The dentition of European Speleomantes spp. (Urodela, Plethodontidae) with special regard to sexual dimorphism.
Dentigerous bones and dentition of juveniles and adults of several European Speleomantes-species were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. In the juveniles examined, all dentigerous bones bore bicuspid teeth. The adult males showed the well-known dentitional sexual dimorphism, i.e. monocuspid largely conical, elongated and strongly curved premaxillary teeth. However, teeth of the anterior portion of the maxillae and some teeth of the dentary were also clearly monocuspid; the remaining teeth had differently shaped apices considered to be different grades of bicuspidity. Vomerine teeth were exclusively bicuspid. Monocuspid, but smaller teeth were also found on the premaxilla of an adult female. The conical monocuspid tooth in adults is a modified metamorphosed tooth. Monocuspids, at least on the premaxillae, may be constantly present in males and development of monocuspids probably depends on differential sensitivities of the tooth producing tissue for androgen stimuli.
Institut für Zoomorphologie und Zellbiologie der Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. grevenh@uni-duesseldorf.de
Hartmut
H
Greven
Monika
M
Schubert-Jung
Günter
G
Clemen
D000818:Animals; D003817:Dentition; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009805:Odontogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014070:Tooth / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014562:Caudata / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*