edoc

A model of digestive tooth corrosion in lizards: experimental tests and taphonomic implications

Smith, Krister T. and Comay, Orr and Maul, Lutz and Wegmüller, Fabio and Le Tensorer, Jean-Marie and Dayan, Tamar. (2021) A model of digestive tooth corrosion in lizards: experimental tests and taphonomic implications. Scientific Reports, 11 (1). p. 12877.

Full text not available from this repository.

Official URL: https://edoc.unibas.ch/85469/

Downloads: Statistics Overview

Abstract

Corrosion patterns induced by gastric fluids on the skeleton of prey animals may depend on the nature of the corrosive agents (acid, enzymes) as well as on the composition of the hard parts and the soft tissues that surround them. We propose a framework for predicting and interpreting corrosion patterns on lizard teeth, our model system, drawing on the different digestive pathways of avian and non-avian vertebrate predators. We propose that high-acid, low-enzyme systems (embodied by mammalian carnivores) will lead to corrosion of the tooth crowns, whereas low-acid, high-enzyme systems (embodied by owls) will lead to corrosion of the tooth shafts. We test our model experimentally using artificial gastric fluids (with HCl and pepsin) and feeding experiments, and phenomenologically using wild-collected owl pellets with lizard remains. Finding an association between the predictions and the experimental results, we then examine corrosion patterns on nearly 900 fossil lizard jaws. Given an appropriate phylogenetic background, our focus on physiological rather than taxonomic classes of predators allows the extension of the approach into Deep Time.
Faculties and Departments:05 Faculty of Science > Departement Umweltwissenschaften > Ehemalige Einheiten Umweltwissenschaften > Urgeschichte (Le Tensorer)
UniBasel Contributors:Wegmüller, Fabio and Le Tensorer, Jean-Marie
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
Related URLs:
Identification Number:
Last Modified:25 Jan 2022 14:16
Deposited On:25 Jan 2022 14:16

Repository Staff Only: item control page