Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Systematic Assessment of Mammalian Skull Specimens for Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology
Published on: August 22, 2022
Allometry and performance: the evolution of skull form and function in felids
G J Slater1, B VAN Valkenburgh
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095-1606, USA. gslater@ucla.edu
Abstract:
Allometric patterns of skull-shape variation can have significant impacts on cranial mechanics and feeding performance, but have received little attention in previous studies. Here, we examine the impacts of allometric skull-shape variation on feeding capabilities in the cat family (Felidae) with linear morphometrics and finite element analysis. Our results reveal that relative bite force diminishes slightly with increasing skull size, and that the skulls of the smallest species undergo the least strain during biting. However, larger felids are able to produce greater gapes for a given angle of jaw opening, and they have overall stronger skulls. The two large felids in this study achieved increased cranial strength by increasing skull bone volume relative to surface area. Allometry of skull geometry in large felids reflects a trade-off between the need to increase gape to access larger prey while maintaining the ability to resist unpredictable loading when taking large, struggling prey.
Related Concept Videos
Sutures of the Skull
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
Overview of the Skull
The cranial vault surrounds and protects the brain and houses the middle and inner ear structures. This cavity is bounded superiorly by the rounded top of the skull, which...
Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into...
Convergent Evolution
Overview of the Axial Skeleton
The axial skeleton of the adult...
Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...

