Incisor Arcade Structure and Diet Selection in Ruminants

The structure of the incisor arcade in ruminant ungulates is likely to affect the degree to which animals can be selective in choosing food items. Species of ruminant which feed predominantly on grasses have broader more flattened incisor arcades when compared at the same size with species which browse on woody dicotyledonous plants. This is likely to reflect the differential dispersion of food items on the food plants of these two different groups of ruminants.