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BIG TEEF in mammals can have a number of functions!
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦌" title="Deer" aria-label="Emoji: Deer"> "Sabre-toothed" deer: males fight for territory
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦛" title="Hippopotamus" aria-label="Emoji: Hippopotamus"> Dinoceratans (e.g. Uintatherium): maybe defence, maybe fighting for mates, maybe digging for tasty tubers (or all!?)
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐆" title="Leopard" aria-label="Emoji: Leopard"> True sabre-tooths: MURDER
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐆" title="Leopard" aria-label="Emoji: Leopard">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔪" title="Hocho" aria-label="Emoji: Hocho">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧵" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread"> https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Down pointing backhand index" aria-label="Emoji: Down pointing backhand index"> https://twitter.com/Yara_Haridy/status/1245743447404957703">https://twitter.com/Yara_Hari...
Those gigantic canines in true sabretooths are flattened and serrated, just like a steak knife https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😱" title="Face screaming in fear" aria-label="Emoji: Face screaming in fear">
We use steak knives because they& #39;re effective at cutting flesh, and so are the canines of a sabre-toothed mammal, like Smilodon here.
Photo is from Brink et al. 2015, SciRep
We use steak knives because they& #39;re effective at cutting flesh, and so are the canines of a sabre-toothed mammal, like Smilodon here.
Photo is from Brink et al. 2015, SciRep
We use steak knives because they& #39;re effective at cutting flesh, and so are the canines of a sabre-toothed mammal, like Smilodon here.Photo is from Brink et al. 2015, SciRep" title="Those gigantic canines in true sabretooths are flattened and serrated, just like a steak knife https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😱" title="Face screaming in fear" aria-label="Emoji: Face screaming in fear">We use steak knives because they& #39;re effective at cutting flesh, and so are the canines of a sabre-toothed mammal, like Smilodon here.Photo is from Brink et al. 2015, SciRep" class="img-responsive" style="max-width:100%;"/>
Those flat, scary teeth are excellent at tearing flesh, but also fragile.
So how does a sabre-toothed mammal kill its prey without breaking them? Very carefully.
You see, struggling prey is *exactly* the type of thing that could break those teeth.
So how does a sabre-toothed mammal kill its prey without breaking them? Very carefully.
You see, struggling prey is *exactly* the type of thing that could break those teeth.
So step 1 of using those big teeth: immobilize your prey.
Luckily, sabre-toothed mammals generally had THICC forelimbs, suggesting they were very strong and could pin down their prey.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💪" title="Flexed biceps" aria-label="Emoji: Flexed biceps">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦴" title="Bone" aria-label="Emoji: Bone">
Figure from Meachen & Van Valkenburgh 2010, PLOS ONE
Luckily, sabre-toothed mammals generally had THICC forelimbs, suggesting they were very strong and could pin down their prey.
Figure from Meachen & Van Valkenburgh 2010, PLOS ONE
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦴" title="Bone" aria-label="Emoji: Bone">Figure from Meachen & Van Valkenburgh 2010, PLOS ONE" title="So step 1 of using those big teeth: immobilize your prey.Luckily, sabre-toothed mammals generally had THICC forelimbs, suggesting they were very strong and could pin down their prey. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💪" title="Flexed biceps" aria-label="Emoji: Flexed biceps">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦴" title="Bone" aria-label="Emoji: Bone">Figure from Meachen & Van Valkenburgh 2010, PLOS ONE" class="img-responsive" style="max-width:100%;"/>
THEN, once the prey is pinned down, the canines can do their job! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔪" title="Hocho" aria-label="Emoji: Hocho">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔪" title="Hocho" aria-label="Emoji: Hocho">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔪" title="Hocho" aria-label="Emoji: Hocho">
The widely accepted use for the canines is called the canine-shear bite. If applied to the neck of a horse, this would sever the windpipe and many major blood vessels.
Fig. from Turner et al. 2011
The widely accepted use for the canines is called the canine-shear bite. If applied to the neck of a horse, this would sever the windpipe and many major blood vessels.
Fig. from Turner et al. 2011
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔪" title="Hocho" aria-label="Emoji: Hocho">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔪" title="Hocho" aria-label="Emoji: Hocho">The widely accepted use for the canines is called the canine-shear bite. If applied to the neck of a horse, this would sever the windpipe and many major blood vessels.Fig. from Turner et al. 2011" title="THEN, once the prey is pinned down, the canines can do their job! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔪" title="Hocho" aria-label="Emoji: Hocho">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔪" title="Hocho" aria-label="Emoji: Hocho">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔪" title="Hocho" aria-label="Emoji: Hocho">The widely accepted use for the canines is called the canine-shear bite. If applied to the neck of a horse, this would sever the windpipe and many major blood vessels.Fig. from Turner et al. 2011" class="img-responsive" style="max-width:100%;"/>
