ON THE CUTTING EDGE - TOOTH BLADE SHARPNESS IN HERBIVOROUS AND FAUNIVOROUS MAMMALS

Sharp blade tips are advantageous to herbivorous and faunivorous mamma ls because bite forces are concentrated on the sharp blade tip and pro duce an initial tear in the tough foodstuff. We examine whether blade sharpness scales with body size and how tooth design and diet are rela ted to the sharpness of the blade tip. Blade sharpness scales isometri cally and the physical properties of food form a secondary influence. A high attrition/abrasion ratio is associated with sharp blades regard less of total wear rate, while high relative abrasion blunts the blade s. The height of occlusal features is the main aspect of tooth design associated with sharpness.