Observations on skull growth and eruption of teeth in the marsupial bandicoot Perameles nasuta (Marsupialia: Peramelidae).

Abstract

A series of 241 skulls of Perameles nasuta from New South Wales, collected in the course of other studies, has been examined. Particular attention has been given to 69 skulls of animals bred in captivity and of known (or estimated) age, ranging from 42 to 1200 days. All skulls were assigned to dental age classes based on tooth eruption, replacement and wear. Anatomical features as well as measurements have been used to compare the skulls of animals of different ages. The loss of teeth in some animals caged indoors for more than about two years appeared to be related to the laboratory diet.