178 MAMMALIAN DENTITION 



the Cats and the oriental Binturong having teeth with low, 

 mound-like cusps. To this subject of dental variation with 

 food habits in the Carnivora we shall return later (see page 

 270). 



The Hyaenas, like the Civets from which they arose, never 

 penetrated to the western hemisphere. They are carrion feed- 

 ers with the teeth specially modified for the purpose of crush- 

 ing bones. The rugged strength of the skull is observed at a 

 glance. Large rough areas accommodate the powerful masti- 

 catory and neck muscles associated with such stout teeth. 

 Each cheek tooth possesses a pronounced cingulum to protect 

 the soft tissues of the gum against laceration from splinters of 

 crushed bone. The dental formula is: 



3 14 1 

 1 3' C 1 ,P 3 ,M Y' tota134 - 



The sectorial teeth are as usual P1 and though there are three 



varieties of Hyaena these show only minor differences in their 

 dentition. The upper molar is reduced in all but more in the 

 Spotted Hyaena than in the Striped ; the lower molar also is 

 more specialized in the Spotted Hyaena, having lost its metaco- 

 nid and possessing a mere vestige of a talonid. A closely asso- 

 ciated animal, the Aard-wolf, also a carrion feeder, exhibits a 

 very degenerate dentition which however need not detain us. 

 At the beginning of this chapter it was observed that the 

 Cats differentiated in the Oligocene from ancestors common 

 to them and to the Dogs. In the Cats (Felidae) we find marked 

 shortening of the jaws with reduction and great modification 

 of the teeth. The dental formula is: 



3 13 l 

 l|, G y, P|, My. total 30. 



The upper anterior premolar is often absent but otherwise the 

 dentition is uniform throughout the family practically all of 



