Using Dental Mesowear and Microwear for Dietary Inference: A Review of Current Techniques and Applications

Abstract

Mesowear and microwear analyses use data from worn tooth surfaces as proxies for feeding ecology. Mesowear is based on gross dental wear and forms over months to years. The method was originally developed for ungulates but has recently been expanded to other groups, at least preliminarily. Dental microwear has been investigated for well over half a century and continues to be refined. It forms over days to weeks. Wide varieties of techniques are currently used for microwear analysis, all of which require attention to detail. Among these techniques, three-dimensional microwear texture analysis has the greatest potential for accurately reconstructing feeding ecology, yet the “recipe” for analyzing microwear data remains a work in progress. Combining mesowear and microwear with one another and other dietary proxies can permit robust inferences about the feeding ecology of extinct species.