Ingestion in Mammals Introductory Article
Ingestion in Mammals Introductory article Christine E Wall, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA Article Contents Kathleen K Smith, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA . Introduction . Capture Ingestion in mammals is distinguished from that of other vertebrates by mastication, . Oral Transport suckling, and complex food transport and swallowing. The teeth, cranial bones, and . Mastication musculature of the head reflect these distinguishing features. Swallowing . Suckling Introduction Ingestion is a series of biologically complex activities lized for live prey capture and killing (Figure 1b). In some (capture, incision, transport, mastication, swallowing and, mammals, particularly in herbivores, the canines are in infant mammals, suckling) performed by the oral absent, leaving a space, called a diastema, between the apparatus. The oral apparatus includes the dentition, the incisors at the front of the mouth and the premolars and masticatory muscles, numerous bones of the cranium, the molars at the back of the mouth (Figure 1c). squamosal–dentary joints connecting the lower jaw to the The premolars and molars are commonly referred to as skull, the tongue, and many other structures in the head. the postcanine dentition or the cheek teeth. These teeth are Mammals are distinguished from other vertebrates in sometimes used during food capture, but they are many aspects of ingestion. For example, in most other specialized to initiate the digestive process by breaking vertebrates, mastication does not occur. Also, food down the food so that it is the proper size and consistency transport and swallowing are less complex in other for swallowing and further digestion by the gut. Premolars vertebrates and generally involve the coordination of and molars have bumps (called cusps), ridges (called crests fewer muscles and other soft tissue structures.
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