Microwear Scratch-Pit Density Ratio Classifier

Measure surface-standardized scratch/pit densities and caller ratio band, requiring positive pit denominators; proxy class does not identify foods, habitual diet or ancestry.

Description

Microwear scratch and pit counts depend on examined surface area.

Microwear scratch and pit counts depend on examined surface area. Their ratio provides a morphology proxy with a separate density normalization.

Measure surface-standardized scratch/pit densities and caller ratio band, requiring positive pit denominators; proxy class does not identify foods, habitual diet or ancestry.

When to use Microwear Scratch-Pit Density Ratio Classifier

Use this tool to measure surface-standardized scratch/pit densities and caller ratio band, requiring positive pit denominators; proxy class does not identify foods, habitual diet or ancestry.

Prepare the fossil measurements or occurrence records and the chosen calibration parameters. Retain the stated coordinate, age and measurement conventions.

How to use Microwear Scratch-Pit Density Ratio Classifier and understand its results

Prepare the fossil measurements or occurrence records and the chosen calibration parameters. Retain the stated coordinate, age and measurement conventions.
Enter scratchCounts, pitCounts, examinedAreasMm2, callerScratchPitRatioBounds using the field table and calculation rules, then run the tool.
Read scratchDensitiesPerMm2, pitDensitiesPerMm2, scratchPitRatios, withinCallerMicrowearRatioBandFlags. The explanation below defines the units, signs, ordering and any flags or placeholder values.
If the tool reports an input issue, correct the values and run it again. Apply the stated assumptions when interpreting a successfully returned result.

Input field	Meaning	Value type; see rules below	Requirement
scratchCounts	Scratch counts	list of number	Required
pitCounts	Pit counts	list of number	Required
examinedAreasMm2	Examined areas mm2	list of number	Required
callerScratchPitRatioBounds	Caller scratch pit ratio bounds	list of number	Required

Align nonnegative integer scratches, positive integer pits and positive areas. Use two ordered nonnegative ratio bounds; return densities, ratios and flags inside the inclusive band.^[1]

Paired lists must be nonempty and have equal lengths.

scratch/pit ratio = scratches/pits; density = count/examined mm²

Units, indexing, boundary conditions and exceptional cases are defined in the calculation rules above.

Output field	Meaning	Value type
scratchDensitiesPerMm2	Scratch densities per mm2	list of number
pitDensitiesPerMm2	Pit densities per mm2	list of number
scratchPitRatios	Scratch pit ratios	list of number
withinCallerMicrowearRatioBandFlags	Within caller microwear ratio band flags	list of number

json

{
  "input": {
    "scratchCounts": [
      10,
      20
    ],
    "pitCounts": [
      5,
      5
    ],
    "examinedAreasMm2": [
      1,
      2
    ],
    "callerScratchPitRatioBounds": [
      1,
      3
    ]
  },
  "output": {
    "scratchDensitiesPerMm2": [
      10,
      10
    ],
    "pitDensitiesPerMm2": [
      5,
      2.5
    ],
    "scratchPitRatios": [
      2,
      4
    ],
    "withinCallerMicrowearRatioBandFlags": [
      1,
      0
    ]
  }
}

Limitations and assumptions

The proxy does not identify particular foods, habitual diet or ancestry.

Numbers and computed results must be finite; overflow produces an error. Numeric lists are limited to 100,000 entries; the rules above may require smaller limits. Missing required fields, extra fields, wrong value types and violations of the calculation rules are input errors.

Alternative or Complementary methods

Use Mesowear Angle Diet Classifier: Compare caller mesowear relief/angle morphology criteria, preserving discordance rather than labeling actual diet; calibration, wear stage and taxonomic applicability remain external. For a complementary task, use Hypsodonty Index: Compute caller convention unworn crown height/buccolingual width hypsodonty and screen a comparison band; observed worn height is a different tool, and neither index establishes diet.

References

Microwear Scratch-Pit Density Ratio Classifier — tool.io

Similar or alternative tools

Mesowear Angle Diet Classifier
Compare caller mesowear relief/angle morphology criteria, preserving discordance rather than labeling actual diet; calibration, wear stage and taxonomic applicability remain external.
Hypsodonty Index
Compute caller convention unworn crown height/buccolingual width hypsodonty and screen a comparison band; observed worn height is a different tool, and neither index establishes diet.