Tooth wear in captive wild ruminant species differs from that of free-ranging conspecifics

Abstract

The mesowear method evaluates the wear patterns of herbivore cheek teeth by 2 visually evaluating the facet development of the occlusal surfaces. It thus allows 3 classification of most herbivorous ungulates into browsers, grazers or intermediate 4 feeders, due to the fact that in grazers, tooth wear is characterized by a 5 comparatively high degree of abrasion, most probably due to the presence of 6 silicacious phytoliths in grasses, a higher amount of dust and grit adhering to their 7 forage, or both. It has been suggested that excessive tooth wear could be a 8 particularly limiting factor in the husbandry of captive large browsing species, and 9 major tooth wear was demonstrated in captive as compared to free-ranging giraffe. If 10 this increased tooth wear in captivity was an effect of feeding type and diets fed, then 11 it would be expected that other browsing species are affected in a similar manner. In 12 order to test this hypothesis, we investigated the dental mesowear pattern in captive 13 individuals of 19 ruminant species and compared the results to data on free-ranging 14 animals. Compared to free-ranging populations, captive browsers show a 15 significantly more abrasion-dominated tooth wear signal. The reverse applies to 16 captive grazers, which tend to show a less abrasion-dominated wear in captivity. 17Captive ruminants were generally more homogenous in their wear signature than 18 free-ranging ruminants. If grit contamination in the natural habitat is a major cause of 19 dental wear in grazers, then diets in captivity, although similar in botanical 20 composition, most likely contain less abrasives due to feeding hygiene. If dental wear 21 is one of the major factors limiting longevity, then captive grazers should achieve 22 longer lifespans than both captive browsers and free-ranging grazers. In particular 23 with respect to browsers, the results suggest that captive feeding regimes could be 24 improved.

Variation in dental wear and tooth loss among known‐aged, older ring‐tailed lemurs (Lemur catta): a comparison between wild and captive individuals

“…Reduced dental health in some captive mammals has been suggested as one factor limiting lifespan among these taxa in captivity [e.g., Clauss et al, 2007;Jurado et al, 2008;Kaiser et al, 2009]. However, given annual veterinary and dental examinations, tooth cleanings, and a controlled diet, we expected less overall tooth wear and few cases of tooth loss in the Indianapolis Zoo ring-tailed lemur population, when compared with the BMSR sample.…”

“…Specifically, we integrated the study of these captive, known-aged lemurs, with controlled diets, annual medical evaluations, dental cleanings, and no predation, to provide a comparative template of patterns of dental wear one might expect in an ''optimal'' population. Although some captive mammals exhibit patterns of tooth wear that exceed those seen in wild populations [e.g., Clauss et al, 2007;Jurado et al, 2008;Kaiser et al, 2009], given their regular medical and dental care, we expected less overall tooth wear and fewer lost teeth in the captive Lemur catta sample when compared with the BMSR population. To our knowledge, ours are the first data comparing dental macrowear between wild and captive similar-aged individuals within a single primate species.…”

“…A high frequency of dental malocclusion in primates and other captive mammals is also seen, often viewed as a result of dietary influences [e.g., Corruccini & Beecher, 1982;Fitch & Fagan, 1982; see review in Young, 1997]. Also, among a number of mammal species, particularly but not only large ungulates, patterns of tooth wear and frequency of other dental pathologies far exceed those recorded in wild conspecifics [e.g., Clauss et al, 2007;Fitch & Fagan, 1982;Kaiser et al, 2009]. For example, captive populations of some browsing species (e.g., giraffes, Giraffa camelopardalis) exhibit significantly more tooth wear than their wild counterparts, which is viewed as a product of consuming grass hay and processed foods with high amounts of silica [Clauss et al, 2007, but see Sanson et al, 2007 for a counterargument on silica and tooth wear].…”

Ruminant diets and the Miocene extinction of European great apes

“…Summary statistics (number of specimens n, mean m and standard deviation s.d.) for the dietary estimators (A; microwear coordinate MiC and mesowear score MwS) and the three inter-and intra-community disparities (B, C and D The extinction of European hominoids G. Merceron et al 3107 shown in Kaiser et al (2009). The dental mesowear pattern is scored as follows: 0 for high relief with sharp cusps, 1 for high relief with round cusps, 2 for low relief with sharp cusps, 3 for low relief with round cusps and 4 for low relief with blunt cusps.…”

Evolutionary adaptations of ruminants and their potential relevance for modern production systems

“…The physical inadequacy of grass hay for a 'moose-type' rumen may lead to bezoars or RR blockage . Additionally, conventional zoo diets, which contain abrasive silicates either in pelleted feeds or in grass-based forages, result in unnatural tooth wear in browsing ruminants (Clauss et al, 2007a;Kaiser et al, 2008). The problem of providing adequate nutrition for 'moose-type' ruminants is finally reflected in their relatively short average life expectancies in captivity (Mü ller et al, 2010).…”