Three-dimensional dental microwear texture analysis and diet in extant Suidae (Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla)

Abstract : We investigated the dietary differences among four extant suid genera using 3D dental microwear texture analysis on the enamel surfaces of molar shearing facets. We tested the differences among four taxa for four variables: complexity, anisotropy, and heterogeneity at two scales. This enabled us to distinguish omnivorous taxa (Sus scrofa and Potamochoerus sp.) from herbivorous ones (Phacochoerus africanus and Hylochoerus meinertzhageni) in terms of complexity. Heterogeneity likely distinguishes the suids displaying specialized diets (homogenous surfaces in the grazer Ph. africanus) from the more generalized suids (heterogeneous surfaces in the omnivorous S. scrofa and Potamochoerus sp., and mixed feeder herbivorous H. meinertzhageni). This study represents the first step toward a better comprehension of the diet and ecology of extant and fossil suids and also puts forward new hypotheses to be tested, especially on the effects of rootling behavior.