Dental Microwear Texture Analysis Research Articles

Dietary niches of terrestrial cercopithecines from the Plio-Pleistocene Shungura Formation, Ethiopia: evidence from Dental Microwear Texture Analysis

This study aims to explore the feeding ecology of two terrestrial papionins, Papio and Theropithecus from the Shungura Formation in Ethiopia, the most complete stratigraphic and paleontological record of the African Plio-Pleistocene. Two aspects were evaluated using Dental Microwear Texture Analysis: differences in diet between the extinct genera and their extant relatives, and any potential dietary fluctuations over time. Amongst more than 2,500 cercopithecid dental remains, 154 Theropithecus molars and 60 Papio molars were considered. Thirty-nine extant wild baboons and 20 wild geladas were also considered. The results show that diets of extinct monkeys from Member G already differed between genera as it is the case for their extant representatives. The shearing facets on the Theropithecus molars display significant variations in microwear textures, suggesting several dietary shifts over time. Two events point to higher intakes of herbaceous monocots (tougher than dicots foliages), at about 2.91 Ma (between members B and C) and at 2.32 Ma (between members E and F). These two events are separated by an inverse trend at about 2.53 Ma (between members C and D). Some of these variations, such as between members E and F are supported by the enamel carbon isotopic composition of herbivorous mammals and with paleovegetation evidence.

Determining onset of significant facial pathology using dental wear and microwear texture analysis: a case study from the Middle Archaic (~5,500 BP) of Indiana.

Paleopathologists face complicated presentations of osteological conditions that ac-crued over a considerable period of ill-health. Determining the relative sequence of symptoms and how long the individual lived with them is critical to understanding disease onset and progression in the body and may help to identify a specific disease. This paper describes an atypical presentation of the dentition associated with a 5,000-year-old case of treponemal disease. This circumstance led to a cessation of macrowear, which allowed for an estimation of the age when the jaw began to profoundly deform. This paper also summarizes molar microwear texture analysis (DMTA) that was employed in order to determine if the diet of the victim prior to death was con-sistent with other people from the site.

Dental microwear textures across cheek teeth in canids: Implications for dietary studies of extant and extinct canids

Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) has been instrumental in reconstructing dietary ecology of extinct and extant carnivorans. Current sampling methods for canids focus on lower second molars (m2), where the grinding of flesh and bone captures dental microwear indicative of diet. However, dental microwear on other biomechanically analogous grinding facets (i.e. the talonid basin on the lower carnassial, m1) might be comparable and could help dramatically increase sample sizes of fossil specimens, as carnassials are more frequently recovered and identifiable than lower m2s. Here, we quantify the degree to which dental microwear textures between grinding facets on lower first and second molars are similar in two species of extant canids, coyotes (Canis latrans) and gray wolves (Canis lupus). Casts of paired m1s and m2s for each individual were sampled from museum collections and analyzed for three microwear parameters that correlate with diet in carnivorans: anisotropy, complexity, and textural fill volume. Within wolves, the m1 talonid and m2 are indistinguishable in all DMTA parameters. In coyotes, grinding facets of the m1 talonid and m2 are indistinguishable in complexity and textural fill volume, but anisotropy values of m1s are significantly lower than those of m2s. Differences in anisotropy between species were unlikely to be driven by biomechanical shifts in bite force between the m1 talonid and m2, but could stem from a combination of subtle morphological variation and intra-tooth variation. Overall, these data suggest that regions across molars with similar functions yield similar dental microwear textures. Finally, to demonstrate the effect of increased sample size, we show how the combination of DMTA data from lower m1 talonids and lower m2s of the hypocarnivorous Phlaocyonini canids from the John Day Formation of eastern Oregon, USA, alters the size and shape, but not position, of their reconstructed dietary “niche” space and hence interpretations about dietary behavior.

Foraging habitats and niche partitioning of European large herbivores during the Holocene – Insights from 3D dental microwear texture analysis

Environmental changes related to forest expansion and later to agricultural development and deforestation during the Holocene in Europe have strongly shaped herbivore distribution and habitat selection, leading to species extinction. In this paper, we examine, through dental microwear textural analysis, the foraging habitats, dietary flexibility and niche partitioning of large herbivores (100 to 1000 kg) including two bovids (European bison Bison bonasus and aurochs Bos primigenius) and two cervids (moose Alces alces and red deer Cervus elaphus). The study focuses on northeast (NE) and south central (SC) Europe during three periods of the Holocene: Neolithic (6500–3500 cal yrs BP), Roman Period and Middle Ages (~2000–450 cal yrs BP) and Recent times (1963–2014). Our study highlights differences in diet between species only in the Neolithic SC Europe. This may have resulted from diversified habitats and dietary niche separation in SC Europe. The absence of differences in NE Europe may suggest more homogeneous habitat conditions in combination with lower densities of large herbivores in forested habitats. Analysis shows that during the Neolithic, in the bison diet there was more herbaceous monocotyledons in SC Europe than in NE Europe. We also found temporal changes in microwear texture variables for the bison in SC Europe suggesting a more herbaceous diet in the Neolithic than during the Roman Period and Middle Ages. However, neither spatial nor temporal differences in microwear texture variables were found in the aurochs. Thus, the diet of the European bison has likely changed, which may indicate a greater plasticity that promoted survival in refuge habitats.

Browsing and non-browsing extant and extinct giraffids: Evidence from dental microwear textural analysis

Today, the family Giraffidae is restricted to two genera endemic to the African continent, Okapia and Giraffa, but, with over ten genera and dozens of species, it was far more diverse in the Old World during the late Miocene. We attempt to describe here how several species may have shared feeding resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. Dietary preferences were explored by means of Dental Microwear Textural Analysis in combination with estimation of body mass and the maximum height at which the various species were able to browse.One of our main results concerns the modern okapi, Okapia johnstoni. It is a forest dweller usually regarded as a browser, but we show that it might also forage on tough plants, possibly herbaceous monocots. Such feeding habits including portions of herbaceous monocotyledons were also found for some extinct species, especially the genera Samotherium and Palaeotragus. Palaeogiraffa shows a contrasted pattern: the specimens of P. pamiri from a site in Thrace were leaf-dominant browsers whereas those belonging to P. major and P. macedoniae from the Axios valley in Greece ingested herbaceous monocotyledons. Helladotherium duvernoyi, the only sivatheriine analyzed here is described as a leaf-dominant browser. The giraffine Bohlinia attica also falls within the leaf-dominant browser category but could browse on higher foliages than H. duvernoyi. On the whole, the reconstructed diets confirm the relationship between more grazing habits and smaller premolars, but not with higher dental crown height.

Dental microwear texture analysis of Neandertals from Hortus cave, France

The dental microwear textures of six individuals from Hortus cave, France are compared to Neandertals from different ecological zones and time periods. Molar Phase II facets were scanned using white-light confocal microscopy and scale sensitive fractal analysis yielded enamel surface textural characteristics. The juvenile Hortus III and the older adult Hortus XI exhibit relatively low anisotropy (epLsar) and textural fill volume (Tfv) and are distinct from young adults with higher values. These differences may be related to age, such that only young adults were engaged in the mastication of tough, fibrous vegetation, whereas Hortus XI (50+ years) and Hortus III (6.5–7.9 years) did not. Sub-Phase Vb Hortus individuals exhibit reduced dietary hardness (Asfc) suggesting a greater reliance on soft foods, like meat. Differences between individuals from Hortus cave correspond to both sub-phase variation in climate and intrinsic lifeways.

Phylogenetic signal in tooth wear dietary niche proxies.

In the absence of independent observational data, ecologists and paleoecologists use proxies for the Eltonian niches of species (i.e., the resource or dietary axes of the niche). Some dietary proxies exploit the fact that mammalian teeth experience wear during mastication, due to both tooth‐on‐tooth and food‐on‐tooth interactions. The distribution and types of wear detectible at micro‐ and macroscales are highly correlated with the resource preferences of individuals and, in turn, species. Because methods that quantify the distribution of tooth wear (i.e., analytical tooth wear methods) do so by direct observation of facets and marks on the teeth of individual animals, dietary inferences derived from them are thought to be independent of the clade to which individuals belong. However, an assumption of clade or phylogenetic independence when making species‐level dietary inferences may be misleading if phylogenetic niche conservatism is widespread among mammals. Herein, we test for phylogenetic signal in data from numerous analytical tooth wear studies, incorporating macrowear (i.e., mesowear) and microwear (i.e., low‐magnification microwear and dental microwear texture analysis). Using two measures of phylogenetic signal, heritability (H 2) and Pagel's λ, we find that analytical tooth wear data are not independent of phylogeny and failing to account for such nonindependence leads to overestimation of discriminability among species with different dietary preferences. We suggest that morphological traits inherited from ancestral clades (e.g., tooth shape) influence the ways in which the teeth wear during mastication and constrain the foods individuals of a species can effectively exploit. We do not suggest that tooth wear is simply phylogeny in disguise; the tooth wear of individuals and species likely varies within some range that is set by morphological constraints. We therefore recommend the use of phylogenetic comparative methods in studies of mammalian tooth wear, whenever possible.

A Dental Microwear Texture Analysis of the Early Pliocene African Ursid Agriotherium africanum (Mammalia, Carnivora, Ursidae)

The craniodental morphology of the early Pliocene ursid Agriotherium africanum has been studied extensively to reveal aspects of its dietary ecology. Results suggest that this large-bodied, long-legged, short-faced African native primarily consumed vertebrate matter. While many carnivoran families exhibit a clear functional relationship between craniodental form and performance on the one hand, and dietary behavior on the other, this is not always the case with Ursidae. Because of uncertainties regarding the appropriateness of using craniodental form to investigate ursid diets, questions still linger about the dietary ecology of Ag. africanum. Here, we report on a dental microwear texture analysis of six Ag. africanum lower second molars from the South African fossil site of Langebaanweg. Results support morphological evidence that suggests a diet focused on vertebrate soft tissue and bone. Unfortunately, results cannot clarify questions about mode of acquisition.

Dietary variability of extinct tayassuids and modern white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) as inferred from dental microwear and stable isotope analysis

Prior geochemical work documents dietary shifts coincident with climate change in extinct peccaries, with taxa typically shifting between browsing and mixed-feeding. This study employs dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) and stable carbon isotopes to interpret the diet of extinct peccaries in Florida, specifically Platygonus, Mylohyus, and Protherohyus from the late Miocene throughout the Pleistocene, to evaluate how dietary behavior has fluctuated over time. When Mylohyus and Protherohyus coexisted in the Hemphillian, Mylohyus consumed C3 food sources with harder textures, consistent with the consumption of woody browse, while Protherohyus consumed a greater proportion of C4 vegetation (likely grass). During the Blancan, both Platygonus and Mylohyus can be considered primarily C3 browsers, based on both DMTA and stable isotope data. However, during the Irvingtonian, both Mylohyus and Platygonus consumed a larger proportion of C4 vegetation than during previous North American Land Mammal Ages (NALMAs). Platygonus consumed predominantly C3 vegetation during the Rancholabrean, while Mylohyus consumed a mixture of C3 and C4 vegetation in more open environments. Independent of NALMA, Platygonus consumed predominantly tough vegetation, (e.g., tough leaves and/or grass) while Mylohyus consumed harder food items, consistent with morphological differences in their teeth. In contrast, extant Tayassu peccaries are obligate C3 feeders and show no evidence of C4 consumption. Further, Tayassu are indistinguishable in all dental microwear textural properties from both of their extinct relatives, suggesting that while extant peccaries eat primarily foods from forested environments, those foods are highly variable in textural properties. Collectively, these data suggest that extinct peccaries, Mylohyus and Platygonus, altered their diet over time and possibly in response to changing climates.

Using springbok (Antidorcas) dietary proxies to reconstruct inferred palaeovegetational changes over 2 million years in Southern Africa

The reconstruction of past vegetation and climatic conditions of the Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng Province, South Africa, has been approached using various proxies (such as micromammals, speleothems, faunal and floral presence and stable carbon isotopes). Elisabeth Vrba's seminal studies (1974; 1975) on the fossil record of this region indicated dramatic faunal turnover based on species extinction and speciation data. This turnover was thought to have been driven by increasing aridity and spreading grasslands. These reconstructions however, are continuously being refined and adapted in light of advancing techniques (such as dental microwear textural analysis) and terrestrial proxies, such as speleothems.However, more recent studies show varying proportions from wooded towards more grassland-dominated habitats, with the most common reconstruction being the heterogeneous ‘mosaic’ habitat. Here we re-evaluate the findings of a transition from woodland to grassland conditions in the fossil record from Member 4 Sterkfontein to Member 5 Sterkfontein and the deposits of Swartkrans. To approach the palaeovegetation changes through time via a different angle, we focus on the diet of the springbok (genus Antidorcas), represented throughout this temporal period from geological members dating from 2.8–0.8 Ma. We use detailed dietary methods (dental linear measurements, mesowear, microwear, and stable carbon isotope analysis) to explore past changes in diets of springbok that can be used to indicate the prevailing vegetation conditions. Our results presented here broadly agree with previous palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, in indicating increased grassland post ca 1.7 Ma, with some suggestion of more heterogeneous habitats for Swartkrans Member 2 (ca 1.65–1.07 Ma). We find that there is support for the implementation of a multi-disciplinary approach to produce more accurate and robust reconstructions of past diets and by extension, of palaeovegetation conditions, if the selected herbivore species is a mixed-feeder, like the springbok.

Feeding ecology of Tragelaphini (Bovidae) from the Shungura Formation, Omo Valley, Ethiopia: Contribution of dental wear analyses

To better understand the environmental conditions that prevailed in the Plio-Pleistocene Shungura Formation, Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, we analyze the feeding preferences of Tragelaphini, the third most common tribe of Shungura bovids. Molar mesowear and dental microwear texture analyses were applied to three species (Tragelaphus rastafari, T. nakuae, and T. gaudryi) and body mass estimates were calculated for the T. rastafari-nakuae lineage to test whether dietary shifts were linked to body mass changes. We compare our results with previous work on stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) of enamel, which indicated that tragelaphins from the Shungura Formation possessed dietary flexibility. We found that the both the T. rastafari-nakuae lineage and T. gaudryi maintained a mixed feeding dietary niche, with varying proportions of C3 versus C4 inputs, from ~3.6 to >2 Ma. Our results show that T. rastafari consumed more browse than its descendant, T. nakuae, which was a mixed feeder consuming a greater proportion of C4 dicots ~ 2.8 Ma. The T. rastafari-T. nakuae dietary shift may reflect environmental changes in the Shungura Formation during this time, but appears to be offset from body mass increases in this lineage, which occurred gradually through the Plio-Pleistocene. This study highlights the importance of a multi-proxy approach to precisely determine the dietary ecologies of extinct bovids and points to how each proxy offers a slightly different perspective on the ecology of fossil organisms.

Enamel surface topography analysis for diet discrimination. A methodology to enhance and select discriminative parameters

Tooth wear and, more specifically, dental microwear texture is a dietary proxy that has been used for years in vertebrate paleoecology and ecology. DMTA, dental microwear texture analysis, relies on a few parameters related to the surface complexity, anisotropy and heterogeneity of the enamel facets at the micrometric scale. Working with few but physically meaningful parameters helps in comparing published results and in defining levels for classification purposes. Other dental microwear approaches are based on ISO parameters and coupled with statistical tests to find the more relevant ones.The present study roughly utilizes most of the aforementioned parameters in their more or less modified form. But more than parameters, we here propose a new approach: instead of a single parameter characterizing the whole surface, we sample the surface and thus generate 9 derived parameters in order to broaden the parameter set.The identification of the most discriminative parameters is performed with an automated procedure which is an extended and refined version of the workflows encountered in some studies. The procedure in its initial form includes the most common tools, like the ANOVA and the correlation analysis, along with the required mathematical tests. The discrimination results show that a simplified form of the procedure is able to more efficiently identify the desired number of discriminative parameters. Also highlighted are some trends like the relevance of working with both height and spatial parameters, as well as the potential benefits of dimensionless surfaces. On a set of 45 surfaces issued from 45 specimens of three modern ruminants with differences in feeding preferences (grazing, leaf-browsing and fruit-eating), it is clearly shown that the level of wear discrimination is improved with the new methodology compared to the other ones.

Deer in an arid habitat: dental microwear textures track feeding adaptability

Teeth constitute a bridge between an organism and its environment. Dental wear is a good proxy for (paleo) ecologists to better comprehend the ecology and habitat of modern and extinct species. In this study, we showed Dental Microwear Texture Analysis to be a useful tool, integrating not only specific plant selection but also dietary quality and digestibility in order to understand resource use. Resource-partitioning, seasonal and sexual variations in the diet of two deer species on a Spanish game estate are explored here through Dental Microwear Texture Analysis. This Mediterranean area is on the fringes of the average European environments in terms of constraints and diet for extant red and fallow deer, resulting in an opportunity to understand their ability to live in harsh conditions and the feeding strategies they developed. These two taxa already experienced harsh living conditions during the Pleistocene. Dental microwear texture shows both deer feeding differently on the herbaceous layer in a context where it is the main resource consumed annually. These differences are linked to body mass. With its smaller incisor arcade, Dama dama is able to be more selective, hence focusing on less fibrous parts of forages. Cervus elaphus is more plastic, with dietary variations corresponding to seasonal plant availability and the physiological requirements of stags and does. In general, C. elaphus consumes a more fibrous and less digestible vegetable material than D. dama . This study brings light on the feeding behavior of the two game species under constraint conditions. The results of this study are discussed in terms of realized vs potential ecological niche.

Dental microwear texture analysis of extant sika deer with considerations on inter-microscope variability and surface preparation protocols

Abstract Recently, dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) has been applied to various kinds of vertebrates to infer dietary preference. More data are needed on inter-microscope variability to assure the objectivity and repeatability of this method. In the present paper, we investigated inter-microscope variability between two confocal laser microscopes with different specifications, as well as variability due to different protocols applied to the obtained surface before DMTA. We used two different methods of DMTA: the scale sensitive fractal analysis (SSFA) and the surface texture analysis (STA). We collected DMTA data of extant Japanese sika deer populations with varying diets. We found that different protocols produced significantly different results for both SSFA and STA, whereas nearly two thirds of the parameters were not significantly different between the machines when applying the same pre-analysis protocol. Finally, we analyzed DMTA data of 244 sika deer from 11 populations. Twenty nine parameters were significantly different among the populations. Tooth enamel surface of grazing sika deer is dominated by a number of well-aligned scratches, whereas that of browsing deer is more flattened and characterized by more sporadic pits. Therefore, DMTA can identify intraspecific variation in diets, which is smaller than the interspecific dietary variation in extant ruminants.

Feeding ecology of Eucladoceros ctenoides as a proxy to track regional environmental variations in Europe during the early Pleistocene

The early Pleistocene is represented by a succession of glacial–interglacial cycles characterized by a general tendency towards global cooling, with increasing aridity and seasonality. The large deer Eucladoceros is found in abundance in Europe during this period of faunal dispersions. The dietary plasticity of Eucladoceros and how it can mirror early Pleistocene climatic variations will be explored here using Dental Microwear Texture Analysis. The wide range of dental microwear textures for Eucladoceros reflects a low selectivity and high plasticity in its diet. It is an appropriate proxy to track vegetal resource availability. Oscillations were identified between a browsing and a grazing signal. This study proposes that a browsing signal is associated with a fossil assemblage deposited during an interglacial event characterized by warmer temperatures and deciduous vegetation. A grazing signal more likely indicates a glacial event with cooler temperatures and a developed herbaceous, bushy layer.

Dental microwear textural analysis as an analytical tool to depict individual traits and reconstruct the diet of a primate.

Dental microwear is a promising tool to reconstruct animals' diet because it reflects the interplay between the enamel surface and the food items recently consumed. This study examines the sources of inter-individual variations in dietary habits in a free-ranging population of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) using a combination of feeding monitoring and in vivo dental microwear textural analysis (DMTA). We investigated the impact of seasonality and individual traits on four DMTA parameters. In parallel, we further studied the influence of the physical properties of the food items consumed on these four parameters, using three proxies (mechanical properties, estimates of phytolith and external grit contents). We found that seasonality, age, and sex all impact DMTA parameters but those results differ depending on the facet analyzed (crushing vs. shearing facets). Three DMTA parameters (anisotropy, complexity, and heterogeneity of complexity) appear sensitive to seasonal variations and anisotropy also differs between the sexes while textural fill volume tends to vary with age. Moreover, the physical properties of the food items consumed vary seasonally and also differ depending on individual sex and age. Considering the interplay between the tested variables and both dental microwear and diet, we reaffirm that food physical properties play a major role in microwear variations. These results suggest that DMTA parameters may provide valuable hints for paleoecological reconstruction using fragmentary fossil dental remains.

Palaeoecology of cave bears as evidenced by dental wear analysis: a review of methods and recent findings

The study of dental wear was first used years ago to infer the palaeoecology of fossil mammals and in particular their diet. Results depend predominantly on the scale of the analysis used. Analyses of dental macrowear, mesowear or microwear do not provide the same type of dietary information, be it about the seasonal, annual or lifetime diet. This contribution focuses on emblematic species, cave bears (Ursidae), in particular Ursus spelaeus spelaeus. Methods used by previous researchers to infer their dietary preferences and thus their palaeoecology are reviewed and compared. This review is complemented by an analysis of several specimens of cave bears from the Goyet cave in Belgium, using dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA), a methodology widely applied for reconstructing palaeodiets. Three main conclusions are drawn here: (1) DMTA is the method that provides the most precise palaeobiological inferences; (2) during the pre-dormancy period, cave bears show dietary flexibility; (3) dental wear alone might be not sufficient to provide a complete reconstruction of the cave bear palaeodiet.

Dental microwear and Pliocene paleocommunity ecology of bovids, primates, rodents, and suids at Kanapoi

Reconstructions of habitat at sites like Kanapoi are key to understanding the environmental circumstances in which hominins evolved during the early Pliocene. While Australopithecus anamensis shows evidence of terrestrial bipedality traditionally associated with a more open setting, its enamel has low δ13C values consistent with consumption of C3 foods, which predominate in wooded areas of tropical Africa. Habitat proxies, ranging from paleosols and their carbonates to associated herbivore fauna and their carbon isotope ratios, suggest a heterogeneous setting with both grass and woody plant components, though the proportions of each have been difficult to pin down. Here we bring dental microwear texture analysis of herbivorous fauna to bear on the issue. We present texture data for fossil bovids, primates, rodents, and suids (n = 107 individuals in total) from the hominin bearing deposits at Kanapoi, and interpret these in the light of closely related extant mammals with known differences in diet. The Kanapoi bovid results, for example, are similar to those for extant variable grazers or graze-browse intermediate taxa. The Kanapoi suid data vary by taxon, with one similar to the pattern of extant grazers and the other more closely resembling mixed feeders. The Kanapoi primates and rodents are more difficult to associate with a specific environment, though it seems that grass was likely a component in the diets of both. All taxa evince microwear texture patterns consistent with a mosaic of discrete microhabitats or a heterogeneous setting including both tree and grass components.

Dietary behaviour of man-eating lions as revealed by dental microwear textures

Lions (Panthera leo) feed on diverse prey species, a range that is broadened by their cooperative hunting. Although humans are not typical prey, habitual man-eating by lions is well documented. Fathoming the motivations of the Tsavo and Mfuwe man-eaters (killed in 1898 in Kenya and 1991 in Zambia, respectively) may be elusive, but we can clarify aspects of their behaviour using dental microwear texture analysis. Specifically, we analysed the surface textures of lion teeth to assess whether these notorious man-eating lions scavenged carcasses during their depredations. Compared to wild-caught lions elsewhere in Africa and other large feliforms, including cheetahs and hyenas, dental microwear textures of the man-eaters do not suggest extreme durophagy (e.g. bone processing) shortly before death. Dental injuries to two of the three man-eaters examined may have induced shifts in feeding onto softer foods. Further, prompt carcass reclamation by humans likely limited the man-eaters’ access to bones. Man-eating was likely a viable alternative to hunting and/or scavenging ungulates due to dental disease and/or limited prey availability.

Assessing niche conservatism using a multiproxy approach: dietary ecology of extinct and extant spotted hyenas

AbstractA central premise of bioclimatic envelope modeling is the assumption of niche conservatism. Whereas such assumptions are testable in modern populations, it is unclear whether niche conservatism holds over deeper time spans and over very large geographic ranges. Hyaenids occupied a diversity of ecological niches over time and space, and until the end-Pleistocene they occurred in Europe and most of Asia, with Asian populations ofCrocutasuggested as being genetically distinct from their closest living relatives. Further, little is known regarding whether and how the dietary ecology of extinct populations ofCrocutadiffered from those of their extant African counterparts. Here, we use a multiproxy approach to assess an assumption of conserved dietary ecology in late Pleistocene extant spotted hyenas via finite element analysis, dental microwear texture analysis, and a novel dental macrowear method (i.e., whether teeth are minimally, moderately, or extremely worn, as defined by degree of dentin exposure) proposed here. Results from finite element simulations of the masticatory apparatus of Chinese and AfricanCrocutademonstrate lower skull stiffness and higher stress in the orbital region of the former when biting with carnassial teeth, suggesting that ChineseCrocutacould not process prey with the same degree of efficiency as extantCrocuta crocuta. Dental microwear texture data further support this interpretation, as ChineseCrocutahave intermediate and indistinguishable complexity values (indicative of hard-object feeding) between the extant African lion (Panthera leo) and extant hyenas (C. crocuta,Hyaena hyaena, andParahyaena brunnea), being most similar to the omnivorousP. brunnea. The use of dental macrowear to infer dietary behavior may also be possible in extinct taxa, as evinced by dietary correlations between extant African feliforms and dental macrowear assignments. Collectively, this multiproxy analysis suggests that ChineseCrocutamay have exhibited dietary behavior distinct from that of livingC. crocuta, and assumptions of niche conservatism may mask significant dietary variation in species broadly distributed in time and space.