Nothrotheriops shastensis (Hansen, 1978)

Green, Jeremy L., 2009, Dental microwear in the orthodentine of the Xenarthra (Mammalia) and its use in reconstructing the palaeodiet of extinct taxa: the case study of Nothrotheriops shastensis (Xenarthra, Tardigrada, Nothrotheriidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 156 (1), pp. 201-222 : 207-209

NOTHROTHERIOPS SHASTENSIS

Dental microwear patterns in N. shastensis were clearly visible under low magnification along the orthodentine ridge of examined casts ( Fig. 1F). Individual microwear features (i.e. scratches, cross scratches, gouges, hypercoarse scratches) were similar in appearance to those in extant xenarthrans ( Fig. 1A–E). This species records a high overall number of scratches (~16) that are mixed (fine and coarse) in texture on a relatively polished, refractive surface ( Table 2). Gouges and cross-scratches are present in all four individuals; hypercoarse scratches are only present in one individual. This species also Dietary groups are labelled in bold in the ‘Species’ column. Abbreviations: N, sample size; Scratch, mean number of scratches (standard deviation); %CS, percentage of individuals with> four cross-scratches; %HS, percentage of individuals with hypercoarse scratches; Pit, mean number of pits (standard deviation); %LP, percentage of individuals with> four large pits; %G, percentage of individuals with gouges; %FS, percentage of individuals with predominately fine scratches; %MS, percentage of individuals with predominately fine and coarse (mixed) scratches; %CoS, percentage of individuals with predominately coarse scratches.

All specimens are from Potter Creek Cave (Rancholabrean). Abbreviations: UCMP, University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley; Scratch, mean number of scratches (standard deviation); CS,> 4 cross scratches present; HS, hypercoarse scratches present; Pit, mean number of pits; LP,> 4 large pits present; G, gouges present; FS, predominately fine texture scratches present; MS, predominately fine and coarse (mixed) scratches present; CoS, predominately coarse texture scratches present.

Total percent correct values for each group are shown in bold.

possesses the lowest overall number of pits (~51) compared to all extant taxa ( Tables 1, 2).