The inhibitory cascade (IC) represents a developmental model that explains the evolution of
molar relative sizes, originally described in rodents but later validated in several mammalian …

Understanding the paleoecology of extinct xenarthrans, such as ground sloths, is
complicated because they lack living analogues. Previous studies have applied functional …

Hypsodonty, the occurrence of high-crowned teeth, is widespread among mammals with
diets rich in abrasive material, such as plants or soil, because it increases the durability of …

Recently, dental microwear analysis has been successfully employed to xenarthran teeth.
Here, we present new data on use wear features on 16 molariforms of Orophodon …

Xenarthrans are unique among mammals in retaining simplified teeth that are rootless and
homodont, which makes it difficult to determine dental homologies. We apply computerized …

The reversibility of phenotypic evolution is likely to be strongly influenced by the ability of
underlying developmental systems to generate ancestral traits. However, few studies have …

Understanding the paleoecology of extinct xenarthrans, such as ground sloths, is
complicated because they lack modern ecological analogues. Previous studies have …

Background Understanding mechanisms responsible for changes in tooth morphology in the
course of evolution is an area of investigation common to both paleontology and …

A combination of historical, functional, and biomechanical constraints has shaped the
masticatory apparatus of fossil and extant xenarthrans. Among the more notable features are …

The Xenarthra represents an enigmatic clade of placental mammals that includes living tree
sloths, armadillos, and their extinct relatives, yet certain aspects of the biology of this group …