Relative Growth of Molar Sizes in Three Species of Arvicolinae
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Jpn. J. Oral Biol., 43: 43-59, 2001. ORIGINAL Relative Growth of Molar Sizes in Three Species of Arvicolinae, Eothenomys andersoni , Eothenomys smithii and Microtus montebelli Eiichi Sakai and Yasushi Uematsu Department of Second Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Aichi-Gakuin University (Chief: Prof. Hajime Hanamura) 1-100 Kusumoto-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8650 , Japan 〔Received on June 16,2000; Accepted on September 25,2000〕 Key words: Arvicolinae species/continuously growing molar/molar size/relative growth/eating habit Abstract: In this paper, the mesiodistal and buccolingual crown diameters of the upper and lower molars in three Arvicolinae species , Eothenomys andersoni, Eothenomys smithii and Microtus montebelli were measured and their relative growth patterns relative to each condylobasal length were studied from the perspective of infraspecific relative growth and compared among the three species. The mesiodistal and buccolingual crown diameters of each upper and lower molar in all three species continue growing with the growth of condylobasal length. Comparing the growth potentials among molars, in each upper and lower molar relative to the condylobasal length the growth potential of the third molar was higher than that of the first and second molars except for the buccolingual crown diameters of the upper and lower molars in E . smithii. The growth potentials of mesiodistal crown diameters were higher than those of buccolingual crown diameters of all molars in E. andersoni, of the upper and lower third molars in E . smithii and of the upper third molar in M. montebelli. Therefore, the forms of these molars became relatively more slender as their condylobasal lengths increased. It can be surmised that the characteristics in relative growth of the upper and lower molars correspond to the characteristics in eating habits (herbivore) and the mandibular movement of the three Arvicolinae species. Comparing growth potentials among the three species , there was no fixed tendency among the relative growth coefficients (a). 抄 録:ハ タ ネ ズ ミ亜 科 に属 す ヤ チ ネ ズ ミ,ス ミス ネ ズ ミお よ び ハ タ ネ ズ ミの 上 ・下顎 大 臼 歯 の 近 遠 心 径 お よ び 頬 舌 径 を計 測 し,頭 蓋 骨 基 底 全 長 に対 す る 相 対 成 長 様 相 を種 内 相 対 成 長 の 立 場 か ら検 討 し,さ ら に そ れ ら を種 間 で 比 較 し た 。3種 の上 ・下顎 各 大 臼 歯 の 近 遠 心 径 お よ び 頬 舌 径 は,頭 蓋 骨 基 底 全 長 の成 長 に 伴 っ て 成 長 を続 け る 。 歯 種 別 に成 長 能 を比 較 す る と,ス ミス ネ ズ ミの 上 ・下顎 大 臼 歯 の頬 舌 径 を除 き,第3大 臼 歯 で 第1,第2大 臼 歯 よ り成 長 能 が 高 い。 近 遠 心 径 の 成 長 能 は,ヤ チ ネ ズ ミの全 大 臼 歯,ス ミス ネ ズ ミの 上 ・下顎 第3大 臼 歯 お よ び ハ タ ネ ズ ミの 上 顎 第3大 臼 歯 で 頬 舌 径 の そ れ よ り大 きい 。 した が っ て,こ れ らの 大 臼 歯 は 頭 蓋 骨 基 底 全 長 の 成 長 が 進 む に 従 い,相 対 的 に よ り細 長 い形 態 を と る。 これ らの 結 果 は,3種 の 食 性(食 植 性)お よ び下 顎 運 動 と強 く結 び つ い て い る こ と を示 唆 して い る 。種 間 で成 長 能 を比 較 す る と,相 対 成 長 係 数 α の 値 に一 定 の 傾 向 は認 め られ な い 。 differences are remarkable. The specific differences Introduction of the cranium in Muridae are found at the locations directly connected with the molars or masticatory The teeth are a part of the digestive systems and muscles, and these differences correspond to differ- play a direct role in the preservation and metabolism ences in eating habits1). of the living body. The teeth of the mammal, espe- The dental formula of Muridae is 1・0・0・3/1・ cially the molars located in the rear, have forms and 0・0・3=16, and the second and third incisors , canines structures peculiar to the species and their specific and all premolars in the upper and lower jaws degen - 44 Jpn. J. Oral Biol., 43: 43-59, 2001. erate and disappear compared with the basic dental molars between the mesiodistal and buccolingual formula of a mammal. The incisors are rootless and crown diameters and among the three species are continue growing throughout their life. This charac- connected with the characteristics of eating habits teristic is common to all species of Muridae. However, and masticatory movement in Arvicolinae. there is a difference in the growth patterns of molars Although the eating habits of all three species stud- between Murinae and Arvicolinae. That is, in Murinae ied are basically herbivorous, there are also specific the molars form roots while the tooth crowns continue differences in detail1). to abrade after completion of the tooth bodies, but in Arvicolinae the pulp cavities do not close and the Materials and Methods molars go on growing throughout their life or roots are formed in old age. The materials used in this study were as follows: The most important points at the level of individual 429 (217 males, 200 females and 12 unidentified) E. preservation in mice are the differences in quality and andersoni caught in Mt. Yatsugatake, Nagano Prefec- quantity of food, in other words the kind of food and ture, 107 (59 males, 40 females and 8 unidentified) E. the amount eaten are directly connected with differ- smithii caught in Mt. Daisen, Tottori Prefecture and ences of quantity and steps of growth, and also bring 190 (101 males, 68 females and 21 unidentified) M. acceleration or lag in their developmental rate1). For montebelli caught in Mt. Yatsugatake and Kiso Val- this paper, we measured the mesiodistal and buccolin- ley, Nagano Prefecture2-4). These mice were of vari- gual crown diameters of each upper and lower molar ous sizes from subadults just starting independent life, in the three Arvicolinae species, the Anderson's red- which were caught in field traps, up to old specimens . backed vole, Eothenomvs andersoni, the Smith's red- The mesiodistal and buccolingual crown diameter backed vole, Eothenomvs smithii and the Japanese on each molar and condylobasal length (dimension field vole, Microtus montebelli, and studied their rela- from the most projective point of the premaxilla tive growth patterns relative to each condylobasal (prosthion) to the extreme end point of the occipital length. In this process, we wanted to clarify the condyle) were measured with an optical microscope growth directions of each upper and lower molar and for measurement with a printer (MS 113; Fusoh Co ., how the differences of growth potentials among Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) reading to 0 .001mm (Fig. 1). The Fig. 1 The skull and right upper and lower molars of Eothenomys andersoni showing the cranial and crown measurements . CBL: condylobasal length, MD : mesiodistal crown diameter , BL: buccolingual crown diameter, M1: upper 1 st molar , M2: upper 2 nd molar, M3: upper 3 rd molar, M1: lower 1 st molar , M2 lower 2 nd molar, M3: lower 3 rd molar , Same abbreviations are used Tables 2-10 and Figs. 2-7 . E. Sakai, et al.: Relative Growth of Molar in Arvicolinae 45 cranium and mandible were fixed to a micro slide ences among relative growth coefficients (α) were glass with wax so that the occlusal surface of their tested using covariance analysis. molars was set in a horizontal plane. The mesiodistal Generally, there was no gender difference in the crown diameter of the upper and lower molars was molar size of Muridae5-7). Therefore, male, female measured in parallel with the long axis of each molar . and unidentified data were combined for the statisti- The buccolingual crown diameter of the upper and cal analysis in this study. lower molars was measured at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the mesiodistal crown diameter . Results The measurements were done on the right side (Fig . 1). 1. Mesiodistal crown diameter Next, the dimension of the upper and lower molars The sample means (Mean) and standard deviations (y) against the condylobasal length (x) was plotted (SD) of the condylobasal length (CBL) and the on double logarithmic grids for each specimen . By the mesiodistal crown diameters were calculated for each least squares method, the relative growth coefficients skull and molar of the three Arvicolinae species, the (α) and initial growth indices (log b) relative to the result and the greatest and least values (Max, Min) condylobasal length were calculated with the al- are shown in Tables 1, 2. lometric formula y=bxα(log y=α log x+log b) and The allometric formula y=bxα(log y=α log x+ then the growth patterns were examined. The differ- log b) could be applied (p<0.01), when the mesiodistal crown diameters of each upper and lower molar against the condylobasal length in E. andersoni, E. Table 1 Descriptive statistics for measurements smithii and M. montebelli were plotted on double (mm) of CBL (condylobasal length) in logarithmic grids (Fig. 2). The mesiodistal crown three species of Arvicolinae diameter of each upper and lower molar relative to the condylobasal length in the three Arvicolinae species shows a monophasic allometry. The relative growth coefficients (α) and initial growth indices (log b) of the mesiodistal crown diameters relative to the condylobasal length in the three species are shown in Table 3.