Tooth Development and Wear in Myotis

Abstract

Very little information is available on the development and wear of the teeth in the little brown bat. The following data are based upon the study of 585 skulls of Myotis lucifugus lucifugus. All of the skulls were collected from two colonies on the Huntington Forest of the Adirondacks near Newcomb, New York. The specimens were collected on July 14 and all were treated alike. The skulls are from 239 immature animals and 346 adults. Since the collection was made at the end of the parturition period, it reveals the changes that occur in the deciduous dentition. The immature animals of the collection ranged in age from a few days to approximately 50 days (Stegeman, 1954). The deciduous teeth are shed during this period and the permanent dentition acquired. The number of specimens and the conditions under which they were obtained makes...