Wolverine Male (Gulo gulo) Mustelidae
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Lateral View Wolverine Skull
Anterior View Wolverine (Gulo gulo) Skull
Wolverines possess massive powerful dentitions and muscles of mastication. Molars and premolars are designed for crushing bones and shearing through otherwise impenetrable parts of large carcasses. A wolverine's mandible is secured to the skull rendering it nearly impossible to dislocate (allowing them to impose significant force and leverage) as they struggle to dismember frozen carcasses. Mandibular condyles are heavy and transversely oriented maximizing contact with the skull; the anterior eminence of the glenoid fossa is protracted and wraps around the condyle (effectively locking the mandible to the skull). Formidible incisors and canines are capable of cutting through thick frozen hide. A wolverine's dentition is similar to that of the brown and spotted hyenas in both form and function.
