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The Trade-Off Between Tooth Strength And Tooth Penetration: Predicting Optimal Shape Of Canine Teeth, Patricia W. Freeman, Cliff A. Lemen

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

We investigate the shape of canine teeth under the assumption that the tooth’s morphology is optimized by the evolutionary trade-off to minimize breakage and maximize ease of the penetration of prey. A series of experiments using artificial teeth to puncture the hides of a deer Odocoileus virginianus and pig Sus scrofa domesticus were conducted to establish the relationships between the tooth shape and the force needed to puncture the hide. The shapes of these teeth were also used in a beam theory analysis to calculate the strength of the teeth. Because the relative costs of puncturing and breakage were not …