Loe Leif Egil, Bonenfant Christophe, Langvatn Rolf, Mysterud Atle, Veiberg Vebjørn, Stenseth Nils Chr
Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway.
Oecologia. 2006 Feb;147(1):24-30. doi: 10.1007/s00442-005-0172-7. Epub 2005 Dec 10.
Teeth are vital for mammal performance and especially in ungulates relying on mechanical decomposition of plant material for effective microbial digestion and energy uptake. The main focus of the role of teeth in ungulate life histories has been on tooth wear, while no one has addressed to what extent deviation from the natural set of teeth (maldentition) causes variation in individual fitness components. Based on mandibles from 41,066 individual red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) collected from 1969 to 2001, we tested whether maldentition had an effect on individual body condition and whether this effect depended on environmental harshness. Females with maldentition (0.6% of the population) were in a poorer condition than individuals without tooth anomalies and the effect increased during unfavorable climatic conditions. The effect of maldentition in males was less clear. This study indicates that a well-functioning set of teeth is essential for mammal performance, and that selection pressure against (dental) anomalies is more pronounced when climate is unfavorable.
牙齿对于哺乳动物的生存至关重要，尤其是对于有蹄类动物而言，它们依靠植物材料的机械分解来进行有效的微生物消化和能量摄取。牙齿在有蹄类动物生活史中的作用，主要关注点一直是牙齿磨损，然而，却没有人探讨过偏离自然牙齿状态（牙齿发育异常）在多大程度上会导致个体健康组成部分的差异。基于1969年至2001年间收集的41,066头赤鹿（Cervus elaphus L.）个体的下颌骨，我们测试了牙齿发育异常是否会对个体身体状况产生影响，以及这种影响是否取决于环境的恶劣程度。有牙齿发育异常的雌性（占种群的0.6%）身体状况比没有牙齿异常的个体更差，并且在不利的气候条件下这种影响会加剧。牙齿发育异常对雄性的影响则不太明显。这项研究表明，一套功能良好的牙齿对于哺乳动物的生存至关重要，并且当气候不利时，针对（牙齿）异常的选择压力会更加明显。
