Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 39(1) 1996

Issue:

VOL 39(1) 1996

Keywords:

Arvicolidae, M₁, occlusal surface, age variability, serial sections, Pliopotamys minor

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The use of serial sections to estimate age-related occlusal variability in arvicolid molars

• Laurent VlRIOT

Abstract:

Arvicolids wear down their hypsodont molars daily as they feed. This leads to a nearly flat occlusal surface that displays great morphological variability during the animal’s life. Earlier work on this topic is reviewed and a mechanical version of the serial section method is proposed to investigate age-related occlusal variability in arvicolid molars. When applied to the occlusal variability of the first lower molars (M₁) of Pliopotamys minor from the Hagerman local fauna, the serial section method appears to be an effective way to bring out the major trends in occlusal morphology in the course of molar abrasion. Comparison between the individual abrasion sequence (IASM₁) and the population abrasion sequence (PASM₁) of the M₁ allows us to pinpoint transient details that are not always observable on the molars of a large population.