Noninvasive age estimation in rodents by measuring incisors width, with the Zaisan mole vole (<i>Ellobius tancrei</i>) as an example

Kuprina, Kristina; Smorkatcheva, Antonina V.

doi:10.1515/mammalia-2017-0163

Cited by 7 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…4b), therefore giving an estimated Age for a given tusk Radius. A similar power cascade pattern is found in the incisors of the Zaisan mole vole Ellobius tancrei [30] during juvenile growth (Fig. 4c) but at a much smaller scale.…”

Section: Power Cascade Model Can Predict Tooth Length and Agesupporting

confidence: 76%

“…4 c) but at a much smaller scale. While incisor circumference or width have been used to estimate age previously based solely on regression [ 30 , 31 ], the power cascade describes the underlying pattern, and allows for estimation of age from growth parameters alone. Additional work on the limitations and accuracy of predictions derived from this approach is currently underway.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A universal power law for modelling the growth and form of teeth, claws, horns, thorns, beaks, and shells

et al. 2021

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Background A major goal of evolutionary developmental biology is to discover general models and mechanisms that create the phenotypes of organisms. However, universal models of such fundamental growth and form are rare, presumably due to the limited number of physical laws and biological processes that influence growth. One such model is the logarithmic spiral, which has been purported to explain the growth of biological structures such as teeth, claws, horns, and beaks. However, the logarithmic spiral only describes the path of the structure through space, and cannot generate these shapes. Results Here we show a new universal model based on a power law between the radius of the structure and its length, which generates a shape called a ‘power cone’. We describe the underlying ‘power cascade’ model that explains the extreme diversity of tooth shapes in vertebrates, including humans, mammoths, sabre-toothed cats, tyrannosaurs and giant megalodon sharks. This model can be used to predict the age of mammals with ever-growing teeth, including elephants and rodents. We view this as the third general model of tooth development, along with the patterning cascade model for cusp number and spacing, and the inhibitory cascade model that predicts relative tooth size. Beyond the dentition, this new model also describes the growth of claws, horns, antlers and beaks of vertebrates, as well as the fangs and shells of invertebrates, and thorns and prickles of plants. Conclusions The power cone is generated when the radial power growth rate is unequal to the length power growth rate. The power cascade model operates independently of the logarithmic spiral and is present throughout diverse biological systems. The power cascade provides a mechanistic basis for the generation of these pointed structures across the tree of life.

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Section: Power Cascade Model Can Predict Tooth Length and Agesupporting

confidence: 76%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A universal power law for modelling the growth and form of teeth, claws, horns, thorns, beaks, and shells

et al. 2021

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“…obs.). For Zaisan mole voles ( Ellobius tancrei ), a subterranean murid species with bathyergid-like extrabuccal incisors, it has already been demonstrated that incisor width can act as an age marker well into adulthood, before values for different age cohorts will eventually converge 60 . At what age incisor width becomes uninformative to differentiate breeding males from younger non-breeders in Fukomys remains to be determined.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…)values for different age cohorts will eventually converge60 . At what age incisor width becomes uninformative to differentiate breeding males from younger non-breeders in Fukomys remains to be determined.…”

mentioning

confidence: 91%

Perioral secretions enable complex social signaling in African mole-rats (genus Fukomys)

Caspar

Stopka

Issel

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Subterranean common mole-rats of the genus Fukomys (family Bathyergidae) live in large, cooperatively-breeding families. Odor cues have been hypothesized to play an important role in mediating social behaviors in the underground ecotope, but only little is known about the role of olfactory signaling in burrowing mammals. Here we characterize the so far neglected perioral glands of Fukomys and other African mole-rats as an important source of olfactory social information. Histology demonstrates these structures to be derived sebaceous glands that are developed regardless of sex and reproductive status. However, gland activity is higher in Fukomys males, leading to sexually dimorphic patterns of stain and clotting of the facial pelage. Behavioral assays revealed that conspecifics prefer male but not female perioral swabs over scent samples from the back fur and that male sebum causes similar attraction as anogenital scent, a known source of social information in Fukomys. Finally, we assessed volatile compounds in the perioral sebum of the giant mole-rat (Fukomys mechowii) via GCxGC-MS-based metabolomic profiling. Volatiles display pronounced sex-specific signatures but also allow to differentiate between intrasexual reproductive status groups. These different lines of evidence suggest that mole-rat perioral glands provide complex odor signals which play a crucial role in social communication.

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“…obs.). For Zaisan mole voles ( Ellobius tancrei ), a subterranean murid species with bathyergid-like extrabuccal incisors, it has already been demonstrated that incisor width can act as an age marker well into adulthood in both sexes, before values for different age cohorts will eventually converge (Kuprina & Smorkatcheva, 2019). At what age incisor width becomes uninformative to differentiate breeding males from younger non-breeders in Fukomys remains to be determined.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perioral secretions enable complex social signaling in African mole-rats (genus Fukomys)

Caspar

Stopka

Issel

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Subterranean common mole-rats of the genus Fukomys (family Bathyergidae) live in large cooperatively-breeding families. Odor cues have been hypothesized to importantly mediate social behaviors in the underground ecotope, but only little is known about the role of olfactory signaling in burrowing mammals. Here we characterize the so far neglected perioral glands of Fukomys and other African mole-rats as an important source of olfactory social information. Histology demonstrates these structures to be derived sebaceous glands that are developed regardless of sex and reproductive status. However, gland activity is higher in Fukomys males, leading to sexually dimorphic patterns of stain and clotting of the facial pelage. Behavioral assays revealed that conspecifics prefer male but not female perioral swabs over scent samples from the back fur and that male sebum causes similar attraction as anogenital scent, a known source of social information in Fukomys. Finally, we assessed volatile compounds in the perioral sebum of the giant mole-rat (Fukomys mechowii) via GCxGC-MS-based metabolomic profiling. Volatiles displayed pronounced sex-specific signatures but also allowed to differentiate between intrasexual reproductive status groups. These different lines of evidence suggest that mole-rat perioral glands provide complex odor signals that play a crucial role in social communication.

show abstract

Noninvasive age estimation in rodents by measuring incisors width, with the Zaisan mole vole (Ellobius tancrei) as an example

Cited by 7 publications

References 23 publications

A universal power law for modelling the growth and form of teeth, claws, horns, thorns, beaks, and shells

A universal power law for modelling the growth and form of teeth, claws, horns, thorns, beaks, and shells

Perioral secretions enable complex social signaling in African mole-rats (genus Fukomys)

Perioral secretions enable complex social signaling in African mole-rats (genus Fukomys)

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