Teeth: Lions and tigers and bears . . . and humans and horses

Compare the teeth of wolves, tigers, bears, horses, bison, and humans, in top view and from the front as well as the side.  The images on the main article page (of the side view of horse teeth and a front view of its incisors, and of the front views of tiger and bear teeth) are reproduced here, too, so you have all the images in one place for comparison.

Human skull, showing incisors (blue), canine teeth (red) and premolar and molar cheek teeth (green). Skull drawing by Alison Schroeer from Science-Art.com. Used with permission. Tooth color key added by the authors.

Human skull, showing incisors (blue), canine teeth (red) and premolar and molar cheek teeth (green). Skull drawing by Alison Schroeer from Science-Art.com. Used with permission. Tooth color key added by the authors.

Left: Horse skull, showing incisors (blue), canine teeth (red) and premolar and molar cheek teeth (green). Image is from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by photographer Dr. Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.Tooth color key added by the authors. Right: The incisor teeth in the front of a horse's mouth. These teeth are shaped like the incisors of humans, and neither is shaped like the incisors of carnivorous predatory mammals. (See Figures 3 and 4 for images of the relatively smaller and pointed incisor teeth in tigers and bears.) Image from Encarta media share.

Left: Horse skull, showing incisors (blue), canine teeth (red) and premolar and molar cheek teeth (green). Image is from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by photographer Dr. Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.Tooth color key added by the authors. Right: The incisor teeth in the front of a horse's mouth. These teeth are shaped like the incisors of humans, and neither is shaped like the incisors of carnivorous predatory mammals. (See Figures 3 and 4 for images of the relatively smaller and pointed incisor teeth in tigers and bears.) Image from Encarta media share.

Top: Tiger skull, showing incisors (blue) and canine teeth "fangs" (red). Image is from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by photographer Dr. Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.Tooth color key added by the authors. Bottom: Bear skull, showing incisors (blue) and canine teeth (red). Image from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by Mammal Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission. Tooth color key added by the authors.

Top: Tiger skull, showing incisors (blue) and canine teeth "fangs" (red). Image is from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by photographer Dr. Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.Tooth color key added by the authors. Bottom: Bear skull, showing incisors (blue) and canine teeth (red). Image from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by Mammal Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission. Tooth color key added by the authors.

Wolf skull, showing incisor teeth (blue), right canine (red), and premolars and molars (green). Image is from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by photographer Dr. Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.

Wolf skull, showing incisor teeth (blue), right canine (red), and premolars and molars (green). Image is from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by photographer Dr. Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.

Bobcat teeth in the lower jaw, seen from above. The teeth toward the back of the jaw (upper left region in the picture) are premolars and molars. They are shaped like blades. A close-up view of one of these blade-like cheek teeth can be seen in the image below. Image from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by Mammal Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.

Bobcat teeth in the lower jaw, seen from above. The teeth toward the back of the jaw (upper left region in the picture) are premolars and molars. They are shaped like blades. A close-up view of one of these blade-like cheek teeth can be seen in the image below. Image from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by Mammal Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.

Close-up of the blade-like cheek tooth of a bobcat. This tooth is adapted to slicing meat that the predatory cat eats. Image from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by Mammal Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.

Close-up of the blade-like cheek tooth of a bobcat. This tooth is adapted to slicing meat that the predatory cat eats. Image from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by Mammal Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.

Human lower jaw, showing incisors (blue), canine teeth (red) and premolar and molar cheek teeth (green). Image from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by Mammal Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission. Tooth color key added to the left lower jaw by the authors; photograph has been reoriented so anterior (front) is towards top of page. Notice the cheek teeth do not have slicing blades such as those of wolves or bobcats.

Human lower jaw, showing incisors (blue), canine teeth (red) and premolar and molar cheek teeth (green). Image from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by Mammal Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission. Tooth color key added to the left lower jaw by the authors; photograph has been reoriented so anterior (front) is towards top of page. Notice the cheek teeth do not have slicing blades such as those of wolves or bobcats.

Cheek teeth of a pig, showing the broad, bumpy chewing surfaces adapted to chewing up plant materials. These teeth are very similar to those of humans. Image from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by Mammal Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.

Cheek teeth of a pig, showing the broad, bumpy chewing surfaces adapted to chewing up plant materials. These teeth are very similar to those of humans. Image from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by Mammal Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.

The top view (chewing surfaces) of cheek teeth in buffalo (top) and horse (below). The crescent shapes are formed by enamel arranged in curving rows called "lophs". These help the teeth resist grass better. Grass is very tough because it has a lot of silica in it, and otherwise wears the teeth down very quickly. Image is from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by photographer Dr. Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.

The top view (chewing surfaces) of cheek teeth in buffalo (top) and horse (below). The crescent shapes are formed by enamel arranged in curving rows called "lophs". These help the teeth resist grass better. Grass is very tough because it has a lot of silica in it, and otherwise wears the teeth down very quickly. Image is from Animal Diversity Web, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Photo rights owned by photographer Dr. Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Used with permission.

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