Project description
How can we determine the diets of marine predators that are rarely observed feeding? Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) examines microscopic wear patterns on teeth and has become a powerful tool for reconstructing diet in terrestrial mammals, but its application to marine mammals remains largely unexplored. Toothed whales provide an ideal system to test the limits of this technique, as their teeth are used for prey capture and handling rather than chewing. This Honours project will take moulds of killer whale teeth from groups around the world with known specialised diets (e.g., fish-, shark-, and mammal-eating groups) to investigate whether dental microwear can distinguish between prey types or feeding behaviour. The project will help define the potential and limitations of DMTA in marine systems and contribute to improving how we reconstruct the ecology of marine mammals. Supervisors: Isabella Reeves, Lauren Meyer, Alice Clement, Gavin Prideaux Please download the project flyer for more information: Killer Whale Tooth Microwear
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