Data from: Tooth fracture frequency in gray wolves reflects prey availability

Exceptionally high rates of tooth fracture in large Pleistocene
carnivorans imply intensified interspecific competition, given that tooth
fracture rises with increased bone consumption, a behavior that likely
occurs when prey are difficult to acquire. To assess the link between prey
availability and dental attrition, we documented dental fracture rates
over decades among three well-studied populations of extant gray wolves
that differed in prey:predator ratio and levels of carcass utilization.
When prey:predator ratios declined, kills were more fully consumed, and
rates of tooth fracture more than doubled. This supports tooth fracture
frequency as a relative measure of the difficulty of acquiring prey, and
reveals a rapid response to diminished food levels in large carnivores
despite risks of infection and reduced fitness due to dental injuries.
More broadly, large carnivore tooth fracture frequency likely reflects
energetic stress, an aspect of predator success that is challenging to
quantify in wild populations.