Dental anomalies and hemimandible size in juvenile roe deer

• Published in: European journal of wildlife research 2021-12, Vol.67 (6), Article 102
• Main Authors: De Marinis, A.M., Chirichella, R., Apollonio, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anomalies; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Datasets; Deer; Dentition; Ecology; Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management; Growth patterns; Incisors; Juveniles; Life Sciences; Mandible; Molars; Premolars; Short Communication; Teeth; Veterinary medicine; Zoology
• ISSN: 1612-4642; 1439-0574
• DOI: 10.1007/s10344-021-01544-9

Mandibles of 2161 juvenile roe deer (8–10 months; 1176 females and 985 males) were studied to check for dental anomalies. The sample was legally shot during the annual harvest (1st January–15th March) of the hunting seasons 2013–2015 in the Arezzo province (Central Italy). The frequency of anomalies was 0.32% ( n  = 7), confirming that anomalies are uncommon in roe deer dentition. All individuals had only one type of dental anomaly. The teeth of the incisor arcade seldom showed anomalies (10%) in comparison to premolars (20%) and molars (70%). In more than half of juveniles with anomalies, the length of the posterior section of the mandible was shorter than the population average (from − 8 to − 20%), unlike the length of the medio-anterior section. Some dental anomalies seem to affect the growth of the posterior section of the mandible, which occurs mostly during the first year of life, rather than the growth of the medio-anterior section, which occurs mostly in utero. Due to the complex relationship between mandible growth and dental anomalies and their low frequency, further data are needed to deepen the possible influence of anomalies on growth pattern.