Bite forces, canine strength and skull allometry in carnivores (Mammalia, Carnivora)
Per Christiansen,
Jan S. Adolfssen,
Corresponding Author
Per Christiansen
Zoological Museum, Department of Vertebrates, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark
All correspondence to: P. Christiansen. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorJan S. Adolfssen
Zoological Museum, Department of Vertebrates, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark
Search for more papers by this author
Per Christiansen,
Jan S. Adolfssen,
Corresponding Author
Per Christiansen
Zoological Museum, Department of Vertebrates, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark
All correspondence to: P. Christiansen. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorJan S. Adolfssen
Zoological Museum, Department of Vertebrates, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Skull variables were analysed for allometry patterns in 56 species of extant carnivores. As previously reported, many skull variables scale near isometrically with either skull length or lower jaw length. The maximal gape angle scales insignificantly (P<0.05) with skull size, but the clearance between the canines shows a significant relationship with skull size and scales near isometrically. Maximal bite forces were estimated from geometrical cross-sectional areas of dried skulls, and the bending strength of the canines was computed by modelling the canines as a cantilevered beam of solid, homogeneous material with an elliptical cross section. Previous hypotheses of large taxon differences in canine bending strengths, so that felids have stronger canines than canids, are corroborated when actual bite forces at the upper canine are ignored. Incorporation of bite force values, however, nullifies the differences in canine bending strength among felids and canids, and ursids seem to have stronger canines than felids. This is probably because of the significantly longer canines of felids compared to canids and ursids, and the generally high bite forces of felids.
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