Why all vole molars (Arvicolinae, Rodentia) are informative to be considered as proxy for Quaternary paleoenvironmental reconstructions.
Résumé
Rodents are considered as a good model and as a good proxy to characterise Quaternary environments. Molars and incisors are the best-preserved remains and are found in abundance in the fossil record. Since several decades, the lower molars are mostly used for specific determinations. Instead of using qualitative and descriptive characters, morphometric methods provide now a general quantitative description of shape. Applying these new morphometric methods (outline analysis), we demonstrate that lower as well as upper molars are useful and efficient for palaeontological analyses within voles (Arvicolinae). Herein it is made evident that except the first lower molars, the use of all the other molars allows the improvement of specific determinations. It provides a better representation of abundance and diversity of the fossil record and thus involves more accurate paleoenvironmental reconstructions.