Fractal dimensions characterizing mammal teeth: a case study involving Elephantidae |
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| Authors: | J. STONE, M. TELFORD&dagger |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada,;Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada |
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| Abstract: | 1. Dental features frequently have provided data for producing and deducing mammal taxonomies and phylogeny, yet quantitative or statistical analyses for describing intricacies that characterize tooth form are wanting. 2. A method for determining fractal dimensions D that characterize enamel ridges constituting occlusal surfaces for teeth in some mammal species is presented; D quantify complexity (i.e. convolution). The method is exemplified with an analysis that was conducted on teeth from the Family Elephantidae. |
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| Keywords: | character dental elephant mammoth morphology morphometrics systematics taxonomy |
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