Frequency of rocking in mandibles of lions and tigers.

a 15 lion specimens not examined—either because there was no mandible, or the mandible was incomplete, or the mandible was wired to the cranium. Hence, n = 67 and not n = 82b One tiger specimen had a damaged mandible, hence n = 21 and not n = 22c Exhibition of this trait was Intermediate, i.e. one half of the mandible (a ‘dentary’) was curved and would have rocked on the contact point below the carnassials, whereas the other dentary had an additional contact point on a flat surface (either the angular process or a bony growth below the mandibular symphysis) that thus prevented the entire mandible from rocking. In some cases in large individuals and/or where front teeth were missing from the specimen, the mandible rocked backwards to rest on the angular processd One of the three mandibles was prevented from rocking by the presence of a bony growth below the mandibular symphysis (e.g. Part A in S2 Fig)e Prevented from rocking by the presence of a bony spur below the mandibular symphysis (e.g. Part C in S2 Fig)f Rocks only slightly (Part F in S2 Fig).Frequency of rocking in mandibles of lions and tigers.