Analysis of Bone Crushing Behavior of the Dire Wolf (<em>Canis dirus</em>) Using Dental Microwear Texture Analysis.

<p>It has been hypothesized that dietary differences in bone consumption exist between the extinct Pleistocene dire wolf (<em>Canis dirus</em>) and the modern gray wolf (<em>C. lupus</em>). Here dental microwear texture analysis of the m2 is used to test the hypothesized dietary behavior of <em>C. dirus</em>. If the m2 does distinguish dietary tendencies and dire wolves were heavy bone consumers, then the microwear signals of <em>C. dirus</em> should be similar to extant duraphageous canids. Microwear texture analysis of <em>C. dirus</em> was compared with that of <em>C. lupus</em>, coyote (<em>C. latrans</em>), and African wild dog (<em>Lycaon pictus</em>) to assess the degrees of bone consumption. An overall lack in statistically significant variables suggests little difference between the dietary tendencies between <em>C. dirus</em> and <em>C. lupus</em>. The dire wolf did not closely align with the duraphageous <em>L. pictus</em>, which calls into question the hypothesis of heavy carcass utilization during the Pleistocene.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

MS (Master of Science)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - restricted

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Schmitt, Elizabeth

• microwear texture analysis
• bone consumption
• Canis dirus
• canis lupus
• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
• Evolution
• Life Sciences

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright by the authors.

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1269

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-2460