A new study applies dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) to sauropod dinosaurs for the first time.
First study used DMTA to analyse sauropod dinosaur teeth wear
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The first study to utilise microscopic damage on sauropod dinosaur teeth, a method known as Dental Microwear Texture Analysis (DMTA), has shed light on the feeding habits and locomotion of herbivores 150 million years ago, according to new findings reported on September 7, 2025, by Freie Universität Berlin. The study of 322 high-resolution 3D scans of teeth from sites in Portugal, the USA and Tanzania provided information about the migration, dietary specialisation and environmental conditions of Jurassic ecosystems. This represents the first systematic use of DMTA on long-necked dinosaurs, providing novel insights into paleoecology.
According to Science Daily, the international group, which included Dr. Daniela E. Winkler, Dr. Emanuel Tschopp and PhD student André Saleiro, applied DMTA for the first time to dinosaur sauropod bony matter; the technique was first developed for mammals.
They analysed the wear patterns in teeth to determine the diet and behaviour of these colossal creatures, offering new insight into how such dinosaurs lived and interacted with their environment.
Comparison of 322 scans coming from 39 specimens of three emblematic Jurassic formations (the Lourinhã in Portugal, Morrison in the USA and Tendaguru in Tanzania) showed pronounced interspecific and regional variation. In contrast, Camarasaurus specimens were similar between Portugal and the USA, suggesting similar dietary selections, perhaps seasonal migration to feed on favoured plants.
The sandwich of tropical to semi-arid environment led to the fixation of quartz-rich sand in the vegetation, thus promoting heavy tooth wear. This unique pattern reflects the significance of climate in terms of dental wear compared with dietary factors.
The research not only illuminates sauropod ecology, including niche partitioning and climatically driven behaviour, but also lays the groundwork for further studies. They will also investigate dietary differences between ages, dwarf species such as Europasaurus, and add to the dataset for Portuguese fauna.
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