The largest and earliest known sample of dental caries in an extinct mammal (Mammalia, Euarchonta, Microsyops latidens) and its ecological implications (IMAGE)
Caption
Micro-CT reconstruction of (A) the right upper jaw fragment (P3–M3) of M. latidens (USGS 17748) with carious lesions on the first and second molars and (B) a reconstruction of a slice through the caries in the second molar showing the internal morphology of the carious lesion. The slice is demarcated by the dashed line. Note that the enamel-dentine junction cannot be traced in this specimen. Identification of sclerotic dentine represents a hypothesis based on the observation of an area of higher density in the CT data at a depth that would be expected (based on the thin enamel of this taxon) to correspond to dentine. See Fuss et al.10 for another example of sclerotic dentine in a fossil primate specimen. Bu = buccal aspect, Li = lingual aspect. Scale bar = 1 mm.
Credit
Keegan Selig
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Credit to photographer must be given.
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Original content