Question

Carnivorous animals use these teeth to tear flesh.
A. Incisors
B. Canines
C. Premolars
D. Molars

Answer 1

Hint: Let us recall that carnivorous animals are those animals that eat meat and they possess a total of 44 teeth that are used for ripping, tearing and grinding up the animals and for that they use their long and sharp teeth.

Complete Answer:
- As we all know that all animals possess teeth that are adapted to eating certain types of food like herbivores that are plant eating animals have strong molar teeth but small canines as they eat their food by chewing and grinding and carnivorous animals on the other hand are those animals that eat meat and possess long and sharp teeth that are adapted to ripping, tearing and cutting the flesh.
- Carnivorous animals have very well defined pointed canine teeth that they use for butchering the meat and also possess sharp incisors and a limited number of premolar and molar teeth.
- Canine teeth are easily visible and they are long and pointed located on either side of incisors.
- Molars and premolar teeth have uneven edges and are mainly used for shearing the food in smaller pieces but most of the work is done by the frontal canines and incisors only.

Therefore the correct answer is (B).

Note: The basic dental formula of carnivores includes: $\dfrac{{3143}}{{3143}} = 44$ where incisors are 3 on the upper and 3 on the bottom, 1 canine is present on the upper side and 1 on the lower, similarly 4 premolar are present on the upper side and 4 on the lower and molars are 3 in number on the upper side and 3 on the lowers side resulting in a total of 44 teeth. A lion has a dental formula as $\dfrac{{3131}}{{3121}}$ having a set of 30 permanent teeth.