What shape characterized the molar crowns of the Woolly Rhinoceros, indicative of its abrasive diet?
Answer
Low-crowned and curved, exhibiting high enamel ridges.
The dental structure of the Woolly Rhino provides clear evidence of its exclusive diet as a grazer feeding on abrasive steppe grasses. Their molars were characterized by being low-crowned and curved. This morphology creates high ridges and deep valleys on the chewing surface. This evolutionary trait is a direct adaptation to the high silica content found in Ice Age grasses, which wore down softer tooth material, ensuring that the durable enamel ridges remained high to provide an efficient grinding surface over the lifespan of the animal.
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