Maximum bite force and jaw muscle mass in Jungle and Carrion Crows

Abstract

Abstract. We investigated whether there are significant differences in jaw muscle mass, maximum bite force and pressure between Jungle Crows Corvus macrorhynchos and Carrion Crows C. corone. Maximum bite force and pressure were measured using pressure sensitive film. For male Jungle Crows, jaw muscle mass, maximum bite force and pressure were 2.36 g, 565.0 N and 127.2 MPa; for females they were 1.89 g, 398.5 N and 111.9 MPa. Those values for male Carrion Crows were 1.65 g, 424.3 N and 99.8 MPa; whereas for females they were 1.22 g, 298.0 N and 87.6 MPa. Furthermore, jaw muscle mass (P<0.05) and maximum bite force (P<0.05) were both positively correlated with body mass in both species. It is suggested that maximum bite force with respect to jaw muscle mass in Jungle Crows was significantly larger than that in Carrion Crows (P<0.05).