Dental pathology of the wild Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus): The study of a 20th century Portuguese museum collection

Highlights • Dental pathology of wild Iberian wolf was studied in 61 complete skulls and 4 mandibles from a museum collection. • Museum collections can provide crucial information about wild elusive species. • The most frequent observed abnormalities were tooth wear, periodontitis and tooth fractures. • Dental radiography is of a great importance for the diagnose and classification of the dental and periodontal conditions. • Dental radiography can be useful for the age estimation of archaeological Canis.
For some wild canids, such as the Iberian wolf, there is a lack of in-depth knowledge about dental pathology. We aimed to evaluate it, in a standardized manner, in specimens from a Portuguese museum collection. Sixty-five deceased specimens of wild Iberian wolves, 61 complete skulls and 4 mandibles, collected in Portugal between 1977 and 1995, were analyzed. Sample comprised 18 females, 24 males and 23 individuals of undetermined sex. Teeth were evaluated by visual observation and dental radiography for tooth wear, periodontitis, fractures and other dental lesions. We have found several causes for teeth absence: artefactual, secondary to periodontitis and agenesia. About 30% of the teeth showed signs of wear. Only a small (