The killer’s toolkit: remarkable adaptations in the canine teeth of mammalian carnivores
The killer’s toolkit: remarkable adaptations in the canine teeth of mammalian carnivores
Abstract Often the first point of contact between predator and prey, mammalian canine teeth are essential for killing, dismembering and consuming prey. Yet despite their importance, few associations among shape, function and phylogeny are established. We undertook the first comprehensive analysis of canine tooth shape across predatory mammals (Carnivora, Didelphimorphia …