Which feature attached to the skull maximized leverage for Thylacoleo's clamp-down effect?
Answer
The strong temporalis muscles attaching to the deep, prominent sagittal crest.
The mechanical efficiency of Thylacoleo's bite relied heavily on the anchoring and leverage provided by its skull structure. The powerful temporalis muscles, responsible for closing the jaw, attached to a highly developed feature on the skull: the deep and prominent sagittal crest. This crest provided a superior anchor point, allowing the massive musculature to exert devastating closing force onto the specialized premolars positioned below. This entire setup—muscle anchored to the crest driving force down to the specialized teeth—is what allowed the animal to clamp down with decisive, overwhelming crushing effect.
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