Effect of ontogenetic-age distribution in fossil and modern samples on the interpretation of ungulate paleodiets using the mesowear method

Evidence of correlated evolution of hypsodonty and exceptional longevity in endemic insular mammals

“…Dental mesowear [39] was used as a method to provide insights into the abrasiveness of the items eaten by M. balearicus. Also, its dietary trait was investigated based on the assumption that, essentially, low-abrasion signatures are typical of browsers, abrasion-dominated signatures are associated with grazing and intermediate signatures are commonly recognized in mixed feeders [39][40][41][42]. Whenever possible, occlusal relief and cusp shape were examined in all available upper third molars because of the considerable degree of wear of the upper M1s and M2s.…”

Seasonality and intra-site variation of Neanderthal occupations in the Middle Palaeolithic locality of Payre (Ardèche, France) using dental wear analyses

“…The method utilizes two variables scored on the upper second molars: buccal apical shape of the paracone (characterized as either sharp, rounded, or blunt) and relief or the distance between paracone and metacone cusp apices and inter-cusp valleys (characterized as either high or low). Unworn (and marginally worn) teeth, extremely worn teeth (where the crown has worn nearly to or below the dentino-enamel junction) are omitted from mesowear analysis Rivals et al, 2007a). In order to simplify the comparison of fossil to modern ungulates, we used a transformation of the mesowear variables into a mesowear score (unpublished method developed by Matthew C. Mihlbachler).…”

The Late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean) Viko vijin Local Fauna from La Mixteca Alta, northwestern Oaxaca, southern Mexico

“…Forty four percent of the mammalian genera identified in the Viko vijin L. F., were mainly grazers, while the rest were mixed feeders or browsers (MacFadden & Cerling, 1996;Koch et al, 1998;Feranec, 2004;Prado et al, 2005;Rivals et al, 2007;DeSantis et al, 2009). This suggests Hibbard, 1955;Mooser & Dalquest, 1975;Miller & Carranza-Castañeda, 1984;Webb & Perrigo, 1984;Montellano-Ballesteros, 1992;Lucas et al, 1997;Cisneros, 2005;Pearson, 2005;Meade et al, 2006;Laurito & Aguilar, 2007;Lucas et al, 2008).…”