Coyote Upper Carnassials

In canids such as Canis latrans, the upper carnassials (the large pointy cheek tooth) are the fourth premolars (P4). The lower carnassial teeth are the first molar (m1).

It's easy usually to distinguish between canid upper and lower carnassials. The upper carnassial (P4) in canids has three roots (or "fangs" as they are called in some books). The lower carnassial - the molar - has only two roots.

These coyote upper carnassials have a crown length of about 0.8" or ~20.3mm.

Other canid P4 crown lengths are:

For 50 dogs, C. familiaris, the avg. length was . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.28mm

For 111 female coyotes, C. latrans, the avg. lngth. was . . . . . . 19.60mm

For 166 male coyotes, the average length was . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.38mm

For 12 eastern female gray wolves, C. lupus, the avg. was . . . . 22.67mm

For 19 eastern male gray wolves, the avg. P4 length was . . . . . . . . . . 24.55mm

For a good number of dire wolves, C. dirus, the crown length. . . . 30-35mm