Abstract
Observations of dental microwear are used to analyse the correlation between changes in molar tooth crown morphology and the direction of masticatory movement during the evolution of Myodonta (Rodentia, Mammalia). The studied sample includes 36 specimens representing both superfamilies of Myodonta (Muroidea and Dipodoidea) spanning 16 dipodoid and 9 muroid species. Microscopic scratches on occlusal surfaces resulting from contact between opposite teeth during mastication are analysed. Using these features, we determine the direction of masticatory movements. Microwear patterns display diverse orientations among Dipodoidea: oblique in Sicistinae, Euchoreutinae and Zapodinae, propalinal in Dipodinae and intermediary in Allactaginae. Similarly, Muroidea exhibit the following orientations: oblique in Cricetinae and propalinal in Arvicolinae, Cricetomyinae, Gerbillinae and Murinae. These various chewing types illustrate different evolutionary grades within the superfamilies. Acquisition of the antero-posterior masticatory movement in Dipodoidea is related to flattening of the molar occlusal surface. However, in some muroid subfamilies, this direction of mastication is associated with low-crowned and cuspidate molars (Cricetomyinae, Murinae).
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Acknowledgments
We acknowledge Jacques Cuisin of the MNHN of Paris for the loan of dipodid and murid material. We are grateful to Christopher Conroy, curator of the MVZ of Berkeley, for the loan of American dipodids and to Jean-Renaud Boisserie for having transported this material. Thanks to Jean-Pierre Quéré for the loan of Chinese dipodids from the collections of the CBGPM of Montferrier-sur-Lez (France). We also thank Cécile Blondel and Gildas Merceron for their advice concerning technical aspects of this work, Christopher Beard for English corrections and the reviewers for their comments.
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Charles, C., Jaeger, JJ., Michaux, J. et al. Dental microwear in relation to changes in the direction of mastication during the evolution of Myodonta (Rodentia, Mammalia). Naturwissenschaften 94, 71–75 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-006-0161-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-006-0161-7