ABSTRACT
The predatory and feeding activities of carnivorous mammals tend to be relatively dramatic and consequently have been the focus of numerous biomechanical studies. The act of killing prey often involves considerable risk to the predator, as jaws, teeth and limbs can be loaded heavily in unpredictable directions. Most analyses of the biomechanics of carnivore feeding behaviour have not included direct behavioural observations. Instead they have been comparative osteological studies that have relied on the published literature for information on diet and/or predatory techniques. Frequently, the analysis of skull and dental dimensions has led to predictions about feeding behaviour in the wild, but these predictions have rarely been tested. For example, Biknevicius et al. (1996) suggested that the parabolic shape of the incisor arcade in canids as opposed to its more linear shape in extant felids might allow canids to use their incisors more selectively, but this has not been tested by observation. Of course, many of the predictions involve the relative magnitude and direction of the loads experienced by teeth, jaws, and skull, and these are impossible as yet to measure in the field.
