Can dental microwear textures record inter-individual dietary variations?

Area of Science:

• Paleontology
• Zoology
• Ecology

Background:

• Dental microwear analysis is crucial for inferring extinct mammal diets.
• Traditional 2D imaging methods are subjective and prone to observer error.
• New 3D surface quantification methods combine confocal microscopy and scale-sensitive fractal analysis, offering objective dietary assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of 3D scale-sensitive fractal analysis in detecting intra-specific dietary variations.
• To assess dietary differences between individuals within a single population of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus).

Main Methods:

• Quantification of 3D molar microwear in 78 extant roe deer individuals.
• Application of multivariate statistical analyses to identify patterns in microwear.
• Utilizing two-block Partial Least-Squares analysis to correlate microwear with stomach contents.

Main Results:

• Significant seasonal and sexual differences in dental microwear patterns were observed.
• These variations are likely linked to seasonal food availability and sex-specific energetic needs.
• No strong correlation was found between short-term stomach contents and long-term microwear texture.

Conclusions:

• 3D scale-sensitive fractal analysis effectively detects dietary differences at both inter-specific and intra-specific levels (seasonal and sexual).
• This advanced method shows promise for investigating the feeding biology and ecology of extinct mammals.
• Caution is advised when interpreting results, considering the long-term nature of microwear data.