Conclusion
The relationship between dietary ecology and dental morphology has been
quite well established in many vertebrate taxa, but snakes (Berkovitz &
Shellis, 2017). Snakes have a highly specialized feeding behavior and
apparatus which may have constrained the evolution of their tooth
morphology and function. Here, we demonstrate that this is not the case;
the shape, length and curvature of snake teeth is highly variable, and
this diversity is associated with several both prey properties and
feeding ecology. Two main teeth shapes were highlighted in our study:
short and robust and long and slender teeth. Long teeth are present in
snakes that need a good grip on their prey, such as soft-bodied or bulky
prey or snakes feeding under water. Short teeth are associated with hard
and/or long prey items that usually do not involve penetration of the
prey. This is the first study quantifying and comparing the morphology
of snake teeth in a phylogenetically large sample of species with
different ecologies. We hope this will open the way to further
investigations on the underlying mechanical properties of snake teeth,
thereby improving our understanding of tooth evolution and biomechanics
in vertebrates.