Question

If you observe skulls from different mammamls you will notice there is large variation in the morphology of the jaws. For example, the area of the mandible where the muscles involved in the chewing process are attached is very large in some species, while it is reduced in others. What could you infer from the morphology of the mandibles, about the feeding habits of different animals?

Answer 1

the mandibles of mammals are evolved based on their feeding habits i.e if the mammal is a herbivore ( feeding on plants) or a carnivore (meat eater). The jaws of carnivoes and herbivores differ from each other. The carnivores have longer bottom jaw bones which are curved to apply force while chewing meat. Meanwhile, the mandibles of a herbivore are less urved since they utilise their middle and back teeth for chewing on plants rather than their front part of the mandible. Their jaws more in the forwar, backward and sideways directions. Man is an omnivore consuming both plats and animals, thus human mandibles show features prsent in both omnivores and carnivores