A labeling study of dentin formation rates during crown and root growth of porcine mandibular first molars.

We used fluorochrome labeling to study spatiotemporal variation of dentin apposition (DAR) and extension (DER) rates during crown and root formation of mandibular first molars from wild boar and domestic pigs. DAR was reconstructed along the course of dentinal tubules in four zones of the crown and in the upper root area. In all five zones, mean DAR increased during the first 30% to 40% of apposition, reaching highest values (22-23 μm/day) in the upper-lateral crown zone.

Is the promontory a promising site to diagnose otitis media in paleopathology? A search for evidence.

Objective: The promontory of the middle ear was recently suggested to be an appropriate site for diagnosing otitis media (OM) in archaeological bones by endoscopic inspection. The present study scrutinized the underlying assumption that a bulgy, irregular promontorial surface represents a pathological condition.

Materials: We compared an allegedly healthy individual and an allegedly diseased individual in skeletal remains of two human individuals from the early Medieval period in Germany.

Bilateral dislocation of the hip joint and associated pathological changes in the ossa coxae and femora of a European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus).

We describe a bilateral craniodorsal dislocation of the hip joint in a free-ranging young roe buck and the associated pathological changes in the ossa coxae and femora of the animal. The highly symmetrical dislocation, which is considered to have developed secondary to hip dysplasia, caused the formation of two false acetabula that each consist of several, partially fused bone portions. The femora exhibit symmetrical outgrowths that extend from the greater trochanter along the intertrochanteric crest to the lesser trochanter.

Bone resorption and formation in the pedicles of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in relation to the antler cycle-A morphological and microanalytical study.

We analyzed pedicle bone from roe bucks that had died around antler casting or shortly before or during the rutting period. Pedicles obtained around antler casting were highly porous and showed signs of intense osteoclastic activity that had caused the formation of an abscission line. Following the detachment of the antler plus a portion of pedicle bone, osteoclastic activity in the pedicles continued for some time, and new bone was deposited onto the separation plane of the pedicle stump, leading to partial pedicle restoration.

Wild boar versus domestic pig-Deciphering of crown growth in porcine second molars.

Based on the previously established periodicity of enamel growth marks, we reconstructed crown growth parameters of mandibular second molars from two wild boar and two domestic pigs of the Linderöd breed. Body weight gain and progression of dental development were markedly faster in the domestic pigs than the wild boar. While the final crown dimensions of the M did not differ between domestic pigs and wild boar, mean crown formation time (CFT) of this tooth was considerably shorter in the domestic pigs (162 days) than in the wild boar (205 days).

Age estimation in the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) based on the closure of skull sutures and synchondroses.

Age estimation of individuals is an important tool for the management of marine mammals and is mostly done by microscopic analysis of growth layer groups (GLGs) in teeth (cementum and dentin) and bone. The present study evaluated the use of sutural and synchondrosal closure in the skull of the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) as a potential non-destructive alternative for age estimation. For that, we scored the ectocranial closure of 12 selected sutures and synchondroses in a sample of 303 Eastern Atlantic harbour seals (P.

Dental structure and tooth attachment modes in the common fangtooth Anoplogaster cornuta (Valenciennes, 1833) (Actinopterygii; Trachichthyiformes; Anoplogastridae).

We studied the structure and attachment modes of the teeth of adult Anoplogaster cornuta using light- and scanning-electron microscopic techniques. All teeth were monocuspid, composed solely of orthodentin, and lacked a covering enameloid cap. Fourteen teeth were present in the oral jaws, with three teeth each on the left and right premaxilla and four teeth each on the left and right dentary.

Distribution, structure, and mineralization of calcified cartilage remnants in hard antlers.

Antlers are paired deciduous bony cranial appendages of deer that undergo a regular cycle of growth, death and casting, and constitute the most rapidly growing bones in mammals. Antler growth occurs in an appositional mode and involves a modified form of endochondral ossification. In endochondral bones, calcified cartilage is typically a transient tissue that is eventually completely replaced by bone tissue.

Antlers of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) as monitoring units to assess lead pollution in a floodplain contaminated by historical metal ore mining, processing, and smelting in the Harz Mountains, Germany.

Lead concentrations in hard antlers of adult European roebucks (Capreolus capreolus) were analyzed to assess lead exposure of roe deer roaming the floodplain of the Innerste River, a river system contaminated due to historical metal ore mining, processing, and smelting in its upper reaches. Antler lead concentrations of roebucks culled in the period 1939-2018 within or close to the Innerste floodplain ranged between <0.17 mg Pb/kg (limit of detection) and 51.

Heavy metal concentrations in floodplain soils of the Innerste River and in leaves of wild blackberries (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) growing within and outside the floodplain: the legacy of historical mining activities in the Harz Mountains (Germany).

We studied heavy metal levels in floodplain soils of the Innerste River in northern Germany and in the leaves of wild blackberries (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) growing within and in adjacent areas outside the river floodplain.

Characterization of short-period and long-period incremental markings in porcine enamel and dentine-Results of a fluorochrome labelling study in wild boar and domestic pigs.

Mammalian dental hard tissues exhibit incremental markings that reflect the periodic variation of appositional growth rates. In order to use these markings to characterize dental growth processes and to infer life-history traits, an unequivocal identification of their periodicities is required. We performed a fluorochrome labelling study on forming enamel and dentine in molar teeth of wild boar and domestic pigs to establish the periodicity and temporal correspondence of incremental markings in enamel and dentine.

The consequences of living longer-Effects of an experimentally extended velvet antler phase on the histomorphology of antler bone in fallow deer (Dama dama).

Antlers are periodically regenerated paired cranial appendages of male deer (both sexes in reindeer) that constitute the fastest-growing bones in the animal kingdom. The annual antler cycle of male deer is linked to testicular activity and largely controlled by seasonal fluctuations of testosterone concentrations in their blood. We studied the effects of an experimental doubling (to eight months) of the velvet antler phase, during which the antlers are covered by skin (velvet), on the histomorphology of antler bone in three adult fallow bucks.

Lead concentrations in antlers of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) from an agricultural area in Northern Germany over a 119-year period-a historical biomonitoring study.

We analyzed the lead content in antlers of 90 adult European roe bucks (Capreolus capreolus) that had been culled between 1901 and 2019 in an agricultural-dominated hunting district in Lower Saxony (Northern Germany). Antler lead values ranged between 0.2 and 10.

Bilateral antler sequestration above the coronet in a red deer (Cervus elaphus) stag-Insights into the process of antler casting.

This paper reports a case of delayed velvet shedding and bilateral premature antler casting above the coronets in a young adult red deer stag from Germany. Based on the established role of testosterone in the control of the antler cycle, the antler abnormality is considered to have been the result of a (temporary) androgen deficiency. The basal surfaces (separation planes or seals) of the cast antlers were markedly concave.

Assessment of physiological disturbances during pre- and early postnatal development based on microscopic analysis of human deciduous teeth from the Late Epipaleolithic site of Shubayqa 1 (Jordan).

Objectives: To study pre- and early postnatal tooth formation and to analyze the effects of physiological disturbances on enamel and dentin formation in deciduous teeth of infants from the Late Epipaleolithic (Natufian) site Shubayqa 1.

Materials And Methods: Ten deciduous teeth from six infants (ages at death between 21 and 239 days) were analyzed by light and scanning electron microscopy.

Results: Marked prism cross-striations and an abnormal wavy course of the prisms were recorded in pre- and postnatal enamel of all analyzed teeth.

Ontogenetic changes of tissue compartmentalization and bone type distribution in the humerus of Soay sheep.

We studied ontogenetic changes of histomorphological features and bone type distribution in the humeral midshaft region of Soay sheep from three postnatal age classes (13, 25, and 33 months). Our study demonstrated a marked change of bone type distribution in the humeri with age. In the cortical midshaft region of 13-month-old individuals, periosteal fibrolamellar bone was the dominating bone type.

Age-related changes in size, bone microarchitecture and volumetric bone mineral density of the mandible in the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina).

Detailed knowledge of age-related changes in the structure and mineralization of bones is important for interpreting osseous changes in wild mammals caused by exposure to environmental contaminants. This study analyzed mandibular size, microarchitecture and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in harbor seals (n = 93, age range 0.5 months to 25 years) from the German North Sea.

Histomorphological study on hypocellularity in mastoid processes from archaeological human skeletons.

Objective: To evaluate processes causing two types of mastoid hypocellularity (Type 1 and Type 3), and to provide histomorphological criteria for a differential diagnosis in archaeological human bone.

Materials And Methods: Eight human crania from the early medieval cemetery in Dirmstein (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) displaying secondary obliteration of mastoid air cells were analyzed using light-microscopy and backscattered electron imaging.

Results: In Type 1 hypocellularity, obliteration starts in the non-pneumatized portion of the mastoid process and extends into the pneumatized portion.

Dental pulp exposure, periapical inflammation and suppurative osteomyelitis of the jaws in juvenile Baltic grey seals (Halichoerus grypus grypus) from the late 19th century.

The systematic analysis of museum collections can provide important insights into the dental and skeletal pathology of wild mammals. Here we present a previously unreported type of dental defect and related skull pathology in five juvenile Baltic grey seals that had been collected in the course of a seal culling program along the Danish coast in 1889 and 1890. All five skulls exhibited openings into the pulp cavities at the crown tips of all (four animals) or two (one animal) canines as well as several incisors and (in one animal) also some anterior premolars.

The pay-off of hypsodonty - timing and dynamics of crown growth and wear in molars of Soay sheep.

Background: Several lineages of herbivorous mammals have evolved hypsodont cheek teeth to increase the functional lifespan of their dentition. While the selective drivers of this trend and the developmental processes involved have been studied in greater detail, thus far no quantitative information is available on the relationship between additional investment into tooth growth and the resulting extension of the functional period of these teeth. To achieve this, we performed a detailed analysis of molar crown growth in known-age Soay sheep repeatedly injected with different fluorochromes.

Pig enamel revisited - Incremental markings in enamel of wild boars and domestic pigs.

The nature and periodicity of incremental markings in pig enamel is currently debated. To broaden the basis for a correct interpretation of growth marks in pig enamel, we analyzed their periodicity in teeth of wild boars and domestic pigs. For that, the numbers of enamel incremental markings were recorded in ground sections and compared with crown formation times for the respective teeth derived from literature data on tooth development and eruption in Sus scrofa.

Dental anomalies and lesions in Eastern Atlantic harbor seals, Phoca vitulina vitulina (Carnivora, Phocidae), from the German North Sea.

Skulls of 1,901 Eastern Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) were systematically studied for externally visible dental anomalies and lesions. The sample comprised 927 males and 974 female individuals, with age at death ranging between 1 week and 25 years. Most of the skulls originated from animals collected in 1988, when the population suffered from a mass mortality event caused by the phocine distemper virus (PDV).

Chronic excess fluoride uptake contributes to degenerative joint disease (DJD): Evidence from six marsupial species.

One of the manifestations of chronic fluoride toxicosis in mammals is skeletal fluorosis, which can include lesions of degenerative joint disease (DJD). Although DJD lesions have been less commonly studied than bone or dental lesions in relation to the pathology and epidemiology of fluoride toxicosis, there have been multiple independent studies in various species that have concluded that there appears to be an effect. The mechanisms by which fluoride affects the joints are not clear, but our data provide evidence that chronic excess dietary fluoride intake contributes to DJD.

Osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint in the Eastern Atlantic harbour seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina) from the German North Sea: a study of the lesions seen in dry bone.

Background: Pathological changes and resulting functional impairment of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can substantially affect physical condition, morbidity, and mortality of wildlife species. Analysis of TMJ disorders is therefore of interest for the characterization of the health status of populations of wild mammals. This paper, for the first time, analyses the prevalence of TMJ osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) and the spectrum of osteoarthritic bone lesions of the TMJ in the Eastern Atlantic harbour seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina), applying a standardized scoring system.