How Changes in Functional Demands Associated with Captivity Affect the Skull Shape of a Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)

Neaux, Dimitri; Blanc, Barbara; Ortiz, Katia; Locatelli, Yann; Laurens, Flavie; Baly, Isabelle; Callou, Cécile; Lecompte, François; Cornette, Raphaël; Sansalone, Gabriele; Haruda, Ashleigh; Schafberg, Renate; Vigne, Jean‐Denis; Debat, Vincent; Herrel, Anthony; Cucchi, Thomas

doi:10.1007/s11692-020-09521-x

Cited by 24 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…2 b). The cranial shapes observed in captivity may seem counterintuitive, where captive specimens of several species display wider skulls than their wild counterparts, with documented instances of correspondingly enhanced cranial musculature [ 87 ] and bite force [ 32 ]. This seemingly contradictory result may be related, at least in part, to the changes in muscle usage that occur in captivity [ 40 , 41 , 87 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The cranial shapes observed in captivity may seem counterintuitive, where captive specimens of several species display wider skulls than their wild counterparts, with documented instances of correspondingly enhanced cranial musculature [ 87 ] and bite force [ 32 ]. This seemingly contradictory result may be related, at least in part, to the changes in muscle usage that occur in captivity [ 40 , 41 , 87 ]. While the pressure to capture prey and flee predators may be removed in captivity, certain captivity-specific tasks, such as the performance of stereotypic behaviors and the processing of novel diets may also increase muscle usage and may explain the morphological differences observed in this study [ 40 , 41 , 87 , 98 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This seemingly contradictory result may be related, at least in part, to the changes in muscle usage that occur in captivity [ 40 , 41 , 87 ]. While the pressure to capture prey and flee predators may be removed in captivity, certain captivity-specific tasks, such as the performance of stereotypic behaviors and the processing of novel diets may also increase muscle usage and may explain the morphological differences observed in this study [ 40 , 41 , 87 , 98 ]. Similarly, wild diets may constrain cranial shapes to maintain optimum functionality for processing and capturing prey items, particularly among species with highly specialized diets [ 2 , 32 , 60 , 109 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The reasons for this difference within a relatively close taxonomic unit are unclear but may be related to the extensive population bottlenecks experienced by the latter species [ 80 , 116 ]. While certain morphological changes occurring in captivity have been attributed to selection [ 64 , 115 ] or phenotypic plasticity [ 40 , 87 ] for traits that may be advantageous in the captive environment, species with especially depleted genetic lines may display less favorable morphological traits. However, this topic requires further investigation into the mechanisms that drive these changes and the relative favorability of these traits in captivity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In captivity, unusual phenotypes, especially of the crania, may be expressed as a plastic response to environmental factors related to novel diet textures [ 24 , 46 ], nutrient availability [ 61 , 103 ], or any other factors unique to the captive environment [ 40 , 41 , 87 ]. Cranial responses to a captive environment may be explained by differences in muscle usage, which may impact osteological traits [ 17 , 87 , 117 , 119 ]. For example, a soft diet requires less musculature and therefore less mechanical stress is applied to the cranial bones, potentially resulting in a bone whose difference is greater than the variance of the mean wild-type morphotype [ 17 , 46 , 117 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cranial morphology of captive mammals: a meta-analysis

2021

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Background Captive facilities such as zoos are uniquely instrumental in conservation efforts. To fulfill their potential as bastions for conservation, zoos must preserve captive populations as appropriate proxies for their wild conspecifics; doing so will help to promote successful reintroduction efforts. Morphological changes within captive populations may be detrimental to the fitness of individual animals because these changes can influence functionality; thus, it is imperative to understand the breadth and depth of morphological changes occurring in captive populations. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis of scientific literature reporting comparisons of cranial measures between captive and wild populations of mammals. We investigate the pervasiveness of cranial differences and whether cranial morphological changes are associated with ecological covariates specific to individual species, such as trophic level, dietary breadth, and home range size. Results Cranial measures of skull length, skull width, and the ratio of skull length-to-width differed significantly between many captive and wild populations of mammals reported in the literature. Roughly half of captive populations differed from wild populations in at least one cranial measure, although the degree of changes varied. Carnivorous species with a limited dietary breadth displayed the most consistent changes associated with skull widening. Species with a more generalized diet displayed less morphological changes in captivity. Conclusions Wild and captive populations of mammals differed in cranial morphology, but the nature and magnitude of their cranial differences varied considerably across taxa. Although changes in cranial morphology occur in captivity, specific changes cannot be generalized for all captive mammal populations. The nature of cranial changes in captivity may be specific to particular taxonomic groups; thus, it may be possible to establish expectations across smaller taxonomic units, or even disparate groups that utilize their cranial morphology in a similar way. Given that morphological changes occurring in captive environments like zoos have the potential to limit reintroduction success, our results call for a critical evaluation of current captive husbandry practices to prevent unnecessary morphological changes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cranial morphology of captive mammals: a meta-analysis

2021

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Ontogenetic biomechanics of tufted (Sapajus) and untufted (Cebus) capuchin mandibles

Polvadore,

Yoakum,

Taylor

et al. 2024

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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ObjectivesCortical bone geometry is commonly used to investigate biomechanical properties of primate mandibles. However, the ontogeny of these properties is less understood. Here we investigate changes in cortical bone cross‐sectional properties throughout capuchin ontogeny and compare captive versus wild, semi‐provisioned groups. Tufted capuchins (Sapajus spp.) are known to consume relatively hard/tough foods, while untufted capuchins (Cebus spp.) exploit less mechanically challenging foods. Previous research indicates dietary differences are present early in development and adult Sapajus mandibles can resist higher bending/shear/torsional loads.Materials and methodsThis study utilized microCT scans of 22 Cebus and 45 Sapajus from early infancy to adulthood from three sample populations: one captive Cebus, one captive Sapajus, and one semi‐provisioned, free‐ranging Sapajus. Mandibular cross‐sectional properties were calculated at the symphysis, P3, and M1. If the tooth had not erupted, its position within the crypt was used. A series of one‐way ANOVAs were performed to assess differences between and within the sample populations.ResultsMandible robusticity increases across ontogeny for all three sample populations. Sapajus were better able to withstand bending and torsional loading even early in ontogeny, but no difference in shear resistance was found. Semi‐provisioned, free‐ranging Sapajus tend to show increased abilities to resist bending and torsional loading but not shear loading compared to captive Sapajus.DiscussionThis study helps advance our understanding of the primate masticatory system development and opens the door for further studies into adaptive plasticity in shaping the masticatory apparatus of capuchins and differences in captive versus free‐ranging sample populations.

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Experimental assessment of the relationship between diet and mandibular morphology using a pig model: New insights for paleodietary reconstructions

Neaux

Louail

Surault

et al. 2022

The Anatomical Record

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Dietary habits exert significant selective pressures on anatomical structures in animals, leading to substantial morphological adaptations. Yet, the relationships between the mandible and diet are still unclear, raising issues for paleodietary reconstructions notably. To assess the impact of food hardness and size on morphological structures, we used an experimental baseline using a model based on the domestic pig, an omnivorous mammal with bunodont, thick‐enameled dentition, and chewing movements similar to hominids. We hypothesized that the consumption of different types of seeds would result in substantial differences in the morphology of the mandible despite similar overall diets. The experiment was conducted on four groups of juvenile pigs fed with mixed cereal and soy flours. The control group received only flours. We supplemented the four others with either 10 hazelnuts, 30 hazelnuts, 30% barley seeds, or 20% corn kernels per day. We investigated the shape differences between the controlled‐fed groups using three‐dimensional geometric morphometrics. Our results provide strong evidence that the supplemental consumption of a significant amount of seeds for a short period (95 days) substantially modify the mandibular morphology of pigs. Our analyses suggest that this shape differentiation is due to the size of the seeds, requiring high and repeated bite force, rather than their hardness. These results provide new perspectives for the use of mandibular morphology as a proxy in paleodietary reconstructions complementing dental microwear textures analyses.

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How Changes in Functional Demands Associated with Captivity Affect the Skull Shape of a Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)

Cited by 24 publications

References 48 publications

Cranial morphology of captive mammals: a meta-analysis

Cranial morphology of captive mammals: a meta-analysis

Ontogenetic biomechanics of tufted (Sapajus) and untufted (Cebus) capuchin mandibles

Experimental assessment of the relationship between diet and mandibular morphology using a pig model: New insights for paleodietary reconstructions

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