What caloric resource provided a competitive advantage to the bone-crushing *E. haydeni*?
Answer
Marrow locked inside thick bone
The specialization of *Epicyon haydeni* as a bone crusher provided a significant ecological advantage in an environment rich with large herbivores. By possessing the capability to process thick bone, *E. haydeni* could access marrow and fat stores locked within the skeletal structure after a kill or scavenging opportunity. This access to deep, dense caloric resources was crucial for survival and provided a competitive edge over carnivores limited strictly to processing muscle and organ meat, defining its role as an expert resource exploiter.
#Videos
Epicyon, the largest dog species ever, capable of killing a tiger or ...
Related Questions
What is the estimated length of *Epicyon haydeni*, recognized as the largest canid?What specialized feature characterized *Epicyon haydeni*'s dentition for processing bone?What moniker do paleontologists often use for *Epicyon haydeni* due to its feeding habits?How did the robust build of *E. haydeni* contrast with modern cursorial canids?During which geological epoch did *Epicyon haydeni* exist as a giant among canids?What adaptation contrasts the bone processing strategy of *E. haydeni* with most modern canids?Which genus represents the line of canids that *Epicyon haydeni* is explicitly stated to predate?What caloric resource provided a competitive advantage to the bone-crushing *E. haydeni*?Based on feeding mechanics, what modern animal might *Epicyon* functionally resemble?What type of pursuit strategy did the powerful build of *E. haydeni* suggest, unlike long-distance chasing?