The Late Miocene paleoenvironment of Afghanistan as inferred from dental microwear in artiodactyls

Garcia, Géraldine; Blondel, Cécile; Brunet, Michel; Şen, Şevket; Solounias, Nikos; Viriot, Laurent; Heintz, Émile

doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2004.02.008

Cited by 147 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Microwear, the analysis of microscopic tooth wear, has been widely used as a method of paleoecological reconstruction (Grine, 1986;Grine and Kay, 1988;Solounias et al, 1988Solounias et al, , 2010Solounias and Semprebon, 2002;Merceron et al, 2004Merceron et al, , 2005Fraser and Theodor, 2013) and determining selective forces (e.g. climate and diet factors) responsible for various mammalian adaptations (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controlled feeding trials with ungulates: a new application of in vivo dental molding to assess the abrasive factors of microwear

Hoffman

Fraser

Clementz

2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Microwear, the quantification of microscopic scratches and pits on the occlusal surfaces of tooth enamel, is commonly used as a paleodietary proxy. For ungulates (hoofed mammals), scratchdominant microwear distinguishes modern grazers from browsers, presumably as a result of abrasion from grass phytoliths (biogenic silica). However, it is also likely that exogenous grit (i.e. soil, dust) is a contributing factor to these scratch-dominant patterns, which may reflect soil ingestion that varies with feeding height and/or environmental conditions (e.g. dust production in open and/or arid habitats). This study assessed the contribution of exogenous grit to tooth wear by measuring the effects of fine-and medium-grained silica sand on tooth enamel using a novel live-animal tooth-molding technique. It therefore constitutes the first controlled feeding experiment using ungulates and the first in vivo experiment using abrasives of different sizes. Four sheep were fed three diet treatments: (1) a mixture of Garrison and Brome hay (control), (2) hay treated with fine-grained silica sand (180-250 µm) and (3) hay treated with medium-grained silica sand (250-425 µm). We found a significant increase in pit features that was correlated with an increase in grain size of grit, corroborating earlier chewing simulation experiments that produced pits through grit-induced abrasion (i.e. the 'grit effect'). Our results support an interpretation of large silica grains fracturing to create smaller, more abundant angular particles capable of abrasion, with jaw movement defining feature shape (i.e. scratch or pit).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controlled feeding trials with ungulates: a new application of in vivo dental molding to assess the abrasive factors of microwear

Hoffman

Fraser

Clementz

2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…The study of the Turolian mammal assemblages and their comparison with modern ones from known environments suggest a habitat similar to that of the Vallesian, but more open and drier (Bonis et al, 1992;Bonis & Koufos, 1994b;Koufos et al, 2006bKoufos et al, , 2009bKostopoulos, 2009). The dental microwear of the Turolian herbivores of Eastern Mediterranean suggests also a similar open/dry habitat (Merceron et al, 2004(Merceron et al, , 2006. During late Turolian there are evidences that the palaeoenvironment changed, being more wet, having more close areas, as indicated from the study of the mammal faunas (Koufos, 2006c;Vasileiadou & Koufos, 2005).…”

Section: Guild Structurementioning

confidence: 82%

La asociación de carnívoros miocenos de Grecia

Koufos

2011

Estud. geol.

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The Miocene carnivore assemblage of Greece includes a great number of taxa, described in numerous articles since the first decades of the 19 th Century. The present article is a revision of all these taxa, providing information about their history, localities, age, as well as their stratigraphic distribution and palaeoenvironment. The Early/Middle Miocene carnivore record of Greece is poor as the available fossiliferous sites and material are rare. However, the Late Miocene one is quite rich, including numerous taxa. The Miocene localities with carnivores and their age are given in a stratigraphic table covering the European Mammal zones from MN 4 to MN 13. The type locality, holotype, and some historical and morphological remarks are given for each taxon. Several carnivore taxa were erected from Greek material and new photos of their holotypes are given. The stratigraphic distribution of the Greek carnivore taxa indicates that they are covering the time span from ~19.0-5.3Ma. The majority of the Miocene taxa (Adcrocuta, Hyaenictitherium, Plioviverrops, Protictitherium, Ictitherium, Indarctos, Dinocrocuta, Promephitis) disappeared at the end of Miocene. The composition of the Early/Middle Miocene carnivore assemblage of Greece includes mainly viverrids (Lophocyon, Euboictis), while the hyaenids, percrocutids, felids and mustelids are very few. On the contrary the Late Miocene assemblage is richer, including more subfamilies and species; the hyaenids and mustelids dominate, while the viverrids are absent. The Late Miocene carnivore guild structure is similar to that of the modern Serengeti, indicating a relatively open, savannah-like environment.Keywords: Carnivora, Miocene, Greece, Systematic, Diversity, Chronology RESUMEN La asociación de carnívoros miocenos de Grecia incluye un gran número de taxones, descritos en numerosos artículos desde las primeras décadas del siglo XIX. El presente artículo supone un esfuerzo de síntesis de todos estos taxones, suministrando información sobre su historia, localidad, edad, así como su distribución estratigráfica e inferencias paleoambientales. El registro de los carnívoros del Mioceno inferior y medio es pobre, debido a que las localidades existentes y los fósiles son raros. Sin embargo, el Mioceno superior es considerablemente rico, incluyendo numerosos taxones. Las localidades miocenas con carnívoros y su edad se exponen en un cuadro estratigráfico que abarca las Zonas de Mamíferos Europeas desde la MN4 a la MN 13. La localidad tipo, holotipo y algunas notas históricas y morfológicas se suministran para cada taxón. Algunos taxones de carnívoros fueron definidos sobre material griego, nuevas fotografías de los holotipos sonfiguradas. La distribución estratigráfica de los taxones de carnívoros griegos cubren un lapso de tiempo comprendido entre los 19,0 a los 5,3 Ma. La mayoría de los taxones miocenos (Adcrocuta, Hyaenictitherium, Plioviverrops, Protictitherium, Ictitherium, Indarctos, Dinocrocuta, Promephitis) desaparecen al final del Mioceno. La composición de la...

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“…"Ebalta" polyurethane resin casts were made following the protocol developed by Merceron et al (2004; and adapted for small-mammals by Gomes Rodrigues et al (2009). Low magnification light microscope photographs were taken with a Spot CCD camera (DFC 420, at a resolution of 2592x1944 pixels) connected to a light stereomicroscope (Leica M 165C), set at 100x.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies of microwear, both in large as in small mammals, are mainly based in resin casts made from original teeth (Strait, 1993;Merceron et al, 2004;Scott et al, 2005;2006;Gomes Rodrigues et al, 2009); whereas works directly based on original enamel are scarce (Walker et al, 1978;Rensberger, 1978;Lewis et al, 2000;Rivals and Deniaux, 2003;. This difference is due to: first, specimen size limitations of ESEM, usually less than 50 mm; second, availability of ESEM installations; and third, the requirement of coating each specimen in "classical SEM" studies, which is expensive.…”

Section: Esem-original Teeth Versus Light Stereomicroscopyresin Castsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dental microwear analysis was originally developed and mainly applied to macro-mammals (e.g., Walker et al, 1978;Solounias et al, 1988;Solounias and Semprebon, 2002;Merceron et al, 2004;2007b;Semprebon et al, 2004;Goillot et al, 2009;Peigné et al, 2009;DeMiguel et al, 2011), and more specifically to large mammalian herbivores. The methodologies were adapted to the teeth of modern and fossil rodents, resulting in several works which consider denwhich consider dental microwear as a good indicator of paleodiets in different rodent groups (e. g., Rensberger, 1978;Lewis et al, 2000;Nelson et al, 2005;Hopley et al, 2006;Townsend and Croft, 2008;Gomes Rodrigues et al, 2009;Firmat et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dental microwear analysis in Gliridae (Rodentia): methodological issues and paleodiet inferences based on "Armantomys" from the Madrid Basin (Spain)

Oliver

Hernández-Ballarín

López-Guerrero

et al. 2014

Journal of Iberian Geology

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In the present study we analyze the microwear of the species included in the lineage Armantomys aragonensis-A. tricristatus of two samples from two middle Miocene localities from the Madrid Basin (El Cañaveral and Casa Montero). The methodological part of the study compares light stereomicroscope photographs from resin casts and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) photographs from original material. Furthermore two regions of the tooth crown (the most lingual part of the anteroloph, and the most lingual part of the protoloph) and two homologous regions of first and second upper molars have been analyzed. The paleoecological part includes the results of the microwear analyses of the two species included in the lineage A. aragonensis-A. tricristatus. The replacement of A. aragonensis with A. tricristatus in the Madrid Basin occurred during the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT) and is marked by a change in dental morphology. Therefore, in order to infer changes in diet associated to a shift in the environment, we checked for correlations on microwear features between the two different morphologies of the species.The two methodologies tested, ESEM on original teeth and light stereomicroscopy on resin casts, showed similar results on microwear analysis in the glirid Armantomys. Besides, both regions of the tooth crown and dental elements showed the same microwear patterns. The substitution of the species included in the lineage Armantomys aragonensis-A. tricristatus might not imply a change in diet.Keywords: glirids, small-mammals, local biozone E, Aragonian, middle Miocene Resumen En el presente trabajo analizamos los patrones de microdesgaste de las especies incluidas en el linaje Armantomys aragonensis-A. tricristatus de dos muestras procedentes de dos yacimientos del Mioceno medio de la Cuenca de Madrid (El Cañaveral y Casa Montero). En la parte metodológica de este estudio se comparan fotografías de lupa binocular obtenidas a partir de moldes de resina y fotografías de microscopio electrónico de barrido ambiental (ESEM) a partir de material original. Además, se han analizado dos regiones de la corona dental (la zona más lingual del anterolofo y la zona más lingual del protolofo) y dos regiones homólogas del primer y segundo molar superiores. La parte paleoecológica del estudio incluye los resultados de los análisis de microdesgaste de las dos especies incluidas en el linaje A. aragonensis-A. tricristatus. El reemplazamiento de A. aragonensis por A. tricristatus en la Cuenca de Madrid tiene lugar durante la Transición Climática del Mioceno Medio (MMCT) y está marcado por un cambio en la morfología dental. Así, para inferir variaciones en la dieta asociados a un cambio en el ambiente, hemos estudiado la correlación de los patrones de microdesgaste entre las dos diferentes morfologías que presenta cada especie.Las dos metodologías comparadas, ESEM en dientes originales y lupa binocular en moldes de resina, muestran resultados similares en los análisis del microdesgaste en el glírido Arm...

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The Late Miocene paleoenvironment of Afghanistan as inferred from dental microwear in artiodactyls

Cited by 147 publications

References 38 publications

Controlled feeding trials with ungulates: a new application of in vivo dental molding to assess the abrasive factors of microwear

Controlled feeding trials with ungulates: a new application of in vivo dental molding to assess the abrasive factors of microwear

La asociación de carnívoros miocenos de Grecia

Dental microwear analysis in Gliridae (Rodentia): methodological issues and paleodiet inferences based on "Armantomys" from the Madrid Basin (Spain)

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