Abstract
ABSTRACT Although the great size and procumbency of the incisor teeth of many saber-toothed carnivorans have long been recognized, the potential functional significance of carnivoran incisor size and shape remains largely unexplored. Here, we explore upper incisor design and incisor arcade shape in living felids, canids, and hyaenids. In addition, we compare upper incisors of saber-toothed carnivorans with those of modern carnivorans and use these data to infer aspects of saber-tooth killing and feeding behaviors. Results demonstrate that the shape of individual upper incisors of extant carnivorans is intricately related to the dental arcade in which the teeth are rooted. Canids and hyaenids have robust incisors in parabolic arcades, whereas felid incisors are weaker, particularly in mediolateral bending, and are located in transversely linear arcades. It is proposed that the strength of the medial incisors is in part a consequence of arcade shape. Incisors in linear arcades can be weaker because they are...
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