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Tooth Root Morphology in the Early Pliocene African Bear Agriotherium africanum (Mammalia, Carnivora, Ursidae) and its Implications for Feeding Ecology

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Abstract

Tooth root surface areas serve as proxies for bite force potentials, and by extension, dietary specialization in extant carnivorans. Here, we investigate the feeding ecology of the extinct large-bodied ursid Agriotherium africanum, by comparing its root surface areas (reconstructed with the aid of computed tomography and three-dimensional image processing) and bite force estimates, with those of extant carnivorans. Results show that in absolute terms, canine and carnassial bite forces, as well as root surface areas were highest in A. africanum. However, when adjusted for skull size, A. africanum’s canine roots were smaller than those of extant solitary predators. With teeth being the limiting factor in the masticatory system, low canine root surface areas suggest that A. africanum would have struggled to bring down large vertebrate prey. Its adjusted carnassial root sizes were found to be smaller than those of extant hard object feeders and the most carnivorous tough object feeders, but larger than those of extant omnivorous ursids and Ursus maritimus. This and the fact that it displayed its highest postcanine root surface areas in the carnassial region (rather than the most distal tooth in the tooth row) suggest that A. africanum consumed more vertebrate tissue than extant omnivorous ursids. With an apparent inability to routinely bring down large prey or to consume mechanically demanding skeletal elements, its focus was most likely on tough tissue, which it acquired by actively scavenging the carcasses of freshly dead/freshly killed animals. Mechanically less demanding skeletal elements would have been a secondary food source, ingested and processed mainly in association with muscle and connective tissue.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank P. Haarhoff (West Coast Fossil Park and Iziko South African Museum) for the loan of the A. africanum skull (SAM-PQL 45062) used in this study. N. Peters (Groote Schuur Hospital) is thanked for CT scanning assistance. The CT scanning of SAM-PQL 45062 was funded by a grant from the Palaeontological Scientific Trust (PAST) to D.D.S. and a National Research Foundation African Origins Platform Grant (AOP/West Coast Fossil Park) to R. Smith (Karoo Paleontology, Iziko SA Museum). We are grateful to Adam Sylvester for comments and advice on analysis. Comments from two anonymous reviewers significantly improved this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Science, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa

    Deano D. Stynder

  2. Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Erbertstrasse 1, 07743, Jena, Germany

    Kornelius Kupczik

  3. Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 1, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Kornelius Kupczik

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  1. Deano D. Stynder
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Correspondence to Deano D. Stynder.

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Stynder, D.D., Kupczik, K. Tooth Root Morphology in the Early Pliocene African Bear Agriotherium africanum (Mammalia, Carnivora, Ursidae) and its Implications for Feeding Ecology. J Mammal Evol 20, 227–237 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-012-9218-x

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