New insights on feeding habits of Kolpochoerus van Hoepen & van Hoepen, 1932 from the Shungura Formation (Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia) using dental microwear texture analysis

A new analysis of dental microwear textures (DMT) from the Shungura Formation in Ethiopia reveals that Kolpochoerus, a extinct suid genus, had feeding habits distinct from modern suids but shared similarities with the herbivorous Phacochoerus. The study suggests that Kolpochoerus primarily consumed young, low-abrasive grasses and other herbaceous plants, aligning with its morphological adaptations for graminivory. However, this dietary preference appears to have developed with a temporal offset from the rise of C4 plants like grasses, raising questions about the evolutionary drivers of these changes. Researchers built a modern reference using extant suids with contrasting diets to interpret fossil DMT, providing insights into mechanical diet properties and their impact on dental morphology.

LOUAIL, M., SOURON, A., MERCERON, G., & BOISSERIE, J.-R. (2025). New insights on feeding habits of Kolpochoerus van Hoepen & van Hoepen, 1932 from the Shungura Formation (Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia) using dental microwear texture analysis. Comptes Rendus Palevol, 24(7). https://doi.org/10.5852/cr-palevol2025v24a7