The saber tooth, particularly in the saber-tooth cat Smilodon, exemplifies a fascinating evolutionary tradeoff. While these long canines are extremely efficient at killing prey, they also exhibit fragility. Paleontologists led by Emily Rayfield from the University of Bristol researched nearly 100 canine teeth, discovering that saber teeth prioritized sharpness over strength. This tradeoff reveals how these adaptations may have threatened the survival of the saber-toothed predators. Using advanced computer modeling and experimental methods, the team assessed the durability and puncture performance of various teeth, illustrating the complex relationship between these two critical functions.
In some animals these extremely elongate canines were really sharp, but they're probably also quite prone to breakage.
Saber teeth took this tradeoff to the extreme, becoming about as good as they could be at puncturing prey, ultimately sacrificing durability.
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