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Cross‐sectional properties of artiodactyl mandibles and relationship to diet
Author(s) -
Yashinski Michael Patrick
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a601-e
Subject(s) - mandible (arthropod mouthpart) , interdental consonant , bending , crown (dentistry) , quantitative computed tomography , herbivore , materials science , orthodontics , flexural strength , biology , anatomy , dentistry , geology , medicine , composite material , zoology , ecology , genus , bone density , endocrinology , osteoporosis
Previous studies of the structural properties of mammalian mandibles have mostly focused on carnivores. This study evaluates bending strength and dental measurements in the mandibles of 17 species of herbivorous artiodactyls (n = 80) to distinguish grazers, browsers, and mixed feeders. Due to the hardness of their diet, grazers were thought to have stronger jaws than other feeding groups. Mandibular structural properties were calculated from peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) slices at the P4‐M1, M1‐M2, and M2‐M3 interdental gaps. External measurements of the mandible were also taken for a methodological comparison using a solid beam model. Comparing slope elevations of dorsoventral and mediolateral bending strengths against crown area with an ANOVA and post‐hoc tests revealed that grazers have significantly stronger mandibles. This result supports the hypothesis that dietary hardness affects the structure of the mandible. Additionally, comparing pQCT derived values of bending strength to those calculated using a solid beam model shows that the solid model overestimates structural properties, and is less accurate in larger specimens.