The Mammal Dental Metrics Database: a compilation of fossil and extant mammal tooth measurements

Fossil relative abundance data in combination with specimen-level measurements can reveal community-level changes underpinning long-term ecological and evolutionary dynamics. However relative abundance data is not consistently reported in the paleontological literature, and measurement data is presented in individual studies in varying formats. Here, we compiled dental measurements (tooth crown length, width, and height) from the paleontological literature (or otherwise available sources) in a single database, simultaneously permitting analyses of size and relative abundance for the fossil record. This first version of the database focuses on large mammals and on the African and Arabian Neogene fossil record. Measurements of teeth of extant species were also collected. Each row gives the available measurements for a single tooth. Specimens with multiple teeth reported are divided among several rows. Taxonomic information was entered largely as given in the original source, without stand..., , All spreadsheets are in csv format and can be opened by a wide range of easily available programs such as Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers, and Google Sheets.,