Abstract
The Effect of Behavioral Selection on the Dentition of Russian Silver Foxes and its Implications for Human Dental Evolution
The FASEB journal, Vol.33(S1), pp.452.19-452.19
04/2019
DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.452.19
Abstract
Animal domestication models have long emphasized that the behavioral transition from ‘wild’ (aggressive) to ‘domestic’ (tame) facilitates the emergence of some un‐selected phenotypic traits like floppy ears, curly tails, and, importantly, dental size reduction. A similar pattern of dental size diminution exists in human evolution. Reduced canine crown dimensions in humans are linked with greater male cooperative behavior compared to primates that exhibit high inter‐male aggression. Moreover, arguments for behavioral evolution toward reduced aggression among humans and bonobos are based, in part, on empirical patterns of dental size reduction from ancestral forms. The Russian fox domestication experiment provides an untapped source for studying this evolutionary dynamic because it provides a controlled, long term study of selection for non‐aggressive behavior and attendant morphological consequences. The objective of this study is to measure dental size variation among these experimental foxes. We employed univariate and multivariate comparisons of maxillary premolar (P4), molar (M1), and canine mesiodistal length, buccolingual breadth, and crown height of the canine, as well as mandibular molar (M1) mesiodistal length and buccolingual breadth. These data were collected in sex‐balanced samples of unselected (n=50), tame (n=49), and aggressive (n=50) experimental strains. Consistent with expectations, tame fox skulls exhibited statistically significantly reduced tooth dimensions in virtually all comparisons relative to both unselected and aggressive strain individuals. This result was most pronounced for the canine tooth measurements. These results in domesticated foxes parallel trends in dental size reduction in humans and bonobos, suggesting that behavioral evolution may play an important role in dental size across mammalian species. Accordingly, these results appear to further support the hypothesis that behavioral evolution influences dental size and highlight the utility of dental evidence as a morphological indicator of reduced aggression.
Support or Funding Information
University of Iowa College of Dentistry; University of Missouri; University of North Texas Health Science Center
This is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this published in The FASEB Journal.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The Effect of Behavioral Selection on the Dentition of Russian Silver Foxes and its Implications for Human Dental Evolution
- Creators
- Emma K. Wood - University of IowaScott D. Maddux - University of North TexasThomas E. Southard - University of IowaAnastasiya Kharlamova - Institute of Cytology and GeneticsLyudmila Trut - Institute of Cytology and GeneticsRobert G. Franciscus - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Abstract
- Publication Details
- The FASEB journal, Vol.33(S1), pp.452.19-452.19
- Publisher
- The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
- DOI
- 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.452.19
- ISSN
- 0892-6638
- eISSN
- 1530-6860
- Number of pages
- 1
- Grant note
- University of North Texas Health Science Center University of Iowa College of Dentistry University of Missouri
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/2019
- Academic Unit
- Orthodontics; Anthropology
- Record Identifier
- 9984269220602771
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