Within-island local variations in tooth wear of sika deer (Cervus nippon centralis) in northern Japan

Abstract

Geographical variations in feeding habits of mammals are usually known from field observation. However, using proxies such as tooth wear (mesowear and microwear), other studies also permitted to indirectly infer dietary traits of populations. Tooth mesowear which indicates the diet over a long temporal scale (the last weeks or months) and tooth microwear which reflects the diet over a short temporal scale (the last days or weeks) were employed to identify differences in diets at large scales. The objective of this study is to test for local variations in diet by comparing populations of sika deer (Cervus nippon centralis) from five small areas on Kinkazan Island, northern Japan. Results indicate that tooth mesowear averages the feeding habits over long periods of time and consequently is not appropriate to identify local differences. On the contrary, tooth microwear permitted to distinguish significant differences in wear patterns. Tooth microwear analysis has shown that even on a small island like Kinkazan, local variations in feeding habits of sika deer could be identified. Therefore microwear is a proxy suitable to the study of feeding habits of ungulates at small geographical scale.