Male Deer Not Long in the Tooth

Among many hoofed-animal species, males have smaller molars than females do

  • Hannah Schardt
  • Dec 01, 2008
AFTER COMPARING body and tooth size of 123 ungulate species--including the mule deer--researchers in Spain and the United Kingdom found that the males have smaller molars, relative to body size, than females. Males of these species are highly competitive and generally stop reproducing after prime age, so more durable teeth, which would be necessary for longer lives, do not add to reproductive success.

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