Direct comparisons of 2D and 3D dental microwear proxies in extant herbivorous and carnivorous mammals.

ABSTRACT: The analysis of dental microwear is commonly used by paleontologists and anthropologists to clarify the diets of extinct species, including herbivorous and carnivorous mammals. Currently, there are numerous methods employed to quantify dental microwear, varying in the types of microscopes used, magnifications, and the characterization of wear in both two dimensions and three dimensions. Results from dental microwear studies utilizing different methods are not directly comparable and human quantification of wear features (e.g., pits and scratches) introduces interobserver error, with higher error being produced by less experienced individuals. Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA), which analyzes microwear features in three dimensions, alleviates some of the problems surrounding two-dime

SUBMITTER: DeSantis LR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3735535 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature