10.6084/m9.figshare.4265072.v1 Kirstin S. Brink Kirstin S. Brink Yu-Cheng Chen Yu-Cheng Chen Ya-Na Wu Ya-Na Wu Wei-Min Liu Wei-Min Liu Dar-Bin Shieh Dar-Bin Shieh Timothy D. Huang Timothy D. Huang Chi-Kuang Sun Chi-Kuang Sun Robert R. Reisz Robert R. Reisz Measurements used in morphometric analyses from Dietary adaptions in the ultrastructure of dinosaur dentine The Royal Society 2016 tooth multiple harmonics scanning electron microscopy dentine tubule morphometrics third harmonic generation microscopy 2016-11-29 09:57:39 Dataset https://rs.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Measurements_used_in_morphometric_analyses_from_Dietary_adaptions_in_the_ultrastructure_of_dinosaur_dentine/4265072 Teeth are key to understanding the feeding ecology of both extant and extinct vertebrates. Recent studies have highlighted the previously unrecognized complexity of dinosaur dentitions and how specific tooth tissues and tooth shapes differ between taxa with different diets. However, it is unknown how the ultrastructure of these tooth tissues contributes to the differences in feeding style between taxa. In this study, we use third harmonic generation microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to examine the ultrastructure of the dentine in herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs to understand how the structure of this tissue contributes to the overall utility of the tooth. Morphometric analyses of dentinal tubule diameter, density and branching rates reveal a strong signal for dietary preferences, with herbivorous saurischian and ornithischian dinosaurs consistently having higher dentinal tubule density than their carnivorous relatives. We hypothesize that this relates to the hardness of the dentine, where herbivorous taxa have dentine that is more resistant to breakage and wear at the dentine–enamel junction than carnivorous taxa. This study advocates the detailed study of dentine and the use of advanced microscopy techniques to understand the evolution of dentition and feeding ecology in extinct vertebrates.