Dental anomalies in Vietnamese moles (Mammalia, Talpidae): patterns and developmental implications
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https://doi.org/10.15625/2615-9023/23491Keywords:
Developmental instability, absent tooth, connate tooth, abnormal shaped tooth, Euroscaptor, MogeraAbstract
Dental anomalies were examined in 148 specimens representing seven mole species of the genera Euroscaptor and Mogera, collected across Vietnam, a region corresponding to the southern range margin for many mole species. Dental anomalies were identified in 15 individuals (10.14%), including cases of oligodonty (n = 11), abnormally shaped teeth (n = 3), and a connate tooth (n = 1). Premolar oligodonty, particularly the absence of P2 and P3, was the most frequently observed anomaly, occurring in 7.43% of all specimens. The incidence of dental anomalies in Euroscaptor ngoclinhensis (16.67%) was notably higher than rates reported for some central populations of other talpid species. To investigate the potential underlying causes of this elevated anomaly rate, we tested the hypothesis that it reflects increased developmental instability, an established consequence of genetic drift and reduced gene flow in peripheral populations. No significant association was found between the presence of dental anomalies and overall craniodental size. However, quantitative analysis of bilateral skull traits revealed that individuals exhibiting dental anomalies also showed significantly elevated levels of fluctuating asymmetry, a widely recognized marker of developmental instability. These findings are discussed in the broader context of population genetics and developmental biology. We propose that the high prevalence of premolar oligodonty may be driven by an increased frequency of deleterious variants affecting conserved odontogenetic pathways, potentially involving key regulatory genes such as MSX1 and PAX9. The Vietnamese mole populations provide a valuable model for exploring the relationship between developmental instability and morphological evolution at species range margins.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Giang Trong Toan, Nguyen Truong Son, Shinya Okabe, Masaharu Motokawa, Bui Tuan Hai
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