Dental Microwear Texture Analysis on Radular Teeth

Abstract

Dental wear is a well-established proxy for inferring diet, habitat, and climatic conditions in vertebrate ecology, yet its proxy potential in invertebrates remains unexplored. Here, we introduce confocal disc-scanning microscopy–based 3D surface texture analysis combined with dental microwear texture analysis as a quantitative approach for assessing wear in the radular teeth of the gastropod Vittina turrita. Controlled feeding experiments exposed snails to substrates simulating biofilm-feeding conditions. Fine and superfine substrates produced uniform material loss, reflected by reduced surface mean height (Sa) and increased surface peak density (Spd), indicating consistent abrasion accompanied by extensive surface fragmentation. In contrast, coarser substrates resulted in fewer but more severe tooth–substrate interactions, generating irregular material loss marked by fractures, partial spalling, and crack formation. These damage modes were captured by increased Sa, reduced Spd, and elevated void volume of valleys (Vvv). Wear severity was greatest in older teeth, where erosion of the calcium-rich protective coating exposed the chitinous core; here, elevated Sa values likely resulted from fiber-scale failure during substrate impacts. The results show that wear reflects substrate interactions and material structural responses, providing a first controlled calibration step toward its future use as a proxy for substrate interaction and ecology.