The way wear goes: phytolith-based wear on the dentine-enamel system in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus).

ABSTRACT: The effect of phytoliths on tooth wear and function has been contested in studies of animal-plant interactions. For herbivores whose occlusal chewing surface consists of enamel ridges and dentine tissue, the phytoliths might particularly erode the softer dentine, exposing the enamel ridges to different occlusal forces and thus contributing to enamel wear. To test this hypothesis, we fed guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus; n = 36 in six groups) for three weeks exclusively on dry or fresh forage of low (lucerne), moderate (fresh timothy grass) or very high (bamboo leaves) silica content representing corresponding levels of phytoliths. We quantified the effect of these treatments with measurements from micro-computed tomography scans. Tooth height indicated extreme wear due to the bam

SUBMITTER: Martin LF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6790768 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature