title: Increased effect of harsh climate in red deer with a poor set of teeth.
abstract: Teeth are vital for mammal performance and especially in ungulates relying on mechanical decomposition of plant material for effective microbial digestion and energy uptake. The main focus of the role of teeth in ungulate life histories has been on tooth wear, while no one has addressed to what extent deviation from the natural set of teeth (maldentition) causes variation in individual fitness components. Based on mandibles from 41,066 individual red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) collected from 1969 to 2001, we tested whether maldentition had an effect on individual body condition and whether this effect depended on environmental harshness. Females with maldentition (0.6% of the population) were in a poorer condition than individuals without tooth anomalies and the effect increased during unfavorable climatic conditions. The effect of maldentition in males was less clear. This study indicates that a well-functioning set of teeth is essential for mammal performance, and that selection pressure against (dental) anomalies is more pronounced when climate is unfavorable.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Leif Egil
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Loe
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonenfant
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Langvatn
authors.forename: Atle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mysterud
authors.forename: Vebjørn
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Veiberg
authors.forename: Nils Chr
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Stenseth
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002980:Climate; D003670:Deer / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011204:Poverty Areas; D014071:Tooth Abnormalities / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000662:veterinary