Abstract
Between hatching and late adulthood American alligators Alligator mississippiensis show up to 7000-fold increases in body mass. Concurrent with such changes in body size are absolute and relative modifications in rostral proportions, dental form, feeding capacities and dietary preferences. How these major anatomical changes accommodate prey-resource shifts is poorly understood. In this study, we focus on the effects of ontogenetic changes in bite-force capacities and dental form to address how these factors relate to tooth-pressure generation and diet. We derive absolute values of tooth pressure along the crowns of the most prominent teeth (the first documentation of tooth pressures throughout ontogeny and after initial tooth contact for any animal) and show that these pressures increase with positive allometry during ontogeny. In addition, we discuss how American alligator tooth-pressure values explain their capacities for seizure and oral processing of typical prey, and how tooth-pressure changes facilitate developmental niche shifts in this large-bodied taxon.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 132-142 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Zoology |
| Volume | 295 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Feb 2015 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Bite force
- Crocodylia
- Ecomorphology
- Feeding ecology
- Material properties
Cite this
}
Ontogenetic changes in dental form and tooth pressures facilitate developmental niche shifts in American alligators. / Gignac, P. M.; Erickson, G. M.
In: Journal of Zoology, Vol. 295, No. 2, 01.02.2015, p. 132-142.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Ontogenetic changes in dental form and tooth pressures facilitate developmental niche shifts in American alligators
AU - Gignac, P. M.
AU - Erickson, G. M.
PY - 2015/2/1
Y1 - 2015/2/1
N2 - Between hatching and late adulthood American alligators Alligator mississippiensis show up to 7000-fold increases in body mass. Concurrent with such changes in body size are absolute and relative modifications in rostral proportions, dental form, feeding capacities and dietary preferences. How these major anatomical changes accommodate prey-resource shifts is poorly understood. In this study, we focus on the effects of ontogenetic changes in bite-force capacities and dental form to address how these factors relate to tooth-pressure generation and diet. We derive absolute values of tooth pressure along the crowns of the most prominent teeth (the first documentation of tooth pressures throughout ontogeny and after initial tooth contact for any animal) and show that these pressures increase with positive allometry during ontogeny. In addition, we discuss how American alligator tooth-pressure values explain their capacities for seizure and oral processing of typical prey, and how tooth-pressure changes facilitate developmental niche shifts in this large-bodied taxon.
AB - Between hatching and late adulthood American alligators Alligator mississippiensis show up to 7000-fold increases in body mass. Concurrent with such changes in body size are absolute and relative modifications in rostral proportions, dental form, feeding capacities and dietary preferences. How these major anatomical changes accommodate prey-resource shifts is poorly understood. In this study, we focus on the effects of ontogenetic changes in bite-force capacities and dental form to address how these factors relate to tooth-pressure generation and diet. We derive absolute values of tooth pressure along the crowns of the most prominent teeth (the first documentation of tooth pressures throughout ontogeny and after initial tooth contact for any animal) and show that these pressures increase with positive allometry during ontogeny. In addition, we discuss how American alligator tooth-pressure values explain their capacities for seizure and oral processing of typical prey, and how tooth-pressure changes facilitate developmental niche shifts in this large-bodied taxon.
KW - Bite force
KW - Crocodylia
KW - Ecomorphology
KW - Feeding ecology
KW - Material properties
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84921754346&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/jzo.12187
DO - 10.1111/jzo.12187
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84921754346
VL - 295
SP - 132
EP - 142
JO - Journal of Zoology
JF - Journal of Zoology
SN - 0952-8369
IS - 2
ER -