h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The Edited Entry on Lions (A12921428) says:

In their mouth there is a set of 30 teeth; canines to grip onto and catch the prey, molars to slice into the flesh of the carcass and small incisors to take meat off the bone.

Shouldn´t that be "small incisors to slice into the flesh of the carcass and molars to take meat off the bone"?

OK, I've done some research, and I see that lions and other carnivores have a special sort of tooth which is called a pre-molar or molar but it is really a different sort: a carnassial, intended for slicing meat.

http://bareboneseuropean.com/big_bb_images/Mountain_Lion_White_Teeth_700x525.JPG

I wonder is it worth rewording that section in the Entry to make it a little bit clearer.

Teuchter's a dentist I believe...

Nice picture, Gnomon - reminds me of my mother-in-law.

Of course, we have premolars too - at least, I used to

In all cats, including lions, the distinction between molars and premolars seems to be blurred. The carnassials are premolars on the upper jaw and molars on the lower jaw.

Presumably a lions dentist would have to put their head in its mouth.

Id pay to see that!

I know that when doing dentistry on hippopotamuses, they knock the unfortunate creature out first.

At least one hippo in Dublin Zoo died of the anaesthetic, as it it's extremely difficult to estimate a hippo's percentage body fat; if you get it wrong one way, the hippo dies. The other way, the dentist dies.

Teuchter's a dental hygenist. Z's got a couple of pals in RL who are zoo vets though. He met one when she was presenting a paper at a conference on strokes and dementia about altzheimers in tigers.

B

>>altzheimers in tigers

I'd pay to see that, too.

Apparently it's very dull. They just pace around a bit more and get grumpier.

I've changed the lions entry to mention carnassials. I hope it is a little more explanatory now.