Horst Kierdorf - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Horst Kierdorf
The Science of the total environment, Jan 15, 2015
Particulate and gaseous fluoride emissions contaminate vegetation near fluoride-emitting industri... more Particulate and gaseous fluoride emissions contaminate vegetation near fluoride-emitting industries, potentially impacting herbivorous wildlife in neighboring areas. Dental fluorosis has been associated with consumption of fluoride-contaminated foliage by juvenile livestock and wildlife in Europe and North America. For the first time, we explored the epidemiology and comparative pathology of dental fluorosis in Australian marsupials residing near an aluminium smelter. Six species (Macropus giganteus, Macropus rufogriseus, Wallabia bicolor, Phascolarctos cinereus, Trichosurus vulpecula, Pseudocheirus peregrinus) demonstrated significantly higher bone fluoride levels in the high (n=161 individuals), compared to the low (n=67 individuals), fluoride areas (p<0.001). Necropsy examinations of all six species from the high-fluoride area near the smelter revealed dental lesions considered characteristic of dental fluorosis in eutherian mammals. Within the high-fluoride area, 67% of indiv...
The selenodont molars of ruminants erupt with an occlusal morphology that is not yet fully functi... more The selenodont molars of ruminants erupt with an occlusal morphology that is not yet fully functional and has to be converted to a functional relief by wear. Key variables in functional tooth geometry are the enamel thickness in different locations and the degree of hypsodonty that have evolved in relation to feeding type and the abrasive properties of the diet. To assess morphogenetic variables related to variation of enamel thickness and the degree of hypsodonty in Soay sheep (Ovis ammon f. aries) 27 mandibular and 3 maxillary molars from 11 individuals of known age at death were investigated macroscopically, and by light and scanning electron microscopy. Vital labeling with fluorochromes given at known dates provided a time frame for reconstruction of tooth crown development. An enamel free area is present in unworn cusps on the buccal side of the infundibulum in mandibular and on the palatal side in maxillary molars. Deeper in the infundibulum, enamel is present but its thicknes...
Environmental Pollution
Mandibular bone fluoride concentrations as well as frequency and intensity of fluoride-induced de... more Mandibular bone fluoride concentrations as well as frequency and intensity of fluoride-induced dental lesions were studied in four red deer populations from Czechia and Germany exposed to different levels of environmental fluoride. The degree of fluorosis in the permanent cheek teeth was recorded by a scoring system and the individual mandibles assigned to one of three categories (unfluorosed, slightly to moderately fluorosed, and markedly to severely fluorosed) on the basis of the tooth scores. An increase in the frequency and severity of dental fluorosis was positively associated with an increase in bone fluoride level, which itself was significantly different between the four samples. In all samples, the rate of bone fluoride accumulation was higher in younger than in older deer. The results of this study show that frequency and intensity of dental fluorosis can be used as valid indicators of increased fluoride exposure of deer populations, and thus as a quick, easy, economic and...
Journal of Anatomy
A macroscopic, microradiographic and scanning electron microscope study was performed on the stru... more A macroscopic, microradiographic and scanning electron microscope study was performed on the structure of fluorosed dental enamel in red deer from a fluoride polluted region (North Bohemia, Czech Republic). As was revealed by analysis of mandibular bone fluoride content, the rate of skeletal fluoride accumulation in the fluorotic deer was about 6 times that in controls taken from a region not exposed to excessive fluoride deposition. In all fluorosed mandibles, the 1st molar was consistently less fluorotic than the other permanent teeth. This was related to the fact that crown formation in the M1 takes place prenatally and during the lactation period. Fluorosed teeth exhibited opaque and posteruptively stained enamel, reduction or loss of enamel ridges, moderately to grossly increased wear and, in more severe cases, also enamel surface lesions of partly posteruptive, partly developmental origin. Microradiographically, fluorosed enamel was characterised by subsurface hypomineralisati...
Vertebrate Zoology
Abstract We studied the teeth of larvae and one juvenile of the axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum, a ur... more Abstract We studied the teeth of larvae and one juvenile of the axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum, a urodele species that undergoes partial metamorphosis, by light microscopy of ground sections, backscattered electron imaging and semi-quantitative microanalysis in the scanning electron microscope. By applying these techniques it was possible to identify enamel, enameloid and dentin in the teeth. Iron was found to be present in enamel and enameloid, the concentrations being highest in the enamel. A staining indicative of the presence of iron was observed in the inner dental epithelium of tooth germs. Dentinal tubules mostly followed a straight course, but some recurved over a short distance distally. In larval teeth and teeth of “larval type” in the juvenile individual the dentinal tubules ended in the basal portion of the enameloid. Our results show that in the axolotl, monocuspid teeth of the “larval type” that developed after partial transformation still possess an enameloid layer benea...
Veterinarski Arhiv
The paper briefly reviews the literature on cranial lesions in Mustela putorius caused by the tre... more The paper briefly reviews the literature on cranial lesions in Mustela putorius caused by the trematode Troglotrema acutum and the nematode Skrjabingylus nasicola. Additional macroscopic, radiographic and scanning electron microscopy findings from the study of dried skulls and formalin-fixed heads of European polecats are presented. Previous observations on the possibility of concurrent infestation of Mustela putorius with both parasite species are confirmed.
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2010
ABSTRACT Bone is a dynamic tissue, responding locally to differential mechanical loading and syst... more ABSTRACT Bone is a dynamic tissue, responding locally to differential mechanical loading and systemically to hormonal stimuli. Although the tendency is to consider compact bone a homogenous tissue, regional variations in microarchitecture are known to have quite different properties relating to processes of growth and mechanical loading. Specifically, we investigated an example of microstructural variation of the human, adult femoral endocortex, referred to here as the endosteal lamellar pocket (ELP). The femoral ELP is characterised as a histomorphological meta-feature, made distinct from general circumferential lamellae by its hemicircumferential lamellar orientation, medial positioning, radially oriented Volkmann's canals and decreased presence of Haversian systems. Our preliminary observations of mid-diaphyseal transverse thin-ground sections demonstrate the ELP as a regular meta-feature of adult human femora unearthed from the Maya archaeological site of Xcambó, Mexico. ELPs were easily identified in 38 of 45 examined individuals. Their size, shape and degree of secondary remodelling were variable. In comparison, ELP lamellae and those originating from the periosteum are divergent, or non-concentric in orientation. This divergence, along with the ELP's medial position, suggest it forms during growth through endosteal modelling drift. Possible considerations for ELP formation and persistence with age are discussed as well as its implications for the study of bone dynamics during growth and activity. Further research is necessary to quantitatively measure the morphology of ELPs and to identify any co-variance between ELP characteristics and age, sex or indicators of mechanical loading. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Anatomical Record, 2002
Cartilage resorption in forming primary fallow deer antlers was studied by histochemistry and ele... more Cartilage resorption in forming primary fallow deer antlers was studied by histochemistry and electron microscopy. A high activity of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), a histochemical marker of skeletal resorbing cells, was first detected in cells located in the mesenchymal tissue separating the columns of hypertrophic cartilage. No cartilage resorption was observed in this region. Intense TRAP staining occurred in large multinucleated cells (identified as inactive osteoclasts) as well as in smaller cells (regarded as mononuclear osteoclast progenitors). On the basis of these findings it was concluded that this was the region where osteoclasts differentiated from progenitor cells. Further proximally, the mineralized cartilage was eroded by active osteoclasts that were located in Howship's lacunae and exhibited an intense TRAP staining. Electron microscopy showed that the cells identified as inactive osteoclasts lacked a polarized organization. In contrast, the active osteoclasts in the zone of cartilage resorption exhibited a typical polarized organization: the nuclei congregated near the basolateral cell surface, and there was a zone of deep membrane infoldings (ruffled border) surrounded by a clear zone at the apical cell pole adjacent to the resorption surface of the mineralized cartilage. The multinucleated cartilage-resorbing cells of the forming antler thus exhibited the typical histochemical and morphological features of active mammalian osteoclasts. Low levels of TRAP activity were also observed in hypertrophic chondrocytes; however, the specificity and potential significance of this staining remain to be elucidated. Anat Rec 268: 66 -72, 2002.
American journal of physical anthropology, Jan 18, 2015
Recently, a lower than expected number of perikymata between repetitive furrow-type hypoplastic d... more Recently, a lower than expected number of perikymata between repetitive furrow-type hypoplastic defects has been reported in chimpanzee canines from the Fongoli site, Senegal (Skinner and Pruetz: Am J Phys Anthropol 149 (2012) 468-482). Based on an observation in a localized enamel fracture surface of a canine of a chimpanzee from the Taï Forest (Ivory Coast), these authors inferred that a nonemergence of striae of Retzius could be the cause for the "missing perikymata" phenomenon in the Fongoli chimpanzees. To check this inference, we analyzed the structure of outer enamel in three chimpanzee canines. The teeth were studied using light-microscopic and scanning-electron microscopic techniques. Our analysis of the specimen upon which Skinner and Pruetz (Am J Phys Anthropol 149 (2012) 468-482) had made their original observation does not support their hypothesis. We demonstrate that the enamel morphology described by them is not caused by a nonemergence of striae of Retzius ...
Biological trace element research, 2014
The present study compared the concentrations of different elements (Ca, P, Mg, Sr, Ba, K, S, Zn,... more The present study compared the concentrations of different elements (Ca, P, Mg, Sr, Ba, K, S, Zn, Mn) as well as Ca/P, Ca/Mg, Sr/Ca, and Ba/Ca ratios in hard antler and pedicle bone of yearling red deer stags (n = 11). Pedicles showed higher concentrations of calcium and phosphorus and a higher Ca/Mg ratio than antlers, while antlers exhibited higher concentrations of potassium, sulfur, and manganese as well as higher Ca/P, Sr/Ca, and Ba/Ca ratios. The findings indicate that antlers are less mineralized and show less maturation of their bone mineral than pedicles. Antlers also showed a higher intrasample variation of mineralization than pedicles, which can be related to the shorter life span of the (deciduous) antlers compared to the (permanent) pedicles. It is suggested that antler bone formation is stopped before the theoretically possible degree of mineralization and mineral maturation is reached, resulting in antler biomechanical properties (high bending strength and work to fra...
Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007), 2014
We studied the structure and periodicity of regular incremental markings in third molar enamel of... more We studied the structure and periodicity of regular incremental markings in third molar enamel of minipigs. Light microscopy of ground sections revealed the presence of incremental markings matching the description of laminations. Their number within the section planes closely paralleled crown formation time (CFT) in days reported for minipig third molars, thereby indicating the daily nature of laminations. Spacing of consecutive laminations increased from lowest values in the inner to highest values in the outer enamel, where mean daily secretion rates of about 20 µm were recorded. Mean enamel extension rates determined for deciles along the enamel-dentin junction varied between highest values (155 µm/day) in the most cuspally located and lowest values (19 µm/day) in cervical enamel. Backscattered electron imaging in the SEM revealed the presence of thin, regularly spaced hypermineralized incremental lines in the outer enamel portion. These lines exhibited the same spacing as the l...
The Science of the total environment, 2012
Wild deer have been recommended as bioindicators of fluoride pollution. We compared bone fluoride... more Wild deer have been recommended as bioindicators of fluoride pollution. We compared bone fluoride concentrations and prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis in free-ranging European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) from five counties in the northwestern part of the Czech Republic that had been collected by hunters and whose mandibles were presented at trophy exhibitions in the years 1996/1997 ("early period") and 2009 ("late period"). Data on atmospheric fluoride deposition suggested that the deer from the early period had been exposed to markedly higher fluoride levels than those from the late period. We therefore predicted a decline in skeletal fluoride levels and prevalence of dental fluorosis for both species from the early to the late period. Fluoride concentrations were determined in the coronoid process of the mandible, and assessment of dental fluorosis was performed on the permanent cheek teeth. A pronounced drop in fluori...
The anatomical record. Part A, Discoveries in molecular, cellular, and evolutionary biology, 2003
The purpose of the present study was to examine the process of bone formation in the regenerating... more The purpose of the present study was to examine the process of bone formation in the regenerating cranial appendages of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) during the early postcasting period. After the antlers are cast, osteoclastic and osteoblastic activities lead to a smoothing of the pedicle's separation surface, a strengthening of the pedicle bone, and a partial restoration of the distal pedicle portion that was lost along with the cast antler. Initially, bone formation occurs by intramembranous ossification, but early during the regeneration process cartilage is formed at the tips of the cranial appendages, and is subsequently replaced by bone in a process of endochodral ossification. Shortly after the antlers are cast, the cambium layer of the periosteum in the distal pedicle is markedly enlarged, which suggests that the periosteum serves as a cell source for the bone-forming tissue covering the exposed pedicle bone. The histological findings of our...
The Anatomical record, 2000
The pathological alterations of enamel structure in the teeth of wild boars from fluoride pollute... more The pathological alterations of enamel structure in the teeth of wild boars from fluoride polluted areas in N-Bohemia (Czech Republic) and S-Saxony (Germany) were studied on a macroscopic and a microscopic level. Mandibular bone fluoride concentration (mg F(-)/kg, dry wt; mean +/-SD, individuals <24 months of age) in the specimens from N-Bohemia (754.3+/-149.6) and S-Saxony (490.8+/-135.1) was significantly higher than that of controls (free of dental fluorosis), originating from the western part of Germany (304.7+/-91.0). Fluoride content in bulk enamel (mg F(-)/kg, ash wt) of fluorotic permanent teeth from N-Bohemia (382.1+/-165.2) and S-Saxony (125.0+/-38.3) was likewise significantly increased over that of non-fluorotic control teeth from W-Germany (33.6+/-26.7). Macroscopically, fluorosed wild boar enamel exhibited opacity and discoloration of varying extent, accentuated perikymata as well as hypoplastic and posteruptive surface defects. Microradiographic and scanning electr...
The Science of the total environment, 1999
The spatial variation of fluoride contamination in the Saxonion part of the Ore mountains (Federa... more The spatial variation of fluoride contamination in the Saxonion part of the Ore mountains (Federal state of Saxony, Germany) was assessed by analysing the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis in wild male roe deer aged 2 years or more (n = 794) from this region. The study area is exposed to increased atmospheric deposition of fluorides, originating from emission sources in the North-Bohemian brown coal belt. The severity of dental fluorosis in the permanent premolars and molars of one hemimandible per animal was assessed based on a scoring system and a dental lesion index of fluorosis (DLI) assigned to each specimen. On the basis of the mean DLI calculated for the roe deer originating from a certain municipal district, the respective deer sample was assigned to one of seven fluorosis categories, and a map showing the distribution of these categories was produced. Highest fluorosis categories were recorded for roe deer samples from the central and eastern parts of the study ar...
Veterinarski Arhiv
Pathological fracture of a red deer antler secondary to purulent infl ammation -a case report. Ve... more Pathological fracture of a red deer antler secondary to purulent infl ammation -a case report. Vet. arhiv 83, 347-356, 2013. ABSTRACT A case of unilateral hard antler fracture in a red deer stag from Croatia is presented. The antler stump that remained, following the loss of the distal fracture fragment, shows evidence of purulent infl ammation. The most likely cause of the infl ammation is an injury to the velvet antler. We conclude that the fracture resulted from the impaired mechanical stability of the antler caused by the infl ammation and its sequelae and thus represents a case of pathological fracture.
Science of The Total Environment, 2006
We assessed the spatial variation of fluoride load on the local ecosystem in the Czech part of th... more We assessed the spatial variation of fluoride load on the local ecosystem in the Czech part of the Ore Mountains region and its southern foothillsa heavily polluted part of Europe's "Black Triangle" region. Dental fluorosis in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) served as a biomarker of fluoride exposure and thus as an indicator of environmental pollution by fluoride. The mean dental lesion index of fluorosis (DLI) calculated from the analyzed mandibles of wild roe deer (≥2 years of age) was assigned to the hunting ground from which the specimens originated and classified into one of the eight fluorosis categories. Environmental factors potentially related to dental fluorosis (atmospheric deposition of sulfur, concentration of fluoride in and pH of surface waters, geomorphologic features, bedrock and soil type, and vegetation cover), which were represented in the study by GIS layers, were examined to explain the distribution pattern and severity of fluorosis in the roe deer. The study revealed that 75.5% of 616 analyzed mandibles showed dental fluorosis to different extent, with individual DLIs ranging from 0 to 21. The spatial pattern of marked fluorosis on the Czech side continues that found in a previous study on the German side of the Ore Mountains. Together they create a landscape island around several thermal power plants in the region. General Linear Model (GLM) analyses revealed significant relationships between degree of forest damage, soil type, and atmospheric sulfur deposition from air pollution and dental fluorosis, expressed as mean DLI in the roe deer.
The Science of the total environment, Jan 15, 2015
Particulate and gaseous fluoride emissions contaminate vegetation near fluoride-emitting industri... more Particulate and gaseous fluoride emissions contaminate vegetation near fluoride-emitting industries, potentially impacting herbivorous wildlife in neighboring areas. Dental fluorosis has been associated with consumption of fluoride-contaminated foliage by juvenile livestock and wildlife in Europe and North America. For the first time, we explored the epidemiology and comparative pathology of dental fluorosis in Australian marsupials residing near an aluminium smelter. Six species (Macropus giganteus, Macropus rufogriseus, Wallabia bicolor, Phascolarctos cinereus, Trichosurus vulpecula, Pseudocheirus peregrinus) demonstrated significantly higher bone fluoride levels in the high (n=161 individuals), compared to the low (n=67 individuals), fluoride areas (p<0.001). Necropsy examinations of all six species from the high-fluoride area near the smelter revealed dental lesions considered characteristic of dental fluorosis in eutherian mammals. Within the high-fluoride area, 67% of indiv...
The selenodont molars of ruminants erupt with an occlusal morphology that is not yet fully functi... more The selenodont molars of ruminants erupt with an occlusal morphology that is not yet fully functional and has to be converted to a functional relief by wear. Key variables in functional tooth geometry are the enamel thickness in different locations and the degree of hypsodonty that have evolved in relation to feeding type and the abrasive properties of the diet. To assess morphogenetic variables related to variation of enamel thickness and the degree of hypsodonty in Soay sheep (Ovis ammon f. aries) 27 mandibular and 3 maxillary molars from 11 individuals of known age at death were investigated macroscopically, and by light and scanning electron microscopy. Vital labeling with fluorochromes given at known dates provided a time frame for reconstruction of tooth crown development. An enamel free area is present in unworn cusps on the buccal side of the infundibulum in mandibular and on the palatal side in maxillary molars. Deeper in the infundibulum, enamel is present but its thicknes...
Environmental Pollution
Mandibular bone fluoride concentrations as well as frequency and intensity of fluoride-induced de... more Mandibular bone fluoride concentrations as well as frequency and intensity of fluoride-induced dental lesions were studied in four red deer populations from Czechia and Germany exposed to different levels of environmental fluoride. The degree of fluorosis in the permanent cheek teeth was recorded by a scoring system and the individual mandibles assigned to one of three categories (unfluorosed, slightly to moderately fluorosed, and markedly to severely fluorosed) on the basis of the tooth scores. An increase in the frequency and severity of dental fluorosis was positively associated with an increase in bone fluoride level, which itself was significantly different between the four samples. In all samples, the rate of bone fluoride accumulation was higher in younger than in older deer. The results of this study show that frequency and intensity of dental fluorosis can be used as valid indicators of increased fluoride exposure of deer populations, and thus as a quick, easy, economic and...
Journal of Anatomy
A macroscopic, microradiographic and scanning electron microscope study was performed on the stru... more A macroscopic, microradiographic and scanning electron microscope study was performed on the structure of fluorosed dental enamel in red deer from a fluoride polluted region (North Bohemia, Czech Republic). As was revealed by analysis of mandibular bone fluoride content, the rate of skeletal fluoride accumulation in the fluorotic deer was about 6 times that in controls taken from a region not exposed to excessive fluoride deposition. In all fluorosed mandibles, the 1st molar was consistently less fluorotic than the other permanent teeth. This was related to the fact that crown formation in the M1 takes place prenatally and during the lactation period. Fluorosed teeth exhibited opaque and posteruptively stained enamel, reduction or loss of enamel ridges, moderately to grossly increased wear and, in more severe cases, also enamel surface lesions of partly posteruptive, partly developmental origin. Microradiographically, fluorosed enamel was characterised by subsurface hypomineralisati...
Vertebrate Zoology
Abstract We studied the teeth of larvae and one juvenile of the axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum, a ur... more Abstract We studied the teeth of larvae and one juvenile of the axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum, a urodele species that undergoes partial metamorphosis, by light microscopy of ground sections, backscattered electron imaging and semi-quantitative microanalysis in the scanning electron microscope. By applying these techniques it was possible to identify enamel, enameloid and dentin in the teeth. Iron was found to be present in enamel and enameloid, the concentrations being highest in the enamel. A staining indicative of the presence of iron was observed in the inner dental epithelium of tooth germs. Dentinal tubules mostly followed a straight course, but some recurved over a short distance distally. In larval teeth and teeth of “larval type” in the juvenile individual the dentinal tubules ended in the basal portion of the enameloid. Our results show that in the axolotl, monocuspid teeth of the “larval type” that developed after partial transformation still possess an enameloid layer benea...
Veterinarski Arhiv
The paper briefly reviews the literature on cranial lesions in Mustela putorius caused by the tre... more The paper briefly reviews the literature on cranial lesions in Mustela putorius caused by the trematode Troglotrema acutum and the nematode Skrjabingylus nasicola. Additional macroscopic, radiographic and scanning electron microscopy findings from the study of dried skulls and formalin-fixed heads of European polecats are presented. Previous observations on the possibility of concurrent infestation of Mustela putorius with both parasite species are confirmed.
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2010
ABSTRACT Bone is a dynamic tissue, responding locally to differential mechanical loading and syst... more ABSTRACT Bone is a dynamic tissue, responding locally to differential mechanical loading and systemically to hormonal stimuli. Although the tendency is to consider compact bone a homogenous tissue, regional variations in microarchitecture are known to have quite different properties relating to processes of growth and mechanical loading. Specifically, we investigated an example of microstructural variation of the human, adult femoral endocortex, referred to here as the endosteal lamellar pocket (ELP). The femoral ELP is characterised as a histomorphological meta-feature, made distinct from general circumferential lamellae by its hemicircumferential lamellar orientation, medial positioning, radially oriented Volkmann's canals and decreased presence of Haversian systems. Our preliminary observations of mid-diaphyseal transverse thin-ground sections demonstrate the ELP as a regular meta-feature of adult human femora unearthed from the Maya archaeological site of Xcambó, Mexico. ELPs were easily identified in 38 of 45 examined individuals. Their size, shape and degree of secondary remodelling were variable. In comparison, ELP lamellae and those originating from the periosteum are divergent, or non-concentric in orientation. This divergence, along with the ELP's medial position, suggest it forms during growth through endosteal modelling drift. Possible considerations for ELP formation and persistence with age are discussed as well as its implications for the study of bone dynamics during growth and activity. Further research is necessary to quantitatively measure the morphology of ELPs and to identify any co-variance between ELP characteristics and age, sex or indicators of mechanical loading. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Anatomical Record, 2002
Cartilage resorption in forming primary fallow deer antlers was studied by histochemistry and ele... more Cartilage resorption in forming primary fallow deer antlers was studied by histochemistry and electron microscopy. A high activity of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), a histochemical marker of skeletal resorbing cells, was first detected in cells located in the mesenchymal tissue separating the columns of hypertrophic cartilage. No cartilage resorption was observed in this region. Intense TRAP staining occurred in large multinucleated cells (identified as inactive osteoclasts) as well as in smaller cells (regarded as mononuclear osteoclast progenitors). On the basis of these findings it was concluded that this was the region where osteoclasts differentiated from progenitor cells. Further proximally, the mineralized cartilage was eroded by active osteoclasts that were located in Howship's lacunae and exhibited an intense TRAP staining. Electron microscopy showed that the cells identified as inactive osteoclasts lacked a polarized organization. In contrast, the active osteoclasts in the zone of cartilage resorption exhibited a typical polarized organization: the nuclei congregated near the basolateral cell surface, and there was a zone of deep membrane infoldings (ruffled border) surrounded by a clear zone at the apical cell pole adjacent to the resorption surface of the mineralized cartilage. The multinucleated cartilage-resorbing cells of the forming antler thus exhibited the typical histochemical and morphological features of active mammalian osteoclasts. Low levels of TRAP activity were also observed in hypertrophic chondrocytes; however, the specificity and potential significance of this staining remain to be elucidated. Anat Rec 268: 66 -72, 2002.
American journal of physical anthropology, Jan 18, 2015
Recently, a lower than expected number of perikymata between repetitive furrow-type hypoplastic d... more Recently, a lower than expected number of perikymata between repetitive furrow-type hypoplastic defects has been reported in chimpanzee canines from the Fongoli site, Senegal (Skinner and Pruetz: Am J Phys Anthropol 149 (2012) 468-482). Based on an observation in a localized enamel fracture surface of a canine of a chimpanzee from the Taï Forest (Ivory Coast), these authors inferred that a nonemergence of striae of Retzius could be the cause for the "missing perikymata" phenomenon in the Fongoli chimpanzees. To check this inference, we analyzed the structure of outer enamel in three chimpanzee canines. The teeth were studied using light-microscopic and scanning-electron microscopic techniques. Our analysis of the specimen upon which Skinner and Pruetz (Am J Phys Anthropol 149 (2012) 468-482) had made their original observation does not support their hypothesis. We demonstrate that the enamel morphology described by them is not caused by a nonemergence of striae of Retzius ...
Biological trace element research, 2014
The present study compared the concentrations of different elements (Ca, P, Mg, Sr, Ba, K, S, Zn,... more The present study compared the concentrations of different elements (Ca, P, Mg, Sr, Ba, K, S, Zn, Mn) as well as Ca/P, Ca/Mg, Sr/Ca, and Ba/Ca ratios in hard antler and pedicle bone of yearling red deer stags (n = 11). Pedicles showed higher concentrations of calcium and phosphorus and a higher Ca/Mg ratio than antlers, while antlers exhibited higher concentrations of potassium, sulfur, and manganese as well as higher Ca/P, Sr/Ca, and Ba/Ca ratios. The findings indicate that antlers are less mineralized and show less maturation of their bone mineral than pedicles. Antlers also showed a higher intrasample variation of mineralization than pedicles, which can be related to the shorter life span of the (deciduous) antlers compared to the (permanent) pedicles. It is suggested that antler bone formation is stopped before the theoretically possible degree of mineralization and mineral maturation is reached, resulting in antler biomechanical properties (high bending strength and work to fra...
Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007), 2014
We studied the structure and periodicity of regular incremental markings in third molar enamel of... more We studied the structure and periodicity of regular incremental markings in third molar enamel of minipigs. Light microscopy of ground sections revealed the presence of incremental markings matching the description of laminations. Their number within the section planes closely paralleled crown formation time (CFT) in days reported for minipig third molars, thereby indicating the daily nature of laminations. Spacing of consecutive laminations increased from lowest values in the inner to highest values in the outer enamel, where mean daily secretion rates of about 20 µm were recorded. Mean enamel extension rates determined for deciles along the enamel-dentin junction varied between highest values (155 µm/day) in the most cuspally located and lowest values (19 µm/day) in cervical enamel. Backscattered electron imaging in the SEM revealed the presence of thin, regularly spaced hypermineralized incremental lines in the outer enamel portion. These lines exhibited the same spacing as the l...
The Science of the total environment, 2012
Wild deer have been recommended as bioindicators of fluoride pollution. We compared bone fluoride... more Wild deer have been recommended as bioindicators of fluoride pollution. We compared bone fluoride concentrations and prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis in free-ranging European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) from five counties in the northwestern part of the Czech Republic that had been collected by hunters and whose mandibles were presented at trophy exhibitions in the years 1996/1997 ("early period") and 2009 ("late period"). Data on atmospheric fluoride deposition suggested that the deer from the early period had been exposed to markedly higher fluoride levels than those from the late period. We therefore predicted a decline in skeletal fluoride levels and prevalence of dental fluorosis for both species from the early to the late period. Fluoride concentrations were determined in the coronoid process of the mandible, and assessment of dental fluorosis was performed on the permanent cheek teeth. A pronounced drop in fluori...
The anatomical record. Part A, Discoveries in molecular, cellular, and evolutionary biology, 2003
The purpose of the present study was to examine the process of bone formation in the regenerating... more The purpose of the present study was to examine the process of bone formation in the regenerating cranial appendages of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) during the early postcasting period. After the antlers are cast, osteoclastic and osteoblastic activities lead to a smoothing of the pedicle's separation surface, a strengthening of the pedicle bone, and a partial restoration of the distal pedicle portion that was lost along with the cast antler. Initially, bone formation occurs by intramembranous ossification, but early during the regeneration process cartilage is formed at the tips of the cranial appendages, and is subsequently replaced by bone in a process of endochodral ossification. Shortly after the antlers are cast, the cambium layer of the periosteum in the distal pedicle is markedly enlarged, which suggests that the periosteum serves as a cell source for the bone-forming tissue covering the exposed pedicle bone. The histological findings of our...
The Anatomical record, 2000
The pathological alterations of enamel structure in the teeth of wild boars from fluoride pollute... more The pathological alterations of enamel structure in the teeth of wild boars from fluoride polluted areas in N-Bohemia (Czech Republic) and S-Saxony (Germany) were studied on a macroscopic and a microscopic level. Mandibular bone fluoride concentration (mg F(-)/kg, dry wt; mean +/-SD, individuals <24 months of age) in the specimens from N-Bohemia (754.3+/-149.6) and S-Saxony (490.8+/-135.1) was significantly higher than that of controls (free of dental fluorosis), originating from the western part of Germany (304.7+/-91.0). Fluoride content in bulk enamel (mg F(-)/kg, ash wt) of fluorotic permanent teeth from N-Bohemia (382.1+/-165.2) and S-Saxony (125.0+/-38.3) was likewise significantly increased over that of non-fluorotic control teeth from W-Germany (33.6+/-26.7). Macroscopically, fluorosed wild boar enamel exhibited opacity and discoloration of varying extent, accentuated perikymata as well as hypoplastic and posteruptive surface defects. Microradiographic and scanning electr...
The Science of the total environment, 1999
The spatial variation of fluoride contamination in the Saxonion part of the Ore mountains (Federa... more The spatial variation of fluoride contamination in the Saxonion part of the Ore mountains (Federal state of Saxony, Germany) was assessed by analysing the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis in wild male roe deer aged 2 years or more (n = 794) from this region. The study area is exposed to increased atmospheric deposition of fluorides, originating from emission sources in the North-Bohemian brown coal belt. The severity of dental fluorosis in the permanent premolars and molars of one hemimandible per animal was assessed based on a scoring system and a dental lesion index of fluorosis (DLI) assigned to each specimen. On the basis of the mean DLI calculated for the roe deer originating from a certain municipal district, the respective deer sample was assigned to one of seven fluorosis categories, and a map showing the distribution of these categories was produced. Highest fluorosis categories were recorded for roe deer samples from the central and eastern parts of the study ar...
Veterinarski Arhiv
Pathological fracture of a red deer antler secondary to purulent infl ammation -a case report. Ve... more Pathological fracture of a red deer antler secondary to purulent infl ammation -a case report. Vet. arhiv 83, 347-356, 2013. ABSTRACT A case of unilateral hard antler fracture in a red deer stag from Croatia is presented. The antler stump that remained, following the loss of the distal fracture fragment, shows evidence of purulent infl ammation. The most likely cause of the infl ammation is an injury to the velvet antler. We conclude that the fracture resulted from the impaired mechanical stability of the antler caused by the infl ammation and its sequelae and thus represents a case of pathological fracture.
Science of The Total Environment, 2006
We assessed the spatial variation of fluoride load on the local ecosystem in the Czech part of th... more We assessed the spatial variation of fluoride load on the local ecosystem in the Czech part of the Ore Mountains region and its southern foothillsa heavily polluted part of Europe's "Black Triangle" region. Dental fluorosis in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) served as a biomarker of fluoride exposure and thus as an indicator of environmental pollution by fluoride. The mean dental lesion index of fluorosis (DLI) calculated from the analyzed mandibles of wild roe deer (≥2 years of age) was assigned to the hunting ground from which the specimens originated and classified into one of the eight fluorosis categories. Environmental factors potentially related to dental fluorosis (atmospheric deposition of sulfur, concentration of fluoride in and pH of surface waters, geomorphologic features, bedrock and soil type, and vegetation cover), which were represented in the study by GIS layers, were examined to explain the distribution pattern and severity of fluorosis in the roe deer. The study revealed that 75.5% of 616 analyzed mandibles showed dental fluorosis to different extent, with individual DLIs ranging from 0 to 21. The spatial pattern of marked fluorosis on the Czech side continues that found in a previous study on the German side of the Ore Mountains. Together they create a landscape island around several thermal power plants in the region. General Linear Model (GLM) analyses revealed significant relationships between degree of forest damage, soil type, and atmospheric sulfur deposition from air pollution and dental fluorosis, expressed as mean DLI in the roe deer.