Both hyenas and lions are powerful predators with incredibly strong jaws and teeth, but which of these African carnivores packs a stronger bite? There are some key differences between hyena and lion teeth and jaws that influence their respective biting power.
Bite Force
Bite force is a measurement of the amount of force an animal can produce with its jaws. It is measured in pounds per square inch (psi) or newtons. Bite force gives an indication of an animal’s ability to crush bones, bite through hide and muscle, and generally overwhelm prey or deter predators.
Several studies have sought to measure the bite force of hyenas and lions to determine which species has the stronger bite:
- A 2012 study found that the bite force of spotted hyenas measured 1100 psi, compared to 650 psi for lions.
- Another study in 2018 tested the bite force of striped hyenas and found it measured 317 kg/cm2, equivalent to around 4500 psi.
- Estimates for lion bite force range from 600-980 psi.
Based on direct scientific measurements, hyenas appear to have a significantly stronger pound-for-pound bite than lions. The spotted hyena has one of the most powerful bites in the animal kingdom, well above lions and most other big cats.
Jaw and Skull Structure
Part of the reason hyenas can bite harder than lions comes down to differences in the structure and strength of their jaws and skulls:
- Hyenas have larger, broader skulls with more space for large, powerful jaw muscles. Their skulls are heavily fortified to withstand the stresses of constant bone crushing.
- Lions have a weaker skull structure but can generate moderate bite force by having taller vertical bitting space and longer teeth.
- The hyena jaw has fewer molars than lions, allowing more space for premolars – the bone crushing teeth.
The skull of a hyena is specially adapted to tackle bones and access nutritious marrow, which forms a large part of their diet. Lions occasionally eat bones but their skulls are not designed to crush them consistently.
Tooth and Jaw Shape
Tooth and jaw shape also impact biting ability:
- Hyenas have lower molars that are specially angled inwards to crack open bones and get maximum leverage.
- Lions have cone-shaped canine teeth designed more for piercing flesh and strangling prey than bone crushing.
- The hyena jaw has rounded molars and premolars optimized for crushing bones into fragments to access the nutrient-rich marrow inside.
The teeth of lions are better adapted for slicing through flesh and tendon, whereas the teeth of hyenas are shaped for demolishing skeletal structures and breaking open the hardest bones.
Hunting Behavior
Biting power influences hunting and feeding behavior in important ways:
- Hyenas are highly dependent on bones for nutrition and have extremely powerful bites to crush the bones of even very large prey like buffalo or giraffe.
- Lions more often kill prey by strangulation bites to the throat and have less need for extreme bone-cracking ability.
- Lions tend to leave bones largely intact after consuming a kill, while hyenas pulverize bones into fragments.
Hyenas have evolved to maximize energy extraction from carcasses by accessing the nutritious marrow locked inside bones. Their bone-cracking jaws reflect this specialty.
Prey Size
The size of prey hunted also influences bite strength:
- Hyenas regularly tackle very large prey like wildebeest, zebra and buffalo weighing over 600 pounds, requiring powerful biting to overcome them.
- Lions more typically target medium-sized prey in the 300-500 pound range like warthogs and antelope.
- Hyenas need the biting power to crush the bones of massive prey, while lion bites are adequate for softer antelope bones.
Hyenas have evolved the bite force necessary to crush and consume the skeletons of Africa’s largest herbivores. Lions require less bite strength when hunting lighter prey.
Pack Hunting
How hyenas and lions hunt also impacts bite strength:
- Spotted hyenas primarily hunt alone or in small groups, relying on powerful individual bites to overcome prey.
- Lions are highly social pack hunters, able to collectively bring down large prey through group strangulation biting without extreme individual bite force.
- A single hyena needs to be able to subdue big prey with its bite, while lions can achieve the same end cooperatively.
The social hunting of lions means individual biting power is less crucial and they can get by with weaker bites than the more solitary hyena.
Scavenging
Scavenging habits also explain the difference in bite strength:
- Hyenas are highly specialized scavengers that rely heavily on cracking open left-over bones at kill sites to access the nutritious marrow.
- Lions scavenge opportunistically but do not have advanced bone-crushing abilities.
- The bone-cracking jaws of hyenas have clearly developed to take advantage of scavenging opportunities.
The scavenging behavior of hyenas requires immensely powerful bites to process carcasses, especially bones, giving them an advantage over lions.
Sexual Dimorphism
There are also notable differences between the bites of males and females:
- Male spotted hyenas have bites measured at over 1100 psi, while female hyena bites average around 1000 psi.
- Male lions have significantly stronger bites than female lions, who generate only about 2/3 the bite force of males.
- Sexual dimorphism in bite strength is much greater in lions than hyenas.
The small difference in male and female hyena biting power shows they both heavily rely on bone crushing ability. Male lion bites are substantially stronger than females.
Conclusion
When comparing the bite force of hyenas and lions, hyenas come out on top with significantly higher pound-for-pound biting power. Several key factors underlie the superior biting abilities of hyenas:
- More robust skull and jaw structure optimized for bone crushing
- Premolars and molars angled and shaped for cracking bones
- Greater dependence on bone consumption for nutrition
- More frequent tackling of large, dangerous prey
- Primary hunting method of individual bites rather than group takedowns
- Specialized ability to utilize bones via powerful scavenging bites
The powerful bites of spotted and striped hyenas reflect evolutionary adaptations to their bone-cracking diet and highly aggressive feeding behaviors. Though lions generate respectable bite force, their bites pale in comparison to the bone-splintering chomps of hyenas.
References
Binder, W.J., & Van Valkenburgh, B. (2000). Development of bite strength and feeding behaviour in juvenile spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). Journal of Zoology, 252(3), 273-283.
Erickson, G. M., Lappin, A. K., & Vliet, K. A. (2003). The ontogeny of bite-force performance in American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). Journal of Zoology, 260(3), 317-327.
Tanner, J. B., Dumont, E. R., Sakai, S. T., Lundrigan, B. L., & Holekamp, K. E. (2008). Of arcs and vaults: the biomechanics of bone-cracking in spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 95(2), 246-255.