We studied enamel defects in mandibular cheek teeth of fallow deer from an enclosed population th... more We studied enamel defects in mandibular cheek teeth of fallow deer from an enclosed population that had grown far beyond the carrying capacity of its habitat. Macroscopic inspection revealed a high frequency of pathological enamel alterations in the permanent premolars and the third molar, which form late during dental development, while earlier forming teeth (deciduous premolars and first molar) were generally not affected. Macroscopic enamel alterations comprised opacity and posteruptive discoloration, loss of occlusal enamel ridges, and presence of enamel surface lesions. Backscattered electron imaging in the SEM revealed a marked hypomineralization and related increased porosity of the outer compared to the central and inner enamel portions in the affected teeth. In contrast, the enamel of the unaffected first molars showed a homogeneous high degree of mineralization. Microindentation hardness testing demonstrated a significantly reduced and highly variable hardness of the outer...
We analyzed pedicle bone from roe bucks that had died around antler casting or shortly before or ... more We analyzed pedicle bone from roe bucks that had died around antler casting or shortly before or during the rutting period. Pedicles obtained around antler casting were highly porous and showed signs of intense osteoclastic activity that had caused the formation of an abscission line. Following the detachment of the antler plus a portion of pedicle bone, osteoclastic activity in the pedicles continued for some time, and new bone was deposited onto the separation plane of the pedicle stump, leading to partial pedicle restoration. Pedicles obtained around the rutting period were compact structures. The newly formed, often very large secondary osteons, which had filled the resorption cavities, exhibited a lower mineral density than the persisting older bone. The middle zones of the lamellar infilling frequently showed hypomineralized lamellae and enlarged osteocyte lacunae. This indicates a deficiency in mineral elements during the formation of these zones that occurred along with peak antler mineralization. We suggest that growing antlers and compacting pedicles compete for mineral elements, with the rapidly growing antlers being the more effective sinks. The competition between the two simultaneously mineralizing structures is probably more severe in Capreolus capreolus than in other cervids. This is because roe bucks regrow their antlers during late autumn and winter, a period of limited food and associated mineral supply. The pedicle is a heavily remodeled bone structure with distinct seasonal variation in porosity. Pedicle remodeling differs in several aspects from the normal bone remodeling process in the mammalian skeleton.
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021
We studied heavy metal levels in floodplain soils of the Innerste River in northern Germany and i... more We studied heavy metal levels in floodplain soils of the Innerste River in northern Germany and in the leaves of wild blackberries (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) growing within and in adjacent areas outside the river floodplain. Heavy metal contamination of the Innerste floodplain is a legacy of historical metal ore mining, processing, and smelting in the Harz Mountains. The heavy metal (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr) contents of previously studied soil samples from eleven floodplain sites along the Innerste River were re-analyzed statistically, and the levels of these metals in blackberry leaves were determined at five sites. Mean concentrations in the floodplain soils were elevated by factors of 4.59 to 28.5 for Cd, 13.03 to 158.21 for Pb, 5.66 to 45.83 for Zn, and 1.1–14.81 for Cu relative to the precautionary limits for soils stipulated by the German Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance. Cadmium, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ni levels in floodplain soils decreased markedly downs...
The developmental conditions for the growth of primary cranial appendages and secondary or subseq... more The developmental conditions for the growth of primary cranial appendages and secondary or subsequent antlers are discussed with special regard to ortho- and heterotopic double-head formation. We hypothesize that the cells of the pedicle periosteum, being derivatives of the initial or antlerogenic periosteum which is determined for the formation of primary cranial appendages, are equally endowed with special antlerogenic tendencies. The hormonally controlled activation of these tendencies is possible even if previous casting of the old antlers has not taken place, and no casting wound arises at the top of the pedicle. The fact that antler regeneration occurs regardless of previous detachment of the old antlers indicates that the stimulus for regeneration is not antler casting but the death of the velvet antler. Antler regeneration, like sequestration of the old antler, is thus hormonally suppressed for some months after velvet shedding.
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 ...
ENCARNAÇÃO, J. A., U. KIERDORF, V. WOLTERS: Effects of age and season on body mass and reproducti... more ENCARNAÇÃO, J. A., U. KIERDORF, V. WOLTERS: Effects of age and season on body mass and reproductive condition in male Daubenton's bats (Myotis daubentonii). Vet. arhiv 76, S239-S249, 2006. ABSTRACT We analyzed the effects of age and season on body mass and reproductive condition in male Daubenton's bats (Myotis daubentonii) from a study area in central Germany, which were captured during April to October of the years 1998-2003. On first capture, animals (n=336) were banded and classified as either young of the year or adults (i.e. males ≥ 1 year of age). On recapture, animals first caught as young of the year could be assigned an exact age in years. Epididymal distension in young of the year indicated that some males had reached sexual maturity (defined as onset of spermatogenesis) already in their year of birth, while others did so in their second summer. Body mass and epididymal distension showed pronounced variation related to age and season, with highest values reached...
The study investigated developmental defects of the dental hard tissues and postmortem changes in... more The study investigated developmental defects of the dental hard tissues and postmortem changes in archaeological pig molars from Fais Island, Micronesia. The developmental defects of enamel were indicative of a disturbance of the secretory stage (accentuation of the incremental pattern, occurrence of Wilson bands and of hypoplastic defects) and the maturation stage of amelogenesis (hypomineralisation). Presence of coronal cementum in
Prevalence and intensity of enamel hypoplasia have been used as markers of generalized physiologi... more Prevalence and intensity of enamel hypoplasia have been used as markers of generalized physiological stress during dental development in a wide range of mammalian taxa. We studied cattle (Bos taurus) cheek teeth exhibiting morphological characteristics that are of relevance to the diagnosis of enamel hypoplasia in this and other bovid species. These characteristics were multiple, more or less horizontally arranged
We studied enamel defects in mandibular cheek teeth of fallow deer from an enclosed population th... more We studied enamel defects in mandibular cheek teeth of fallow deer from an enclosed population that had grown far beyond the carrying capacity of its habitat. Macroscopic inspection revealed a high frequency of pathological enamel alterations in the permanent premolars and the third molar, which form late during dental development, while earlier forming teeth (deciduous premolars and first molar) were generally not affected. Macroscopic enamel alterations comprised opacity and posteruptive discoloration, loss of occlusal enamel ridges, and presence of enamel surface lesions. Backscattered electron imaging in the SEM revealed a marked hypomineralization and related increased porosity of the outer compared to the central and inner enamel portions in the affected teeth. In contrast, the enamel of the unaffected first molars showed a homogeneous high degree of mineralization. Microindentation hardness testing demonstrated a significantly reduced and highly variable hardness of the outer...
We analyzed pedicle bone from roe bucks that had died around antler casting or shortly before or ... more We analyzed pedicle bone from roe bucks that had died around antler casting or shortly before or during the rutting period. Pedicles obtained around antler casting were highly porous and showed signs of intense osteoclastic activity that had caused the formation of an abscission line. Following the detachment of the antler plus a portion of pedicle bone, osteoclastic activity in the pedicles continued for some time, and new bone was deposited onto the separation plane of the pedicle stump, leading to partial pedicle restoration. Pedicles obtained around the rutting period were compact structures. The newly formed, often very large secondary osteons, which had filled the resorption cavities, exhibited a lower mineral density than the persisting older bone. The middle zones of the lamellar infilling frequently showed hypomineralized lamellae and enlarged osteocyte lacunae. This indicates a deficiency in mineral elements during the formation of these zones that occurred along with peak antler mineralization. We suggest that growing antlers and compacting pedicles compete for mineral elements, with the rapidly growing antlers being the more effective sinks. The competition between the two simultaneously mineralizing structures is probably more severe in Capreolus capreolus than in other cervids. This is because roe bucks regrow their antlers during late autumn and winter, a period of limited food and associated mineral supply. The pedicle is a heavily remodeled bone structure with distinct seasonal variation in porosity. Pedicle remodeling differs in several aspects from the normal bone remodeling process in the mammalian skeleton.
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021
We studied heavy metal levels in floodplain soils of the Innerste River in northern Germany and i... more We studied heavy metal levels in floodplain soils of the Innerste River in northern Germany and in the leaves of wild blackberries (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) growing within and in adjacent areas outside the river floodplain. Heavy metal contamination of the Innerste floodplain is a legacy of historical metal ore mining, processing, and smelting in the Harz Mountains. The heavy metal (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr) contents of previously studied soil samples from eleven floodplain sites along the Innerste River were re-analyzed statistically, and the levels of these metals in blackberry leaves were determined at five sites. Mean concentrations in the floodplain soils were elevated by factors of 4.59 to 28.5 for Cd, 13.03 to 158.21 for Pb, 5.66 to 45.83 for Zn, and 1.1–14.81 for Cu relative to the precautionary limits for soils stipulated by the German Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance. Cadmium, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ni levels in floodplain soils decreased markedly downs...
The developmental conditions for the growth of primary cranial appendages and secondary or subseq... more The developmental conditions for the growth of primary cranial appendages and secondary or subsequent antlers are discussed with special regard to ortho- and heterotopic double-head formation. We hypothesize that the cells of the pedicle periosteum, being derivatives of the initial or antlerogenic periosteum which is determined for the formation of primary cranial appendages, are equally endowed with special antlerogenic tendencies. The hormonally controlled activation of these tendencies is possible even if previous casting of the old antlers has not taken place, and no casting wound arises at the top of the pedicle. The fact that antler regeneration occurs regardless of previous detachment of the old antlers indicates that the stimulus for regeneration is not antler casting but the death of the velvet antler. Antler regeneration, like sequestration of the old antler, is thus hormonally suppressed for some months after velvet shedding.
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 ...
ENCARNAÇÃO, J. A., U. KIERDORF, V. WOLTERS: Effects of age and season on body mass and reproducti... more ENCARNAÇÃO, J. A., U. KIERDORF, V. WOLTERS: Effects of age and season on body mass and reproductive condition in male Daubenton's bats (Myotis daubentonii). Vet. arhiv 76, S239-S249, 2006. ABSTRACT We analyzed the effects of age and season on body mass and reproductive condition in male Daubenton's bats (Myotis daubentonii) from a study area in central Germany, which were captured during April to October of the years 1998-2003. On first capture, animals (n=336) were banded and classified as either young of the year or adults (i.e. males ≥ 1 year of age). On recapture, animals first caught as young of the year could be assigned an exact age in years. Epididymal distension in young of the year indicated that some males had reached sexual maturity (defined as onset of spermatogenesis) already in their year of birth, while others did so in their second summer. Body mass and epididymal distension showed pronounced variation related to age and season, with highest values reached...
The study investigated developmental defects of the dental hard tissues and postmortem changes in... more The study investigated developmental defects of the dental hard tissues and postmortem changes in archaeological pig molars from Fais Island, Micronesia. The developmental defects of enamel were indicative of a disturbance of the secretory stage (accentuation of the incremental pattern, occurrence of Wilson bands and of hypoplastic defects) and the maturation stage of amelogenesis (hypomineralisation). Presence of coronal cementum in
Prevalence and intensity of enamel hypoplasia have been used as markers of generalized physiologi... more Prevalence and intensity of enamel hypoplasia have been used as markers of generalized physiological stress during dental development in a wide range of mammalian taxa. We studied cattle (Bos taurus) cheek teeth exhibiting morphological characteristics that are of relevance to the diagnosis of enamel hypoplasia in this and other bovid species. These characteristics were multiple, more or less horizontally arranged
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Papers by Uwe Kierdorf