Microevolutionary trends in the dentition of the Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Abstract

Microevolutionary trends in dental traits were studied in a Polish population of the Red fox, Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758). Changes in qualitative and quantitative traits over a 70‐year interval were analysed in 1453 museum specimens collected between 1927 and 1996. Over that period, there were qualitative trends towards increasing complication of occlusal crown surface in posterior premolars (i.e. P4, P3, P4) and I3. Other cheek teeth did not undergo directional change. Changes in trait correlations were assessed using samples from the 1960s and 1990s. The correlations between C1–C1 and M1–M2 increased, while correlation values in the incisor region (I1–I2, I1–I1, I1–I2, I3–I2), carnassial region (P4–M1, P4–M1 and M1–M1) and in P2–P1 decreased. These changes may be related to increasing dietary opportunism of the Red fox during the 20th century.

Evolutionary and climatic factors affecting tooth size in the red foxVulpes vulpes in the Holarctic

“…The general evolutionary trend in the Canidae is characterized by a high level of adaptation to predation. However during the last century, red fox teeth indicated adaptation for increasing food opportunism (Szuma 2003). Assuming that progressive characteristics consist of an increase in the frequency of the characters concerned with better function of the teeth, the hypercarnivory specialization of the red fox is more distinct in populations from the Nearctic than from the Palearctic (Szuma 2007).…”

“…Mammalian teeth are used in a variety of ecological and evolutionary studies (eg Kurtén 1967, Butler 1985, Wolsan 1985, 1989, Klein 1986, Klein and Scott 1989, Suchentrunk 1994, Suchentrunk and Flux 1996, Polly 1998, 2003a, b, 2005, Dayan et al 2002, Szuma 2003, 2008a. The fact that teeth do not continue to grow after they erupt greatly simplifies estimation and comparison of definite body size of specimens because it is not necessary to correct for ontogenetic size increases in dental dimensions.…”

“…Research into the pattern of morphotype characteristics of teeth in the red fox conducted in the context of microevolutionary and geographical changes have shown that in variation within a species an essential role is played by both features connected with dental elements of greater (P 4 , P 4 , I 3 , M 1 and M 1 ), moderate and lesser functional importance (P 1 , M 2 , M 3 ) (Szuma 2003(Szuma , 2007. The influence of evolutionary and ecological parameters on populations is different in particular tooth structures.…”

Evolutionary implications of morphological variation in the lower carnassial of red foxVulpes vulpes

“…In Carnivora morphotypic analyses of teeth were carried out on cheek teeth in the genus Martes (Wolsan 1988(Wolsan , 1989, early European Mustelida (Wolsan 1993), Meles Potapova 1990, Baryshnikov et al 2002). Moreover, the polymorphism of cheek teeth and I in the Polish population of the red fox (Szuma 2002) has been described, and then, following the study on morphotypic character occurrence, a microevolutionary analysis of the dentition in Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) was conducted (Szuma 2003).…”

“…The variation in the shapes and cristid courses in the talonid basin region have not been described, but their variable occurrence, both in foxes and other species of the Canidae family, has been indicated (Tedford et al 1995). The earlier research in the polymorphism of the M 1 crown shape concerned such features as the variable presence of entoconulid on M 1 (Degerböl 1933, Kurtén 1967, Pulliainen et al 1972, Szuma 2002, 2003, or the variable presence or absence of the hypoconulid and postcingulid (E. Szuma, unpubl.). Taking into account the significant role of M 1 in the dental system, the complex tooth-crown shape with the simultaneous low level of variation in the size and shape, as well as the high level of fitting of the M 1 crown shape to the crown of the opposing upper carnassial P 4 (Szuma 2000), one may suppose that the variation in the shape of talonid surface is a significant indicator of evolutionary transformations in the fox dentition.…”