engleski

Toward the reduction in tooth number: a case of P1 in roe deer from Slovenia

The dental formula of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) comprises 30-32 teeth aligned as follows: I 0/3, C 0/(1), P 3/3, M 3/3. Variations in tooth number and shape are rather uncommon in this species and factors determining roe deer dentition are considered to be quite stable. Nevertheless, the most frequently used tooth numbering of permanent roe deer cheek teeth encompasses P1-P4 and M1-M3, taking into consideration the potential existence of four premolars. To discover the frequency of P1 in the whole population, its occurrence was studied in the left hemi-mandibles of the total one-year (2007) roe deer mortality in Slovenia, representing a large sample set of 41, 895 individuals. The first premolar was detected in only 27 samples (13 males, 12 females, 2 without data), indicating that its occurrence is very low and sporadic (0.6‰). Furthermore, the results of previous archaeozoological and embryological studies were analyzed. On the basis of observed facts, we conclude that the first mandibular premolars of roe deer belong to a category of tooth that has been suppressed in the evolution of the Cervidae.

roe deer; dental formula; tooth numbering; first premolar; Slovenia

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