Gálvez-López, E;
Cox, PG;
(2022)
Mandible shape variation and feeding biomechanics in minks.
Scientific Reports
, 12
(1)
, Article 4997. 10.1038/s41598-022-08754-4.
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Abstract
European and American minks are very similar in ecology, behavior and morphology. Both species hunt terrestrial vertebrates and aquatic prey, but the American mink is a more generalist predator which, among other factors, allows it to outcompete the European mink in areas where it has been introduced. We used 3D geometric morphometrics and estimates of muscle mechanical advantage to assess the degree of variation in mandibular morphology, and to determine whether such variation reflects dietary differences between the two species. The three main axes of variation represented interspecific differences, a common allometric trajectory between species and sexes, and the interspecific effect of sexual size dimorphism, with males having overall stronger bites than females. Differences in mandible shape and biomechanical parameters suggest that American minks are better equipped for preying on terrestrial vertebrates, while the features seen in European mink could be related to tougher prey, fish capture, or both. Additionally, within each species, the larger specimens of each sex present indicators of a higher percentage of terrestrial prey in their diet. These results indicate a low potential dietary overlap between both species, suggesting that factors other than prey competition may have a role in the decline of the European mink.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Mandible shape variation and feeding biomechanics in minks |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-022-08754-4 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08754-4 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
| Keywords: | Animals, Biomechanical Phenomena, Female, Head, Male, Mandible, Mink, Skull |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Cell and Developmental Biology |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10165477 |
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