Page 190 - The Dinosaur Book and Other Wonders of the Prehistoric World (DK-Smithsonian)

Mammal teeth

The rise of mammals Like a modern wolf or Smilodon

dog, this animal had long
canine teeth for catching
prey and tearing them apart.

Smilodon’s teeth
Canis dirus
had sharp tips and
bladelike edges for
biting deep into prey.

Gomphotherium

The lower tusks were flattened like
spades and may have been used
for stripping bark from trees.

The canine teeth
had deep roots to
anchor them in
the cat’s skull.

The
enormous
saber teeth
of Smilodon were
up to 11 in

(28 cm) long.
The front teeth of this
plant-eating giant wombat
Diprotodon
nipped together to bite
through plant and leaf stems.
One distinctive feature of a mammal is that what humans have. But the teeth of most
it has several types of tooth in its mouth. mammals are modified to suit their diet. The
The basic arrangement is several nipping dire wolf, Canis dirus, had longer canines for
incisor teeth at the front, four pointed canine seizing prey, and some of its cheek teeth were
teeth adapted for gripping and tearing, and shearing blades for slicing meat. Saber-toothed
flattened cheek teeth for chewing. This is cats like Smilodon had huge canine teeth,

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