Dear MARMAM subscribers,
We are pleased to announcethe publication of the following paper in the
current issue of Zoomorphology:
Dental anomalies in pinnipeds (Carnivora: Otariidae and Phocidae):occurrence
and evolutionary implications
César Drehmer,Daniela Sanfelice and Carolina Loch
Zoomorphology, Volume 134, Issue 2, Pages 325-338
Abstract
Dental anomalies comprisevariations in number, shape, size, position and
occlusion of teeth, mainlycaused by genetic mechanisms. This study aimed to
investigate the nature and prevalenceof dental anomalies in a large sample of
pinnipeds (Otariidae and Phocidae) andto discuss potential evolutionary and
ecological implications. Thirty-fourspecies in twenty genera were sampled. The
dentition of the specimens examinedwas compared with the normal dental formula
for the species, and supernumeraryand congenitally missing teeth were
identified and recorded. Agenesis wasobserved in 0.93 % of the specimens
analyzed (n = 10),being more frequent in otariids. The posteriormost upper
postcanines were theteeth absent most frequently. Supernumerary teeth were
observed in1.8 % of the specimens (n = 19), more commonly inphocids.
Supernumerary teeth can be interpreted as either atavisticmanifestations
(particularly for the posteriormost postcanines in Otariidae) orcases of
disturbances in dental morphogenesis leading to the formation of extrateeth
when they occur in other positions of the tooth row. Morphological
dentalvariants such as ectopic and geminated teeth were also recorded. Cases
ofdental anomalies should have a limited effect on the functional morphology
ofthe feeding apparatus in pinnipeds, with little influence on the fitness
andperformance of the animals. Nevertheless, understanding patterns of
dentalvariation should contribute to future studies aiming to elucidate aspects
ofdental evolution and the phylogenetic relationships of pinnipeds.
Full text is available at:
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00435-015-0255-x
Or alternatively, a pdf canbe requested at: [email protected]
Best regards,
________________________________________
Carolina Loch Silva, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Sir John Walsh Research Institute
Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago
Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
Phone: +(64) 03 479-5667
&
Research Collaborator
Geology Department, University of Otago
and
Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos UFSC
Florianópolis, SC - Brasil
http://www.otago.ac.nz/geology/people/students/loch/index.html
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