J Janssens
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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