P-47 Florida Manatees Have Less Functional Teeth and Higher Levels of Mesowear Than Other Manatee Populations

Manatees possess molars that are replaced in a conveyer-belt-like fashion. This mechanism is thought to be an adaption for their diet. Because manatees of different populations consume foods growing on different substrates, we hypothesize that they will have different levels of mesowear. We hypothesize that Florida manatees will experience higher levels of mesowear than other manatee populations, as Florida contains food growing on abrasive substrates. After analyzing ~194 specimens containing 3,434 teeth, data suggests Florida manatees have significantly less functional teeth per quadrant and experience significantly higher levels of mesowear than other manatee populations (African, Amazonian, and Antillean manatees).