Describe bunodont teeth and their typical diet.

• A. High-crowned teeth with enamel ridges for grazing.
• B. Crescent-shaped ridges on molars.
• C. Molars with linked ridges across teeth.
• D. Low-crowned teeth with rounded cusps; typical of omnivores like bears and some primates.

Answer: (D)

Bunodont teeth are defined by low-crowned molars with rounded, knob-like cusps. This shape is built for crushing and grinding a mixed diet rather than slicing or tearing. That makes bunodont dentition a good fit for omnivores, like bears and many primates, who eat a variety of foods such as fruits, seeds, insects, and sometimes meat. If teeth were high-crowned with long enamel ridges (hypsodont), they’d be better for grinding tough grasses; crescent-shaped ridges (selenodont) are typical of many herbivores that process fibrous plant material; and molars with broad, linked ridges (lophodont) are another pattern seen in some herbivores. The rounded cusps and low crown of bunodont teeth best match an omnivorous diet.