Table 2.
Summary of tooth wear levels used, with description and references for wear scoring used for field (as in yellow-necked mice [46]) and house mice [48]. Expected age relates to the information in the references and known information about the life cycle of both species (field mice in [50]; house mice in [51]). The system is most accurate when the third molar is present as it is the last to develop wear. Table from ([37] fig. 3.05).
| wear level | description | …equals to: | expected age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | no visible wear | 1 and 2 in Lidicker [48] | < 1 month (juvenile) |
| none or 1 in Adamczewska-Andrzejewska [46] | |||
| 1 | wear areas on cusp tips, isolated from each other | 3 in Lidicker [48] | 1–2 months (sub-adult) |
| 1 or 2 in Adamczewska-Andrzejewska [46] | |||
| 2 | wear areas on cusp tips, joining in between nearest cusps | 4 in Lidicker [48] | 3–4 months (adult) |
| 2 in Adamczewska-Andrzejewska [46] | |||
| 3 | each row of cusps worn together | 5 in Lidicker [48] | 5–7 months (adult) |
| 3 in Adamczewska-Andrzejewska [46] | |||
| 4 | singular wear surface, cusp morphology still identifiable | 6 in Lidicker [48] | 8–11 months (adult) |
| 4 in Adamczewska-Andrzejewska [46] | |||
| 5 | singular wear surface, cusp morphology lost | 7 and 8 in Lidicker [48] | 12 + months (adult) |
| 5 in Adamczewska-Andrzejewska [46] |