Patterns of sexual dimorphism and of variability in the dentition ofOtolemur crassicaudatus

Normative odontometric data are presented on a sample of 66 adult thick-tailed bushbabies Otolemur crassicaudatus(34 male, 32 female). This species is characterized by low levels of sexual dimorphism, with univariate differences centered on the canines and the maxillary third molar. Multivariate canonical analysis isolates a third discriminator, the maxillary second molar. Stepwise discriminant analyses, performed after jackknifing, indicate high percentages of correct classification (males, 79.8–81.8%;females, 81–85.2%). When variability profiles consisting of arrays of CVs are compared, males and females are found to share similar patterns. Data for maxillary teeth offer support for Gingerich’s occlusal complexity model, while morphogenetic clusterings within regressions of variability on tooth size conform to those previously reported in other species. These relationships are lost in the mandibular dentition, suggesting an independence of upper from lower toothsize determination.