Tooth Microwear Texture in the Eastern Atlantic Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) of the German Wadden Sea and Its Implications for Long Term Dietary and Ecosystem Changes

Marine mammals are increasingly threatened in their habitat by various anthropogenic impacts. This is particularly evident prey abundance. Understanding the dietary strategies of marine mammal populations can help predict implications for future health status and essential conservation. In this study we provide a striking example new proxy pinnipeds to document diets using dental record. novel approach, used combination 49 parameters establish microwear texture (DMTA) as feeding behaviour harbour seals. method an established approach assess terrestrial mammals, but has not yet been applied pinnipeds. Our aim was protocol, opening DMTA investigating inter- intra-individual variations. We analysed 244 upper teeth 78 Atlantic seals ( Phoca vitulina ). The specimens were collected 1988 along North Sea coast (Wadden Sea, Germany) curated Zoological Institute Kiel University, Germany. An increasing surface roughness from frontal distal found related different processing biomechanics. Ten five year old individuals similar roughness, whereas males females each other with exception dentition. Fall summer also featured no difference roughness. second fourth postcanine reference tooth positions, those unaffected age, sex, season, or variation. summary, applying indirect proxies, such DMTA, will allow reconstructing traits existing skeletal collection material. Combining time series analyses very promising track pinniped over last decades. opens research avenues could detect shifts environments past future.