Cat canines are piercing weapons vulnerable to side torque during hunts
Evidence
Cats are specialized in another way. They can supinate their forelimbs—twist their wrists and pull the pads of their feet inward, facing their bodies. Flexible forelimbs let these animals cling to their prey and position themselves for the careful execution of their powerful, killing bite. Their canines are long and narrow, which makes them great for piercing but vulnerable to breaking if they get yanked to the side. A cat that can hang on to its prey in the throes of an attack can pierce its long teeth straight through the skin in a calculated stab. Failure to hold on results in torque during the bite, and may cause the canines to snap. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 78
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Mammals split teeth into specialized tools for each task; Cat weapons stayed moderate because agility and speed offset killing power — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 955; Predator weapons stay small because larger ones hinder hunting — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 83 (+5 more)
Related
- Cat weapons stayed moderate because agility and speed offset killing power (similarity 0.91)
- Predator weapons stay small because larger ones hinder hunting (similarity 0.85)
- Mammals split teeth into specialized tools for each task (similarity 0.85)
- Wolves evolved dual-purpose teeth and pack tactics to subdue oversized prey (similarity 0.82)
- Predator diversity is best explained by weapon adaptation to habitat and prey (similarity 0.82)
- Ambush predators evolve large weapons because they strike rather than chase prey (similarity 0.81)
- Jaw shape trades off between bite force and bite speed (similarity 0.81)
- Smilodon was a heavy ambush predator of lumbering large prey. (similarity 0.81)
- Ambush predators depend on appendage speed more than body speed (similarity 0.81)
- Jaw length trades bite force against bite speed across carnivore species. (similarity 0.80)
- Sabertooths’ massive canines required body changes that made movement awkward. (similarity 0.80)
- Hyena jaw geometry trades closing speed for bone-crushing force (similarity 0.79)
- Animal weapons evolved to extremes far beyond practical size (similarity 0.79)
- Growing large weapons diverts resources and stunts other body parts (similarity 0.79)
- Human spear-point size is constrained by shaft balance and penetration requirements (similarity 0.79)
Broader Connections
- Cat weapons stayed moderate because agility and speed offset killing power
#corroborates(0.80) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 955 - Ambush predators evolve large weapons because they strike rather than chase prey
#contradicts(0.80) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 956 - Predator weapons stay small because larger ones hinder hunting
#corroborates(0.75) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 83 - Animal weapons evolved to extremes far beyond practical size
#contradicts(0.75) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 2 - Ambush predators sacrifice locomotion speed for close-range striking power
#contradicts(0.70) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 113 - Weapon size in animal species is under stabilizing selection, not open-ended directional selection
#corroborates(0.65) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 850 - Jaw length trades bite force against bite speed across carnivore species.
#qualifies(0.60)