Hoofed Animals Such as Cattle and Sheep Are Classified as Browsers

question 18

Essay

Hoofed animals such as cattle and sheep are classified as browsers (leaf eaters) andgrazers (grass eaters). Some biologists believe that the incisor arcade of the teeth,diagrammed below, is shaped differently for browsers and grazers, affecting theirfood selection. The "curvature" of an incisor arcade is a measure of its shape; largevalues indicate a longer, thinner mouth and small values a shorter, wider mouth. Theback-to-back stem-and-leaf plot below compares the curvatures of incisor arcades fordifferent species of browsers and grazers. (b) Some biologists believe browsers have thinner mouths because leafed plantsfrequently have thorns and spines. They think that browsers have evolved thinnermouths to get beyond the thorns and spines to the food part of the plant. Are thedata in the back-to-back stem-and-leaf plot consistent with this theory?
Justifyyour answer by appealing to specific aspect(s) of the plot.