Practical 1 Mammalian dentition and gastrointestinal tract anatomy

What is the Dental formula for a cat

I 3/3; C 1/1; PM 3/2; M 1/1

note: I → Incisor, C → Canine, PM → Premolar, M → Molar

Temporalis

Moves the jaw up and down and is important in biting

Masseter and Pterygoideus muscle

Moves the jaw side to side and are important in mastication (e.g. chewing).

Carnivore dentition

• Carnivore teeth need to be able to bite hard in order to rip meat

• They require a large temporalis muscle to achieve this

• Meat requires less chewing than vegetation, which means less lateral movements. Hence why their masseter muscle is small

Herbivore dentition

• Vegetation requires large masseter muscle to enable continuous sideways movements of the jaw. Herbivores therefore have deep have to house these enlarge masseter.

• They have high crowned (e.g. hypsodont) teeth is covered in ridges.

• Diastema houses grass stems or leaves after they are bitten off and before passing them back to the cheek teeth for chewing.