ReviewAnatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)2025
Sharpening our understanding of saber-tooth biomechanics.
Review in Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Biomechanical Analysis of Post-Core Crown Restoration in Dog Maxillary Canine Teeth.Veterinary sciences · 2026Article
- Sharpening our understanding of saber-tooth biomechanics.Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) · 2025Review
- Commentary: What's so interesting about sabertooths?Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Saber-teeth are a striking example of convergent evolution in vertebrate predators, having evolved multiple times in mammals and their early ancestors. While there is broad consensus that saber-toothed taxa employed a distinct biting strategy compared to conical-toothed carnivores, like the lion, the precise mechanics and variability of this bite remain debated. In this review, we integrate current knowledge of pointed tooth mechanics and puncture mechanics to explore predatory function, focusing on the canine shear-bite hypothesis. We quantify the key morphological characteristics of saber-teeth-elongation, slenderness, curvature, sharpness, and cross-sectional shape in a sample of saber-and conical-toothed taxa. Using the morphological diversity observed and insights from experimental studies, we examine the capacity of saber-teeth to perform the canine shear-bite, contrasting them with the clamp-and-hold bite of extant carnivores with conical canines. Our findings indicate that the morphological characteristics associated with extreme saber-tooth forms, as seen in Smilodon, suggest the prioritization of deeper puncture and slicing actions and limiting of lateral loads, favorable for a canine shear-bite. However, we also demonstrate that these morphological characteristics exist on a continuum accross saber-toothed taxa suggesting greater functional diversity beyond the shear-bite versus clamp-and-hold bite dichotomy. While this study refines our understanding of saber-tooth function, key gaps remain, particularly regarding the role of cross-sectional shape, curvature, and serrations in puncture mechanics.
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Registered trials
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